Storm Hawks
by WhispertheWolf
Summary: Storm Hawks in book form. I was having writer's block. Join Atmos's youngest Sky Knight and his unbeatable squadron in their quest to rid the world of evil and tyranny and unite the terras in peace. Episode in my production: Payback
1. Prologue: A New Legend

Author's Notes: Yup, it's the show in book form. How bored can you get, right? I know, I should be working on my _Four-Legged, Winged, and Limbless_ drabble requests, but I've had really bad writer's block and hardly any time. So when did I type this up, you ask? Oh, I've done probably a paragraph a day. These are that reasons that I've been pulling an Ambrel on you (forgive me for that, Ambrel). For while I have a new story or update everyday and you can always expect something and then suddenly . . . Womp. Nothing but a few sporadic updates with six weeks in between each one. Time and inspiration, people. I lack them now. So to keep the juices flowing, I wrote this. I hope you enjoy the writing, even though you already know the story.

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_**Storm Hawks**_

**A Nerd Corps Production**

**Created by Asaph Fipke**

**Adapted by WhispertheWolf**

Prologue: A New Legend

_Atmos, the world we live in, world of a thousand mountaintop kingdoms, each protected by a Sky Knight against the forces of darkness: beasts, rogues, and worst of all, __Cyclonians__. The greatest of all Sky Knights led the Storm Hawks. His mission: Unite the kingdoms and rid Atmos of evil forever. But he was betrayed, the Storm Hawks defeated, and all hope lost . . ._

_Until now. My name's Aerrow, and I'm a Sky Knight. I am the last descendent of the original Storm Hawks, and I've been given their mission,__ chosen to lead the legendary Storm Hawks squadron once again__. This is my squadron: Piper, the specialist, navigation, and tactics; Finn, the marksman, wingman, and sharpshooter; Junko, the strongman, flight engineer, and heavy ballistics; Stork, the helmsman and carrier pilot; and, of course, my copilot, Radarr. Our mission: to protect Atmos from the evil Talons of Master Cyclonis: Repton, Snipe, Ravess, the Dark Ace. __Some say we're too young, but I say the sky is never the limit! We're the Storm Hawks, and we are __paving the way for a new legend to be written__._

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Author's Notes: Okay, so here's how it works. This will be in third person and point of views will change. Each episode will be one part. In each part, although I will change it up a little, there will be one primary point of view, one of the Storm Hawks of my choice. (I'm going to use them all, but some not as much as others. It looks like Aerrow might be an episode hog, though.) And also, each part will have a summary at the beginning that's supposed to sound really profound without really telling you anything—a little like political ads, really.

And now, for the first chapter of _Part 1: Age of Heroes_.

Oh, and don't forget to visit the poll on my profile.


	2. Origins: The Last Descendent

_**Part 1**_

_**Origins**_

_Good fights evil. Heroes betray, and heroes are made. Good loses, and evil wins. A tyrant takes power, and a world is threatened. Enemies are formed, and friends are gained. Winners lose, and losers win. Children follow in their elders' footsteps. A new ruler is crowned. A boy follows his destiny. A squadron rises from the ashes._

_A legend is born._

Chapter 1: The Last Descendent

It had all started with three very special men who stood under the limbs of a tree, each of them wearing well-decorated hooded robes, like magicians . . . and they were magicians of sorts. One of them wore a black and purple robe, and his face was masked by his hood, the end of his hood ending in a point not far from his pointed beard. One wore a robe that was silver and had light blue-gray bordering. His beard went around his entire face, joining his hair under the hood. There was an excited look on his face. The last was the master among them, marked by his copper-colored robe bordered with gold. He had no beard like the others, but he had a mustache. He and the masked one were looking at the excited one, waiting for him to explain his excitement.

At last, he spoke. "It was ten years ago almost to the day, the battle to end all battles, good versus evil, Sky Knights versus Cyclonia."

_The other two remembered that fateful day as well. The red skies of Cyclonia had been dazzled with red lightning. The two sides of the war fought with equal fury; the Sky Knights firing with their blue striker crystal blasts and the Cyclonians firing with their red Firebolt crystal blasts. They had huge airships, with many other little biplanes resembling motorcycles, called skyrides._

_One of the members of the Sky Knight squadron, a young blonde woman bearing the blue uniform of a Storm Hawk, spun her staff and blasted one of the Cyclonians' red skyride and then another, sending them crashing to the Wastelands below. Three other Storm Hawks, all men, raised their energy blades threateningly, each of which was glowing blue from the power of a rare blue striker crystal embedded in each handle. Another shot fired from one of them, sending another Cyclonian into the Wastelands._

"Lightning Strike, glorious Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks, would lead the charge. With Atmos united behind him, he knew he could not fail!"

_This Sky Knight, a striking man with fiery red hair and brown eyes, had driven off the landing stripe of his battle cruiser, the _Condor. _With him was a copilot in a cockpit next to him. His copilot was a young man, barely older than a boy, and had jet black hair and dark brown, almost black, eyes. Two other Storm Hawks on their own skyrides followed them out of the_ Condor_'s hangar bay. All of their rides drove in bike mode, looking like motorcycles, but when they reached the end of the landing stripe, wings were deployed, and they became biplanes._

_Once in the air, Lightning Strike jumped out onto the starboard wing of his skyride, grabbing the large emblem of a soaring hawk off the wing. This emblem proved to be an attachable shield, and he held it behind him to block blows from behind. He drew his sword from where it hung on his back from a clip-on sheath. It was a double-bladed, two-handed energy blade, although Lightning Strike only used one hand to wield it, and he ignited it with the power of a rare blue striker crystal._

_When Lightning Strike saw an enemy in his sights, he spun his blade around and was enveloped in an aura of power that he had summoned from the crystal in his sword in his own signature move. He released that power in one large pulse that was sent hurtling right through the young Raptor squadron, fighting on the side of Cyclonia. The pulse zipped back and forth, chopping off the wings of all the skyrides. The lead Raptor, Repton, yelled in surprise and fear as he and his squadron fell out of the skies, deploying their square parachutes (which bore their emblem)._

_The first stage was complete. The alliance had broken through the Repton line of defense._

_Lightning Strike landed on the wing of skyride again, proud of his feat. He was confident. Victory was in reach._

_He took the main driver's seat from his copilot again and watched as the alliance of the Storm Hawks and the Rex Guardians, another Sky Knight squadron, approached the Cyclonian fortress. No evil would stand in their way._

"Then his own copilot betrayed him."

_While he had sat there, the copilot had snuck up behind Lightning Strike and had taken the sword right out of its sheath with the thought, _Let me take a load off your back!_ He ignited it and held it up over the Sky Knight, ready to strike him. Lightning Strike had heard him, and he had turned around and had stared in astonishment and disbelief, but the copilot only smirked in amusement at his frightened expression. _Sorry, dear leader,_ the copilot thought, although he was not._

_With a slash from his own sword by his own copilot, Lightning Strike and his shield fell out of the skyride back first with a final cry of disbelief. With one fell swoop from the traitor, the hopes of the alliance were vanquished._

_For the traitor, it was all going according to plan. Not at all concerned for his once-Sky Knight, the traitor had taken the striker crystal off the end of the sword. He had been given a powerful Firebolt crystal from his co-conspirators, and he now replaced the striker crystal with his Firebolt crystal. He ignited the sword and held it out tauntingly for the other Storm Hawks to see. With the Firebolt crystal combined with Lightning Strike's energy sword, the power the traitor now wielded was immense._

_Every Sky Knight squadron member had shouted in defiance. One of the Storm Hawks raised a heavy club, a signal that said to the Storm Hawks, _Get him!_ But the copilot simply rose up into the air with the sword over his head and was engulfed in the crystal's power in his own signature move. The pulse he created was sent out like a red ripple of power. The remaining pilots never had a chance. Every skyride that was caught in it was destroyed. Once reduced to their parachutes, the traitor made quick work of the Storm Hawks and even the ship that he had once called home._

"The Storm Hawks and the _Condor_ were destroyed. The alliance quickly crumbled.

"Cyclonia won."

Yes, they had won. Since that time, they had spread their empire wherever they could, meeting resistance wherever they went, and conquering almost every land they set foot to.

"The traitor was rewarded," the silver figure continued.

Yes, he had been rewarded by Master Cyclonis, the evil empress of Cyclonia. She now reigned supreme. Yet evil as she was, her granddaughter, waiting in the wings for her chance to rule, clung to her for comfort and looked upon the rewarded traitor with wonder. And this traitor Storm Hawk knelt before the Master, a Storm Hawk no more.

"Soon," the silver figure continued, "he would be known across Atmos as the Dark Ace.

For the next decade, Master Cyclonis' power continued to grow. More and more of the Atmos was brought under her control. Life looked bleak for the people of Atmos.

"With the Storm Hawks and the _Condor_ gone, all hope was lost.

"Until now."

That was when, at last, the silver figure got to the part where he would explain his excitement.

He gestured out to a young teenage boy who was running up the hill before them, unaware of their presence. "The last descendent of Lightning Strike!" the silver prophet exclaimed, reaching hand out toward the boy. "Only he can unite the skies and bring peace to Atmos!"

The family resemblance was apparent. The boy's untamable hair fanned in the wind like red fire, like Lightning Strike's, but unlike his ancestor, his eyes were the color of emeralds. His outfit was tight-fitting, as was the Atmosian style, and was red and blue and appeared a bit patched together. Though far from weak, the boy looked quite scrawny.

A group of skyrides was coming up behind him. These weren't crystal-powered biplanes; they were helicopters that had pedals like bikes and were run as such. The boy screamed as the rides drew even closer; he showed no sign of turning to fight, like he should if he was the "young savior" of Atmos.

The cloaked figures, the Guardians of the Atmos, all stared at the useless-looking kid. The masked one turned to the silver one. "Are you sure about this?" he asked. The silver one could only wince.

"Wah!" the boy shouted as he ran faster, almost in reach of the top of the hill. He really was in danger. The bigger, stronger boys chasing him on their bikes were not friendly.

Following on the boy's heels and scampering on all fours was a little creature with sky-blue fur and bare paws. The creature, resembling a mix between a monkey and rabbit, wore a blue outfit similar to the boy's blue and red suit. He let out a frightened squawk as he followed the boy, who screamed again when the boys on the bikes got even closer.

The lead bad boy was a burly teenager with sandy-colored hair and a black leather suit. He and his buddies all wore Cyclonian emblems to show where their allegiances lie and signifying them as one of Cyclonia's Youth Brigades. The lead one glanced over his shoulder at the others. "Don't let him get away!" he ordered.

One of the figures among his group was a hard, heavy creature, big and burly. The creature looked almost like a humanized rhino. His slope of grey hair, hazel eyes, tough brown skin, two-toed hooves, and the horn on his nose identified him as a Wallop, a species in the Atmos from Terra Wallop that is known for being thick-headed, dim-witted, strong, and mean. Even so, this Wallop boy only glanced at his leader nervously at his order when they glided closer.

The furry creature squawked a warning to his boy. The descendent of Lightning Strike glanced over his shoulder in time to see the bullies flying lower, closing in on him. His heart was beating a mile a minute; he couldn't imagine what would happen to him if he were caught. Luckily, he had almost reached the top of the hill, where a large wooden fort was set under a weeping willow tree. "Piper! Finn!" he cried desperately. "Open the gate!"

Behind the gate, a blue-eyed boy about his age wearing a similar suit of blue and brown peered over. His blond hair was slicked back just like the Wallop's, as if they were using hair gel to try to defy gravity. It was the boy named Finn. "Huh?" he said when he saw his two friends approaching with enemies on their tail. But he only had to laugh and whistle up toward the guard tower.

In the tower was the girl, Piper. She was about Finn's age. She was a slim, dark-skinned girl with a big stretch of spiky, midnight blue hair tied up high, as if she, too, did not want her hair to lie flat as it was meant to do. She wore a blue, brown, and orange uniform. The orange matched the color of her eyes. A necklace with a blue crystal on it surrounded her neck. She pulled on a lever, and the gate on the front began to lift up to allow her two approaching friends passage.

The descendent of Lightning Strike was now getting tired, but his hope was renewed at the sight of the gate opening. "Almost there," he chanted to himself and his furry friend. "Almost there!"

The little creature squawked and scurried ahead under the gate. And then Piper was closing it again, to be sure the Cyclonian loyalists did not get in. "Whoa!" the red-haired boy shouted when he saw his chance of escape slipping away. At the last moment, in a minute of desperation, he slid under the gate on his belly just before it closed, startling up a group of chickens that had gotten in.

The Cyclonian Youth Brigade had landed their rides and had been cycling after the boy, but now they saw that they wouldn't be able to turn before the gate. "Whoa!" the Wallop boy had yelled.

Inside, the red-haired boy and his furry friend winced as they heard the riders collide into it.

But that didn't deter the lead bike rider, Grimsley. He got to his feet with a growl and pointed toward the fort. "Time to choose sides, Aerrow!" he called.

But now, safe inside his fort, the descendent of Lightning Strike, Aerrow, was not afraid. "We did," he shouted back to Grimsley, "the day Cyclonia destroyed our terras and our families! We choose the Sky Knights!" he said, pointing to the flag at the top of their tree, which bore the Storm Hawks' emblem. "So if you think we're givin' up our home, you're crazier than you look!"

But Grimsley wasn't _too_ crazy. He was still able to direct three of his boys to go around back without Aerrow noticing. The Wallop, Junko, didn't go at first, but more forceful pointing from Grimsley finally made him comply. The lot of them tiptoed around.

Grimsley turned around to the two other boys of his group. "Only way to earn our wings and become real Cyclonians," he explained, "is to take this terra."

A terra was a tall, large, often flat-topped mountain, and the only habitable places on Atmos were on terras. It was these lands that Cyclonia wanted conquered. The terra that Aerrow and his friends were trying to defend was Terra Neverlandis, the terra they had made their home since they lost their first homes and families.

No sooner had Grimsley said they needed to claim this terra when he was hit by three mud balls, and then his ears were met with laughter. He turned around in time to see Finn up in the willow with a blaster on his shoulder, which was loaded with mud. "Why don't ya take _that?_" Finn called to him tauntingly. He saluted him playfully and gave him his signature phrase, "Chica-cha!"

Well, apparently Grimsley didn't like that at all. He drew his knife and let out a battle cry, charging the gate as he did so. But the only result, much to Aerrow's and his friends' amusement, was he shook the gate and fell back with a wounded sigh.

Aerrow turned to Piper, who had come down from the tower and held a sheet of paper in her hands. This was routine for them; they spent almost all of their time playing Sky Knight, and Aerrow was always the Sky Knight, while Finn was the sharpshooter and wingman and Piper was his first officer, tactician, and crystal mage, due to her talent with the lovely rocks that powered almost everything on Atmos. This game also helped them operate in a situation like this, in which they easily took their "squadron" roles. Aerrow crossed his arms now and smiled, feeling like the important Sky Knight he acted as. "Piper, what's our status?" he asked.

Piper pointed to her paper. "We got the sky covered with our splat blaster," she answered Aerrow confidently, "and the only way in on the ground is through this gate and . . ." She pointed a thumb behind her as she tapered off, her smile falling. She grimaced. "Oh no."

Oh no? It was never good when Piper said, "Oh no," in a situation like this! "Piper?" Aerrow asked testily, trying not to let on how much that worried him.

Piper rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Yeah, you know that back exit hatch that sometimes gets stuck?" She pointed, her voice rising to a whimper in her nervousness.

Apparently Grimsley had known about that back exit, too, because the three boys he sent around were already there, tiptoeing toward it cautiously. They had yet to be seen by Aerrow or his friends.

The back door was open. _The back door was open! _With his heart beating a mile minute, Aerrow ran to the door with his little furry friend, Radarr, scampering on all fours at his side.

But before they could get there, they were stopped by three robed figures who stood before the back door. Aerrow and Radarr drew up with a surprised gasp and raised an eyebrow at them. How in the world had they gotten in? Who were they? And, most importantly at the moment, whose side were they on? For you see, in a time like this, Aerrow's world was black and white. There were the Cyclonians, who were his enemies, and the non-Cyclonians, who were not to be bothered with unless they helped him and his friends fight Cyclonians.

The cloaked figures returned his stare. Finally the one in the silver cloak spoke. "Glory be!" he exclaimed, looking Aerrow over. He turned to the others with a smile. "A strapping young lad, don't you think?"

"Huh?" Aerrow gasped, too surprised to speak. A hint of a smile was on his face. A strapping young lad? Where they talking about him?

The masked one didn't look at him so fondly. "Looks a little skinny," he answered the silver one in a huffy tone.

Aerrow felt his stomach, to which hunger was not uncommon company, and realized the masked one was right. But that's not something Aerrow felt should be pointed out about an orphan who had to make it on his own and take care of other orphans. And true, he was scrawny, but he was far from weak. But he was too amazed and astonished to take much offence. He simply asked, "Well, who are you?"

"We bring great news!" the silver one answered him.

Aerrow covered his face with his hand. He just didn't have time for this! "Unless it's news that you're helping," he said, marching up to them to move them aside so he could get to the door, "I don't care."

But the silver one ran right up to him, getting right in his face and making Aerrow lean away. "Don't you understand?" he asked him, putting his hands on his shoulders. "You are the last descendent."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Aerrow, the two Cyclonian human boys had gotten a log and were wedging it underneath the gate to try and lift it up, although Junko, who had more strength than both of them put together due to his species, only stood by and watched.

The silver-cloaked figure still kept Aerrow from getting to the door. "You must find the ship," he instructed. He went around behind Aerrow. "You must rebuild the team," he went around in front again, "and fulfill your destiny!"

Aerrow only stared at the man, trying to decide whether the stranger was crazy or he himself was going crazy. What in the world did he mean by the "last descendent"? What ship? What team?

Behind Aerrow, down at his feet, Radarr crouched low, glaring at the strange man and growling. _He_ was convinced the stranger was crazy.

Then the gate beyond them rattled as the Cyclonian boys finally made some progress on it. Radarr whimpered a warning. Then there was a Wallop roar, and the gate was blown in, completely broken off. Aerrow could only stare in amazement, wondering how they managed that. Three boys peered in, one of them being a Wallop. Well, that answered Aerrow's question.

The silver figure then handed Aerrow a golden rod with a cap shaped like a raptor bird's head. "Everything you need is in here," the stranger said. He backed away from him with an honorable bow, saying, "Good luck, young warrior."

Aerrow saw now that the three cloaked men felt to leave. "But wait!" he called to them desperately. "Uh, come back!" But before his very eyes, the men shift-shaped into Mynall birds, large predator birds with hooked beaks that had dark purplish plumage on their bodies, navy necks, puke green heads, neon green beaks, and wingtips the color of flames. Once they transformed they took to the air, their piercing eyes never looking back. But Aerrow still called to them desperately, "Aren't you gonna—"

But the Guardians of Atmos disappeared into the sky.

"—help?" Aerrow finished in a fearful breath.

He turned to the scowling Cyclonians and cringed. The three Cyclonian boys were heading toward him with Junko in front, who was punching his hand into his fist threateningly. "H-hey, come on," Aerrow laughed nervously, holding up his hands and backing away. "We can work this out."

But they didn't. Before Aerrow quite knew what happened, he, Radarr, Piper, and Finn were thrown into a cage which was slowly raised above the ground to hang from the willow. "Uh!" Finn groaned in disgust. "It smells like chickens in here!"

"That's because we're in a chicken coop, Finn," Piper pointed out to him in a bratty tone as if to acknowledge his stupidity. Finn glanced up at her and gave her his "you can't be serious" look. Piper only nodded slightly. They were indeed imprisoned in a chicken coop.

Normally Aerrow would have been monitoring that "conversation" to be sure it didn't turn into a hissy fit contest, which sometimes happened between the two when their personalities clashed. But right now, all he could think about was the three cloaked men. "If those three weird bird guys hadn't gotten in my way . . ." he thought. Then, realizing he was talking aloud, he turned to Piper and Finn. Both of his human friends looked surprised and confused. Piper even looked a little concerned. "Okay," Aerrow began with his explanation, holding up a finger, "this is gonna sound crazy."

And so he told him about his strange encounter with the Guardians of Atmos.

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Author's Notes: No trivia. I've seemed to have run out of trivia ideas.

This episode is cumbersome to do from the very beginning. Too much is happening at once to explain everything. Despite all the action in "Age of Heroes," it was still easier to slip into. This one just seems like a jumbled mess in the beginning. Sorry, guys, I wish I had the authority to draw it out a little bit, but seeing as that would require the (completely unacceptable) change in plot action . . .

Anyway, next chapter is up . . . now. As promised, all "Origins" episodes are being released at the same time while I frantically try to change the numbers of the rest of the "parts" (episodes) to match up with the new numbering.

Oh, some of you may notice that I had to change the beginning of "Age of Heroes," too. I just left out a few explanations that I included in the first versions, is all, since those are now covered here.


	3. Origins: Quest of Destiny

Chapter 2: Quest of Destiny

Grimsley and his boys put down the Storm Hawks flag and raised a Cyclonian one, showing that this Terra had been conquered.

Below the flagpole sticking out of the top of the willow, the Cyclonian Youth Brigade was in the house below that Aerrow and his friends had made their home.

There was also a large teddy bear that one of the Cyclonian boys was not afraid to hold. He and his buddy sat on the coach, which had a soccer ball sitting on it. Junko leaned on the top of the couch. They all watched as Grimsley used the radio, calling into a Cyclonian base.

"This is Airman Grimsley of Cyclonian Youth Brigade O Five Niner," Grimsley said. "We've captured Terra Neverlandis for the glory of Cyclonia. Awaiting further instructions."

There was a crackle at the end of the radio, and then a voice from it said, "_Hold on. I'll get Snipe._" Then there was a crackle, and the voice disappeared.

Grimsley couldn't believe his luck. "Oh, man!" he cheered in disbelief as he turned around to his boys with a smile. "I'm gonna get to talk to Snipe!"

All of the boys cheered . . . except for Junko. He smiled a fake smile, but even so he glanced behind him guiltily as he thought of the inhabitants of the terra who were now locked up in a chicken coop.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow had told Piper and Finn everything he knew about what he had seen. Finn just looked utterly lost, but when Aerrow showed them the golden rod he had been given, Piper's eyes brightened and she insisted on Aerrow opening it. Carefully Aerrow lifted the lid off the rod and poured some of the contents in his hand. A blue crystal key that had the Storm Hawks emblem on the handle fell into his hand.

Before Aerrow had time to even comprehend what these could be, Finn snatched the key out of his hand and held it up. "Cool!" he said.

Aerrow was about to ask for that back; after all, who knew what it went to or what it could do? But he was distracted by something else he saw sticking out of the rod. He pulled out a rolled-up piece of parchment. Piper leaned her head close to his to see as he unrolled it.

It was a map, of all things, and it had a picture of an airship on it at one point. Aerrow couldn't possibly fathom what any of this meant. Why would strange bird guys talk about destiny and then give him a key and a map?

But Piper, the most knowledgeable and who, in Aerrow's opinion, had the most trustworthy opinion, seemed to know. She gasped as soon as she saw the map. She placed a hand on Aerrow's shoulder and the other under the map, moving it closer to their faces. "Aerrow, do you have any idea what this means?" she said with an excited smile on her face.

"Uh, no," Aerrow answered, raising an eyebrow. Should he?

"You're the last descendent of Lightning Strike!" Piper said, poking the map. She gestured to him. "That means, by right, you take leadership of the Storm Hawks!" She gestured out to the skies. "Aerrow, you're a Sky Knight!"

"I am?" Aerrow exclaimed in surprise. He jumped in the air in shock. "Ow!" he exclaimed as his head hit the ceiling of the chicken coop.

Finn was just as surprised. "He is?" he exclaimed, only to hit his head on the ceiling, too. "Ow!"

Radarr churred, as if to say, _He is?_ Afterward, he winced and squeezed one eye shut, looking around suspiciously with the other, bracing himself for hitting his head like the other two, but it never happened.

Aerrow rubbed his head, which was throbbing, and not entirely from the blow to the head. He, Aerrow, the poor orphan, a Sky Knight? And not just a Sky Knight, but a Storm Hawk, the greatest Sky Knight squadron of all. And the famous Lightning Strike's blood ran through his own veins. He stared at Piper, as if trying to believe everything she was telling him. All he could say was, "Ah, seriously?"

"Um-hmm," Piper answered.

Aerrow's eyes widened, and he smiled. "Cool!"

But Piper wasn't done with her revelations yet. She held the map up to Aerrow again. "And this map," she said, tapping the picture of the ship, "it leads us straight to the _Condor_!" She turned to him, excitement glowing in her eyes. "As in, _the Condor_!"

Of course, Piper was probably thinking of the many legends of the famous _Condor_, a great ship in its prime. It was built just for the transport of a Sky Knight squadron and had been made even more famous and great when it became the ship of the Storm Hawks. There were none faster, and although it must be over a hundred years old now and neglected for ten years, it was still the _Condor_. However, Aerrow was only of the practical mind. He had to be, after all these years of taking care of himself, and the first thing he thought of when he thought of the ship was the assets it would give them. "With that kind of firepower," he said, his face brightening, "no one would mess with us here!"

But their great jubilation was interrupted by a voice that Aerrow was really coming to hate. "Guess what, worms," Grimsley said as he and his boys approached the cage. One of his boys was giving him a thumb up. When Grimsley starting speaking again, Aerrow found out why. "I just finished talking to Snipe," the Youth Brigade leader said. He raised an eyebrow at them, his eyes finding Aerrow's. "The Talon Snipe," he reminded them. He pointed to the ground. "He's coming here personally to give us our wings!" At this, he turned around to his boys and clenched his fists in anticipation.

Aerrow and Finn clutched the bars as they peered down at the Cyclonians, and Piper and Radarr peered around them. Aerrow didn't like the sound of this. Talons were the warriors of Cyclonia's army. Although "elite" they weren't well-trained in comparison to Sky Knight training, but they were still fearsome warriors. And Snipe was one of the worst. Snipe was a mace-wielding bully with strength to boot. As a Cyclonian commander, had been given control of the conquered Terra Nimbus; therefore his squadron was named Nimbus Chapter.

Aerrow found a little ironic that the Talon commander who was now in charge of his home terra was coming to take his new terra. Terra Nimbus was a special terra, which was the reason Cyclonia conquered it. Nimbus was the birthplace of airships and skyrides, the invention of which brought an age of unrivalled prosperity, alliance, war, rogues, thugs, thieves, and anarchy to the Atmos. Aerrow could hardly remember what it was like there; he had left when he was still very young, back when the Cyclonians had conquered it.

"That's after we do one last thing," Grimsley continued, drawing Aerrow back to reality. He slammed his fist into his hand as he smirked at Aerrow and his friends. "Get rid of you!"

Aerrow didn't even have time to be scared before one of the Cyclonian boys pulled a lever on the chain holding up the chicken coop, and Aerrow and his friends cried out in fear as the cage fell and slammed on the ground. The four of them fell forward onto the door as it opened and landed on the bars, with Piper landing on the two boys.

Aerrow had hardly gotten his bearings when he saw Grimsley standing over them, pointing to them. "And Snipe's orders," he said, "were to throw you into the Wastelands!"

All the Cyclonian boys laughed . . . except Junko, who stood in back, looking down at Aerrow and his friends worriedly. "The Wastelands?" he repeated softly in disbelief.

The Wastelands. The very name of the place sent a shiver down Aerrow's spine. The Wastelands were an inhospitable land that covered the main surface of the Atmos. It's mostly one large lava flow with geysers of lava, treacherous rock formations, and dangerous beasts. It was from there that the terras rise up from. It was the biggest and most hostile place in the Atmos. And the easiest way to get there was simply to jump off a terra . . . assuming you didn't care whether you survived the fall or not.

Finn voiced Aerrow's thoughts softly. "Seriously not good!"

Slowly, painfully, Aerrow and his friends got to their feet, although they all knew it would be no use trying to escape. Piper looked at the Cyclonian Youth Brigade in disbelief. "Throw us into the Wastelands?" she echoed, leaning away from them. "Not like you're actually gonna throw us off the side of the terra?" But Grimsley's smirk didn't change. "Are you?" Piper asked, her voice shaking.

Apparently that was the plan. Grimsley crossed his arms and glanced around. "Who wants to do the honors?" he asked his pals.

Finn and Piper glanced at Aerrow for help. He was, in a way, their leader. But Aerrow was at loss of what to do.

Junko put his hand on Grimsley's shoulder. "I'll do it!" he proclaimed, putting a hand on his chest.

Before Aerrow could make any sort of protest, the Wallop had scooped them up, Aerrow and Radarr under one arm and Finn and Piper under the other. They struggled against him, but it was no use. The Wallop walked to the end of the terra, preparing to throw them over.

That's when Finn tried to appeal to the Wallop. "Seriously, buddy," he gasped to him, still trying to wiggle out of his arms, "you can't do this to the Finnster!"

_Oh, yeah,_ Aerrow thought sarcastically. _Don't worry about the rest of us, Finn. Just worry about yourself. That's all that matters._

But the amazing thing was, Aerrow noticed something (other than Finn's girly scream of terror). Junko actually seemed to be considering what Finn was saying. Aerrow used that to his advantage. He gasped as he tried to raise himself to get some air because the way the Wallop was holding him was making it hard to breath. "Do you really want to be one of them?" he gasped to the Wallop. "One of the bad guys?"

Junko raised an eyebrow at him before turning to Piper, who was held so that she was looking behind them. "Are they still watching?" he asked her.

Piper gasped as she tried to get herself into a position to lift her head to see. "No," she answered. "I bet they don't have the guts!"

Junko sighed in relief. "Oh, boy, that was close!" he exclaimed. And just like that, he set them down on the ground. They all sighed in relief as they were finally able to get all their air, and then as soon as their lungs were replenished, they scooted away, still not trusting of the Wallop.

But Junko wasn't looking at them. He was looking over the side of the terra. "I really thought I'd have to toss ya over," he said, sounding relieved that he didn't.

Just to be sure, Finn asked, "So you're not gonna?" Then he crawled up to Junko and hugged his leg in, what seemed to Aerrow, a very pathetic way. "Oh, thank you!" he exclaimed, almost crying with relief.

Junko just looked down at him and raised an eyebrow.

Then Finn seemed to realize what he was doing. He released the Wallop's leg immediately and said, "I mean," he pointed pistol fingers at him, "alright, that's cool."

The group immediately knew they could not stay there in plain sight. They ran to the bushes next to the ancient willow and hid there, peering out to see two of the Cyclonian Youths standing out by their bikes as guards. Piper and Finn hid next to each other in the bushes, and Aerrow and the Wallop hid behind a tree. Radarr stayed close to Aerrow.

As they looked at the guards, Junko said, "Ah, I knew I shouldn't've gotten mixed up with Grimsley! I wanted to be one of the good guys."

Even if he had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd, Aerrow had sympathy for him, and he felt he could trust him. He turned to him. "You still can," he said. "I'm on a mission to find the _Condor_ and rebuild the Storm Hawks!" He clenched his fist to emphasize it. "We could use your help," he added.

Junko raised an eyebrow at him. "Really?" he whispered, getting eye level with Aerrow and smiling with anticipation. "Well, take my skimmer," he said, using the word "skimmer" to mean "skyride". He handed Aerrow the key. "Uh, I tricked it out myself."

Aerrow smiled at him, about to thank his new generous friend, when Junko glanced out at the guards. "Uh, hurry!" he reminded them.

Finn led the run to the skyride, with Radarr and Piper behind him. Aerrow was about to follow when he remembered one little detail: Junko. He turned back to him. "We'll be back!" he promised, clenching his fist. And with that, he ran off with the others.

Junko held up a finger. "Storm Hawks," he repeated in awe, smiling. Well, imagine that!

Once Junko was sure they had escaped, he headed back to Grimsley, who was lying in an inclined lawn chair with his aviator sunglasses on, reading a magazine. He turned to Junko when he approached. "Well?" he asked him.

"They're gone," Junko answered, pointing his thumb over his shoulder and making sure to tell the truth.

Grimsley laughed and turned back to his magazine. Junko scowled at him. If his new friends succeeded, then Grimsley wouldn't be hurting anyone anymore. After all, good guys were supposed to stop bad guys, and Junko had decided that from now on he was being a good guy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and his friends were taking Junko's bike across the sky to try to find the right spot to dive. Aerrow and Finn pedaled (for there were two sets of pedals) while Piper navigated and Aerrow steered.

Finn didn't seem really crazy about being hundreds of feet in the air on a rickety bike that was run by two boys pedaling. "Uh, are you sure this thing is safe?" he asked Aerrow, glancing downward.

Aerrow decided not to answer that, but just in case, he put his arm back to grip the rod holding up the helicopter blades for support. This arm was also close to Piper's shoulders and would catch her if she fell. Radarr was safe in the back. He'd leave Finn to rescue himself, since he made the comment.

"Off beyond those storm clouds is Cyclonia," Piper told them, gesturing her head out toward a clustered group of clouds in front of them. "This is near where the last battle of the Storm Hawks took place."

Aerrow didn't fancy flying through Cyclonia skies, but around here somewhere in the Wastelands below them was the wreckage of the _Condor_. "I'm taking us down," he told his friends. And with that, they dove below the cloud line. The cool moisture of the clouds dug into Aerrow's clothes and breathed gently on his face, but it was soon countered by a sudden gust of warm, stale air that rose up to them from below. As soon as they cleared the cloud line, they all saw why.

A great magma flow met there eyes . . . and the foul gases from the sulfuric rock smarted every other sense they had as well. It stung Aerrow's nose with its foul scent and put a bad taste in his mouth. He could feel the heat to the point where he was sweating and could hear the hissing and crackling of the molten rock. "The Wastelands," he said, "worst place on Atmos."

Piper picked up the map and looked it over. "With this map," she said, "we should avoid most of the bad stuff."

No sooner had she said that when they all heard a screech that made Piper scream. Flying straight toward them with glowing, blood-red eyes was a bat-like creature the size of a small airplane. Its wingspan dwarfed their skimmer six times! Aerrow held his breath as it came closer and closer. They had no way to defend themselves against it. It was really kind of ironic, after all they had accomplished, to die here eaten by a giant bat.

But the bat only roared and glided around them. All of them gasped and squealed as it flew by. Much to their surprise and relief, it didn't come back. "I guess it already ate," Aerrow said.

Piper's eyes were on something else entirely. "Aerrow, look!" she exclaimed, pointing. "Down there!"

And that's when Aerrow saw the _Condor_ for the first time. Its outline was just like the black figure on the map. On either side were two large pontoon-like engines that made up most of the ship. The main body of the ship had a long runway that led to the bridge—Aerrow could see it through the large front window—that had quarters in floors stacked above and below it. In front of the bridge was an outdoor deck.

Aerrow brought them in for a successful landing, and they all got off the skyride and observed the _Condor_ some more. Then the lava began to bubble. _That can't be good,_ Aerrow thought.

Suddenly, out of the pool of lava behind where they had parked the skyride, a humongous eel-like creature raised its head out of the lava. Nearly shocked out of his wits, Aerrow led his friends to hide behind some rocks, completely abandoning the skyride. The creature raised its head like a snake ready to strike and then lowered it quickly and snapped its open mouth closed on the skyride. Then it lifted its head and munched the bike up in two bits before swallowing it and letting out a hiss-like roar of satisfaction.

Aerrow and his friends frowned as they watched their ride disappear. "Better hope the _Condor_ flies," Aerrow said. "Otherwise, we're climbin' out."

Piper turned around to look at the _Condor_ and smiled. "That may not be a problem," she said. "It looks like it's been fixed."

Aerrow turned around to see for himself. Indeed, the _Condor_ seemed in pretty good shape for something that should have been lying here abandoned for ten years. Aerrow crossed his arms. Something was going on here. Living on his own in a world torn apart by war had taught Aerrow that anything that wasn't difficult most likely had a consequence and that someone was out to get you. A situation like this had to be approached with caution.

But Finn didn't have any caution. "Score!" he shouted, throwing a fist in the air.

He was about to run to the ship when Aerrow grabbed his arm. "Finn, wait," he called. "This is too easy. It could be a trap."

Then he noticed Radarr looking down at something on the ground. "Huh?" He did a double take. Radarr picked up a string he had found on the ground. Uh oh. "Radarr!" Aerrow shouted, reaching out to him. "No!"

Radarr glanced up at him and churred questionably. He only realized his mistake too late. The line triggered a trap. Tied to the end of the line was a boulder, which was now released and swinging toward Radarr. Overcome with panic, Aerrow dived toward Radarr, knocking him out of the way just in time.

Things weren't much better them then, either. Apparently the two landed right on the spot that triggered another trap. From up around all of them rose large construction cranes that snapped at them with their grabbers. Aerrow and Radarr were on their feet as soon as possible. Piper and Finn screamed. It seemed Aerrow's suspicion was confirmed: If something seems easy, someone or something is out to get you. He had only one word of advice to his friends and himself: "Run!"

As soon as they headed off, the cranes started coming at them, smashing their "heads" into the ground where the kids had stood just before they ran out of the way. Finn was last, and he screamed girly screams as most of the cranes came at him.

No sooner had they cleared the crane trap when they triggered the next one, which shot a flurry of crystal-tipped arrows at them. "Everybody down!" Aerrow cried. Immediately they all dropped flat, and the arrows flew overhead.

Aerrow lifted his head and looked around for cover, not wanting to be in the way of anymore traps. He could only see one place that provided protection. "Head for the ship!" he cried. "I see an open hatch!"

Following Aerrow's lead, they all got up and ran as fast as they could for the ship, starting their way up the ramp into the hatch. But before they could get inside, a man blocked their path. He was wearing a metal mask resembling a gas mask with two headlights on its top and holding a broom in one hand and a shield in the other. He glared at them with rage-filled eyes. "Stop right there!" he ordered, pointing his broom at them threateningly.

Aerrow and his friends all raised eyebrows at him. This was a new experience for Aerrow. He'd been threatened with fires, fists, crystals, energy blades, knives, sticks, stones, and many other things throughout his short life, but he'd never before been threatened with a broom.

The man stamped his foot in frustration. "That _trap_ was meant for Cyclonians!" he shouted. "You better have a good explanation for ruining it!"

Aerrow scratched his head and glanced on either side of him at Piper and Finn, trying to think up something to say. At least now he knew the man wasn't planning on hurting them. But what could he say?

Finally he decided on telling him the truth, although Aerrow was still kind shocked by that himself. "Well," he began, "these bird guys interrupted me while I was defending our home against a squad of Cyclonian wannabes to tell me I'm a Sky Knight." He put his hand on his heart just to be clear before he continued. "So we came here to find the _Condor_, rebuild the Storm Hawks, and fulfill some kind of Atmos-saving destiny." _Oh, yeah, _Aerrow thought. _That sounded really lame._

At first, the man just glared at him through narrowed eyes, as if deciding whether or not to believe him. At last, he put down his broom and shield and then pulled off the heavy metal mask. The face that met them surprised Aerrow. He was a Merb, a species of cold-blooded humanoids native to Terra Merbia. The Merb had cold, clammy green skin, jet black hair, yellow eyes with dots for pupils, and two rings in one of his rabbit-like ears. He was also a very young man, with his age somewhere in the early twenties. He couldn't have been more than ten years older than Aerrow, Piper, and Finn. He wore a metal X on the front of his shirt.

"I'm Stork," the Merb introduced himself, placing a hand on his heart. "Get inside."


	4. Origins: Gift Horse

Chapter 3: Gift Horse

When Stork took Aerrow and his friends inside, he started leading them to the bridge. The _Condor_ had many rooms. Stork told them about the blacksmith shop, the kitchen, the hangar bay and repair area lining the lower decks, and the living quarters in the upper decks. And while he told them about the ship, Stork also spoke of his home on Terra Merbia and how he got to the _Condor_.

As Aerrow looked around, even with the new repairs, the place didn't look like much. Over a hundred years old with engines older than Aerrow and his friends combined, there was no telling how many quirks this thing would have if it even worked. Oh, well. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

At last, they reached the bridge. Aerrow took a good look around. It was well lit due its large frontal window design that, along with the two sixty-foot periscopes on the bridge, gave this room the best visibility inside the ship.

In front and behind the helm was a railing, and behind the back railing was a round table. The table was halfway surrounded by curved booths, and the Storm Hawks' symbol decorated the tabletop. Aerrow thought it a little odd that the table was round. Traditionally, Sky Knight squadrons' meeting tables were rectangular, and the Sky Knight sat at the head of the table. Maybe Lightning Strike thought that a rectangular table portrayed smugness, making it look as if the Sky Knight was better than the rest of his squadron. Maybe he thought a round table had more fairness to it. Whatever his reasons, Aerrow liked it for every reason he had attributed to Lightning Strike. He smiled to himself as he thought that maybe the apple really _doesn't_ fall far from the tree.

Stork was still telling his story when they entered. "So," he said, "I escaped to the Wastelands when my home Terra Merbia was attacked by the Cyclonians." He gasped fearfully even as he said it. "Luckily I found this ship," he said gesturing around the bridge. "It's deadly out there."

Piper looked impressed. "You did all these repairs yourself?" she asked him.

Stork whipped around and faced her with a smug smile. "_Well,_" he said, looking excited, "I made a few upgrades." He counted on his fingers as he listed them. "Tripled the power of the blaster ray, added an unidirectional tiller, improved the autopilot," he held up a finger, "_and_ installed cup holders." He gestured toward the cup holders.

Finn got a closer look at the cup holders. "Sweet!" he exclaimed, giving Stork a thumbs up.

"Yeah, sweet," Stork agreed without enthusiasm, "except I _can't find the blasted key to the ship!_" He clenched his fists as he shouted this, and jabbed a finger at the ground angrily. "I've looked everywhere for years!"

Aerrow and Radarr exchanged a weird glance with Piper when Stork started to chuckle nervously. Was he having a nervous breakdown?

"I'm telling you," Stork insisted, pointing to them, "that thing mocks me!" He whipped around and pointed to the ignition.

Aerrow couldn't help smiling. "I think we may be able to help each other out," he said. He pulled out the crystal key the Guardians had given him and held it out toward Stork.

Stork stared wide-eyed at the key as if he couldn't believe it. He reached out to take it from Aerrow but hesitated when his fingers almost closed on it, as if waiting for Aerrow to take it back. When he didn't, the Merb snatched the key and held it in front of his smiling face, squealing with delight. Then, without further delay, he stuck the key into the ignition and turned. The key fit and turned the ignition. Letting out a shaky sigh of awe, Stork reached over to the three levers beside the helm, and pulled down on the nearest one. Aerrow held his breath. Now they would see whether his new ship would work.

And it seemed it did! Gauge needles went up. The needle on the system moved from red to yellow and then to green, indicating the _Condor_ was ready for flight. All the humanoids cheered and threw their fists in the air, and Radarr smiled gleefully from where he hung on Aerrow's back.

Then . . . the system's gauge fell back to red, and the engines' whirling stopped. "Ah," everyone said in unison in their disappointment. So close!

But Stork wasn't going to put up with that. Muttering frustrated, inarticulate curses, he started kicking angrily at the helm's stand.

Amazingly, that worked! The system's gauge's needle turned back to green. Stork pulled down on the lever once more. And this time, the mighty ship groaned to life and slowly rose from the bed she had been resting on for ten long years. Stork spun her around and started off.

But Aerrow didn't have long to celebrate being airborne. His eyes were on something looming in front of them. "Uh, Stork," he said nervously. The pilot turned to look at him. Aerrow pointed out the window. "I think that's a volcano."

And it was a volcano. One look at was enough to make Finn, Piper, and Stork scream in terror. Finn grabbed Piper and moved her in front of him so he could hide behind her.

After the initial scream, everyone was too scared to say anything else. But their pilot screamed a second time as he turned the ship sharply to starboard and pulled her up. The _Condor_ cleared the volcano, only scraping her bottom portside hull on its top.

Aerrow couldn't believe it. That was some of the best flying he had ever seen! He, Piper, and Finn all let out a cheer for Stork.

Piper went to stand beside Stork opposite of Aerrow. Finn and Radarr went to the sixty-foot front window, leaning on the glass and looking down. "I can't believe this thing actually flies," Finn commented.

"Yeah," Stork agreed. "There's a good chance we'll fall out of the sky at any minute." He said it so calmly, so casually, that Aerrow began to get the idea that Stork was used to making dire predictions. But then again, he was a Merb, and Merbs were always waiting for horrible things to happen. Terra Merbia, you see, is constantly struck by natural disasters, making its inhabitants fit for the worst.

Stork turned to Aerrow. "So . . . Storm Hawks?" he asked, sounding skeptical.

"Hard to believe, I know," Aerrow answered. In fact, if Piper wasn't so sure of it, Aerrow wasn't sure that even he himself would believe.

But Stork just shrugged as he turned back to the helm. "Eh, I believe in pretty much everything," he said. Then the Merb gasped and smiled at Aerrow. "You'll wanna see this!"

The Merb led Aerrow and his friends down toward the hangar bay. When he brought them there, the door opened and the lights went on, all automatically. Aerrow blinked a couple times to be sure of what he was seeing. "_Whoa,_" he, Piper, and Finn said in unison.

Radarr's ears shot up. Finn gasped, and Piper giggled in awe. "Wow," was all Aerrow could manage.

"Yeah," Stork agreed, smiling at their enthusiasm.

There in the hangar bay were the spare skyrides and weapons! They weren't just any skyrides, either. Most of them were model III Air Skimmers, motorcycle-like rides that transform into biplanes! These were classic combustions powered by crystal engines (Nimbus 7 series jet engines, to be exact) rather than pedals. They were similar to motorcycles and were equipped with crystal energy triggered folding bi-wings (much better than the Air Skimmer II and Classic, which had to be manually transformed from bike to flight mode). These rides were known for being unbelievably maneuverable and quick, and were quite quiet and stealthy when one holds off the throttle. The light and soft Thrombus tin is what makes these rides so light and fast, but it's not great for withstanding energy blasts.

The other skyride was a Heliscooter, a ride that was a helicopter rather than a biplane and more scooter-like than motorcycle-like. It was a very cheap, fuel efficient, and child-safe skyride. It had only one booster, making it slower then the Air Skimmer. It was also smaller than a Skimmer and had no armor, but this made it more maneuverable. The main rotor extended from a compartment behind the seat, while the rear wheel provided the tail rotor. The available options and add-ons for this popular ride were mind-boggling, giving the Heliscooter owner endless possibilities for customization. The skyride was invented on Terra Greemus, the last terra to take to the skies, concerned with sustainable crystal fuel sources and environmental impacts. Aerrow wondered briefly whether or not Piper would enjoy the ride. She was always concerned for the environment. But maybe that was just the scientist in her.

One of the Skimmers was a silver and orange one, and this was a standard Air Skimmer III. The others, however, were of different types. The bulky silver and blue-green Skimmer was an Air Skimmer III EL. This version was slightly heavier than the standard and less maneuverable, but it's able to hold more weapons and take more blows.

But the Skimmer that caught Aerrow's eye was the red, blue, and silver Skimmer with the Storm Hawks emblem on the sides that popped out into wings. It was an Air Skimmer III Ultra, also called a Mark-5 Vulcan. It was the same basic design as the standard with upgrades. Not to mention it had an afterburner that provided short, powerful bursts of incredible speed when deployed (as long as it doesn't explode, which happens in about one out of 17.5 deployments). The Ultra is very maneuverable, but the armor plating meant that it wasn't as fast as the standard. However, this practical model had a special light-weight frame that canceled out the extra weight. It also had a secondary cockpit on the starboard side and three cup holders (Aerrow wasn't sure who was supposed to use the third one).

Something else caught Aerrow's eye along the walls as well, and it had nothing to do with skyrides. He started walking toward the far wall.

Finn had eyes only for the rides. He ran toward the standard III Skimmer and hugged its bow. "This is the coolest thing I've ever seen!" he exclaimed, smiling back at them. The next minute, he was kissing the Skimmer's sleek metal hood and rubbing it lovingly.

Piper put a finger to her lip. "Uh, except these are for the Storm Hawks, Finn," she reminded the boy, pointing to the Skimmers, "not you and me." She gestured back and forth between herself and Finn.

Aerrow was surprised by her comment. "What are you talking about?" he asked as he walked toward the far wall. He clenched his fist. "Growing up, we've always played Sky Knight." He stopped in front of the wall, beaming at his new revelation. "Now we get to do it for real!"

Hanging before him on the wall were four weapons and a shield. The shield was large and circular, and it looked as if it hitched onto the wing of the Ultra. Aerrow would have to remind himself to get someone to put that on . . . and also reminded himself that he should probably claim that Skimmer for his own.

One of the weapons caught his eye: a crystal-powered crossbow. Gently he picked up and felt it. He knew just who should take this: their own expert at mud blasters, the best at aim. He turned around. "Finn, sharpshooter!" he cried, tossing Finn the crossbow.

Finn caught the crossbow in his hands, smiling down at. "Ooh, sweet!" he exclaimed. He spun it around and pretended to aim.

The second weapon Aerrow saw also went along with someone he knew well. It was a crystal energy staff that could take the effects of multiple crystals. He happened to know someone good with sticks and _excellent _with crystals. He tossed Piper the staff. "Piper, crystal mage." He thought a moment. "Plus all the smart stuff." Yeah, all the smart stuff Aerrow knew he couldn't do and, as a Sky Knight, would need to do. And she expected him to do this without her! The thought!

Piper caught the staff easily with one hand. She lengthened it, and then with a cry, she swung it right, then down and around, leaping into the air and bringing it down on the ground with a bang as she tested out her new weapon. It seemed to suit her well.

Aerrow turned to the last two weapons left hanging on the wall. "I'm thinking these are mine," he said aloud. They were twin energy blades, small yet lethal. Having two meant Aerrow was would be hard-pressed to hold a shield and fight at the same time, but that was okay with him; the shield looked somewhat cumbersome for someone so young and scrawny. Maybe a grown warrior could hold it easily, but not a fourteen-year-old boy living off the land. Besides, two blades meant Aerrow could fight more than one enemy at the same time, and with two weapons, he was less likely to ever be found completely weaponless. Even better was the fact that he was ambidextrous.

Aerrow took the blades down and held them out, experimenting their weight in his hands. They felt right and natural. Just to see if they still had any crystals in their hilts, he tried to ignite them. The blades lit with blue glowing energy from rare blue striker crystals. The energy made Aerrow's fingers tingle, and thrills went up and down his spine. He could feel their power, their danger, and the best part was that power was his!

Aerrow knew he just had to try them out! With a battle cry, he swung the blades around, attacking one way, then another, always with a precision Aerrow hadn't known he possessed. With a final grunt, he slipped the blades in two clip-on sheaths on his back and flipped through the air. He was sitting in the seat of the Ultra by the time he realized how carried away he was, and by that time, he decided just to go with it.

He turned to his ever-faithful companion. "Radarr, you're my copilot," he told the furry creature. He hadn't even stopped to consider whether or not Radarr wanted to be a Storm Hawk. The little guy always went along with his boy.

And now was no different. As soon as Aerrow said that, Radarr's ears and tail shot up and he squawked with excitement. In a flying leap, he was in the little cockpit, which was the perfect size. With a chirp, he saluted his future Sky Knight.

There was only one last member Aerrow wanted to address for now. He needed someone who could drive his great ship, and he knew just the one. "What'd you say, Stork?" he asked the Merb in the doorway. He nodded at the wall of the _Condor_. "Wanna be our carrier pilot?"

Stork put his hand to his chin. "And spend the rest of my life cooped up in a tiny ship flying from terra to terra in a constant onslaught of deadly adventures?" he exclaimed, cringing a little. He drew a breath, and then a slow smirk spread across his face. "Oh, yeah! I'm in!"

Suddenly there was a crashing and rattling sound from somewhere else on the ancient ship. Stork pointed a thumb behind him. "I should probably go check on that," he said, turning around and heading to the door.

Aerrow smiled and looked around the hangar bay again. Perhaps this ship wasn't the best gift horse, but he _had_ looked it in the mouth . . . and he liked what he saw!

* * *

Back on Terra Neverlandis, Grimsley and his squadron were standing outside the fort. Junko, trying to act as if he was still a loyal member of the gang, stood staring straight at Grimsley with his arms crossed. They were preparing for Snipe's arrival.

"Snipe takes orders directly from Master Cyclonis," Grimsley said, leaning toward his boys. "He's a big shot." He stood up straight and put his hands on his hips. "We gotta make a good impression."

Suddenly there was the sound of a loud horn. They all turned to the skies, and Junko could see something glittering. An airship was coming. Junko squinted toward it. Snipe?

Grimsley seemed to think so. "Here he comes," he said. "In just a few minutes, we'll be full-fledged Talons!"

Junko's face twisted in confusion as the ship headed closer, lacking the beak-like shape of a Cyclonian Destroyer. "Hmm, that doesn't look like a Cyclonian ship," he told Grimsley.

Grimsley's face fell as the ship came into full view. Junko's heart leaped in rejoicing. The pontoon-like engines, the symbol of the hawk . . . "It's the _Condor_!" he exclaimed.

Right as he said it, the hangar bay opened, and the first of the Skimmers drove out onto the landing strip. It was the standard III, the one Finn had claimed for his own. The newly-made sharpshooter screamed in fright as he sped out of control off the landing strip, deployed his wings, and barrel rolled . . . on accident.

Behind him, Aerrow and Radarr and Piper had each mounted their rides. Aerrow and Radarr were in their places on the Vulcan, and Piper had claimed the Heliscooter. Sitting on their rides side by side, Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances as they saw Finn's unplanned stunt, and Radarr looked back and forth between the two. Sometimes, it seemed Finn was just hopeless. Oh well. Hopefully he wouldn't kill himself while he was flying.

Aerrow and Radarr and Piper took off into the sky smoothly (having actually looked at their flight manuals, unlike Finn). They didn't really have a plan; all they had worked out was that they were going to win back their terra.

Piper flew up alongside Aerrow and Radarr. Aerrow could feel his chest swelling. They were really doing it! They were being a real Sky Knight squadron! He turned to Piper with a cocky smile. "Remember," he told her, "we're the Storm Hawks now, so just be cool!"

Piper only had time to smile in response before they had to break away from each other to avoid being hit by screaming, upside-down Finn. As he zipped between them, he managed to right himself, only turning upside-down again and screaming some more.

Junko couldn't believe his eyes when he saw who was flying. "The Storm Hawks!" he exclaimed, forgetting to hide his enthusiasm. He clenched his fists. "Cool!"

"No!" Grimsley corrected him, hitting him in the shoulder to get the Wallop to look at him. He got up right in his face. "It's not cool!" He turned to the other four Cyclonian Youths. "Get to your rides!" he commanded them.

Without a moment's hesitation, the boys obeyed. They were off on their bike-like rides at once to intercept the new Storm Hawks.

Grimsley mounted up as well, hitting his bell as he did. But just as he started pedaling to get his helicopter blades moving, a hand reached out a stopped the blades. Grimsley looked up in surprise. It was Junko, his own man, and he was glaring at him. "What're ya doing?" Grimsley asked in disbelief.

Junko drew back his fist. "Being a good guy!" he answered. And with that, he punched Grimsley clear of his ride.

Grimsley groaned as he hit the ground on his stomach. "Ha!" Junko laughed at him as he hopped onto Grimsley's bicycle and began pedaling. The punk had gotten what he deserved.

Grimsley growled as he sat up, watching the Wallop take to the sky on _his_ ride. "Junko, you traitor!" he shouted after him, shaking his fist at him. But Junko paid him no mind.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Cyclonian Youth Brigade 059 was headed toward the Storm Hawks. Aerrow led his new team closer, ready to meet them in the middle. The Cyclonian Youths were prepared. One of them threw back his shaggy purple hair out his face and fired from a gun-like blaster, sending a red crystal energy pulse toward Aerrow, their main offender. Luckily, Aerrow saw it, and with a grunt, he barrel rolled, letting the shot fly past him. The roll sent Radarr high into the air. Squawking, the little guy landed in a belly flop on his cockpit, looking dazed. Aerrow set his jaw. He wasn't going to get caught off guard with another stunt like that!

But Piper beat him to the punch. She flew right up to the Cyclonian Youths, and three of them surrounded her. The one with the blaster fired again, and Piper grunted and leaned back, the blast nearly hitting her face. Aerrow held his breath. He knew Piper could take care of herself, but he did not want to see one of his friends hurt.

But Piper had an idea. She pulled out a crystal she had found on the _Condor_ and stuck it on the end of her energy staff. She pointed it at the Cyclonian Youths and declared, "Here goes nothin'!"

Piper fired . . . then she grunted in frustration. The crystal had only produced pretty, little, white flowers.

But although the crystal didn't work the way it was expected, one of the Cyclonian Youths was so busy laughing that a flower flew into his mouth. He grabbed his throat and began cough, and while he choked, he lost control of his ride. The bicycle sidled off to port and rammed into the _Condor_'s rudder on the back of the great ship.

Stork cried out as he felt the controls jolt to port. He tried to pull them back and right the rudder, but nothing worked.

At first, Piper seemed oblivious to what had happened to their ship. She cheered at her success, holding her staff high. Only then did she remember Stork and the _Condor_. "Stork," she asked over their radio, "are you okay?"

The _Condor_ was listing badly, first to port, then to starboard. Stork pulled at the levels desperately, trying to loose up the rudder, but the _Condor_ began to plummet. "Oh, yeah," Stork answered Piper back, "nothing to worry about. Just crashing to my doom!" He started screaming, straining at the lever. He peered over the helm frantically and saw he was headed straight for the tip of Terra Neverlandis.

Aerrow began following the _Condor_. He had to saved Stork, the ship, and the terra! He wasn't sure how he was going to that, but he had to do something fast.

Stork still strained on the lever, but nothing would budge. "Whoa!" he said as he strained to pull the _Condor_ up. "What is wrong with you?" After all the time he'd put in the _Condor_, she was going to betray him by not responding? He screamed again. He and this precious ship were doomed!

Suddenly, there was a miracle. Junko flew up behind the _Condor_, and with a mighty Wallop roar, he swung back his fist and bashed it against the rudder, loosening it from its rust-stuck state. Stork gasped in relief as the _Condor_ tilted upward once more, at last obeying his command. In relief, the Merb fell over backward and rested, smiling and panting. "Oh," he sighed, never having been so happy to be alive.

Aerrow let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and he smiled at the hero, Junko. He had the sudden thought that maybe the Wallop might be a good addition to the team. "I think we just found our muscle," he told Radarr.

He flew up beside Junko and waved to him. Junko saluted back to him, knowing the leader of the Storm Hawks was acknowledging that Junko was on their side. "Cool!" the Wallop exclaimed again. With a laugh from him, he and the future Sky Knight split up once more, looking for more Cyclonians.

Finn, meanwhile, had found some, and he fired his new crossbow at them. It took four shots, but finally one of the bicycles shattered, sending its biker parachuting down to the terra. Finn was ecstatic. "I got one!" he exclaimed, throwing his fists in the air. "I got one!"

But the one with the blaster was still flying, and while Finn was celebrating, the violet-haired boy fired a shot that cut Finn's new Skimmer in half and sent it down toward the terra in a cloud of smoke. Finn only had time to say, "Oh man," before he fell, screaming.

Luckily, Piper was there to catch him. And poor Finn landed crotch-first on the hood of her Heliscooter. "That'll never happen again," he vowed through a voice filled with pain.

The Storm Hawks were winning. But the fight was far from over.


	5. Origins: Dawn of New Day

Chapter 4: Dawn of a New Day

Grimsley, left on Terra Neverlandis' surface without a skyride, watched the skies with irritation, infuriated at Junko for his betrayal and annoyed that he could not fight alongside his loyal boys. So, when he noticed a reddish skyride with helicopter blades approaching, he started waving his hands in the air. "Somebody come pick me up!" he demanded, clenching his fists as he held them high.

But the skyride he waved to was not the skyride he thought it was. When the ride swerved close, he heard the drowning sound of a Talon Heli-Blade, a motorcycle-like helicopter often seen in the Atmos as a symbol of terror and oppression due to Cyclonia's dark history with them, such as their use at prisons and conquered terras. The ride is extremely maneuverable but not made for long range flight. Its deafening drone makes it horrible for stealth.

The Heli-Blade slid to a stop in front of him, sending up a dust cloud that made Grimsley cough. When the dust cloud cleared, Grimsley heart raced. Oh no.

This wasn't just any Heli-Blade; it was a Talon Heli-Blade Elite, which had twice the armor and blades on the nose, as well as a thruster for bursts of speed and crystal "chain" muskets. And sitting on it was burly, pale-faced man with blue-violet hair slicked back in streamline spikes. It was the mace-wielding Talon commander Snipe. He gestured to Grimsley irritably. "I thought you said this terra was conquered!" he scolded, clenching his fist. He stepped off his ride and sent Grimsley a withering glare.

Grimsley did his best not to show he was afraid, and he did a good job of it. "It is, sir," he answered, sounding much surer than he felt. "One hundred percent conquered."

As soon as he said it, two shots from his squadron blasted near his feet behind him. "Ow! Ah!" Grimsley cried as he leapt forward, ending up pressing himself against Snipe's chest in an instinctive urge to use the older Talon as a shield.

Behind him, the Cyclonian flag on top of the fort fell and clattered onto the ground.

Grimsley looked up at the infuriated Snipe and cringed as the Talon put a finger to the boy's forehead and pushed him off of his chest. Well, that was embarrassing. Still, Grimsley was hopeful. They may be real Talons yet!

But Snipe wasn't paying attention to him. He had turned to the skies. "Huh?"

Grimsley looked to see, too. It was Aerrow's new, fancy ship that Snipe was gawking at. If it were anyone but Snipe, Grimsley would have huffed. The cruiser was a piece of junk in his opinion, a simple little scheme Aerrow was using to try to get his and his friends' terra back. Grimsley hated that ship, and he hated Aerrow and everything that goody-two-shoes Sky Knight supporter represented.

But Snipe was gawking at the ship as if it were something phenomenal . . . and horrid. "The _Condor_?" he gasped. "Impossible." When he turned back to Grimsley, he kept his eyes to the ground, looking worried. Giving a grunt-like gasp, he said, "Master Cyclonis is gonna wanna hear about this!"

He turned to Grimsley, _finally_ noticing him. "Here," he said. He shoved a large crystal, about as big as Grimsley's two fists, into his hands. The crystal was stuck into some metallic attachment device. "Take this," Snipe instructed him.

Grimsley studied the crystal. It was a purple-pink-like color and made a whirling sound as it pulsed. What was he supposed to do with this?

Snipe got in his ride without explaining. He only turned to cast Grimsley a smirk and give him a word of advice: "You won't wanna stick around when this baby goes off!" And with an evil-sounding, "He, he, he, he," he whipped his Heli-Blade around Grimsley and took to the skies once more.

Then there was the whistling sound of something falling. Grimsley turned around to see one of his boys' rides crash-land into the bushes behind him. Its biker exclaimed in surprise and pain as his parachute caught on the tree behind the bushes, and he was left hanging there like sky shark bait.

Grimsley looked at the downed boy with concern, not for his squadron's wellbeing, but for his plan. It was in ruins. Two of his four loyal followers were already down, and Snipe had abandoned them to tell Master Cyclonis about the _Condor_.

But Snipe hadn't abandoned them completely. Now Grimsley was starting to see what he must do. He turned with a raised eyebrow to the bicycle/helicopter lying in the bushes.

Moments later, with two Cyclonian Youths down and the other two defeated, Aerrow noticed another bike flying up from the terra. It was Grimsley, paddling for all he was worth. Aerrow smiled. It looked like their enemy was retreating!

Feeling cocky, Aerrow flew his and Radarr's Skimmer up next to Grimsley's bike, the Skimmer being a much faster vehicle. "You look like you're in a hurry," Aerrow taunted.

"A hurry to get outta here," Grimsley growled in agreement. But before Aerrow could feel triumphant, Grimsley added, "After I trash your ship!"

Before Aerrow could answer, he gasped fearfully and Radarr squawked in surprise as Grimsley suddenly swerved toward his head. Aerrow ducked, and the Cyclonian Youth's front wheel clanked against the Vulcan's windshield. But Aerrow just glared after him, and Radarr squawked angrily. Trash their ship?

Aerrow and Radarr didn't have time to react before Grimsley had flown up next to the _Condor_, heading the opposite direction. As he passed her by, he threw the crystal Snipe had given him toward the ship, and its attachment device latched itself onto one of the _Condor_'s pontoon-like engines. Once attached, the crystal began to glow brightly.

Inside the _Condor_, Stork looked down at the gauges in shock. All of the needles sank, the Timepulse went still, and the alarms began to blare. "Huh?" Stork gasped. Everything had quit! "I lost the engine!" he cried over the radio. "We're goin' down!"

Even as he said it, the _Condor_ began to list, her bow dipping down, down toward the Wastelands and her speed increasing. Aerrow could faintly hear Stork's scream over the radio. No! Without even thinking, Aerrow took control of his Skimmer, and he and Radarr flew over the _Condor_.

Grimsley just watched in amusement. The stupid hunk of metal was down, and Aerrow was going down with it! "Mission accomplished, boys!" he told his two boys who hadn't been shot down. "Let's get outta here!" All three laughed as they peddled off into the sky without a second thought for the two members of their squadron who they were leaving behind without skyrides.

Radarr squeaked in alarm as he and Aerrow watched the _Condor_ nosedive for the Wastelands. Aerrow set his jaw. He'd come too far now to loose his new ship and new friend and to let down the rest of his friends. "Stork! Hang on!" he cried into the radio. And with that, he and Radarr dove after the great ship.

The _Condor_ was closing in on the cloud line. It was going to be difficult. Not sure what he was doing, Aerrow planned his next move. "Radarr, take over," he ordered his copilot. With a grunt, he leapt off his ride and hung on portside from the seat, ready to reach toward the ship once they were close to it. With a squawk, Radarr hopped into the pilot's seat.

Radarr pulled the Vulcan up alongside the crystal attached to the _Condor_. Aerrow kept his sights on the glowing, flashing stone, planning to reach out and pull it off. But before he could try, he heard the whirling sound of dying engines. Radarr stared at the gauges on the Skimmer's dashboard and saw all the needles fall. He squawked in alarm. Without the engine, the wind picked up the wings of the Vulcan, and the _Condor_ slid past them, now falling at a faster rate. "It must be draining the power!" Aerrow exclaimed. That was the only explanation.

But Aerrow was still determined. They had to keep the ship from crashing. The boy looked back at his copilot. "Radarr, we need less drag!"

Squawking in alarm at what he was doing, Radarr pressed to buttons on the dashboard. The wings folded in, and the streamline Skimmer began to gain on the bulky _Condor_.

Within the _Condor_, Stork was gasping as he pulled at the controls and helm, trying to get the ship to respond, but she wouldn't budge. Piper's voice came over the radio. "_Stork, it's not worth it! You need to bail out!_"

Bail out? And leave his precious _Condor_ that he had worked so hard to repair? "Nah ah!" he answered back. "This pilot goes down with his ship!"

Outside, Aerrow's and Radarr's Vulcan had finally pulled up alongside the crystal on the _Condor_'s engine once again. Aerrow still hung from the side of his Skimmer, his right blade in his hand, ignited. Now came the scariest part of it all. Before he could think twice about it, Aerrow shouted, "Yah!" and leapt toward the ship. The impact with the ship knocked the breath out of him, but the stunt was not all that different from other stunts he has had to do in the past in surviving in war-torn Atmos. Despite the smoothness of the metal, he was able to cling to the _Condor_'s hull, thankful that his gloves gave him better grip.

With Aerrow on the _Condor_, Radarr deployed the wings of the Vulcan to keep from crashing, and the drag slowed the Vulcan, allowing the _Condor_ to fall past it. Aerrow was on his own now.

Aerrow's eyes focused on the crystal. It was more than a yard away from him; quite a crawl on the smooth side of an airship. But though Aerrow's heart fluttered in his chest, he didn't give himself time to be afraid. He could slip off and fall to his death if he tried to crawl, but if he didn't try, he was going to crash into the Wastelands anyways. Now there was nothing to lose.

Grunting as he went, Aerrow edged his way toward the crystal on his belly. The wind, billowing around him, threatened to tear him off the face of the ship, but Aerrow stayed low, letting the wind flow over him. He was four feet closer, a yard, two feet, one foot . . . At last, Aerrow was before the crystal. He raised his blade to strike.

But then he gasped and lowered his blade, staring at it as its glow faded. He had forgotten; his new blades were also powered by crystals.

Now what? He had to get rid of the crystal. With a heave, he struck downward at the crystal with his no-longer-ignited blade desperately but vainly. He peered downward. The red-orange glow of the lava rivers of the Wastelands shined below him, and sulfur began to sting his nose. There wasn't much time.

Aerrow studied his blade again and seemed to see it for the first time. Sure, it was a Sky Knight's weapon, powered by the use of a crystal. But it was also a blade, much like a knife, which is the only true weapon Aerrow had ever carried before. The edge of the wing-shaped blade reminded him of a pocket knife, perhaps a bit jagged in comparison.

Aerrow knew what to do. With a "Yaw!" he sliced the crystal across. The sharp blade of the weapon shattered the crystal like glass.

Within the _Condor_, the needle of the gauge displaying the power spun from green to red as the engines once again roared to life. The ship leveled herself out just as she hit the rocky surface of the hard ground of the Wastelands, thankfully avoiding the lava rivers completely. She bounced just once before she lifted her bow, ascending once again above the cloud line.

At first, Stork, who found himself on the floor, wasn't sure he was really alive or whether he was only hearing what he wanted to hear. But as he put a hand on top of the helm and used it to lift himself up and look out the window, the dark sulfuric clouds opened up to clear blue skies. "Whoo, hoo, hoo!" Stork whooped throwing his fists in the air. Aerrow had really done it!

Above the clustered clouds just below the top of Terra Neverlandis, Finn had gotten off the Heliscooter's bow and was now seated behind her. Piper circled her Heliscooter around, and they scan the skies worriedly, with Junko flying beside them doing the same. They had seen Radarr fly up with his and Aerrow's new Skimmer, but where were Aerrow, Stork, and the _Condor_?

As if answering a spoken question, the _Condor_ rose up out the clouds, her bow and stern level. A figure clambered up the side of the starboard pontoon engine, standing on top and waving to them. It was Aerrow! They're friends and their new ship were safe!

"Yeah!" Piper cheered in relief.

"Alright!" Finn exclaimed, returning Aerrow's wave.

Junko smiled as he followed the _Condor_ alongside the Heliscooter.

Radarr followed behind. With an excited squawk, he celebrated in his own way, sending the Vulcan into a barrel roll.

Once they landed, the new Storm Hawks wasted no time in setting the Storm Hawks symbol back up on the flagpole of the fort where it belonged.

Yet something was different this time. Aerrow could feel it. Something had changed.

As the Storm Hawks all stood back from the fort and peered up at the flag in admiration, Aerrow got down on one knee in front of them, facing the fort. "Well," he told them, "we got our terra back, but knowing what we know now, this whole Storm Hawks thing, it doesn't really feel like home here anymore."

"You know, Aerrow," Piper said gently, "the Storm Hawks didn't have a terra." Aerrow turned around and met her eyes, guessing what she was getting at. "That's what made them special," she continued. "They protected _all_ of Atmos."

Aerrow stood up and bowed his head in thoughtful silence. It made sense. Here all they had to protect was their ownership of their own piece of property. It was a want that was a lot like the greed that started this war. Besides, no one else lived here who they needed to protect. Many other places on Atmos needed someone to fight for them, and everywhere people were praying for a turn in the war. And now, they had the chance to try to do just that.

Aerrow smiled, a mischievous glint in his eye. "The _Condor_ would make a pretty cool pad," he said, looking toward the ship.

"First dibs on rooms!" Finn cried, taking off toward the _Condor_.

Laughing and shouting, the others followed after him, eager to claim what was theirs before the others did. And as Aerrow ran with them, he smiled from ear to ear, looking around at all his friends, old and new. Stork and his own weird way of affection; Junko and his willingness to do what's right despite the others around him; Finn and his goofiness which always brought a smile to Aerrow's face; Radarr, his best friend, who had stuck with Aerrow through thick and thin for many years now; and Piper, who undoubtedly was there as Aerrow's conscience, brain, counselor, and best friend and who knew him almost as well as Radarr did. Aerrow could hardly remember what it was like to have a family, but now he thought he knew.

And with his new family by his side, he _knew_ they could succeed. They could finish what the original Storm Hawks started. And he could be a Sky Knight revered by many . . . so long as his team was at his side.

And so, the Storm Hawks entered the ship, not even looking back at the lonely fort most of them had built with the own hands, surrounding the comforting limbs of the ancient willow tree.

Underneath the younger tree at the base of the hill, the Guardians all stood watching, secluded by the darkness cast by the tree. "Jubilation!" the silver one cried. He gestured out toward the ship. "The _Condor_ is found, a mighty squadron rebuilt!" he cried, pulling back his extended hand and balling it into a fist.

The masked one grunted skeptically, his arms crossed. "They're a bunch of orphans," he grumbled. "What do they know about 'saving the Atmos'?"

"They know courage!" the silver one exclaimed excitedly, clenching his fist again. He turned to the Guardian in copper and gold. "What say you, master?" he asked.

The master was kneeling in front of them, facing out toward the ship. His head was bowed and his hands were clasped in meditation. "The boy will be a Sky Knight," he spoke gently.

"Ah, and what of the girl?" the silver one asked, gesturing toward him. "Is she the one?"

The master opened his eyes gradually and solemnly, each word coming out slowly. "Only time will tell."

The silver one smiled in satisfaction, but the masked one still looked skeptical.

The Guardians all lifted their heads when they heard the _Condor_'s engines whirl. They watched as the great ship lifted herself off the ground and hovered, turning about toward the skies. But then an engine gave out and she lurched downward before she recovered. Then she flew off over the side of the terra and the engine failed again, making her fall out of sight. With an even more powerful whirling sound, she appeared again, racing for open skies. But every now and then, the engine sputtered, and the _Condor_ bulked before continuing on.

Now the future of the Atmos was in the hands of four young orphans, a scared-stiff Merb, a furry little creature, and their broken-down ship. "Yup," the masked one said. "We're doomed."

* * *

Far from the new Storm Hawks and their _Condor_, from the Guardians of Atmos, and from the placid Terra Neverlandis lay the Terra of Cyclonia, a terra always haunted by fiery-red skies and home to the Cyclonian Empire.

Master Cyclonis was dead.

But no one mourned.

Instead, a young girl, only fourteen years of age, stood in the throne room with her hands clasped behind her back. She wore the aubergine cloak and hood of the Master; her dark hair cascaded softly around her face, its jagged ends making a ragged border for her pale, almost white, face. Her violet eyes should have been bright, like lilac, but there was something sinister about them that darkened them.

With her father and now her grandmother dead, the girl was all alone. But she had always been alone. She could take care of herself. Master Cyclonis' little granddaughter had grown up.

The girl watched as two of her Talons pushed a large metal chair out of her way.

Another figure approached, walking through the doorway of the throne room. Clad in armor with the Cyclonian symbol of a red raven striking in attack, a double-bladed, two-handed sword in a sheath on his back, and a grappling hook on his left arm, he looked like a fit warrior. The deadly sword was powered by a deep red high-grade Firebolt crystal on the end of its handle. This crystal was tapered and thin at one end and thickened further down the crystal and then tapered again. The warrior's jet-black hair had not changed much in ten years, but now he had side burns that darkened his face. He was stronger and fit, a man now in his prime. But the strangest physical change he had experienced the last ten years was that the color of his dark eyes had altered to blood-red, as if to illustrate the very embodiment of evil.

Seeing him, the girl smiled. "Grandmother's old throne," she said, looking back at the chair being dragged away. "So old-fashioned." She turned back to the warrior. "Times are changing, Dark Ace."

The Dark Ace bowed his head to her. "And I remain your humble servant, Master Cyclonis," he said.

"Good," the new Master Cyclonis said, turning away from him. She walked toward the stand where throne had stood, where now there was a huge machine with a large glass case above the keyboard controls. "We have work to do," the Master said, pressing various buttons. The machine began to blow air into its glass chamber. Master Cyclonis leered as she watched. Soon, she would finish what her grandmother had started; the Atmos would be hers and hers alone.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, there's "Origins"! I also changed a little of "Age of Heroes", too, taking out some of the introduction description that are now covered in here. Hope this wasn't too confusing for everyone.


	6. Age of Heroes: A Squadron at Last

_**Part 2**_

_**Age of Heroes**_

_A boy follows his dream and his destiny. A dark empire rises again, and a world is threatened. Heroes betray, and heroes are made. Enemies are formed, and a friend is gained. Winners lose, and losers win. Power is sought, and power is lost forever. A Sky Knight finds his inner power, and the Storm Hawks find their wings._

_A legend begins._

Chapter 1: A Squadron at Last

The red and blue Air Skimmer III Ultra admitted sprouts of blue light from its two jet engines rumbled as it zoomed across the forest floor. Aerrow never felt so free; he could feel the power in his new Skimmer as he drove. He stared ahead, concentrating on both his path and the things around him. His untamable hair fanned in the wind like red fire, and his eyes were the color of emeralds. Scrawny but far from weak, he was a mere boy, but the armor plating on his blue and red uniform indicated that he was well on his way down a man's path. The insignia on the left shoulder plate, a blue hawk taking wing, symbolized that he was none other than a member of a Sky Knight squadron.

Seeing the place clear except for the trees around him, Aerrow grinned, a lopsided grin full of confidence. Radarr peered over his shoulder. Aerrow saw him out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help smiling at his copilot's little goggles. With a chirp of excitement, he leaped over the boy to the cockpit on the right side of the bike just as Aerrow veered. Now swinging the ride to the other side, Aerrow turned to look at his copilot. "Just hold on, Radarr," he told him. He stared at the road ahead of him again. "We're almost there!"

Radarr felt uncertain and was even more worried when he heard a deep, mighty battle cry. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see an Air Skimmer III EL. Junko had claimed it, and he drove it down, charging after them. At the moment, Junko looked about as friendly as the rest of his species. His teeth were gritted together in determination to run the redhead down.

Radarr squawked in alarm to alert Aerrow. The boy, however, wasn't worried. "Yeah, I see 'em," he answered. He glanced over his shoulder at Junko with a cocky smile, his mind already at work. "Not for long!"

Aerrow's grip tightened on the handlebars as he twisted the throttle. The ride accelerated. Aerrow began dodging the trees and bushes, hoping that the burly Wallop and his bull-dozing bike would not be able to keep up. A nervous Radarr hid his face in his arm.

When Aerrow was done with this dodging, Radarr lifted his head again uneasily only to see Junko igniting his Knuckle Busters, weapons worn on the hands that are activated by swinging them down over the fists and smacking them together. They lit with the power of green level 9 nimbus crystals. Now wielding these, Junko was given amazing strength. As if he wasn't strong enough already! The Busters ruined everything. Junko used them to knock the obstacles out of his way, making Aerrow's dodging spree pointless.

They then cleared the forest. Aerrow's mind was working double-time, and his heart pounded in the most uncomfortable yet satisfactory manner. And dead ahead was a huge cliff, the very edge of the terra! This was his chance. Eyes narrowed, pulse rushing in his ears, Aerrow drove straight as fast as his ride would allow. He heard Radarr squeak and knew the frightful creature was probably turning his head away with his eyes shut. He always expected the worse from Aerrow's recklessness.

Clear off the cliff the ride went. And there it hung, suspended in the air. And then it began to dive nose first. Fast.

Aerrow wasn't worried at first. The sky was home to him, and he felt safe. When they kept falling, however, he became concerned. Turning his head around to look at his copilot, he could see he was covering his face, just as he expected him to. "Radarr?" he called to him. Radarr opened his eyes to look at him. "Wings?" Aerrow reminded him. With a loud squawk, Radarr reached to his left and jerked a large yellow and black lever upward.

In an instant, everything changed. The wheels of the Vulcan retracted and pairs of wings sprouted from either side of the bike and spread outward. Now in flight-mode, Aerrow smiled. His confidence restored, he tightened his grip on the handlebars and put on the throttle once again, accelerating the ride and pulling it abruptly upward, pointing its nose toward the sky and letting out of howl of glee at the whole thrilling experienced. He rose above the floor level of the terra and finished up with a few barrel rolls before leveling out. He loosened his grip again, letting himself relax. "Not bad, Radarr," he told his copilot. "Think we lost 'em?"

It was at that moment that Aerrow heard something whistle through the air. His eyes widened as he veered away from a missile shot at him. He turned around and there was the unmistakable ride of Junko. The Wallop's eyes were narrowed, trained on him, and a smirk spread across his lips. "Guess that's a 'no'," Aerrow commented, letting a hint of nervousness slip into his voice.

Junko, too, had transformed his Skimmer to flight mode. The Wallop's own homemade "little birdie" missiles adorned the wings and were now all aimed in Aerrow's direction. With the press of a button, another crystal-enhanced missile was released.

Aerrow saw this one coming. "Radarr, hang on!" With a soft growl, Radarr tightened his grip on the handles, waiting for Aerrow's next stunt. Aerrow didn't hesitate. With a hefty heave on the right handle, the Vulcan rolled out of the missile's way just in time. Proud of himself for his feat, he called over his shoulder at Junko. "Ya missed!"

Not a second after he spoke, two crystal-enhanced arrows struck the front of Aerrow's Skimmer. Aerrow grunted as he was jolted by the blows and listened anxiously to the engine as it sparked and smoked. His eyes scanned the skies for the new threat.

Over him to the port side, another skyride had appeared, this one being Finn's new classic Air Skimmer III. The weapons and armor it lacked made it quicker and more maneuverable than either the EL or the Ultra. Finn, clad in makeshift armor, sat on in the driver's seat, smirking. "He may have," the blond boy called out to Aerrow, "but _Finn_ never misses!"

_Darn! _Aerrow thought. Well, now wasn't the time to worry about that. The bow of the Vulcan was smoking. He turned to his copilot. "Radarr," he said anxiously, "get that engine working!"

Radarr began digging through the bottom of his cockpit desperately. Banana peel? No. Paper ball? No. Piece of bread? No. Ah-hah, there it was! Radarr's trusty, bent wrench.

The overly-cocky sniper, Finn, was kissing his ever-reliable bolt before deploying his chain-retractable crossbow from the bow of his Skimmer and slipping the bolt into it. Then he fired. Radarr was aware of both the shot and his mission. Aerrow watched him take a mighty leap from the cockpit onto the wing of the Skimmer, avoiding Finn's bolt.

With the engine in trouble like it was, Radarr did the best repair he could in mid-flight—he whacked the bow with his wrench. That seemed to do it.

At that moment, Finn fired again.

Radarr never saw it coming. The bolt struck him dead on. The power of the blue striker crystal jolted him, and his whole body was paralyzed in blue lightning-like shockwaves. Radarr's eyes rolled, his tongue flopped out, and he lost his wrench. As soon as it happened, it was over, and Radarr stood on the wing shocked and bewildered by the blow. Aerrow winced. That had to have hurt.

Much as they were harassed, Aerrow kept going, making sure Radarr made it back in the cockpit as he sped away. "You're not stoppin' us this time!" he called over his shoulder.

"Huh?" His eyes widened in surprise as the loud horn of an airship sounded. Staring ahead of him, the _Condor_ rose out of the clouds in front of him. And on the deck outside the bridge stood Aerrow's new opponent. Stork smirked menacingly as he blocked Aerrow's path.

Aerrow tried to stop his Vulcan before he ran into the _Condor's_ deck. He had to turn the ride sideways to try and stop, and it slowed with an earsplitting screech. Aerrow brought it to a standstill in front of the deck and stared openmouthed at Stork. How in the world could he have known where to maneuver the ship in order to trap him like that?

Stork just continued to smirk and stare. "Got'ch ya, Sky Knight!" he jeered.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed, quickly trying to assess the situation and figure a way out. He never got a chance. Radarr pointed above the ship where another skyride had risen from behind it.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed, quickly trying to assess the situation and figure a way out. He never got a chance. Radarr pointed above the ship where another skyride had risen from behind it, this one being Piper's new Heliscooter.

Piper smiled at them as she pulled out her new energy staff. Taking aim, she fired.

Radarr and his cockpit were hit and instantly frozen, struck by the blow of a frost crystal, or an "icer" as it is often called. Radarr stared in surprise when he couldn't move, still holding his finger in the air.

"Freeze!" Piper called playfully as she popped the crystal out of her staff and caught it with her other hand. Feeling full of herself, she smiled smugly and winked at Aerrow. Aerrow just looked on, hardly surprised. That was Piper for you.

Looking around for further escape, Aerrow found that there was none. Finn and Junko flew up behind him and blocked both escape routes. Aerrow watched uncertainly, his mind working a mile a minute and still coming up with nothing. There had to be an escape!

His thoughts were cut short as Piper lowered her ride to face him eye to eye. She could see the mindful way he was assessing his situation. "Face it, Sky Knight," she taunted, smirking viscously. "You've been caught! You're surrounded!"

Aerrow eyed her, still thinking, not quite sure how to respond. Then he glanced downward. Unguarded. Perfect!

"The only way out," Piper continued, "is if you were crazy enough to—" She didn't get to finish. She only watched Aerrow as he flashed her a cocky, lopsided grin and dove. Piper looked after him. "—dive into the Wastelands," she finished pitifully. Apparently he was crazy enough. Piper almost worried for him as the group watched the Sky Knight disappear into the clouds.

"So much for your big flaking maneuver," Finn commented to Piper.

"I know a shortcut!" Piper insisted. "Follow me!"

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr continued to dive deeper into the clouds. The air was becoming hot and gave off a stench as redness seeped into the clouds. The heat and wind unfroze Radarr and his cockpit. Shivering with cold and giving his fur a good shake, Radarr grabbed the handles only to gasp when he saw where they were headed.

The Wastelands. It is from here that terras—tall, large, often flat-topped mountains—rise from, clearing the cloud line. The Wastelands are an inhospitable land that covers the main surface of the Atmos. It's mostly one large lava flow with geysers of lava, treacherous rock formations, and dangerous beasts.

"They'd be crazy to follow us through the Wastelands," Aerrow commented to Radarr. He cast his copilot a look of confidence, hoping that the frightful fur ball would pick up on it. He didn't. "We'll be fine," Aerrow insisted. The thought that they might not be fine never occurred to him; it just simply wasn't possible for him to think that way. He was now a Sky Knight, after all. He could do anything. Besides, where was the fun if there was no danger?

Aerrow leveled out above the rivers of lava, veering here and there to avoid the rock formations. They hadn't been down there five seconds before two large, eel-like monsters raised their heads out of the magma flow and set their glowing red eyes on them. Radarr ducked as one leaped for them. Aerrow avoided it easily. The second came on fast, causing Aerrow to have to spin out of the way.

Radarr peeked over the top of his cockpit to see if it was safe only to be greeted by two more monsters. One lunged. Radarr screamed in alarm as its open mouth came dangerously close to the Skimmer and closed.

The Vulcan still got away. Aerrow wasn't affected at all. "See?" he told Radarr. "Nothin' to worry about."

Radarr glared at his back from where he sat on the side of his cockpit, half of which was gone and the remaining bore teeth marks.

Two volcanoes erupted in front of them. Radarr screamed again. There was no turning back. Aerrow turned the Skimmer sideways and managed to slip between the two eruptions vertically.

Just when Radarr thought he'd had enough of this, another monster leaped for them. Aerrow evaded its attack and pointed the Vulcan skyward again as they made their way back through the cloud line.

Once above the cloud line, Aerrow barrel rolled in celebration before leveling out. He was smiling ear to ear, a close-lipped smile that spoke of smug pride at the feat he had just performed. Very few could fly through the Wastelands and survive, and he knew it. And he wasn't even scared. The same couldn't be said for Radarr, he realized as he felt the furry critter sigh and relax as he clung to Aerrow's back. Aerrow glance at him in hope that it would reassure his friend.

Ahead of them was the jagged top of a well-populated terra. At the highest point of the terra was a tower with a beautiful blue glow admitting from it that shone like a guiding star, lit by the powerful Aurora Stone. "Terra Atmosia," Aerrow spoke aloud to Radarr. "We're gonna make it!"

Pulling forth a velocity crystal he had with him, Aerrow dropped it into the afterburner. For just about every mechanical device in the Atmos, a crystal of one type or another is required to power or enhance it. Velocity crystals, as might be guessed by the name, give a vehicle a burst of speed. This one sent Aerrow and Radarr hurdling toward Atmosia with Aerrow howling in delight from the thrill of it.

* * *

Three skyrides descended on the quiet cobblestone streets of Terra Atmosia's main square. The rumble made heads turn from all places, even the market dealers. One little boy stared wide-eyed in fascination as Finn, Piper, and Junko landed, wheels rolling. Finn drove his ride up to a large tree standing in the middle of the main square, turning his bike sideways to bring it to a screeching halt beside the tree. He reached out and touched the tree with his hand, huffing. "Yes!" he exclaimed. He turned around to the others to brag. "I did it! I'm the winner!"

"Actually, uh . . ." Finn heard someone say. He peered up into the tree, irritation pricking his skin. Parked on the widest branch was Aerrow's Skimmer with Radarr sitting beside it and Aerrow leaning against the trunk of the tree casually. He pointed to himself with his thumb. "That would be me."

Finn dropped his head and groaned.

The whole chase had been a game that they had begun playing often . . . and bets had been high on Aerrow and Radarr not winning this time.

Remembering the terms of what would happen if he won—again—Aerrow leaped down from the tree and addressed the others. "Which means," he said, "the last one to the tree," he gestured toward it, "has to do all the dishes on the _Condor_," he held up a finger, "for a month."

Upon hearing this, Piper and Junko were quick to touch the tree. Aerrow backed as Radarr leaped down from the tree and missed the landing. The furry creature came up again, eyes rolling in their sockets. He smiled foolishly and reached out a hand to lean on the tree, but there was nothing there, and he fell again. Aerrow briefly wondered just how many times the little guy had been hit by something that day.

The Merbian figure of Stork came running their way from where he had parked the _Condor_ on the hill behind the city. He stopped a few yards away from the tree, sighing when he saw they were all already there. "See?" he said. "This is why I never leave the ship." His eye twitched in irritation.

Aerrow's eyes wondered around to each of them. Radarr, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork; this was his team, his squadron, but most importantly, his friends and the closest thing he had ever had to a family. Even if they did gang up on him to try to make him lose the race.

The little boy stepped closer. His disapproving father, Gull, member of the Sky Knight Council, was close behind. His son studied the metal emblem on their backs and the insignia painted on their bikes. The hawk taking wing. "Hey, look, Dad!" he said, pointing, his face lighting up with a grin. "It's the Storm Hawks!"

Finn leaned against the tree and smiled smugly. Aerrow could tell he was enjoying the attention.

Yes, Aerrow thought, they were the Storm Hawks. At last, the young Sky Knight had brought the legendary squadron back.

However, Gull spoiled it. "Those aren't the Storm Hawks," he said.

Finn's face fell in disgusted disbelief. "Huh?"

"Not the real ones," Gull continued. He put his hand on his son's shoulder and led him away. The boy's eyes remained on Aerrow and his team, his disappointment evident.

The team watched them go. Aerrow could tell the others were a little let down. "Come on, guys," he said, trying to cheer them up. "We're here to do something about that, remember?" He started walking, leading the others.

"Maybe," said Stork, scratching the back of his neck, "we can do something about this strange rash, too."

Finn was still irritated. "If you ask me, this is all just a big waste of time!"

Piper turned her head to address him. "Finn, first—we didn't." Finn rolled his eyes in response. "And second," Piper continued, "even though Aerrow went through the trials and was rightfully Knighted, we still have to register with the Sky Knight Council to be an official squadron! It's just a formality," she assured.

"Uh, they don't make us take tests, do they?" Junko asked anxiously. "'Cuz," he dropped his head shamefully, "I'm lousy at tests."

"If it's a lab test," Stork told them, "I vote him." He pointed to Radarr as the furry creature was picking his nose. Radarr curled his tail and growled in response.

Aerrow looked forward with anticipation, ignoring the other's squabbling. Soon, very soon, they would be an official Sky Knight squadron!

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, this one's kind of boring. Too many explanations to really get anywhere. Since this one was so dull, I'm going ahead and posting the next chapter.

Go ahead and review how boring that was and praise my writing. Or you can criticize it. That'll work, too. After all, that's how I improve.

And remember, vote on my poll for your favorite _Storm Hawks _character!


	7. Age of Heroes: The Demerit of Youth

Chapter 2: The Demerit of Youth

Aerrow and his team went to the Sky Knight Council Hall. Once in the main hall, they handed in their papers to the head member of the council behind a large desk that was taller than all of them. The papers contained information on their backgrounds, particularly Aerrow's. He needed the council to recognize him as the heir of the Storm Hawks squadron before he could take their name and position. They also needed his Sky Knight papers; after all, you can't have a Sky Knight squadron without a Sky Knight to lead them.

The registrar was certainly past his prime; grey hair surrounded his head, dark circles hung under dark eyes, and blotches on his face marked it worst for wear. The glasses and large nose added to the affect. To Aerrow, the man would have looked ancient if only he had a few more wrinkles.

The old man studied the papers carefully, mumbling to himself as he did so. The Storm Hawks watched anxiously, awaiting his verdict. Aerrow's heart thudded in his chest. If there were two moments in his life where the hope, meaning, and the pain of waiting could not be express in words, it was waiting for judgment at the Sky Knight trials and this.

At last, the old man raised his head with a smile. "It seems everything is in order."

Aerrow smiled in relief and placed on hand on Radarr's shoulder. Each exchanged a look that scolded the other playfully. _And you were worried!_

"See?" Aerrow heard Piper whisper. "Just a formality."

"I'll need your names and positions for the registry," the council member told them as he opened the registration book and dipped his feather pen in a bottle of ink.

Aerrow's chest swelled up with pride. He figured that, as the Sky Knight, he should go first. Standing tall, he saluted the head council. "Aerrow," he introduced himself, "Sky Knight and leader."

"Finn," Aerrow heard his sniper say, "wingman," he pointed his fingers like pistols, "and sharpshooter."

The Wallop waved his hand next. "Junko," he said, pointing to himself with his thumb, "flight engineer and, uh . . ." He thought a minute, thinking he needed something else to add to it just like the others had. Finally, he thought of it. Flexing his muscles, he added, "Heavy ballistics."

Piper held up her finger. "Piper," she introduced herself, "navigation and tactics."

_And first officer_, Aerrow added silently. There was no one else he would rather trust to lead the team in his absence. He knew he could count on Piper.

Stork looked a bit nervous as he held up his finger. "Uh, Stork . . ." He sneezed. Wiping the mucus on his shirt, he finished through a stuffy nose. "Carrier pilot."

Now it was Radarr's turn. He leaped up in front of the stand and performed a series of kicks and punches fit for any warrior and then stood proudly before the registrar with his paws on his hips. The old man just looked at him skeptically. "What is that?" he asked distastefully. "Some kind of pet?"

Radarr growled at the man for the insult, and Aerrow was quick to intervene. He knew that it could turn out badly for anyone who called Radarr a pet unless he calmed the furry creature's temper. Kneeling down beside his copilot and placing a hand on his shoulder, he corrected, "Uh, he prefers 'mission specialist'. Uh, we just call him 'Radarr.'"

The registrar grunted disinterestedly but made no further comment on the subject. Instead he went back to business. "The council will be most pleased," he said, "to hear that the new Storm Hawks squadron has formed." He smiled knowingly. "Your predecessors were greatly admired." His eyes landed on Aerrow, and he gestured toward him with his feather pen. "You have much to live up to, Aerrow."

Aerrow could feel the moment was coming. "We're ready," he insisted.

The registrar turned the book around and offered the pen. "Sign here please." Aerrow nodded, unable to stop grinning. This was it. He stepped forward and reached for the pen.

At that moment, the old man adjusted his glasses so as to get a better look at the Sky Knight. What he saw surprised him. He jerked the pen back. "Wait just a minute!" he exclaimed. He adjusted his glasses again. "How old are you?"

Aerrow winced. The moment was gone.

The doors to the Council Hall closed in front of the unofficial Storm Hawks. The moment wasn't coming.

Aerrow stared at the door as it closed. Fourteen. What's wrong with a fourteen-year-old Sky Knight? What's wrong with most of his squadron being no older than himself? Sure, they were young. Sure, Aerrow was the youngest Sky Knight ever to register. Sure, Aerrow didn't even have his own special move yet, as most every Sky Knight has a signature move. But what difference did that make? Who needs registration, anyway?

He was interrupted from his thoughts when Finn kicked the ground with his foot in annoyance. "Told ya it was a waste of time!"

Aerrow could sense the feeling was mutual among the team, and he went about amending it. "So we may not be 'official'," he told them. He placed a hand on his heart, "But I'm still a Sky Knight," he gestured toward them, "you're still my squadron, and we're still friends, right?"

"Oh, I-I'm only with you until something better comes along," Stork said, his eye twitching. His eye did that a lot, Aerrow noted. The young Sky Knight was actually starting to get used to it. The paranoid twitch is what told him now that Stork meant what he said, but he was willing to bet that he would not follow up on it. His was much more loyal than he made himself out to be.

Piper sighed and starting walked down the steps. "I just wish people would take us seriously," she told them. "We're not just kids." She turned to Aerrow. "We have the skills, we have the gear . . ."

"We have Finn," the sharpshooter interrupted, pointing a thumb at himself and adding his pistol fingers and his famous, "Chica-cha!" Aerrow smiled in amusement as he watched Radarr roll his eyes. Finn was always so full of himself.

At that moment, five red and tan III Air Skimmers drove around the corner, each baring the symbol of a soaring red eagle. "It's Carver and the Red Eagles!" Junko announced excitedly.

Carver and the Red Eagles. Aerrow's pulse rushed with excitement as a cheer rose up among the people in the street. A Sky Knight squadron could be referred simply by its name, but sometimes the name of the Sky Knight is mentioned as well. The Red Eagles, led by Sky Knight Carver, were the defenders of Terra Atmosia, thereby guardians of the Aurora Stone. They were the best Sky Knight squadron in the entire Atmos!

The rest of the team seemed as enthusiastic as Aerrow felt. "Come on!" Piper motioned toward them. "Let's go meet them!"

The Red Eagles' Skimmers slid to stop before the large crowd that had gathered to see them. Among them were Gull and his son from earlier on. Gull had his hands on his son's shoulders as the boy waved to the Red Eagles. "Now there's a real Sky Knight squadron," Gull told him.

Aerrow approached Carver, noting proudly that he also drove an Air Skimmer III Ultra. Aerrow had once thought that the feat of approaching someone so important would be harder, but he found that as long as he thought of himself as a fellow Sky Knight, it wasn't hard at all. "I'm Aerrow," he introduced himself to Carver, adding hesitantly, "of the Storm Hawks." He held out his hand. "It's a real honor to meet you."

Carver didn't take Aerrow's hand. He didn't even look at him. Instead, he scowled and studied the group behind him—all of them smiling, Piper waving, and Finn twitching his eyebrows stupidly. With an amused smile, he finally addressed Aerrow. "Aren't you a little short to be a Sky Knight, kid?"

Aerrow's hand, smile, and admiration fell as one. His eyes narrowed at Carver, cold resentment welling up in throat. He clenched his teeth, determined to hold his tongue, although he was deeply offended.

He let the shock of the comment—and its source—sink in as he watched the Red Eagles drive away toward the beacon tower to take their post. Twice that day he had thought less of because of his age, once even by a fellow Sky Knight, and he was beyond irritated, if not downright insulted. He'd passed the Sky Knight trials. His team had trained hard. What more did they want? Age? That shouldn't matter, Aerrow decided.

Aerrow realized Piper was watching him sympathetically and looked as if she was going to comfort him. Aerrow hated admitting he needed comforting, even to Piper. In order to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, he gave orders. "Come on," he said to his team. "Let's go." He was unable to keep the disappointment and resentment from his voice.

Piper sighed as she followed. "That could've gone worse," she commented. Aerrow just glared ahead of him. He wasn't in the talking mood.

Behind them, sitting on a tree, a red-eyed bird black as night cawed and took flight. A raven—an omen of bad things to come.

* * *

On the Terra of Cyclonia, Master Cyclonis, the new Cyclonian empress, stood in her throne room. She addressed six characters—her petite perfectionist of a sniper, Ravess; Ravess' burly, dimwitted, mace-wielding brother Snipe; and the Raptors, a rogue squadron of reptilian humanoids called, not coincidentally, Raptors. Led by Repton, the Raptors' other members were Repton's brothers—burly Hoerk, big fat Lugey, and skinny little Spitz. Ravess and Snipe were loyal servants; Repton and his Raptors were simply there for business.

"Once upon a time, Cyclonia controlled the entire Atmos," Master Cyclonis reminded them. Cloaked in a purple hooded robe, her back was to them as she worked on her machine, pressing various buttons to make its arm-like structures grab and fix various parts of itself with different crystals. "Then along came the Sky Knights," she continued, "and all that got messed up. I want things back the way they used to be. And as soon as our Talon squadrons clip the wings of the Sky Knights, they will."

At that moment, the doors opened with a loud clank. Ravess and Snipe both turned with a respectful yet resentful gaze on a new figure. His boots clanked against the metal floor of the throne room. The dark warrior stopped before the stand and spoke. "That would be my pleasure, Master Cyclonis."

A smile lit the Master's face, although her audience could not see it. "The Dark Ace," she addressed the warrior without turning around. "So glad you could join us."

Repton took this time to speak. "I could care less about your plans, Cyclonis!" he growled. "What's in it for the Raptors?" He added a snake-like hiss to his S.

Master Cyclonis turned around with a crystal in hand, her hood opening to form a sort of crown. "Untold riches to start," she told Repton. Repton's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Master Cyclonis activated the crystal. A large, red, hand-like power picked Repton far off the ground and pinned him against the wall. His brothers stared in fright as Repton growled in anger and defiance . . . and perhaps even with fear. "And I'll promise not to crush your measly little Terra Botagon!" Cyclonis finished her explanation, deactivating the crystals as she did. The hand dissolved, and the Dark Ace watched with satisfaction as Repton fell to the floor with a heavy thud and a groan.

The Raptor raised himself off the ground and shook his head to clear its fogginess. Untold riches were rather appealing, but Terra Botagon . . . Repton knew that Cyclonia had the ability to destroy that terra which he called home, and they would. Unless he cooperated. "I believe," he told Cyclonis, "something can be arranged."

"Good," Master Cyclonis responded. "Then let it begin. It's time to send a message. The future of Atmos belongs to Cyclonia. It belongs to me!"

* * *

Back on Terra Atmosia, Carver approached the front of the beacon tower, studying it thoughtfully. "Carver, sir," one of his squadron members called to him, "is something wrong?"

"That depends entirely on your point of view," he responded. He reached for his sword hanging from its sheath on his waist. "Long live Cyclonia!" he vowed. Then he turned around and raised his sword to attack his unsuspecting squadron.

* * *

The Aurora Stone was removed from the center of the beacon tower, and the sky of Terra Atmosia darkened.

Everyone pointed and stared, worried. A murmur rose above the crowd just as the Storm Hawks were mounting their skyrides. Junko was the first to vocalize the situation. "The beacon tower!" he exclaimed, pointing. "It stopped, um . . ." He tried to think of a word to use but only came up with, "Beaconing!"

"Something must be wrong with the Aurora Stone," Piper told Aerrow, her eyes wide with concern and darting from the beacon tower to Aerrow, looking at her leader expectantly.

Aerrow understood perfectly. "Storm Hawks," he told his team, "let's fly." They drove their Skimmers toward the tower.

When they reached the tower, they all stopped and stared. "What happened?" Finn exclaimed.

Aerrow wondered the same thing as he observed the horrifying sight. The Red Eagles, minus Carver, where all frozen, each with their bodies twisted at weird angles that betrayed their surprise and inability to escape, attacked before they even knew what was going on. The door of the tower was bent and burned from being broken into. "Whoever did this," Aerrow heard Piper comment grimly, "has to be powerful."

Aerrow refused to look at the frozen bodies that formed the isle that led up to the door. Instead, he removed from his Skimmer two wing-shaped twin energy blades and slipped them into the sheaths on his shoulder so that they hung from his back. Eyes narrowed, he led his team to the tower, determined to concentrate on the problem at hand and trying to set an example to his shaken teammates. They followed him in single file, most glancing around at the sickening icy figures around them. Junko was aghast and wondered if the Red Eagles were still alive or whether he was looking at frozen corpses. Stork, who took up the rear, stopped to look at one of them who was frozen with his mouth gaping and his eyes crossed. Crossing his eyes to match his, Stork shivered and tried to calm himself with a nervous laugh.

This could not end well.

* * *

Author's Notes: No, I didn't make up Gull's name. He's in the credits. Go see for yourself if you can.

Hmm, I think that turned out a little better than the last. I didn't have to focus so much on explanations and really got to dive into Aerrow's character, a character that I happen to know very well. He and Piper are easy for me to relate to. Anyway, please review and tell me how well written this was (or wasn't).

And I'm still pushing those votes!


	8. Age of Heroes: Coming Evil

Author's Notes: I thank all of you for your wonderful reviews! I'm glad to see that you're enjoying this, even if you already know the story.

* * *

Chapter 3: Coming Evil

The Storm Hawks entered the round room atop the tower and saw the stand in the center of room empty. Aerrow heard Piper gasp somewhere behind him. "The Aurora Stone!" she exclaimed. "It's gone!"

Out of the shadows, a soft blue light made itself known. A man stood in the dark. Light shed on him from the powerful crystal in his hands. "You needn't worry," he said as he held up the beautiful crystal to exam it and the wing-shaped metal holder it was in, allowing the light to reveal his face.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Carver?"

Carver smiled and held the crystal close to his chest, stepping forward to address them. "It'll find a good home on Cyclonia."

Aerrow couldn't believe what he was hearing. Carver, leader of Atmos' greatest Sky Knight squadron, was stealing the Aurora Stone and joining Cyclonia? "But . . ." he argued. "You're a Sky Knight!" He saw Finn nod in agreement out of the corner of his eye.

"A Sky Knight wise enough to know which way the wind is blowing," Carver answered as he stepped up onto the stand in the center of the room. "The future is Master Cyclonis." Aerrow's eyes narrowed in disgust, and he could feel the feeling was mutual among his teammates. "This stone," Carver finished, "belongs to her."

That was it! Aerrow drew forth his blades and took a warrior's stance. "I will not let that happen!" the young Sky Knight growled. Whether or not he knew he was ready to take on an older, more experienced Sky Knight, Aerrow knew that he couldn't let Carver get away with this.

Carver seemed to sense that the odds were on his side. "You're welcome to try and stop me," he dared, drawing forth his own sword. He ignited it with the power of a red striker crystal, a smirk adorning his face.

Aerrow activated his own blades, powered by two rare blue striker crystals imbedded in the handles. Their eyes met, and Aerrow felt a silent understanding pass between them, a sort of agreement to disagree and do battle. Then Carver lunged.

Aerrow leaped out of the way as Carver's blade connected with the spot where the boy had been standing. Landing in a squatting position, Aerrow returned the attack. Carver leapt back and prepared to counter it. Their blades connected and sent Aerrow flying into the large holder where the Aurora Stone had once stood. Twisting in the air so his feet connected with the hunk of metal, he flipped off of it to land on his feet on the ground.

So this is what battle felt like, he reasoned. There was hardly thought to it, yet there was constant thought. He made calculations and decisions long before he was conscious of them, acting mostly on instinct. Everything was blurred together; nothing existed but his opponent, and he was filled with a rage he could not understand—the rage of battle. And it was pleasant in the most painful manner. He was feeling more anger and power than he'd ever felt before.

Carver, however, was simply toying with him and keeping his head while letting Aerrow loose his mind in battle mode. Lowering his blade, he motioned for Aerrow to attack, daring him to try again. Aerrow didn't hesitate. Leaping into the air, he flung is weight into his left blade and let it connect with Carver's sword. They stood, each trying to subdue the other with shear force.

Finn and Junko stared, mouth gaping in bewilderment. Radarr squawked in alarm. They had never seen Aerrow like this.

Carver was the first to break the power struggle. Drawing his sword away, he struck Aerrow in the stomach and sent him flying through the air again. Aerrow grunted as the breath was knocked out of him, but he managed to flip in the air and land on his feet. Now angrier than ever, he leaped forward feet first to try and kick Carver down, but Carver simply grabbed Aerrow's foot and flung him around like a rag doll. Unable to land on his feet, he hit the ground on his back and slid across the floor. He grunted painfully. That _hurt_! For a moment, he thought he'd black out, but in the distance, he heard Piper scream, "Aerrow!" It was as if her voice kept him awake.

Aerrow tried to sit up, grunting in pain. His anger, however, was stronger. "It's your job to protect Atmos!" he scolded Carver. He pointed his blade, still ignited, in Carver's direction. "You made an oath!"

"Oh, that's right," Carver taunted. "You fancy yourself a Sky Knight." Aerrow stood, no longer feeling the pain due to his fury. "Sorry to disappoint you," Carver continued, "but you're just a bunch of kids."

Aerrow's tolerance shattered. The cocky, taunting smile that danced on Carver's lips and this last comment was the final straw. Aerrow's eyes narrowed to slits. He had had it! Centering himself, he unconsciously began to feel the pulse of the energy blades even stronger than before. Piper's face lit up in shock and admiration—and perhaps fear—as Aerrow was enveloped in a blue aurora originating from the power of the crystals in his blades. Rising into the air, he drew his arms outward, forming into a pair of wings extending from the blades. Giving one mighty wing beat, he brought the wings together to form a heavily-charged pulse. Blinded by the light, the other Storm Hawks shielded their eyes.

Carver could only watch as the pulse was sent hurdling toward him. It sent him flying through the air backward and into the stand behind him. The Aurora Stone fell from his grasp.

For a moment, the Storm Hawks just stared except for Stork who hid his face in his hands. Then they cheered, delighted by the success of their leader. When hearing them, Stork uncovered his face and smiled a genuine smile for the first time that day. "When was the last time you saw a kid do that?" Piper taunted Carver.

Aerrow could sense the significance of what he just accomplished as he deactivated his blades and sheathed them again. Yet proud as he was, he didn't see it as great. His mind was still blank from the grandness of the whole ordeal.

Apparently everyone, even Carver, thought otherwise. On the edge of consciousness, Carver reached out a trembling hand. "That was . . . That was . . ." He was unable to say what he thought before he collapsed.

Aerrow stepped forward, picking up the Aurora Stone. The grandness of his feat was just starting to sink in. He had a move. Such a thing was like the coming of age; though yet not a man, he had just gone from boy to Sky Knight in his own eyes.

"Aerrow, you did it!" he heard Piper exclaim with a delighted chuckle. "That's . . ." She tried to think of what the move was called. "That's . . ."

Aerrow was familiar with Sky Knight forms and moves; he practically knew them by heart. "The Lightning Claw," he finished, looking at his own hands in amazement. The magnificence of the whole thing had struck him at last. Everyone knew that the more impressive a signature Sky Knight move was, the more likely it is to be powerful. The Lightning Claw was very dramatic and _very _powerful; it requires two blades to build up enough momentum to perform. "Huh," Aerrow said to himself as he mulled it over, unable to believe that such power was his, that this _was_ his signature form. All he could say was, "Guess I finally figured out my move." He wouldn't dare mention how much power that had given him; even if his friends could contemplate it, it would only give them a reason to think him an even greater hero, and a hero he was not.

Finn was more than excited. Here their Sky Knight was knighted, had found his signature move, and had saved Terra Atmosia from loosing its precious Aurora Stone. "We are definitely the real deal now, dude!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms about and nearly striking Radarr in the nose. Radarr glared at him in annoyance.

With both care and pride, Aerrow stepped forward and carefully placed the Aurora Stone back on the stand. Its light lit the room and once again radiated a soft blue glow throughout Terra Atmosia.

The Storm Hawks called the officials while Carver was still out cold. Standing outside the tower, they watched a completely revived Carver being guided away from the tower by two officials, his hands chained together in front of him. His eyes glared in Aerrow's direction as he passed, his eyes narrowing into slits. Aerrow could have sworn Carver looked ready to ring his throat and was grateful for the chains on his wrists. "The worst is yet to come," Carver threatened him. "Cyclonia will rise again!"

Aerrow watched him leave, almost feeling pity. Such anger and loyalty dwelled in the heart of the ex-Sky Knight who had once been thought well of far and wide. How could Cyclonia be so manipulative as to convince a great Sky Knight to betray his family, friends, and people? It's happened before, he reminded himself bitterly, although it hadn't been a Sky Knight, but a member of a squadron with skills equal to any Knight. It happened to the Dark Ace when he betrayed the old Storm Hawks, including the original Storm Hawks' Sky Knight—Aerrow's ancestor, Lightning Strike.

"Storm Hawks," Aerrow heard someone address them. He turned to see the registrar with two other old, bent men who were probably also part of the Sky Knight Council. They approached the Storm Hawks, smiling. "We'd like a word," the head council member explained.

"Ah, see?" Aerrow heard Finn say excitedly, nudging Junko beside him. "I bet this is the part where they beg us to protect the terra!"

* * *

Later on board the _Condor_, Finn didn't celebrate; he complained. "Get help?" he whined. "I can't believe all they want us to do is go get help!"

The _Condor_ had many rooms. The most commonly used were the bridge, the blacksmith shop and Piper's lab behind it, the kitchen, the hangar bay and repair area lining the lower decks, and the living quarters in the upper decks. The place where the Storm Hawks hung out most and had all their meetings was the bridge, and that is where they were now gathered.

Aerrow, Finn, and Junko had put away their armor to be a bit more comfortable for their meeting at the round table. The table was halfway surrounded by curved booths, and the Storm Hawks' symbol decorated the tabletop. Aerrow had always preferred a round table. Traditionally, Sky Knight squadrons' meeting tables were rectangular, and the Sky Knight sat at the head of the table. Aerrow always thought that portrayed smugness, making it look as if the Sky Knight was better than the rest of his squadron. A round table had more fairness to it.

"Finn," Piper countered Finn's whining as she stood before the table where everyone else sat, "thanks to Carver, there's no one here to protect Terra Atmosia or the Aurora Stone."

"So, we'll bring reinforcements like they asked," Aerrow added as he slammed his fist down on the table, his mind made up. In a Sky Knight squadron, the members may talk and negotiate, but a Sky Knight's word was final. Besides, Aerrow knew what was really bugging the others, and he addressed it head on. "But if we're looking for a way to prove ourselves," he told them, "this is it."

* * *

Back on Cyclonia, the Dark Ace led Ravess and Snipe into the throne room again. Two guards stood on each side of the stand where the Master stood with her back to them, still working on her machine.

The Dark Ace stopped and bowed before the stand, placing a fist on his heart. "Master Cyclonis," he greeted her. Ravess and Snipe followed his example silently.

"I understand Carver has failed," Master Cyclonis said without turning around, "and by the hand of a Sky Knight who claims to lead the Storm Hawks?" "Storm Hawks" was said with an underlining dark tone.

"It's a rumor, your highness," the Dark Ace assured. He shook his head as he added, "The Storm Hawks are no more." They had to be. The Dark Ace had finished them off ten years ago. He had made sure of it; none were left alive, not even their families, except for—but no, that was impossible. The boy was orphaned, alone, and only four years old at the time. He must be long dead by now. Even if Snipe had seen the _Condor_, it didn't mean the squadron had reformed.

"Go," Master Cyclonis spoke sharply. "Get me the Stone. And this time," the dark tone was back, "no mistakes."

"Consider it done," the Dark Ace agreed, bowing and placing his hand on his chest plate respectfully. Bold words, but the Dark Ace could afford them; besides being the Master's favorite, he also never made mistakes.

Standing up again, he jerked around, his eyes resting on the other Talon commanders. "Ravess, Snipe." They addressed him, guessing what was coming. A smile slid across Ravess' lips as she anticipated his request. "Come with me," the Dark Ace commanded. The Dark Ace was the head Talon commander, thereby giving him authority over the other commanders, including Ravess and Snipe. Therefore, they were required to obey no matter what; besides, they loved a little battle and knew they would win with the Dark Ace.

As they walked away, one petite Talon guard narrowed her eyes and watched them go, olive green eyes hidden by the classic Talon red goggles. Unlike the other Talons, she had a covering over her mouth and no helmet to hide her purple hair. She knew from the conversation she had just heard that she would soon need to go to work on her plan. She hoped that, when the time came, the Storm Hawks' Sky Knight would be smart enough to stay out of the Dark Ace's way, or powerful and crafty enough to avoid death by his hands.

* * *

The _Condor_ had taken to the skies again, beginning its journey. The ship may have been over a hundred years old and her current engines older than all the Storm Hawks combined and a bit temperamental, but she was still willing to take on a Sky Knight's mission.

The Storm Hawks were all assembled on the bridge, well lit due its large frontal window design that, along with the two sixty-foot periscopes on the bridge, gave this room the best visibility inside the ship.

Piper now had a stand with a map of Atmos on it standing in front of the helm before the window. The other Storm Hawks were gathered around and listening to her plan—or at least, Aerrow hoped the others were listening. He wasn't sure about Finn. One word about Tropica and he had gone and gotten his surfboard. He was still holding it.

"We'll contact the Buff Buzzards of Terra Blusteria first," Piper told them, placing her pointer on Terra Blusteria on her map and referring to their Sky Knight squadron. "Then off to Tropica. And no Finn," she answered Finn's excited look. "A surfing break is out of the question."

Finn slumped and groaned in disappointment. He reminded Aerrow of a child who had just been denied dessert. "Well, I don't see the big deal about some crystal anyway," he complained.

"Finn," Piper countered. "Don't you know anything? The Aurora Stone is, like, the very symbol of Atmos."

Aerrow, however, was reminded of a matter of more importance to him—and to Master Cyclonis. "It's also the most powerful crystal ever found," he reminded them. "There's no telling what Master Cyclonis could do with it."

Stork, being a Merb and more importantly, being Stork, was the first to think of horrible things to come. He said what Aerrow had not. "Let's not forget the eternal darkness, plague of evil, and painful suffering that would most certainly follow."

At that moment, the alarms in the _Condor_ sounded, flashing red lights. Eyes wide with fright, Stork reached for one of the periscopes. "Maybe it's starting already." He combed the skies, looking for danger. And he found it. "Yup," he said. "I was right."

Aerrow took the periscope from him to see for himself. A red airship was headed their way, armed to the max with a considerably large hangar bay fit for troops and powered by six engines. A giant of a ship, the design reminded Aerrow of a beak. A Cyclonian Destroyer.

Aerrow had the periscope zoom in on one of the many skyrides surrounding the ship. It was a Talon Switchblade, another motorcycle-like biplane. The ride was Cyclonia's answer to a Sky Knight's Air Skimmer III. It outperformed it in everything except maneuverability, making it very similar to the Ultra. Its differences, however, were that it couldn't keep itself airborne without crystal fuel for a second and it had an iron nose for deliberate head-on collisions.

The driver of the Switchblade wore a helmet—a sign traditionally seen in the Atmos as cowardice. He also wore red goggles and a red and green armored uniform. Red glow from the force's weapons proved them to be powered by Firebolt crystals, the main weapon crystal in Cyclonia. The symbol of a red raven striking out in attack on the driver's chest plate gave him away if his skyride, weapons, and uniform hadn't already. "Talons," Aerrow spoke aloud.

Aerrow's eyes followed the Talons' path. "They're headed straight for Atmosia," he told his squadron as drew himself away from the periscope. His mind was at work, and he knew what they had to do. "There won't be time to get help. We're going to have to handle it. Alone."

Piper and Stork cringed. Junko and Finn exchanged looks with a nervous chuckle. They were worried—and so was he, Aerrow realized as he listened to his heart thudding against his chest. But now was the time to stay calm; the others would pick up on his mood when they followed his lead. If that mood was fearful and nervous, then that's how the team would perform. He had to be strong and steady. Evil was coming.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, what shall happen! Well, we already know, so I'll go ahead and put up the next chapter . . .


	9. Age of Heroes: First Battle

Chapter 4: First Battle

As Aerrow went to slip on his armor and retrieve his blades, Piper started going over her charts. Her orders were to stay on the ship with Stork and think up a plan while Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko confronted the Talons. "Okay, I'll um," Piper thought aloud, "I can use my last drizzle crystal for some cloud cover."

Finn, having just finished putting on what little armor he had, pulled an energy cannon out of the pile of spare metals, ignoring the stowaway chicken hidden underneath it. He started frantically tightening up its screws and latching it onto his Skimmer.

"And then," Piper continued, "we're gonna need some extra time for the Slim Sluggers to jell."

Finn started pulling another cannon off the wall and ended up toppling over in his rush.

Piper groaned. "What am I saying?" she scolded herself pitifully. "That's the worst plan ever!"

Finn starting attaching the second cannon to his Skimmer, which already adorned the first and two barrels of "Little Birdie" missiles tied on in a makeshift fashion.

Stork was writing on a sheet of paper. "In might of my emanate demise, I, Stork, hereby decree all my worldly possessions . . ." He groaned as the realization hit him; all his possessions are on the _Condor_. He threw the paper over his shoulder. "They're all going to be destroyed anyway."

Junko came running into the hangar bay with his armor on and "Little Birdie" missiles tucked under his arms. Finn was still adding last minute modifications to his skyride. Junko looked around frantically. "Has anyone seen my Skimmer?" he asked. He turned to look at Finn, seeing the way the canons and barrels were strapped onto his ride. Junko, being a mechanic, knew better. "That thing's never gonna fly, Finn."

Finn shrugged desperately, making a small sound of apprehension and shaking his head. He had no idea what he was doing.

Panic was definitely on board the _Condor_.

At last everything was set. Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko mounted their Skimmers and started their engines, ready to set out. Aerrow knew now was the time when the Sky Knight was supposed to make a speech. It was, after all, the first battle. He spoke into the speaker.

"So nobody believes in us," he began. "Well, now's the time to prove them wrong. Uh, but this isn't like when we played 'stop the Sky Knight' or 'last one does the dishes'! This is the real deal! So whatever you do, try not to mess up." His voice came out hesitantly towards the end as he realized how lame that was. That came out wrong.

Up on the bridge, Piper and Stork exchanged looks. Junko tensed. Finn was the first to say anything. "Dude, worst motivational speech ever."

Hand on his head, Aerrow tried to adjust it. "You know what I mean," he said at last, finding that all he could do was be frank with them. "Let's do it!"

Those familiar words full of confidence covered up the speech for the most part. Radarr slipped on his goggles, letting them fall into place with a snap. Aerrow twisted the throttle and accelerated. He headed for the open hatch with Finn and Junko behind him, leading the charge into their real first battle.

The leap off the landing strip and transformation into flight mode was as smooth as ever except for Finn, whose makeshift attachments made for difficulty extending his wings. Finn had a moment of panic where he was falling before the wings spread outward and caught a wind current.

Aerrow couldn't imagine how nervous they were. If they were anywhere as nervous as he was, they could be in trouble. He tried to calm them, and himself, by reassurance. "Just remember the plan, and we'll be fine."

"Um," Junko said worriedly, holding up a finger, "I forgot the plan!"

Finn enlightened him. Pointing to Terra Atmosia, he answered, "Keep 'em off that terra."

The Cyclonian Destroyer was looming ever closer. Now it appeared to Aerrow not as a giant beak but a giant spear point aimed at his heart. No, don't think like that, Aerrow scolded himself. Don't think. Just fly. Don't think. Just fly. Don't . . .

Wait. His eyes fell on the commander leading the Talons. He rode a Talon Switchblade Elite. Very tough, powerful, and heavily armored, this skyride was even better than the Ultra Skimmer except for being less maneuverable. Steel blades flip out of the wings to slice and dice an opponent's ride in a dogfight. The commander's Elite had three-inch thick bronze absorption panels on the wings that repelled all but the most powerful energy blasts and twin Magma 66 jet engines, the most powerful engines ever fitted on a skyride. A single ball-joint articulation between the front and back wheel allowed for impossible turns in bike mode. The driver was achingly familiar, with jet black hair and blood-red eyes. Was that . . . ?

Finn flew up alongside his leader. "Aerrow," he said, pointing to the Talon commander, "that's the Dark Ace. As in, _the_ Dark Ace."

Back on the _Condor_, Piper was zooming in the periscope on the Dark Ace's face. Her voice appeared on the radio, full of fear. "As in 'never lost a sky duel' and is single-handedly responsible for the destruction of the old Storm Hawks. Aerrow," she called desperately, "get out of there now!" The last thing she wanted was for her best friend to be added to the list of Sky Knights the Dark Ace had killed.

Aerrow knew very well who the Dark Ace was. He was the most feared pilot in all of Atmos, considered the greatest fighter pilot who ever lived. He was also quite famous for his betrayal. Aerrow couldn't forget no matter how long he lived; the destruction of his whole family and home had left him alone at only four years of age. He had no recollection of who his parents were, but the absence of family had made his life difficult to say the least. He would not, could not, forget that. Fear fled, replaced by anger. "I'm not running away!"

Junko held up his fist. "We got your back, buddy!" he assured him.

Aerrow's confidence rose and his anger subsided. He could always count on his team, he reminded himself with a smile.

From the backside of the Destroyer, Snipe flew in with his Nimbus Chapter squadron behind him. Most members sported Talon Heli-Blades. Snipe was riding his Talon Heli-Blade Elite. Add that to his Firebolt crystal-studded chain retractable mace and his amazing strength, and one was asking for trouble. And Snipe knew it. Slamming his mace into his fist, he grunted fiercely and confidently.

Violin music floated to Aerrow's ears, and he was distracted by another Talon squadron, lead by Ravess. Ravess had been given control of Terra Bluster; therefore her squadron was called Bluster Chapter. The Bluster Chapter members all flew the standard Talon Switchblade with the exception of Ravess, who rode the Elite version. Her ride had aerodynamically redesigned armor plating for the best speed and stealth. Aerrow noted that the ride had no weapons, but he knew her to be famous for having used a Firebolt crystal arrow to unseat an unsuspecting Talon guard, flying in formation three squadrons away, just because he displeased her. The laugh she now released gave Aerrow a chill. He blinked in surprise, however, to find that the violin music he heard was one of her Talons playing theme music for her.

He saw the Dark Ace draw forth his two-bladed sword from its sheath, ignite it in a red glow, and point it toward them in a silent signal to attack, all in one motion. The Talons shot forward. Aerrow put on his throttle and plunged onward with Finn, Junko, and the _Condor_ close behind. The fight was on.

On the _Condor_, Piper was looking out one of the periscopes while Stork drove. "Here they come!" she told him. "Open fire!" Then, turning to look at him, she added, "Just don't hit anyone we know."

Aerrow saw the _Condor_ lunge forward as she started firing at the Cyclonian Destroyer. Stork fought to keep the ship upright as the blasts were returned by the Destroyer. The firing back and forth almost made Piper lose her balance. She was becoming unsure of this. Was this really such a good idea?

If she had asked Stork, he would have said no.

Aerrow had taken his attention off the _Condor_, confident that Piper and Stork could handle it. Making his way through the ranks, he headed straight for the Dark Ace. He knew, after all, that he was the only one among them who stood a chance against the Talon commander. Besides, he had a score to settle.

The Dark Ace saw him coming. Sending him a smirk, he leaped out of the driver's seat onto the front of the Switchblade, taking a warrior's stance and igniting his sword. A dangerous move, Aerrow thought. Now he could simply knock him off. Reaching across his chest with his right hand, he drew one of his blades and shot an energy pulse that slashed the air in front of him. The Dark Ace simply leaped out of the way, doing a flip in the air.

Aerrow was surprised as he watched the Dark Ace's Switchblade fly away empty. Where had he gone?

Then he heard a voice to his right. "You're a young one." Aerrow turned to look at his starboard wing. The Dark Ace had landed on the tip of the wing. His eyes sized up Aerrow. "Since you're new that this," he began, "allow me to explain the ground rules."

Before Aerrow could react, the Dark Ace lunged forward with a grunt and seized Aerrow's shoulder painfully. Aerrow attempted to remove his hand with his own, but the Talon's grip didn't lessen. The Sky Knight heard Radarr squeak in alarm. "There are none," the Dark Ace continued. "If you live, you win. And just so you know," he growled viciously, "I never lose!"

Before Aerrow knew what happened, he found himself thrown back against the seat of his Vulcan. The Dark Ace laughed before doing a flip in the air and landing back on his Switchblade. But his attempted deterrence had only made Aerrow more determined. Never lose, huh? Aerrow held his blade out as he drove after him. We'll see about that!

Junko was doing pretty well himself. Coming out of a barrel roll, a Talon slammed up against him and locked wings with him. Junko simply activated his Knuckle Busters and destroyed the engine. The Switchblade fell apart instantly and sent the Talon parachuting down into the Wastelands. Junko laughed as he watched. He sure showed him. No one messes with a Storm Hawk!

His ears rang with the sound of a battle cry coming toward him. Turning around, he saw Snipe descending toward him, his chain retractable mace flying backward, ready to smash Junko to bits. The mace connected with Junko's Skimmer. Junko yelled in surprise, having been unable to react up to that point. Beating little wimps was one thing, but being beat by tough guys was not on his agenda. Junko gunned his engines, and the chase began. "Whoa," he said once he was over the shock. Once ahead of Snipe, Junko laughed nervously. He actually found the chase kind of fun—in a horribly frightening sort of way.

Finn flew in behind him, taking aim at another Talon whom he was chasing. His ride rattled uncomfortable, and for the life of him, he couldn't line up the shot. He fired a bolt at one of the two Talons in front of him, but it missed both. He fired twice more. Nothing. He groaned. "Can't get a good shot-off!"

It was then he heard eerie violin music. Glancing around him, he saw three Talons flanking him, one of which was Ravess and another was her violin player. Ravess pretended to play her bow with her arrow, her eyes closed, moving along with music. Finn squinted as he watched her. Now there's something you don't see in every battle.

Suddenly Ravess stopped playing and opened her eyes. Taking aim, she shot her arrow before Finn even had time to react.

Finn yelled in fright when he saw the arrow coming. Heart pounding against his chest, he tried to fly out of the way of the Firebolt crystal-tipped arrow. The arrow struck one of the blasters strapped onto his wing and sent him spinning downward. Finn screamed—a girly scream. Oh why, he wondered. Why did he ever agree to this? _That's it_, he thought. _I'm gonna die!_

But he didn't die. His wild spin flung off all of the extra weight and weapons he had strapped onto his ride in such a makeshift fashion. Free of its burden, the Skimmer leveled out. Finn's heart didn't quiet, but with his control back, he tried to make himself toughen up. Preparing to aim for a new target, he let the lenses above his crossbow magnify his vision and found it steady and good for aim now that the ride wasn't jiggling like some large piece of jelly. "Hey," he exclaimed, "that's better!" Aiming for the Talon playing Ravess' theme music, he fired, thrice just to be sure. The music stopped abruptly as the Switchblade failed and the Talon was sent parachuting toward the Wastelands.

The Dark Ace came and made a U-turn around the parachuting Talon, his sword drawn. He was charging Aerrow once more, determined to teach the young wannabe a lesson.

Aerrow wasn't deterred. He returned the charge, his left blade drawn. He saw the Dark Ace fire at him. Radarr screeched and ducked as the pulsed headed his way. Next thing the furry copilot knew, Aerrow kept going on without him. Looking around, Radarr realized his cockpit was cut away from Aerrow's Skimmer just when he began to fall. Aerrow gasped.

Luckily, Radarr activated his parachute. Seeing as everything was fine, he gave Aerrow a thumbs-up. Aerrow smiled in relief, not sure of what he would have done if . . . Well, no time for 'what-ifs'. Aerrow whipped his Vulcan around to sneak up behind the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace, of course, saw him coming. They're eyes met as Aerrow came up alongside, his blade now in his right hand. They're swords flashed as they connected. Back and forth they went, sword clashing with sword, red and blue sparks flying.

Snipe was still chasing Junko when the Wallop turned to face him, aiming his "Little Birdie" missiles at his Heli-Blade. Snipe let loose a mighty battle cry as he charged. Junko's eyes narrowed. Now! He opened a lid on his left handle and pressed the button it revealed. A loud clank came from the missiles. But they didn't move.

Junko pressed the button some more. When that didn't work, he pounded it. Nothing. "They're stuck!" he cried frantically.

Snipe smirked. He had the Wallop now.

Junko thought a moment. His face lit with a smile as he thought up a last minute idea. Putting on a scary face, he leaned down toward the missiles and let out a mighty Wallop roar. The painted faces on the missiles turned from fierce to scared and shot forward away from the Wallop and toward they're target.

Snipe screamed when he saw the missiles headed his way and leapt from his ride, deploying his parachute as the missiles pulverized the Heli-Blade.

"Alright!" Junko cheered himself on, holding up his fist.

The show wasn't over yet, however. A Talon on a Switchblade suddenly flew in and picked up Snipe's parachute on his wing. Snipe screamed as it sent him flying into the bow of another Switchblade, knocking him senseless. "Ooh," Junko commented, pointing. "That's gotta hurt."

Meanwhile, Finn and Ravess circled each other. At last, they stopped and Finn took aim, laughing to himself. Ravess did likewise, mumbling, "I got you in my sights now." They both fired.

Both would have hit dead-on if they had the chance. As if happened, they hit each other, and Ravess', being the more powerful of the two, completely destroyed Finn's bolt and headed toward Finn. Finn stared wide-eyed. "Huh?"

He tried to spin his ride out of the way, but he wasn't quick enough. When he opened his eyes, he saw half of his Skimmer fall away from him. "Aw, man!" he exclaimed. And then he fell, screaming, before landing crotch first on the bow of Junko's Skimmer. He slumped on the windshield, pain raking through him. "Goin' my way," he squeaked to a very surprised Junko.

The _Condor_ was still being blasted by the Cyclonian Destroyer. "Oh, come on!" Stork mumbled frantically. "Shields are down!" he announced to Piper. "We're getting clobbered by that cruiser's cannons! Piper, if we don't run now, we're going to lose the _Condor_!"

"Stork," Piper protested, "what about the others?"

"Um," Stork answered, "they should run, too." With that, he steered the _Condor_ away from the Destroyer toward safer skies. Finn and Junko followed close behind with Talons on their tail.

Aerrow and the Dark Ace were still going at it, swords swinging back and forth and sparks flying, each grunting with effort. Then swiftly they pulled away from each other and came back for another charge. Each leaped up onto the front of their rides, each with their blades drawn. "So," the Dark Ace taunted, "you call yourself a Sky Knight. Well, where's your fancy move?"

Aerrow's blood was roaring in his ears, but when he heard that question, his nerves calmed. He was preparing for the surge of power he was about to experience. "It's right here," he responded softly as the blue aurora surrounded him once more. The Dark Ace's eyes widened in surprise as the boy performed the Lightning Claw, but his mind didn't leave him, and he took advantage of the boy's inexperience.

Aerrow's shot missed; that was the first thing Aerrow noticed. The second was that his Skimmer was flying away without him, but he had landed on a biplane of some sort. "Good form," a dark, merciless voice spoke behind him. That's when Aerrow realized; he was standing on the Dark Ace's Switchblade. With a surge of anger, desperation, and embarrassment, Aerrow turned around and locked blades with the Talon. The Dark Ace continued his evaluation of Aerrow's move. "But you need to work on the landing!"

Aerrow didn't see it coming. The Dark Ace shoved the boy away from him and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him and sending him right off the Switchblade. Aerrow caught his breath only to find himself freefalling backward, and he shouted in surprise. Refusing to let the darkness of panic enter his mind, he flipped himself around. In one swift motion, he sheathed his blades and deployed his battle glider, a hang-glider useful in situations like this. Unlike a parachute, it allowed Aerrow to keep fighting.

However, the Dark Ace wasn't keen on allowing that. Aerrow's eyes combed the sky around him until he saw the Dark Ace headed his way with his blade still drawn. Aerrow gasped. This was it. No, don't think that. There was still a chance.

The Dark Ace was surrounded by a red aurora. Aerrow stared defiantly at him, but he knew this couldn't end well. The Dark Ace was performing his own move. Aerrow watched him release the red energy pulse, send it hurdling in his direction . . . and strike the starboard wing of his battle glider.

Aerrow spun and yelled in fright. He couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. The crowd watched wide-eyed, pointing and gasping. He was spinning faster and faster as he headed toward what he knew must be the terra, and he flung out his arm to break the fall.

He was lucky. The glider took the direct hit. Its wing was the first to touch the ground. The glider snapped off of Aerrow's back. Aerrow bounced on his stomach, then his back, and finally slide across the ground on his side, stunned. He didn't quite know what had happened, only that he wasn't flying anymore and the situation on Terra Atmosia was bad. He tried to push himself off the ground, coughing in the cloud of dust he had created.

Before he was halfway off the ground, a figure stepped in front of him. A red blade threatened his throat. Aerrow glared in front of him. The Dark Ace was here to finish what he started. The Sky Knight watched despairingly as three Talons headed for the beacon tower, aiming on taking the Aurora Stone.

As he peered up at the Dark Ace, Aerrow thought of Lightning Strike, the old Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks. He was taken down by the Dark Ace by the same Firebolt crystal. Aerrow couldn't help wondering if perhaps lightning really _did_ strike twice.

"This," the Dark Ace growled, "is the part where I claim victory." The Dark Ace drew his blade away, and Aerrow glared, waiting for the worst. Surprisingly, the Dark Ace deactivated it and felt the blade over with his free hand, smirking at Aerrow viciously. "But since you're young, I'll allow you a lifetime to savor your defeat."

If lightning struck twice, it wasn't going to today.

The skies of Terra Atmosia darkened. Aerrow knew what it meant. The Aurora Stone had been removed from the beacon tower. The three Talons had returned, and one proudly handed the Dark Ace the crystal. The Dark Ace smirked as he took it and turned around to show it to Aerrow, mocking him silently. Aerrow stared. He couldn't believe it. He had failed. He wanted to attack, to take the crystal from the Dark Ace then and there, but it hurt to move and it would be a struggle to even stand. Even if it wasn't, Aerrow knew he stood no chance of even surviving if he did, much less winning. _Remember Lightning Strike,_ his head screamed at him. But his heart was filled with rage and no concern for his own safety.

The Dark Ace's eyes scanned the crowd. "Your own sworn protector turns on you, and Atmos sends children instead of Sky Knights?" he snapped, pointing to Aerrow. "How pathetic!"

Aerrow clenched his teeth, eyes narrowed. He'd heard _enough _of that for one day.

The Dark Ace placed the crystal in a small bag on his hip and mounted his Switchblade. "The wrath of Cyclonia is your future now!" he addressed the crowd. With one last warning smirk at Aerrow, the Talon commander gunned his engines, and just like that, the Cyclonians were gone.

Aerrow grunted painfully as he tried to lift himself off the ground. The crowd didn't help him; they could only stare in shock. Luckily, Junko landed his Skimmer close by, and he and Finn ran to Aerrow's side, each helping to pull him to his feet and support him as he swayed. "Are you okay, Aerrow?" Junko asked.

Aerrow refused to answer that the question because the truth was he hurt, though he tried to hide it. Grunting painfully, he blinked and scanned the area. "Where're the others?" he asked.

"Aerrow," Piper's voice called to him. He turned skyward and smiled when he saw Piper, Stork, and Radarr descending on Piper's Heliscooter. Once they had landed, Radarr immediately leaped out of the ride and into Aerrow's arms, grateful to be reunited even if they're separation was brief. Like a joyful puppy, Aerrow thought, Radarr was always happy to be with his boy. That didn't mean he was always happy about his stunts, though.

The crowd watched, some disapproving, others concerned, as the group was reunited.

Piper stepped toward them, placing a hand on Aerrow's shoulder plate. "Are you okay?" she asked, her concern evident.

"I'm fine," Aerrow answered, exchanging a smile with Radarr. By now, it was true; the pain he'd felt was brief and his injuries only consisted of minor bruises and scratches. Nothing worth addressing.

The head of the Sky Knight Council, who was a member of the crowd, stepped toward the young Sky Knight. "The Aurora Stone," he spoke, "in the hands of Cyclonis and her Talons." He turned back to the crowd. "Our own Sky Knight has betrayed Atmosia. Something must be done!"

"It will!" Aerrow assured. He wasn't going to let this terra down, not now. Besides, no matter how dangerous it was, he wanted a rematch.

The head council member turned to address him. "The future of the entire Atmos rests in that crystal," he reminded him.

But Aerrow's mind was made up. "We're going to Cyclonia to get it back!"

His team stared at him in bewilderment. "We are?" they asked in unison. Radarr stared at his friend from where he hung on his shoulder.

Aerrow nodded and smiled. They were.

"We're doomed," Stork stated.

* * *

The Dark Ace stood on the bow of his Switchblade as he led the Talon fleet back to Cyclonia. The dark palace of Cyclonis was looming closer. Smirking and holding the Aurora Stone high, he prepared to present to the Master the most powerful crystal ever found. The world would soon be at the mercy of Cyclonia.

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, yes, the end of Part 1 of "Age of Heroes" of the television series. However, this is only the halfway point for Part 1 of this fic. The end of "Age of Heroes" will be coming soon, along with another fic I'm writing that's a spoof on _A Christmas Carol_ called, not surprisingly, _A Storm Hawks Christmas Carol_. It'll be a comedy (much to the _Storm Hawks' _characters' dismay). That'll be fun!

I only have one more thing to say: if you haven't already, vote on my poll! And review! (Please?)


	10. Age of Heroes: Invasion of Cyclonia

Chapter 5: Invasion of Cyclonia

The Aurora Stone is gone. Now Atmos' most powerful crystal is in the hands of Cyclonia.

The Dark Ace entered the throne room. "Master Cyclonis," he greeted his ruler, bowing with his fist over his heart and presenting the crystal to her back.

"You'll want to hold on to that for a few more moments," Cyclonis told him without opening her hood or turning around. "I'm expecting guests."

Sky Knights and their squadrons from all over Atmos had combined forces for a frontal assault. Now their army was approaching Cyclonia. The Dark Ace stood on the platform on the Cyclonian palace's metal tower. His eyes studied the crowd. One man against an army. Normally that was suicidal but not with this crystal in his hands. Not with the Aurora Stone.

Lifting his inactivated sword, the Dark Ace swiped off the crystal's wing-shaped holder. The Sky Knights who saw tensed, ready for a long, hard fight if need be. The Dark Ace didn't plan for that to be the case. He stuck the Aurora Stone on the end of his sword and ignited his sword with its power.

The Sky Knights seemed to see this as a signal. Igniting their own weapons, the lead Sky Knight let out a battle cry that was joined by thousands of others.

Now. The Dark Ace conjured all the power he could from his sword, rising into the air as he performed his special move with the Aurora Stone. He smiled as he saw the lead Sky Knight's eyes widen in surprise. The power coursing through his veins was like nothing the Dark Ace had ever felt before. This would certainly stop them. He let loose the pulse of his move.

The power was unbelievable! The pulse fled outward like a ripple on the water, its power throwing the Dark Ace backward against the tower wall. The pulse surged toward the Sky Knights, destroying all machinery in its path. There was no avoiding it. Every Sky Knight and the members of their squadrons found their rides destroyed and were sent parachuting down into the Wastelands.

The Dark Ace was stunned. Lifting his sword, he studied the crystal on the end of its handle in disbelief. He didn't believe such force could be found in something so small.

He entered the throne room again soon after. Cyclonis turned around to address him. "And our guests?"

The Dark Ace held up the crystal. "I've never seen such power," he told her, voicing his amazement.

"That, Dark Ace," the Master told him, holding up a finger, "was nothing." She held up her hands. "We're about to see the full power of the Aurora Stone unleashed!" She turned around and started pressing buttons on her machine.

The Dark Ace stared wide-eyed as an even larger machine rose from the floor behind the first. This one was tall and had a large glass case and a crystal holder. The Dark Ace had never seen anything like this.

The crystal holder opened, and the Dark Ace knew what was expected of him. Bowing with his fist over his heart again, he presented the Master with the crystal. Cyclonis took it from him and turned around. Unveiling her hood, she held the crystal up to her machine. One of the arm-like structures took the crystal and set it in the holder where the three corners of it clamped down on the Aurora Stone. The Aurora Stone grew brighter as its energy was being charged from it.

Master Cyclonis turned around. "It's called a Storm Engine," she told the Dark Ace. "Imagine a thousand terras wiped clean in a single blow. It's about to happen!" At that moment, a crystal-powered level meter clanked as its point moved from the first level to the next. "In a few hours," the Master continued, "this will be the only safe place on Atmos."

The Dark Ace grinned. This plan was brilliant! Nothing could stop them now.

* * *

Aerrow was one of the first people to here about what had happened to the other Sky Knights and their squadrons on Cyclonia. They were brave, but they failed. The Storm Hawks were all that's left. But they weren't going to make the same mistakes. Putting their heads together, Aerrow and Piper had come up with a plan unlike any other. They were doing this their way. And that meant the most dangerous stunt mission Atmos had ever seen.

Aerrow and Radarr raced to Cyclonia with the _Condor_ at their side. Piper studied the charts while Stork drove. She looked out the window toward her Sky Knight's Skimmer, giving him a thumbs-up. Aerrow saluted. This was it.

Aerrow continued to fly straight ahead while the _Condor_ dove toward the Wastelands. Piper was feeling confident, but Stork was far from it. As soon as they leveled out over the molten lava, one of the eel-like monsters from the Wastelands leaped out of its fiery depths to attack the ship. Its jaws missed, just inches away from the rudder. Stork looked over his shoulder nervously. As far as he was concerned, this was a _bad_ idea!

* * *

Aerrow, on the other hand, was confident as he flew far above the Wastelands, even as the skies above him turned from blue to pink and then to the red skies of Cyclonia. The clouds were soaked in the redness as though dipped in blood. The surrounding cliffs all bore the symbol of Cyclonia to mark its boundaries. But Aerrow didn't see the symbol as hopelessness and fear. It was a challenge. He exchanged a grin with Radarr. This was going to be fun!

* * *

On the decks of Cyclonia, a shipment of donuts had just come in. A large crane placed the crate on a conveyer belt. When it reached the end, it was lifted off of it by another crane, which placed it among other crates full of donuts.

This crate, however, began to shake. The bolted door of the crate fell with a clank, releasing thousands of empty donut boxes. An overly-stuffed Junko sat among the piles. He burped loudly. "I never though I'd say this Finn," he began, holding his stomach, "but I don't ever want to see another donut again."

Finn popped out of the pile of donut boxes, brushing himself off. "Well, you didn't need to eat half of 'em," he reminded his friend.

"Well, we need the room," Junko argued with a smile.

Finn didn't bother continuing the conversation. He knew where food was concerned, there was no stopping Junko. Instead of worrying about that, he worried about the mission. Peering around the side of the crate, Finn got a good look at everyone wearing helmets, red goggles, and red and green uniforms. He also got a look at red skies and all of the foreign machinery. The place seemed gloomy and forbidding. "So this is Cyclonia," Finn said aloud, mostly to himself.

Junko peered over him. "Hmm," Finn heard him say. "Kind of evilly."

Both flattened themselves against the wall. A Talon was coming their way! And he had a dual Firebolt crystal-tipped Cyclonian staff! Hopefully he wouldn't see them.

Luck didn't seem to be on their side. The Talon saw them out of the corner of his eye. "Hey!" he exclaimed, pointing his staff point at them. "Who are you?"

Both stared at him fearfully. Finn could feel the uncertainty rise up in his stomach. Now what?

* * *

The _Condor_ was still making its way through the Wastelands. Another monster leaped out of the lava. Gasping fearfully, Stork steered the ship away from its jaws. "Flying to Cyclonia is bad enough, Piper," he address the first officer, "but do we really have to get there through the—" Two volcanoes erupted in front of him, and he jerked on the helm to avoid it. A loud clank was heard somewhere on the _Condor_ as something shifted. "—Wastelands?" Stork finished his question.

Piper was studying her chart determinedly. "It's the only way, Stork," she answered. Besides, she was confident that with their luck and Stork's and Aerrow's skills, the plan would be almost foolproof. "All we need to worry about is that Finn and Junko pull off their part of the mission," she voiced her thoughts aloud before returning to her charts.

* * *

Back on the Cyclonian docks, the Talon didn't get very far, even with his staff. He was left tied up behind the open crate, his mouth gagged with donuts.

Finn and Junko, meanwhile, were tiptoeing through the hallways of the Cyclonian fortress. "What are we looking for again?" Junko asked Finn in a strain whisper.

"A grate in the floor," Finn answered as they passed by the open doors of a room. "We climb down it, and the _Condor_ should be waiting."

Wait, what was that light he had seen from the corner of his eye? Finn went back to the room they had passed and peered inside. "No way!"

It was Cyclonis' throne room. Before them was a large machine, a blue crystal in its grasp. "Dude, that's it!" Finn told Junko. "The Aurora Stone is inside that big thingy!" 'Thingy' seemed like a good word to Finn at the time. He had no idea what the big "thingy" was, anyway. Besides, he didn't need to. The Aurora Stone was there, and that's all that mattered.

Throwing caution to the wind, Finn tiptoed into the throne room, motioning for Junko to follow him. "Let's just grab it and split!"

"Oh, I don't know, Finn," Junko answered. "That's not part of Piper's plan."

Finn stopped and slumped in annoyance. Of course. It was always about "Piper's plan." "She's always making things too complicated," Finn argued, turning to face Junko. "Just think of all the time _and_ danger we'll skip."

That got Junko's attention, just as Finn had hoped. "Let's do it!" Junko squeaked excitedly, much like a child taking his first rollercoaster ride. He skipped lightly in after Finn, hands held up to his chest and shaking with anticipation.

Getting up in front of the machine, they found they couldn't reach the crystal. Junko put Finn on his shoulders so that Finn could take it from the machine. Finn reached for it, but almost lost his balance backward in the process. Swinging his arms like a windmill and Junko leaning forward, he regained his balance and tried again for the crystal, only to play the balancing game again. "Come on, Finn," he heard Junko say. "Grab it!" Finn reached again and again, trying to stay in one spot to keep from falling over. Each time he reached, he fell short. Just a little further . . .

"Might want to rethink that," a voice interrupted. Finn and Junko turned around timidly. There stood Master Cyclonis with two Talons on either side of her, each with their staffs pointed in their direction. One of the Talons was the purple-haired female Talon who had guarded the Master earlier. "And you are?" Master Cyclonis questioned the Storm Hawks.

Finn smiled sheepishly, trying to keep his humor despite the situation. "Busted," he answered. Junko mimicked him, hoping that good behavior meant no pain in capture.

* * *

At last, the _Condor_ had reached the base of the terra. "Cyclonia," Piper voiced as she gazed out one of the periscopes at the large pipes opening at the bottom of the terra. "It looks just as ugly below."

"Eh," Stork agreed. "It does have a certain _dark charm_." He then appeared thoughtful as he placed a finger to his lip. "I wonder how they decorate the dungeons?"

The _Condor_ made her way toward one of the pipes and entered, planning to invade Cyclonia from below.

* * *

Meanwhile in Cyclonis' throne room, Finn still stood on Junko's shoulders while they were blocked by Master Cyclonis and her Talons. Thinking quickly, Finn pulled out his crossbow from where it hung on his back and, grunting, fired at Cyclonis, all in one motion. With a simple movement of her hand, the blue crystal-tipped bolt stopped right in front of her and became surrounded in a red aurora of plasma-like energy. The ball of plasma began to expand. Finn gasped. That can't be good.

Then the red ball of energy exploded, its force throwing the Storm Hawks through the air, and they landed on their backs on the floor. "Wow," Finn and Junko said together, stunned. At an unspoken signal, the two Talons ran forward.

Finn and Junko struggled to get up, the shock and pain still leaving their bodies, when the Talons' staff points came uncomfortably close. Finn gasped as one came close to his head. "This is sonot good," Finn said as the point threatened his head again.

Cyclonis clapped her hands twice, and a huge pipe appeared above Finn and Junko. Then, like a giant vacuum, the pipe sucked them up. The two were separated in a network of pipes, shouting and bumping painfully into the walls as the pipes continued to suck them in deeper. Finn couldn't tell up from down, and he wasn't sure whether it was from the spinning or the bashings his head was taking.

The two landed in the large glass case in the Storm Engine. Finn saw Junko look at the glass and then at his Knuckle Busters. "Hmm," he said thoughtfully. With a loud grunt, Junko activated the Busters and punched with all his might at the glass, expecting it to shatter. Instead, it clanked against it, and the only other noise heard was Junko's yowl of pain as he drew his hand away and held it. The glass wouldn't budge.

Master Cyclonis laughed wickedly. "They'll get to be the first to see how it works," she said, walking forward toward them. "Too bad it will be the last thing they see." She studied them. Tight-fitting uniforms and makeshift armor. Most likely some sort of warriors, which means they can't be alone. "I'm guessing they're not the only ones paying us a visit," she thought aloud.

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr were making their way deeper into Cyclonia. Aerrow was supposed to be a distraction, and he was wondering if the plan was working when something up ahead made him narrow his eyes. Snipe and two of the Nimbus Chapter Talons appeared in front of them on their Heli-Blades. Aerrow saw Snipe gesture with his mace to both sides of him, and the Talons split up, taking either side of Aerrow and Radarr. Aerrow glanced back and forth at either Talon as they surrounded him. "Somehow I don't get the feeling he's here to welcome us to Cyclonia," he commented on Snipe to Radarr.

As the two Talons began their charge, Aerrow turned tail to the nearest and returned the charge of the other Talon. The other Talon smirked and fired his blasters at him. This is what Aerrow was hoping for, although he was surprised by the lack of hesitation on the Talon's part. He pulled his ride out of the shot's range, and it struck the other Talon's ride, sending him parachuting down into the Wastelands.

Aerrow drew one of his blades and charged the remaining Talon when he wasn't looking. Flipping his ride upside-down, he chopped off the ride's helicopter blades. The Heli-Blade fell like a rock, and the Talon joined his partner for a parachute ride.

Aerrow's confidence rose. Two Talons taken down in less than thirty seconds! Feeling full of himself, he turned his ride around and charged in Snipe's direction. "Two down, one to go!"

Snipe saw his challenge. "Sky Knight!" he roared. "Snipe's gonna smash you like a bug!" He lunged forward, letting loose a mighty battle cry and raising his mace. Aerrow set his jaw, ready to avoid it.

It never occurred to him that the mace might be chain-retractable. He gasped and heard Radarr squeal as the crystal-studded ball shot toward him on a chain. He pulled his ride up in a panicked motion. It worked well; instead of hitting him, the mace hit the bottom of his ride's hull. Aerrow spun away from Snipe as fast as he could, trying to organize his thoughts to come up with a counterattack.

Snipe whipped around, smiling to himself. Still trying to come up with something, Aerrow faced him, drawing forth one of his blades in his left hand. Snipe's face snarled back at him through a grin while Aerrow was still thinking and calculating. A slow smile crept across the young Sky Knight's face. He was getting an idea.

* * *

The _Condor_ was rising up through the pipes. Piper looked out the window. It was rather dark and gloomy in the pipe. Smaller pipelines fed into it, and from them Piper could see little yellow eyes glaring out at them in the darkness. "This place is really giving me the creeps," she told Stork, her arms folded across her chest.

Stork, on the other hand, was smiling. "I think it's kinda homey," he answered.

The pipe soon turned at a right angle and continued on horizontally. The _Condor_ flew at an easy pace, weaving around the corners. Neither Storm Hawk saw the four rides that appeared out of one of the side pipes and started following them.

Piper was at the round table looking over her chart again when the ship jerked. Piper gasped in surprise when she nearly lost her balance. A loud CLASH confirmed that something had struck them.

Stork looked around frantically. Piper ran for one of the periscopes, knowing that it would give her the best view, for whatever that was had attacked them from behind.

The periscope revealed four skyrides following them, all Bone Wings. A biplane/motor cross bike, Bone Wings were made to handle the tough terrain of Terra Bogaton. Twin two-stroke crystal displacement engines combined with the lighter frame mean the Bone Wing can hit a much higher torque at lower RPMs, but the two-stroke's roar made it horrible for stealth. Why they didn't notice them before was a mystery.

The pilots were reptilian-like humanoids with two fingers on each hand, spines down their backs, and long tails. Their armor was spiked, just like their rides. Like most rogues, they didn't bare their symbol, but Piper still knew who they were. "It's the Raptors," she told Stork.

Repton was leading, of course. Snarling in confidence, Repton did a wheelie and increased his speed, his brothers close behind. No sneak attacks on Cyclonia while he was around!

Piper pulled away from the periscope and toward her pilot. "Stork," she said, "we gotta outrun them."

"Any faster and the _Condor_ will most definitely get scratched," Stork answered.

"Any slower and we're gonna get blasted," Piper pointed out.

Stork reached for the accelerator lever. "I'm just saying . . ."

He pulled the lever, and the _Condor_ sped away from the Raptors. Grunting in irritation, Repton wheelied and accelerated as well, his brothers following his example. They weren't getting away that easily!

* * *

Snipe swung his mace at Aerrow as the Sky Knight charged. Aerrow deflected it with a swing of his blade and flew on past him before Snipe could strike again. They turned to face each other, Snipe spinning his mace out beside him.

Just as Aerrow had suspected. His plan would work. "He's strong," he explained to Radarr briefly, "but we're faster!"

Radarr squawked in surprise as Aerrow's Vulcan shot forward toward Snipe. The Talon swung his mace, but Aerrow was already gone and had sent Snipe's ride spinning in place. Pulling his ride to a standstill, Snipe raised his mace and prepared again for an attack. Aerrow whipped around and flew on past him again, just out of reach of his mace. Snipe was letting loose his yell each time he swung, and each time his swing was more powerful and more desperate as Aerrow went back and forth. Aerrow smiled. It was working!

The sixth time, it did work. Snipe's swing was so forceful that he couldn't stop his arm in mid-swing, and he chopped off his helicopter blades. "Uh oh," he said. He screamed as his ride fell out from under him, and he dropped his mace. "Oh!" Aerrow heard him yell as the parachute's opening took him by surprise.

Aerrow watched him making his way down toward the Wastelands. His plan had worked, but he still couldn't believe that someone would be dumb enough to chop off their own helicopter blades. Oh well. There were more important things to worry about. Aerrow turned and pressed on the accelerator, flying deeper into Cyclonian territory. Soon, they would reach Cyclonia itself!

* * *

Author's Notes: Good golly, so much jumping around. I had the hardest time keeping myself straight while writing this, and I could never really focus. Let me know if it turned out okay.


	11. Age of Heroes: Fallen Sky Knight

Chapter 6: Fallen Sky Knight

The Raptors were still tailing the _Condor_ as the ship sped through the pipelines, banging and scraping herself up against the side of the walls. Piper gasped as they hit the wall again and saw Stork try to steady the ship, but she couldn't keep perfectly straight at such speeds. Piper decided she should sit down in on of the two seats in the back of the bridge.

They banged into the wall again as they turned the corner. The pipeline opened up to a large cave chamber inside the terra. Repton grunted when he saw the _Condor's_ flying improve over an area of more room. So more airspace is what they want? Repton can handle airspace. He drove off the edge of the pipe and deployed his ride's wings, his brothers following his lead.

The _Condor_ was making her getaway through another pipe. The Raptors followed, not bothering to return to bike mode. They gained on them when the _Condor_ turned the corner. Repton's eye calculated their distance and speed. Now! He signaled for the Raptors to draw forth their short, saw-toothed, double-edged Raptor swords, and Repton pulled out his energy boomerang. All of their weapons were powered by yellow scalus crystals, a crystal that was as, if not more, harmful than a striker crystal. Repton aimed and threw his boomerang. The boomerang became a fiery energy ring, ready to destroy anything in its path.

Piper and Stork were thrown forward as the boomerang struck the _Condor's_ stern before returning to Repton. Piper's heart thudded against her chest. Did they ever quit?

Stork was actually pretty calm. He narrowed his eyes irritably and said, "I hate tailgaters," before pulling a lever.

The _Condor_ immediately backed. The Raptors stared as the ship's stern headed for them. They were still going at full speed. There was no avoiding it.

Stork grinned evilly as he heard a cloud CLANK.

The Raptors had all run into the _Condor's_ tailpipe. They slid to the ground, and landed in a heap, with Repton on the bottom. The lead Raptor let out a sigh as the _Condor_ flew away without trouble.

Piper sighed in relief, trying to calm her heartbeat. "Good flying, Stork," she told her pilot.

Stork smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, well . . ." He didn't know what else to say. Flying was what he did.

* * *

Aerrow was still hadn't reached the Cyclonian palace when he heard . . . Was that violin music? Aerrow tensed and peered ahead of him. A fleet of Talons was heading his way, and the lead Talon was playing a violin. Theme music? What's up with that?

Aerrow didn't have time to puzzle it over before his ride was struck by something. He and Radarr turned to see who it was. Radarr's eyes widened, and he squawked fearfully. Aerrow suddenly understood why there was theme music.

Ravess. She was flying toward him from behind, laughing evilly as she fitted another arrow on her bow. Aerrow glanced fearfully from her to the Talon fleet, who must be the Bluster Chapter, and back to Ravess. They were surrounded on both sides.

Aerrow needed an idea. He glanced at Ravess and then at the violin-playing Talon. Nothing. No spark of inspiration. He turned back to Ravess just in time to see her shoot. Aerrow shouted in surprise and spun out of the way.

The Talons were almost upon him. Up seemed the best way out. So up he went. Unfortunately, the Talons followed, circling around and below him. Ravess flew up in the middle of the column they made, right toward him.

But already Aerrow was remembering something from his early childhood. "It's okay, Radarr," he told his copilot. "I saw this in a cartoon once." His ride was completely vertical by now. Drawing his blades, Aerrow fleetingly remembered how so many television programs tell him not to "try this at home," but he decided not to listen. He flipped over backward off his Skimmer, spreading his arms outward. He let loose a battle cry as he began to spin.

Ravess pulled her Switchblade out of his way but wasn't able to avoid his blade. Radarr took that as a signal to turn the Vulcan around and try to outrun Aerrow so that he could catch him later. Aerrow continued falling, his blades striking each Switchblade as he descended. All this was in a matter of seconds, just long enough for Ravess to notice her Switchblade's smoking bow. "No!" she cried.

Radarr brought the Skimmer underneath Aerrow, and he landed on his feet in the driver's seat. Aerrow was beside himself in his success. "Did you see that?" he exclaimed to Radarr, who nodded. "It worked!"

As the Talons parachuted toward the Wastelands, the one Talon was still playing Ravess' theme music. Ravess snarled in irritation as she watched the Sky Knight drive away, and the music now only added to her annoyance. She threw her bow behind her, and it struck the Talon, knocking the violin out of his hands. The music stopped abruptly.

* * *

Back in Master Cyclonis' throne room, a Talon messenger had just brought the news to the Master. Finn and Junko pressed up against the glass to see what was going on. The messenger finished his report quickly and left with an anxious bow. Master Cyclonis placed her hand on her chin as he left hastily. "Both Ravess and Snipe?" she thought aloud. She slammed her fist into her palm. "We must be dealing with a Sky Knight!"

Finn and Junko smiled. "That's our boy!" Finn cheered, throwing his hand in the air.

Finn's celebration was short-lived. The Dark Ace had stepped forth from the shadows and addressed the Master. "Leave this one to me." Finn's heart sank as he watched him leave, determined to destroy his friend.

Master Cyclonis turned to the Storm Engine and addressed the Storm Hawks. "If you're hoping for a rescue," she said, "prepare to be disappointed. In just a few moments, all of my Talons will be home to roost, and your atoms will be scattered across the Atmos."

Finn exchanged a terrified glance with Junko. "Uh, take your time," Junko told her.

Finn ran a hand over his hair and crossed his arms in agreement. "We're cool." _Oh please, Aerrow, _he thought. _Avoid the Dark Ace, and get here as soon as you can!_

* * *

The _Condor_ was still making her way through the pipeline. Piper kept studying her charts and looking out the window, watching for their destination. There! "That's it!" she said at last, pointing. "Fly up that shaft! Hatch 35! We're at the rendezvous." Stork followed her orders, slowing the _Condor_ has they made their way into the hatch.

The hatch was considerably smaller than the pipe. The _Condor_ was too big for it. Even so, she tried to push her way on sheer force, her sides scraping against the sides of the hatch with a loud screech, sending sparks flying. But she lost her momentum and could not force her way in any further. She halted, and her abrupt stop made Piper and Stork lose their balance. Stork landed on top of Piper.

Stork's ears were still ringing from the screeching. "Oh," he said to Piper, "that's going to leave a mark."

Piper rolled her eyes. They were stuck in a hatchway in Cyclonia with Raptors on their tail, and the first thing Stork worries about is the fact that the _Condor_ now has scratch marks. Typical.

The Raptors were headed their way, riding their recovered Bone Wings in bike mode. Fortunately, they kept their eyes straight ahead and didn't see the _Condor_ stuck in a hatch just above them. They drove right on past. But Piper knew it was only a matter of time before the _Condor_ was found.

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr where now headed toward one of the main Cyclonian outposts. Aerrow scanned the skies. Someone was coming toward him. He squinted, and then he stared, anxiety rising in his stomach. Oh no. Please don't let it happen again. Please, someone give him the strength to live through this.

The Dark Ace headed for the one lone Sky Knight who was becoming such a problem. His eyes widened in surprise. "This one again?" he asked, studying the redheaded boy. "Obviously he didn't learn his lesson the first time."

The tower of the Cyclonian base separated them. Now they both flew toward it, circling around its pointy top, studying each other. Aerrow refused to let on just how scared he was. After all, the whole Atmos was counting on him not to panic, to face this evil.

"You're determined, I'll give you that," he heard the Dark Ace taunt, "but it takes much more to be a Sky Knight. I should know. I've defeated more of them than anyone!" Aerrow could feel his fear slowly being replaced by anger. He clenched his teeth, the desire to fight stronger than ever. But he wouldn't let himself lose focus. "So tell me, Sky Knight," the Dark Ace continued his taunting. "Are you just pretending?"

Aerrow narrowed his eyes. "Let's find out," he suggested.

He hit the accelerator and sharpened his turn around the point, charging the Dark Ace with blades drawn. The Dark Ace met his attack. Their weapons connected as they fought, skyrides pulled up side-by-side as each swung at his opponent. They spiraled and spun, twisting and turning, and neither gave an inch. The whole world had fallen away from Aerrow; all that mattered was the success of the mission and his own will to live, as well as his strong desire to be the first to beat the Dark Ace.

A strike from the Talon commander unbalanced Aerrow, and he pulled away, dangling off his Vulcan and hanging on by the handles. He wasted no time in heaving himself back into the seat and turning around, nervous about having his back to the enemy.

His caution was justified. He turned to see the Dark Ace rising up in a red aurora, performing his special move. Aerrow stared, horrified, as the red pulse headed his way. This was the very same thing that almost ended his life in the battle over Terra Atmosia. But then he had been on his battle glider, defenseless. Now he had tools.

Opening a lid on the Skimmer's left control handle, he pressed the button it revealed. The Storm Hawks' symbol on his port wing twisted as it unhinged itself from the wing. Aerrow wasted no time in grabbing it and held it out in front of him as the pulse came. The pulse deflected off of this shield, the same shield his ancestor had once used in combat.

Aerrow glanced at Radarr, who nodded approvingly. The young Sky Knight smiled proudly and continued on, flying neck and neck with the Dark Ace. Now. The two turned in on each other in a charge. Both leapt to the front of their skyrides, weapons in hand. Aerrow could see the Dark Ace's snarl and returned it. He knew this was it. The final charge. "This time," he heard the Dark Ace say, "no mercy."

Aerrow didn't wait for the Talon to carry that out. With a yell meant to add power, he leapt into the air, the power of his weapons surrounding him. Wings unfolded on either side and collapsed into a pulse as Aerrow performed his Lightning Claw.

The Dark Ace's eyes widened as the pulse headed toward him. There was no time to react. The pulse struck the front of the Switchblade. The ride fell, dumping the Dark Ace overboard.

The Dark Ace cried out in surprise and was jolted when his fall was broken by his own battle glider, this one having a pair of boosters for additional thrust. He couldn't believe it. He own ride was shot out from under him.

Aerrow landed feet first on the seat of his Vulcan. He turned and watched Atmos' most feared warrior glide away without a skyride. And it was done by Aerrow's own hand. He couldn't have been prouder.

The Dark Ace couldn't have been angrier. He roared in rage. For the first time since he became a Talon, he had lost—to a kid.

* * *

Piper was looking over her charts again when she heard something crash into the bottom of the _Condor_. She cringed and gasped. Stork grabbed one of the periscopes and used it to see what was going on. He focused on four reptilian figures standing beside four Bone Wings. "Uh, yeah," he told Piper. "They found us."

"What about the shields?" Piper asked, thinking quickly.

Stork turned to her. "Knocked out by the Cyclonians in our last battle," he answered, then let go of the periscope and added, "permanently."

Piper put a hand on her forehead, desperately trying to think. "Okay," she said. "This is bad." The floor of the _Condor_ shook again as another shot crashed into her. Both Storm Hawks jumped, and Stork gasped.

Down below, Repton was holding his boomerang, using it to shoot energy pulses at the _Condor's_ bottom hull. In was making very little damage. "We need more fire power," Repton snarled to his brothers. He turned and gestured for the rest of them to follow. "Move!"

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr had finally reached the main terra of Cyclonia and steered the Skimmer toward the hangar bay. Upon landing, Aerrow slid sideways, drawing the Vulcan to an abrupt halt. As soon as he did, he leaped out of his ride and landed in a warrior's stance, his right blade drawn out in front of him.

Three Talon guards were present. "Intruder!" one yelled, pointing at him. "Halt!" All three Talons pointed their staffs at Aerrow.

Confidently Aerrow turned to Radarr, who now stood on top of his cockpit. "We just took down the Dark Ace," Aerrow reminded him. Radarr nodded. Aerrow smiled. "These guys should be a piece of cake!" Aerrow could sense their success and knew Radarr could feel it, too. They were ready to fight.

Then the doors behind the guards opened to reveal a whole army of Talons shouting at him in defiance. Aerrow's jaw dropped, and he drew back. "Or," he amended, "maybe not." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Radarr cower behind his cockpit and heard him whimper in fear.

_Click, clickity-click. _A small studded ball rolled in among the Talons. One Talon looked down at it in surprise. "Huh?"

The ball just sat there a moment. Then it released yellow crystal energy in an explosion that zapped every Talon in the squadron. Aerrow covered his eyes to the blinding light but could still hear the Talons' painful cries as they were knocked unconscious.

As the last of them fell, Aerrow opened his eyes and drew his hand away from his face. One lone Talon was left standing, a woman with purple hair and a mask over her nose and mouth. Aerrow exchanged a confused glance with Radarr, who still cowered behind the cockpit but decided that they would defend themselves from the Talon and then worry about what happened. Aerrow held out his blade with both hands.

The Talon did a surprising thing. Instead of attacking, she slipped off her goggles and mask and breathed heavily, revealing eyes the color of green olive. "Take it easy," she told him with a slight British accent. "I'm a Sky Knight. The name's Starling."

Aerrow's delight was about as great as his shock. He deactivated his blade and slipped it into the sheath on his back. "You mean Starling of the Interceptors?" he asked with a smile. He heard Radarr chirp gleefully behind him at the mention of the name. Aerrow walked forward toward Starling, Radarr at his heels. "I-I've read about you," he told her.

Yes, he'd read of her. She was one of Atmos' greatest Sky Knights. Only in her early twenties, this Sky Knight already had a history. She had been the Sky Knight of the Interceptor squadron, protectors of Terra Mesa, before the Raptors had destroyed the squadron. Only Starling had survived. Despite her loss and shortage of numbers, she was a force to be reckoned with. A master of disguises, she was capable of infiltrating the most powerful and heavily guarded communities, and was great with distractions. She also was quite a fighter.

Starling picked up her studded ball. "I've been here under cover," she told him. "Cyclonis is preparing to release a storm that will end Atmos."

"How?" Aerrow asked.

"She's built a machine from the Aurora Stone."

Aerrow shifted uncomfortably. That can't be good. His mind was already planning. They had to get to the machine before it was activated, take back the crystal, and . . .

"Also has a Wallop and a squirrelly kid stuck inside it," Starling added, interrupting his thoughts. "They belong to you?"

Of course. How typical for the pair to get into trouble. Aerrow heard Radarr churr, much a like a person would groan, and saw him slam his head into his paw, illustrating the way Aerrow felt. Finn and Junko just couldn't stay out of trouble.

* * *

The crystal-powered level meter clanked again as it moved another level up.

Finn and Junko sat in the machine. Neither of them was sure they would make it out of this. All they could do is wait and hope that Aerrow would come to get them out. Finn, for some strange reason, was plagued with guilt that he felt he should relieve of before he died.

Junko turned to Finn. "Finn, I just want you to know," he said, putting his arm around Finn's shoulder, "you're my best friend."

"Thanks buddy," Finn answered, turning away ashamedly. "And I want you to know that it was me who broke your favorite bunny lamp."

Junko's eyes widened, and he drew away, pointing an accusing finger at Finn. "You said it was the wind!"

"Well," Finn said in his own defense, playing with his fingers and smiling sheepishly, "it was kinda windy when I tripped over it."

Junko grunted angrily and refused to look at him.

Below them, Master Cyclonis was working her machine again, talking to herself. "Storms made us," she said. "Storms torn us apart. And now, storms will help us rebuild—" A yellow crystal-studded ball rolled unnoticed out in between the two Talons guards at the door. "—my way," Master Cyclonis finished.

The ball set off an explosion, zapping the two Talons unconscious. Aerrow shoved open the two large doors and entered, Radarr hanging off his shoulders. "Or we can do it my way!" he challenged.

_Him_ again! Master Cyclonis turned around. "This is getting annoying," she grumbled.

Aerrow pointed a finger at her and demanded, "Shut down the machine and give me back what you stole!" He paused in surprise, sizing up the person in front of him. He raised an eyebrow, and Radarr's eyes widened in surprise to see a girl no older than Aerrow. "Master Cyclonis?"

"Let me guess," Cyclonis began, leaning casually on her machine. "You're that pesky Sky Knight. Aren't you a little young?"

"I was gonna say the same thing about you," Aerrow answered.

Master Cyclonis smirked confidently. Beside her, a duel-ended crystal staff, much like Piper's energy staff, vibrated before flying into her hand. She held it above her head, showing it off. Aerrow's eyes widened in anxiousness as a purple aurora surrounded her. Cyclonis levitated through the air toward Aerrow. Aerrow heard Radarr whimper frightfully and cower behind his shoulder. The young Sky Knight didn't blame him. He was starting to think this was much more than he bargained for.

Cyclonis landed in front of them, throwing her cloak off onto the floor. Aerrow could see she was preparing for battle, and he did the same, drawing forth his right blade. Cyclonis smirked and aimed the point of her staff toward him. A red, electrifying energy began to collect on the point.

Before she could fire, however, Cyclonis heard a whirling noise. She turned just in time to see energy nunchucks powered by hanzo crystals striking the end of her staff, breaking it apart. The crystal fell and clattered across the floor.

Starling leaped forward and landed in a crouch, revealing herself in her old Interceptor uniform and giving Cyclonis a cocky smile, nunchucks in hand. How did she like _that_ move?

Cyclonis simply returned the smile. The two Sky Knights watched in surprise and disappointment as the staff repaired itself, evening attracting the crystal and piecing it back on the end. "Ooh," Cyclonis taunted Starling, spinning her staff. "You're good."

Starling stood up and held her nunchucks at the ready. "I'll hold off the witch!" she told Aerrow. "Go help your friends."

Aerrow nodded and ran forward toward the Storm Engine with Radarr clinging to his shoulder, confident in his new ally.

Cyclonis watched him but decided not to worry about him and pointed her staff at Starling. Starling saw that as a signal, and she fired. Cyclonis blocked her shot and then another before firing back. Starling was quick to move out of the way.

Aerrow made himself pay no attention to the fight as he heard shots fire back and forth and explosions of light lit the back wall. Instead he concentrated on his part of the mission. He reached the machine and climbed up using its arm-like structures to where Finn was frantically tapping at the glass. Aerrow had lifted Radarr up to the Aurora Stone and then heaved himself up to the glass case where his friends were held. He tried to figure out how to break them free while Radarr tried to pull the crystal out of the machine.

Cyclonis fired again and again, but each time Starling leaped clear and returned the fire. With some quick thinking, she somersaulted and hid behind a one of the statues lining the wall, just missing a shot over her head. Cyclonis turned this way and that, expecting an attack from any direction at any moment. Starling watched, waiting for her opportunity.

There. Cyclonis had her back to her. Starling leaped into the air and prepared to come on the Cyclonian ruler. But then to her dismay, Cyclonis turned around smirking, prepared for her attack.

Starling's cry of pain echoed throughout the room. Radarr stopped what he was doing and squawked. Aerrow turned around quickly. "Starling!"

Cyclonis was standing over the older Sky Knight's limp body, smirking. Now she turned to Aerrow. The young Sky Knight held his blades out threateningly, knowing he was the last line of defense. Cyclonis' crystal staff point began to change from red to blue. Aerrow heard Radarr screech and saw him cower behind the Storm Engine, and he tensed, ready to take his copilot's warning.

The shot was fired at last from Cyclonis' staff. Aerrow leaped out of the way, and the shot struck the side of the glass case, freezing it and blocking Finn's and Junko's vision of the action at the same time. However, Finn saw the promise in this. "Here's our chance," he said. "Junko," he told his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder, "start smashing!"

Junko punched his palm and then slammed his shoulder against the frozen part of the glass. Finn felt like dancing with glee when he saw the glass crack. Junko pulled away and rubbed his shoulder. "Oh," he said. "That's cold."

Meanwhile, Aerrow tried to attack Cyclonis. He rose into the air and performed his Lightning Claw. Cyclonis just smiled, held up her staff, and deflected the pulse. Aerrow landed on his feet, filled with despair. It seemed that as long as she had her crystals, it was impossible to fight her.

Cyclonis was smirking at him again. Aerrow narrowed his eyes. He was determined she didn't win! He held his blades out again, this time waiting for her to make the next move.

But she didn't make move. Instead she said, "You can't win, Sky Knight." She was encouraged to see a dark shadow glide in behind Aerrow. She continued by saying, "You'll do your moves and jump around, but the end result will be the same." She watched the shadowy figure of the Dark Ace land with his battle glider behind the unsuspecting Sky Knight. She continued to distract him with one of her best speeches. "I unleash the full fury of nature," she said, stretching her arms out to the Storm Engine. She turned back to him. "And you . . . Well, actually, I don't really care what happens to you," she finished, pointing to him.

Aerrow was so focused on her that he hadn't realized what was behind him until he heard a weapon being activated. He gasped and turned in time to see the Dark Ace fire a red pulse at him. There was no time to dodge.

Aerrow cried out as the pulse struck him, sending him flying across the room and making his head spin. With the painful thud, he hit the ground, his blades sliding away from him, and everything went black . . .

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh no! The Dark Ace killed Aerrow! Aerrow's dead! Oh, we're doomed! Doomed! – Stork moment.

We all know that's not true. Even if you haven't seen the show. I mean, come on. If you kill off the key character of the show in the first episode, what are you going to do during the rest of the series? Yes, I know, Aerrow's not always the key character in an episode, but you know he _is _sort of the key character in the series. (I'm sorry Stork, Finn, Piper, and Junko fans, but it's true, and I'm not saying that just because I'm an Aerrow fan. Actually, my favorite character is Radarr, and sometimes he's not even acknowledged. Poor Radarr.)

Oh, yes, I almost forgot—review and vote! I order you! If you disobey, I'll come and find you, and I'll . . . I'll . . . oh, I'll do something! And it'll be bad!


	12. Age of Heroes: Heroes

Author's Notes: Okay, the final chapter of "Age of Heroes"!

* * *

Chapter 7: Heroes

Radarr pricked his ears and squawked fearfully from behind the Storm Engine, his eyes wide and focused on Aerrow. He wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving? _Please,_ he begged silently. _Get up!_

Master Cyclonis glared triumphantly at the fallen Sky Knight as the Dark Ace stepped up beside her. "You always have to have the last shot," she said, turning to him and smiling in amusement.

The Dark Ace replaced his sword in its sheath, feeling satisfied. It seemed that no one can beat him after. He followed the Master up to the Storm Engine. Her long, graceful fingers pressed the keys on the keyboard, and the walls of the throne room began to dissolve before their very eyes. The Dark Ace crossed his arms in order to hide his surprise and emphasize his satisfaction and admiration. He heard the crystal-tipped level meter clank and move to the highest level. Lightning-like energy bolts lit the Storm Engine, and the skies swirled above it. The machine was changed and ready.

Inside the glass case on the doomsday device, Finn and Junko could feel the machine's action. Junko shoved harder than ever at the frozen glass. Each time it cracked further but still refused to break.

Master Cyclonis stared proudly at her machine, the Aurora Stone brightly lit as its energy was in use. "And then it begins," the Master stated.

A voice behind her made her smile fall. "See," Aerrow said as he rose painfully to his feet, "that's where you're wrong." He drew his blades and ignited them, watching Cyclonis and the Dark Ace as they turned to face him. "It's already over!" he declared.

The Dark Ace frowned, wishing he had done more than a single blow. Then maybe the Sky Knight wouldn't even be alive. Well, he won't be alive for long anyway. He took out his sword and shot a blast at Aerrow, but the young Sky Knight was quicker. He leapt into the air to avoid it and back flipped over them, landing on the machine in front of its glass case, blades held at the ready.

Cyclonis summoned her staff and shot a blast at Aerrow, but he jumped into the air to avoid it. The blast struck the glass case and shattered it, causing Finn and Junko to fall backward with yelps of surprise and fright. Aerrow landed again, ready to dodge another blast. He just needed a moment . . .

Suddenly, a pair of energy nunchucks flew in and struck Cyclonis' staff, knocking away the crystal on its point. Starling, alive and seemingly well, leapt into the air and kicked the Dark Ace to the ground. The Ace slid across the floor, his back ramming into what used to be one of the walls' support beams. "No!" he yelled as his sword was sucked away in the storm. He was now weaponless.

Starling turned to Aerrow, letting him know it was safe to do whatever it is he was doing. Aerrow nodded, put the ends of his blades' handles together, gave them a twist, and connected them. This was it. This was the way it had to be. He could think of no other way. He raised the blades, connected as one, above his head.

Cylconis reached out a hand as though she could stop him. Starling and the Dark Ace stared fearfully. But Aerrow was determined. He slammed his blade down into the Aurora Stone and shielded his eyes as it grew in brilliance. The others did the same.

The lightning and clouds of the storms the Storm Engine had created began to collapse on themselves. The whole of the Cyclonian palace was slowly being pulled apart piece by piece by the storm.

The Aurora Stone had been shattered.

Aerrow jumped down from the machine, Finn and Junko close behind him. Cyclonis and the Dark Ace eyed him, furious, as the tower continued to be ripped apart. The glass case of the machine flew away in the wind, empty. "Do you have any idea what you've just done, Sky Knight?" Cyclonis growled at him.

"Yeah," Aerrow told her, betraying no fear and pointing a blade at her. "I just saved the Atmos from you." He sheathed his blades. "And the name's Aerrow," he added, pointing to her again, "of the Storm Hawks!"

Cyclonis growled and held out her crystal. It began to glow, and Aerrow had the uneasy feeling he was looking at his doom. He was saved by a wave of energy exploding from the Storm Engine, radiating just over his head and knocking Cyclonis to the ground.

The Dark Ace gasped as he saw the support beams around them start to collapse inward and the Storm Engine begin to crumble. He ran to his master's side as she tried to push herself off the ground. They couldn't help but scream when they support beams coming down above them. Knowing Master Cyclonis couldn't get out of the way in time, the Dark Ace leaned over, getting between her and the support beam.

Aerrow saw Finn, Junko, and Radarr start to run for cover, and he followed close behind. As they ran past, he saw Starling picking herself off the ground. Calling her name, he held out his hand. She took it and was pulled along after him just before a support beam would have fallen on her.

Alarms were flashing and blaring throughout the Cyclonian palace. They rounded the corner just as the ceiling came down. Aerrow saw it coming and slide to a stop with Starling at his side.

For a split second, Aerrow feared that Finn, Junko, and Radarr had been buried underneath the hunks of metal but was relieved to see Junko trying to dig his way back to him and that Finn and Radarr were also safely on the other side. However, he felt the palace shaking and knew there was no time for this. "Go!' he called to Junko, who stopped digging. "Keep moving! I'll get her out on my skyride!" he shouted, referring to Starling.

He saw Junko disappear and knew that they were obeying his orders, however reluctantly. As he turned away, he mumbled to himself, "I just hope I still have one." He ran the other way, Starling close behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, the _Condor_ was still stuck in Hatch 35. Stork tried to get it out by reversing the engines, but nothing happen. "It won't back out," Stork told Piper nervously. "We're stuck good."

Piper was looking out one of the periscopes. Her heart plummeted to hear those words after what she was seeing. "Oh well, that's just great," she said to Stork, "'cause they're back with a bigger cannon!" Through the periscope, she watched the Raptors aim the cannon at the bottom of the _Condor's _hull. This was not good. This was not good at all.

* * *

Back in the palace, Starling, battered, bruised, and weary, had allowed Aerrow to help her. He put her arm around his shoulder and supported her weight as they made their way slowly through the hallways while the alarms blared. Every Talon was too busy getting to safety to stop and worry about the intruders who had caused the whole mess. They ran about the palace in panic, shouting frantically. One of them had even bothered to rescue a box of donuts.

Aerrow kept his eyes ahead of him, refusing to absorb their panic, yet he was slowly being engulfed in anxious despair. They had to get out of there _now!_

* * *

At last, Finn, Radarr, and Junko had found a grate in the floor. Finn stopped and pointed excitedly. "There!" he told them. "Thirty-five, just like Piper said." He gestured to Junko. "Tear it open!"

Junko smiled at the idea of escaping, and he wasted no time in igniting his Knuckle Busters and throwing the grate to the side. He and the others looked down into the hatch. "Well, what do you know," Junko said as they looked down at the _Condor_. "They made it."

Finn began climbing down the ladder hurriedly. Only a few steps down, he pulled out his crossbow and fired a bolt at the _Condor's _top, a rope attached to the end. The bolt hit its mark, and if a whole terra wasn't collapsing above him, Finn might have boasted. Instead, he grabbed the rope and secured it to the ladder before sliding down it. Radarr was close behind.

Finn jumped inside through the top hatch and landed on his feet, Radarr landing in a heap in front of him. "Better step on it!" he urged Piper and Stork. "Cyclonia's about to go boom!

"That could be a problem considering we're stuck," Piper told him, "and Repton is getting ready to blast us from below!" Piper was exasperated. Finn's and Radarr's eyes widened. Nothing was going right.

Below them, the Raptors were easing the canon up just a bit further when another shockwave shook Cyclonia. Lugey, at the base of the canon, turned to Repton. "It's kinda rumbly, boss," he commented stupidly.

"Quiet!" Repton demanded, ignoring his warning. "Just set this up and start blasting!"

Junko was coming down the ladder to the rope when his weight unbolted part of the ladder.

Inside the _Condor_, Piper said, "It's gonna take a miracle."

At that moment, the ladder couldn't take Junko's weight anymore, and it fell off the wall. Junko lost the rope and yelled in fright as he fell toward the _Condor_ and threw the open hatch right onto the round table.

From the force of his fall, the _Condor_ heaved and shook before finally sliding out of the hatch. Repton's eyes widened as he saw the ship coming down upon them. He and the other Raptors scattered, leaving the canon to be smashed under the ship.

As soon as they hit the ground, Stork pushed a lever, and the _Condor's _engines started up. She flew away down the pipe, making a turn deeper into Cyclonia. The Raptors barely had time to catch their bearings before the ship made a U-turn and came back around over their heads.

The Storm Hawks headed full speed out of the pipe, clearing it just as Cyclonia was engulfed in a crystal-energized explosion.

Stork didn't slow down until they had reached the Cyclonian border. From there, he turned the ship about, and they waited. Aerrow had not come back yet.

Finn stared at the skies, already beginning to give up hope. He heard Radarr howl and saw Junko put a comforting hand on the little guy's shoulder. "Don't worry Radarr," the Wallop told him. "He'll be okay." He looked back out the window. "I just know it."

Finn could only shrug. He didn't know it, and he felt guilty for ever having left their friend behind.

Piper scanned the skies desperately with one of the periscopes. There! A skyride. She zoomed in on it to be greeted with a red and blue Skimmer and a driver with a mope of red hair, green eyes, and a cocky smile. "It's Aerrow!" she announced gleefully. "He made it!" Everyone's faces lit in huge smiles. He made it!

Aerrow cast a grin behind him at Starling as they approached the _Condor_. He couldn't wait to have her see his ship and meet his team.

Piper narrowed her eyes as she watched Aerrow draw closer. "Hey," she asked, mostly to herself. "Who's he got with him?"

Aerrow landed in the hangar bay and was greeted by his friend's cheers, even Stork's. They all stepped forward to him as he and Starling dismounted. "I told you we could do it!" he reminded them proudly.

He looked down when he heard a soft churr and felt something clinging to his leg. Radarr was hugging him and smiling up at him. He chirped gleefully as Aerrow got down on one knee, and he gladly took his perch on his shoulder.

Aerrow stood and noticed Piper's admiring, gleeful gaze cast behind him. Yes, that's right. He hadn't yet made the introduction. "Piper, guys," he announced, gesturing to the other Sky Knight, "this is . . ."

Piper got right up in Starling's face and gasped. "Starling!" she exclaimed. "Oh my gosh, you're, like, my most favorite Sky Knight ever!"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Most favorite Sky Knight ever? Hey, what about Sky Knight _and_ best friend over here?

Piper laughed sheepishly at his look. "I mean second favorite," she amended quickly.

Aerrow smiled. That was more like it!

Starling laughed self-consciously. Who knew she had such avid fans?

It was agreed that Starling would rest and recover on board the _Condor_ while she and the Storm Hawks headed for Terra Atmosia to give their report on what happen. After all, Starling knew that Aerrow might need a little help convincing the Sky Knight Council that shattering a sacred artifact was necessary.

Unfortunately, Starling's thoughts proved correct. That night, after Starling and the Storm Hawks had given their report, the Council argu

* * *

ed with each other irritably. Aerrow noticed that one of the council members was Gull, the father of the boy who had idolized the Storm Hawks earlier. Of course _he_ wouldn't like anything they had done.

The registrar turned to Aerrow. "Of all the brash, reckless things to do!" he scolded. "You destroy the Aurora Stone?"

The Storm Hawks all seemed a tad bit frightened by this outburst, but Aerrow, the main defendant, just simply stared at the old man, thinking, _What else did you expect me to do? Let Cyclonis take over all of Atmos?_

"However," the registrar continued, "taking into consideration the testimony of Sky Knight Starling," he nodded toward Starling, who smiled confidently, "this Council concedes that it was the proper course of action."

Aerrow sighed with relief. Without realizing it, he looked toward Gull and saw him frowning indignantly. Aerrow was satisfied to see that they had proven him wrong, whether he admitted it or not.

"Does that mean the Storm Hawks are official?" Piper asked, attracting Aerrow's immediate attention. He watched the Council to see what they would do.

Mostly what they did, he noticed, was turn to each other and mumble in discontented voices, the way old men do when they disapprove. The registrar only removed his glasses and gave an exasperated sigh. Gull was shaking his head firmly.

Aerrow had enough of this. If they wouldn't see them for what they were, then they weren't the great council of fairness he had always heard about and he didn't need they're approval. "Forget about it, Piper," he said. He addressed the Council, crossing his arms. "We don't need to be official to know who we are. Wherever Atmos needs help, the Storm Hawks will be there." He turned to his team. "Let's fly," he told them, dismissing himself. With one final look at the Council, he turned. Radarr leapt up onto his shoulder, smiling proudly at the Council as Aerrow left, Starling and his team close behind.

The registrar was left stunned by this statement. It was incredible the way he had left. Despite the murmurs of disapproval around him, he found himself smiling with new respect for the young warrior who had made such a speech. He whispered, "Good luck, Sky Knight."

* * *

Back in what used to be the throne room of Cyclonia, Master Cyclonis was alive and well and using a crystal to lift a heavy support beam off of her ever loyal servant, the Dark Ace. It was the least she could do for saving her life.

As the support beam was thrown to the side, the Dark Ace sat up painfully. "Master," he greeted her gratefully and regretfully. After all, he had failed to preserve her mission for the first time.

Master Cyclonis just shrugged off his failure. "You win some, you lose some," she said, walking away. The Dark Ace stood up and brushed some dirt off his shoulder. He scowled as she said, "Apparently now the same goes for you, Dark Ace."

The Dark Ace couldn't help but snarl. He would not let this stand. When he joined Cyclonia, he had sworn to destroy the Sky Knights. Now he had a specific target. The Storm Hawks. He'd show them when who was winning when he held his sword to that young punk's throat. What was his name? The Dark Ace narrowed his eyes. _Aerrow._

"Don't worry," the Master assured him as she walked toward what used to be her platform. "Atmos is going to learn soon enough that I've got much more in store for it." She stopped. "And as for the _Storm Hawks_," she snarled, eyes narrowing, "they'll pay for what they've done!"

* * *

The high-time for evil and villainy had long since come to the Atmos. And wherever there was ill-doing, there would be heroes attempting to stop it. For every villain, a hero is born. Now it was new heroes, younger heroes ready to prove themselves and make legends of their own.

The age of heroes had come.


	13. Gale Force Winds: To the Beach

Author's Notes: Yes, it's time for the second episode. This one also happens to be from Aerrow's point of view. I tried to do someone else, I really did, but he just fit. So anyone who wished for another point of view . . . deal with it. And for all you Aerrow fans, congratulations, you get another episode seen through the eyes of your favorite character.

* * *

_**Part 3**_

_**Gale Force Winds**_

_Freedom is threatened and fought for. New friends are made, and old enemies are confronted._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: To the Beach

On a small, remote piece of terra, a small shack of a house with a propeller on top sat high on a hill overlooking a few trees and a catapult. A white hen climbed up and sat on the point of the propeller, quite content. The skies were blue, and there were few clouds.

The hen's eyes widened when she saw a flash of lightning and heard a clap of thunder. She looked this way and that in confusion. What in the world . . . ?

Suddenly, a periscope popped out of the propeller top underneath her, and she was thrown into the air. She landed on top of the periscope as it turned in circles before slipping off it with a squawk, dazed by the hit. She landed in front of the wooden door of the house.

The periscope's viewer zoomed in on a gathering thunderstorm with unnaturally red lightning. Five biplane skyrides appeared out of the dark clouds.

The periscope retracted, and within seconds, the front door opened, knocking the hen aside and revealing a small old man with a pointed beard. Strangely enough, he was wearing pots and pans like armor. "They're back!" he shouted frantically in a French accent. "Battle stations!" He leapt into the air. "Hurry!" Holding tight to the pot lid which he wore like a helmet, he ran down the hill toward the catapult.

Dove was already down there. She was a young girl about fourteen years old dressed similarly with pots, pans, and kitchen utensils. She had come as soon as her grandfather Wren had shouted and saw him coming, noticing that the skies above them were darkening as the storm moved in. Blue eyes flashed fiercely as she put a pot on her head for a helmet. Today, they would have victory, she decided. She ran to the catapult and reached it as Wren did. Climbing into the seat, she watched him pull a green crystal out of the pot around his body and hold it at the ready.

As the skyrides got closer, she recognized them as Talon Switchblades. The one leading them was the Elite version, and on it sat the tall, dark figure of the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace narrowed his eyes as he came ever closer to the rebels. "This time," he whispered, "no mercy." He punched the accelerator, and he and his Talons rushed in.

Dove tightened her grip on the lever on the catapult, and she saw her grandfather hold out the crystal, a silent signal. With a heavy heave, she pulled the lever and released the catapult, throwing, of all things, a sink into the air toward the Switchblades. Wren narrowed his eyes and activated the crystal, causing a large current of wind to project from it and carry the sink with great speed. It struck the Switchblade on the upper right wing of the formation, and the Talon fell.

The Dark Ace snarled at his loss but remembered with some satisfaction the weapon he had on hand. He pulled out a red crystal. Standing up on the seat of his ride, he stuck the crystal on the end of his energy sword's handle, igniting it with its power. And then he turned abruptly and fired at the rebels.

Wren and Dove stared in fright as the shot headed for them. The only thing to do was jump out of the way. Both leapt to opposite sides of the catapult to avoid it, face-planting into the ground.

Dove was woken to her senses by the frantic squawks of their chicken as she ran past with her feathers all fluffed out. Dove raised her head. The Dark Ace was flying toward her, and she scowled defiantly. But then the Dark Ace did something unexpected. He pulled the handles of his ride outward, transforming his Switchblade from a biplane into a motorcycle. His wheels hit the ground with a screech, and without losing momentum he drove on with his hand stretched outward. Dove gasped. He was headed right for her!

She stood to try to get out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough. The Dark Ace grabbed her by the waist and deployed his wings, taking to the skies again. Dove reached out toward her home, but it was too late.

Wren watched them go, reaching out his hand after them. "No!" he cried.

His granddaughter was gone, taken prisoner.

* * *

About two weeks later, on a small terra not far from where it happened, Aerrow, Radarr, and Finn were out for a little fun. They flew through a canyon full of craggy rock formations. As they swooped under a rocky archway, they barrel rolled at full speed. Aerrow smiled, his heart racing with excitement like a teenager out for his first independent drive.

His excitement seemed contagious. He glanced at Radarr, who was hanging off his shoulder. Radarr returned his determined smile before taking his seat in the cockpit.

Finn flew up alongside them. "You're not seriously gonna run Widow's Canyon?" he asked Aerrow.

Aerrow's smile grew. "Oh yeah!" he responded.

Radarr's eyes widened. Say what? Widow's Canyon? Only the best of the best could take on Widow's Canyon without getting in an accident . . .

Finn smirked at the frightened furry copilot. "Have fun, Radarr!" he teased.

Radarr narrowed his eyes and growled at him. Finn got on his nerves almost as much as the sharpshooter got on Piper's nerves.

Finn separated from them, not willing to follow them any further. Aerrow's excitement grew, the daredevil side of his personality taking over. "Ready, Radarr?" he asked his copilot. Radarr shook his head and whimpered nervously, but Aerrow ignored him and shot forward.

The canyon roofed over to form a tunnel. There were all kinds of rock outcroppings that threatened to knock them out of the air, but Aerrow avoided them with ease. "Aw yeah!" he shouted in the heat of the moment. Nothing could beat the thrill of a stunt like this!

Aerrow leaned forward as he saw the end of the tunnel approaching. It was too small for the Skimmer's wings to fit, but that didn't deter him.

Radarr, on the other hand, saw it coming, and his eyes widened. He wished more than ever that he had not come with Aerrow this time. He always did stuff like this to him.

Radarr couldn't take it. He leapt to the front of the Vulcan and got right in Aerrow's face, blocking his view and gesturing for him to stop. "Too late to turn back now," Aerrow answered matter-of-factly.

Radarr's screeched frightfully as he glanced over his shoulder. The narrow exit of the tunnel was getting closer. Radarr leaped back into his cockpit and pulled down the lever that activated the wings. The wings retracted, and it was only the vehicle's velocity that kept it airborne. Aerrow readied himself for the _best_ part of the stunt while Radarr covered his eyes.

The Skimmer made it through the small opening in the cliff, which was just big enough for itself and its passengers. Its sides scraped the walls as it burst out into the outside world once more. "Yahoo!" Aerrow cheered as the Vulcan bounded out into the open air and began to freefall.

Finn was watching from the side, and he saw Aerrow dive with his wings still drawn up but his stunt flawless. "Excellent," he said.

Aerrow could feel that nothing was happening in the cockpit just as Radarr opened his eyes and saw the ground approaching. Fast. The furry copilot squawked in alarm. "Uh, we'll be needing those wings again, buddy," Aerrow reminded him confidently but urgently.

Radarr wasted no time in lifting the lever to his left, and the wings swung out on either side. Aerrow had just enough time to level out the Skimmer as it struck the ground, its bottom bouncing along the rocky surface of the terra before ascending again up toward open skies, Finn, and the _Condor_.

Flying alongside Finn again, Aerrow turned to Radarr. "Huh," he said. "Gotta work on that one."

Radarr just chewed his nails fearfully, glad it was over.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Aerrow soon learned Piper had a plan for them. After he and Finn removed their armor, which they had worn just in case, Aerrow asked Piper to present it to the team at the round meeting table.

Aerrow and Piper stood on one side of the table and Radarr stood on the table, all three of them overlooking Piper's charts and notes. Finn and Junko stood at the other side of the table. Stork, although supposed to be at the meeting, was in the background checking something out for repair and remaining in hearing distance.

"It's perfect!" Piper exclaimed after pointing to her chart. "Absolutely positively one hundred percent the best plan ever!"

At those words, Stork was up beside her in less than a second. Aerrow smiled knowingly as the Merb said, "Um, I'm not going to like this, am I?"

Piper explained her plan. "The storms building in the southwest should give us perfect cover to monitor the new Cyclonian supply lines."

Stork shifted around to the other side of Piper, leaning close to her as he took a closer look at the charts and flicking his ears like a horse listening for danger. "I was right," he said. "I don't like it." And then, as quickly as he had come, he slipped away to prepare for his imminent demise.

"Did somebody say southwest?" Finn asked with a queer smile.

Piper stood up proudly, putting her hands behind her back. "Yup!" she answered. "I overheard a freighter captain—"

"You know what's southwest, don't you?" Finn interrupted, his question mostly aimed at his best friend Junko. Aerrow smiled. He had a feeling of what was coming, and he liked it. Piper, on the other hand, was looking more annoyed by the second.

"Ooh, lemme guess!" Junko responded. "Terra Neon's twenty-four-hour gravy buffet!"

"Well, there is that," Finn answered, "but think _warmer_."

Junko thought about for a moment. Then his face lit up, and Aerrow knew he had figured it out. In unison, he and Finn shouted, "Tropica!" Aerrow moved away from Piper, knowing how exasperated she would be.

Finn and Junko were already picturing the tropical island paradise of a terra. "Surfboards!" Finn cheered, picturing his surfboard.

"Snorkeling!" Junko added, imagining himself in his flippers, arm floaters, goggles, and snorkel.

"Umbrella drinks!" Finn reminded him.

They each pictured a drink in their hands and clanked them together in an imaginary toast. "Sign me up!" they shouted together.

As irritated as Piper was, she saw a way to get back at them now. "Don't forget your swimsuits," she reminded them.

Each of the boys pictured themselves naked expect for their underwear-like swimsuits. Junko could even see his belly protruding over it. Both boys cringed in disgust at the picture and were brought back to reality. "Thanks Piper," Finn said sarcastically. "I _really_ didn't need to see that."

Aerrow liked the sound of it all, the plan, the trip . . . all except for the swimsuits. After all, what's wrong with going on a little vacation and doing a recon mission along the way? "Stork," he ordered, pointing, "set course for Tropica!"

"Yes!" Stork hissed delightedly before grabbed a lever on the helm and pulling it, sending the _Condor_ forth on her mission.

"Uh, that's not what I was . . ." Piper tried, but Aerrow wasn't listening. He had his mind set on the beach. Piper must have seen it, too. She sighed and said, "Tropica it is."

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, so I think I've figured out whose main point of view I want for all 50 episodes (I'm thinking of both "Age of Heroes" as one episode and both "Cyclonia Rising" as one episode.) I might change my mind about the point of views as I go, but this is it so far:

Aerrow – 25 episodes (Not my fault; he's a complete episode hog.)

Finn – 7 episodes (Considering Piper's significance, it's hard to believe that Finn has more episodes.)

Piper – 6 episodes

Stork – 6 episodes (Less than Finn! Unbelievable!)

Junko – 3 episodes

Radarr – 1 episode (Only _one! _I think I'm gonna cry!)

Starling – 1 episode (Yes, she gets an episode! Won't it be fun getting in her head!)

Commander Chicken Feather – 1 episode (Yup, Chicken Feather gets one, too! He's going to be even more fun than Starling!)


	14. Gale Force Winds: Terra Gale

Chapter 2: Terra Gale

Piper had been right about the storms. The Storm Hawks hadn't been traveling long before a heavy thunderstorm picked up the _Condor_ in its currents. Stork, however, still flew with ease. In fact, having been up all night, he was nearly falling asleep. He groaned quietly as the _Condor_ continued her swaying in the storm, wishing he could lie down and go to bed.

Aerrow was keeping his watch as usual. The others were at the round table. Piper was looking over her charts. "We're passing over Terra Gale now," she told all of them. "It could get choppy."

Aerrow looked toward Stork. If it was going to get choppy, then he had better hope his pilot was in good shape. He walked up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "Stork." Stork jumped, startled. "How ya holdin' up?" Aerrow asked.

Stork turned back to the helm, looking annoyed. "How does it _look_ like I'm doing?" he snarled back.

Suddenly red lights flashed as the _Condor's_ alarm went off. Stork ran and grabbed one of the periscopes to view the threat. "Incoming!" he warned. "Closing fast! Oh man," he said, pulling away from the periscope and looking out the window, his eye twitching. "We're doomed!"

Aerrow followed his gaze out the window. Something big and white was hurling right toward the window where Stork was standing! And he wasn't moving! Aerrow jumped forward, grabbing Stork and pushing him to the ground and hearing a crash behind him as whatever-it-was shattered the window and landed where Stork had stood.

The object slid across the floor and stopped at Finn's feet. Aerrow was surprised to see the object was a toilet. Weird.

Finn seemed just as surprised as he was. He pointed to the toilet at his feet. "Exactly what kind of 'doomed' are we talkin' about here?" he asked Stork, or anyone else who was listening.

Aerrow wasn't waiting to find out. He called for Piper and Finn to come with him to check it out. Radarr was coming, too, of course. That was kind of a given.

As soon as they had grabbed their weapons and Aerrow and Finn had dressed in their armor, the four of them headed down to the hangar bay. Aerrow leapt onto his ride with Radarr hanging off his back. The Sky Knight was excited. Anything that resembled adventure, danger, and discovery always had his immediate attention. He turned and smiled at his friends, seeing if they were ready.

Piper was in her Heliscooter. She nodded and smiled to him, gunning her engine. Finn, on the other hand, was busy sitting on the seat of his Skimmer shining its windshield. He must have felt their gaze. He looked up and, seeing them waiting on him, gave them a smile that was half sheepish and half excited before sitting down, starting his engine, and heading for the open air. Aerrow smiled in amusement and followed with Piper bringing up the rear. They drove off the landing strip and into the storm.

As they flew, they couldn't see much due to the heavy clouds. Aerrow squinted, trying to see who on Terra Gale would shoot at them with a toilet. Piper seemed to read his mind. She stated, "This part of Gale is a wasteland. Nobody lives out here."

As soon as she said that, the clouds cleared and the sun came out, revealing a piece of terra with a little house with a propeller top at its highest point. "Whoa!" Piper shouted, swerving and doing a loop around the propeller to avoid hitting the house.

Both boys smiled and Finn shook his head. "You sure about that?" Aerrow asked Piper playfully.

Aerrow didn't get to see Piper's reaction to his taunting. His attention was drawn by a pulse of red energy that went shooting in between his ride and Finn's.

Then another red pulse from behind struck the wing of Finn's Skimmer. The Skimmer wavered in the air, and the wing began to smoke. "I'm hit!" Finn called anxiously. "I'm hit!"

Aerrow turned to look behind them. Three Talons were on their tail, shooting at them with their blasters.

The _Condor_ appeared out of the clouds at that moment. Stork was looking through one of the periscopes, keeping an eye on his friends in case they were going to meet their doom—which or course they were. "I got two bogeys at ten o'clock," he told Junko, using the military term "bogey" for an unidentified flying object believed to be hostile.

Junko pulled down the other periscope to see for himself. What he was saw Finn's face, spinning. "SOP, ASAP!" he cried frantically. "Niner, niner, engage! Engage!"

Junko turned to Stork and told him, "I have no idea what he just said."

Stork knew what he was saying. "Standard operating procedure, as soon as possible! Emergency at nine o'clock! Engage in battle!" But he thought that was a little hard for the simple Wallop to understand, so he just said, "We're under attack."

They both heard Finn's scream and turned their periscopes to see him spinning toward the other end of the scopes at the bottom of the ship, his ride smoking and spinning out of control. Finn ran right into the periscope Junko was looking through and grabbed it, putting his leg over the bending part of it and watching his Skimmer fly off without him.

Stork watched a Talon fly off in one direction and Aerrow being chased by two other Talons in another direction. Beyond them, he saw Finn's Skimmer plummeting into the Wastelands, and he turned his periscope around frantically to find Finn. When he did, he focused it on the other periscope and came into view with a big, blue eye. "Hey," Finn's strained voice greeted him. "How's it goin'?"

Stork pulled away from his periscope in surprise. That was strange.

"Whoa!" Finn exclaimed as he began to slide down the periscope he sat on, and its end straightened out so that he was dangly off it. He gasped as the periscope broke off of the _Condor_, leaving Junko with nothing to see and Finn falling.

Finn cried fearfully as he began to fall, only to be feeling excruciating pain as something banged into him, first into his crotch and then his head. He found himself on the bow of Piper's Heliscooter. "Woo-uh," he groaned, his teeth clenched and his eyes rolling in their sockets as he lifted his head. That _hurt_!

"Need a lift?" Piper taunted him.

"Sure," Finn said in squeaky, pained voice. "Thanks."

Aerrow smiled at the situation Finn had gotten himself into—again—as he flew behind and past Piper with a Talon on his tail. He headed for the _Condor_, a plan in mind. Coming in from the bottom, he looped around one of the _Condor's_ huge, pontoon-like engines. The Talon followed but didn't see Aerrow loop; he only saw him fly up from underneath it to the top of it, and after clearing the top and leveling off he continued flying on looking for the Sky Knight while Aerrow came up around the engine again behind him.

The Talon looked around angrily in confusion, his teeth clenched. Aerrow decided to have some fun. He turned his Skimmer upside down and flew just above the Talon, his head inches from his. Then he and Radarr let their plan into play.

The Vulcan turned and came up alongside the Talon right-side-up. The Talon stared in confusion when he saw Radarr driving it, waving to him. Where had the boy gone?

As though to answer his question, someone from behind him tapped his shoulder. He turned around to see the boy Sky Knight holding his blades above him, ready to strike. The Talon screamed and leapt off his Switchblade, deploying his parachute. Aerrow jumped, letting the Switchblade fall, and Radarr flew up underneath him to catch him. Aerrow smiled. One down, two to go.

Another Talon flew up behind Aerrow and pulled out a blue crystal. "This swarm crystal should keep you busy!" he said, drawing his arm back to throw it at the unsuspecting Sky Knight.

As always, Aerrow's squad had his back. Piper, now having Finn seated behind her, hovered above the Talon, and Finn reached out and grabbed the crystal out of the Talon's grasp. "Thanks," he said, "but you keep it!"

He threw the crystal back at the Talon. The Talon tried desperately to catch it, but the crystal bounced out of his hand each time and eventually landed in his crystal converter. The Talon's eyes widened apprehensively. "Oh, no."

The next instant, his ride dissolved, turning into a swarm of tiny bugs. The Talon fell and deployed his parachute before being attacked by the swarm. "Ah!" he cried. "Get 'em off of me!"

Finn and Piper watched him with amusement, but Aerrow was too preoccupied to even notice. The third Talon was chasing him. Not that Aerrow cared. He was feeling cocky, spinning and not going at his top speed.

The Talon watched him spin. "Hotshot, huh?" he grunted. He aimed his blasters, flipping the lid off his handles to reveal the buttons that activated them. "Well, you're about to get iced!" But just before he was about to press the buttons to blast him with icers, a large, soft, white object came and knocked him off his Switchblade.

Piper and Finn watched in surprise. "Was that a mattress?" Finn asked.

Aerrow stared after it. Yup, it was a mattress. No doubt about it.

Piper held up her binoculars, peering down at Terra Gale. "I don't believe it," she said. "Look!" She handed the binoculars to Finn.

Finn did look and was surprised to see a small old man with a pointed beard dressed in kitchen equipment bouncing joyfully and shaking his fists in the air. "Hah!" he said in a French accent. "Take that you Cyclonian dog!"

Finn lifted an eyebrow, his mouth slightly ajar. That had to be one of the weirdest things he had seen so far. He and Piper looked at Aerrow for direction.

Aerrow was curious. Although he couldn't see in great detail what was down there without binoculars, he knew that a guy jumping around and catapulting mattresses and toilets into the air was worth checking out. He held up two fingers and gestured, pointing them toward the terra. This hand signal was understood to be an order that meant, "Land and check it out," and that's exactly what Piper planned to do, being as she was the one driving.

Aerrow and Piper circled the terra and landed at full speed. Aerrow's Skimmer turned sideways and slide to a stop, but Piper tried to slow down before she tried that with her lighter Heliscooter. The ground was bumpy, and more than once the ride popped off the ground. A really rough one sent Finn high off the ride and flying through the air with a scream. Piper turned her ride sideways and slide to an abrupt halt to avoid running into him, and Finn landed in front of her in a pile of kitchen equipment. _Oops, _Piper thought. Finn glared at her from where he sat with his rear stuck in a bucket and a pot on his head. Piper could only smile apologetically.

Aerrow got out of his Vulcan and helped Finn to his feet with the bucket still stuck on him. The four of them looked around for the little old man, but Aerrow didn't see him. "Hello?" he heard Piper's call echo over the terra. No answer.

Aerrow saw a big pot sitting by the tree. It had holes in it just right for letting out arms and legs, and it looked a lot like the one the man had been wearing. He opened the lid and looked inside it, but it was too dark to see. It didn't look like he was in there, though. "Where do you think he went?" he asked his friends.

Finn pulled the bucket off his bottom and stood up straight. "Probably in the kitchen looking for more ammo," he answered. He threw the bucket behind him carelessly.

As soon as the bucket hit the ground, Aerrow felt something rise up under his feet. Before he knew what was happening, he, Radarr, Piper, and Finn were caught in a rope net hanging from the tree.

The little old man popped out of the pot. "I've got you now, Cyclonian swine!" he said defiantly in a French accent, holding up his fist to them. "Now," he continued, holding up an ax, "you will know what happens to enemies of the resistance."

With one swing of the ax, he cut the rope holding the net to the tree. The Storm Hawks all cried and gasped in surprise and fear as net traveled down a rope line and right into the cup of the catapult. Aerrow and the others looked over and around the machine to see what they would be fired at. Their eyes widened, and Aerrow's heart began to beat painfully in his chest.

"For you," the man said, gesturing beyond the catapult, "the Wasteland awaits."

Aerrow's pulse quickened as the man pushed the catapult closer to the edge of the terra. He and the others cried out to him, desperately trying to make him listen. But the man simply said, "Cries for mercy will go totally unanswered, Cyclonian swine!" He clenched his fist threateningly.

"We're not Cyclonians," Piper tried to explain.

The old man didn't believe her. He reached for the lever on the catapult.

Aerrow could see there was no reasoning with him so he went to plan B. Turning to his copilot, he ordered quietly, "Radarr, go!"

Obediently, Radarr slipped out of the rope net through one of the holes and got down by the old man's feet unnoticed. Grabbing hold of his leg in both paws, he bit down on it. Hard.

The old man's eyes widened. Then, in a delayed reaction, he howled in pain and hopped away from the catapult, holding his leg. Radarr took the opportunity to leap up onto the net and chew it open with his teeth.

The net burst open, and the Storm Hawks fell with gasps and a heavy thud. Aerrow lifted his head to see the old man dancing before him, beating his fists in the air. "So, you . . . you freed yourselves, eh?" he said as the Aerrow and his friends stood. "Well, then, we'll just have to tussle like good old-fashioned trench rats." He flexed his muscles with a laugh. "I should warn you, though," he continued to the confused teens as he did his battle dance, "I was pretty good scrapper back in the day."

Piper held out her hands desperately. "We're not Cyclonians!" she told him.

Aerrow grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back toward them. He wasn't sure what this crazy man would do, and he didn't want her hurt. So he took it up. "She's right," he said to the man. He put his hands over his heart. "We're the good guys." He gestured toward the others. "The Storm Hawks?"

The old man just looked confused.

"Come on, you've heard of us," Finn insisted, making Piper give him an irritated look as he struck a proud pose. "We're famous!"

"Chicken Hawks?" the old man said. He held his hands out in front of him. "Nope, never heard of you." He pointed to them. "Who is your commanding officer?"

"That would be me," Aerrow answered. Next thing he knew, the old man had gotten right up in his face, just inches away from him, and was studying him with a critical eye. Aerrow leaned away. That was way too close for comfort.

The man seemed satisfied in what he saw. He spit in his hand and held it out. "The name is Wren," he introduced himself, "leader of the resistance front." Much to Aerrow's disgust, he grabbed his hand and started shaking it. It was only then that Aerrow noticed that the pot Wren wore around his body had a large W on it, as did the lid he wore for a helmet. W for Wren, Aerrow guessed.

"Welcome," Wren said, holding out his arms, "to the last free piece of Terra Gale."

As soon as he said that, one of the propellers on the top of his house and his front door fell down, rusted and worn away. "Impressive," Finn said sarcastically, which cost him an elbow in the chest by Piper.

Aerrow raised his eyebrows in surprise. He couldn't wait to here this man's story.

Radarr was behind Piper's legs when he heard clucking and turned to see Wren's hen standing behind her owner. She fluttered her eyelashes at him lovingly. Radarr's eyes widened and he chirped, awestruck. Wow, she was pretty. Oh, not that he was interested or anything. She was only a chicken, after all. But still . . .

* * *

Aerrow had come to one conclusion about Wren very quickly; he was disciplined, fearless, driven, and absolutely 100% off his rocker. Those qualities were quite obvious. He learned a lot more about him, however, when Wren invited him, Piper, and Finn to stay and hear his tale. Radarr was to stay, too, of course, but Wren hadn't addressed the matter of the furry creature directly. In fact, Aerrow hadn't seen a lot of him since that chicken showed up. Odd . . .

Apparently, Wren was in fact an ex-Sky Knight who had decided to retire and spend his last days on his little farm with his granddaughter Dove and his chicken. Back then he needn't have worried about smog, either, for there were no smelters. The Storm Hawks also learned why there was a Terra Gale Resistance Army and Liberation Front.

"Terra Gale was once a marvelous kingdom," the story began. Night had settled on the terra by then, and Wren was sitting on a pot, poking at a fire to keep it going. Piper and Finn sat around the fire on overturned pots as well, while Aerrow remained standing behind Wren. "But that was before the Cyclonians came!" the old man continued.

Piper and Finn exchanged a glance, and Aerrow felt anxiety rising in his chest. Nothing was ever good when Cyclonians got involved.

The night was clear, and Aerrow could easily see the main part of the terra from where they stood. Most of it was covered in one large factory with many pipes that continued to expel black smog into the air. Wren gestured toward the main part of Terra Gale. "Now our people toil in their smelters," he said, clenching his fists desperately, "prisoners. Two weeks ago," he continued, pulling out a picture, "they took my precious Dove."

Aerrow stepped forward to see, and Wren sadly offered him the picture. The picture was of a girl about his age with beautiful fine black hair and vibrant blue eyes. Her smile was warm and kind. And to think the Cyclonians had taken this poor girl from her family and enslaved her! Aerrow's narrowed eyes lifted to look at the smelters on the main part of the terra, determined not to let that stand.

He hadn't even realized he was making a face until he heard Finn say, "Yep, there it is." The sharpshooter rolled his eyes and rested his head in his hand in exasperation. "That's the 'we're going on a dangerous mission' look."

"We'll get her back, Wren," Aerrow assured. He handed Finn the picture, knowing he would change his mind as soon as he looked at it.

And he was right. As soon as Finn saw the "hot" girl in the photo, his face brightened and he smiled coolly. "I'm in!"

Wren leaped to the other side of the fire in his excitement. "Fantastic!" he said, slamming his fist into his hand. "A rescue mission!" He addressed Aerrow. "Good thinking! Teach that Dark Ace a thing or two!"

Finn's expression went very quickly from dreamlike to fearful. "Wait a minute," he said, holding up a finger and stuttering anxiously. "Di-did you just say . . . ?" He turned to Aerrow frantically, pointing to Wren. "Did he just say 'Dark Ace'?"

Piper's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She turned to Aerrow. Of all people, they knew his reputation and just how good he was at upholding it. And the first time they ran into him, Aerrow almost . . .

But Aerrow wasn't deterred. The young Sky Knight slammed his fist into his hand and set his jaw. He'd beaten the Dark Ace once, and if he needed to, he'd do it again. He wouldn't allow anything to happen to his team unless something happened to him first. Besides, if Wren's granddaughter needed help, it was worth it.

* * *

Author's Notes: So, how do you think I did with Wren's character, huh? Let me know when you review! (hint, hint)


	15. Gale Force Winds: Rebel Rescue

Author's Notes: I had little trouble with this one. The episode didn't go in chronological order and presented the action in a very difficult way to convert to text. So forgive me if this one is a little choppy.

* * *

Chapter 3: Rebel Rescue

Aerrow waited on his Skimmer for Finn to play his part. Their plan was underway. It was a flawless plan. He and Piper had made sure of it. There is no way anything could go wrong as long as they stuck to it. He leaned forward, grasping the handles tightly and remembering every detail of the plan in his head. He remembered the team's responses when they had first suggested it.

_Junko had been sleeping with his teddy bear on the bunk underneath the pipes on the bridge. Finn was examining his crossbow and Stork was looking over the Condor's helm, each looking for repairs to make. At that moment, the doors of the bridge opened and Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr stepped in. "Listen up, everyone," Aerrow called attention to his team._

_Junko woke with a start. "Hey . . ." he began before hitting his head on the pipe. The ping from pipe made Finn and Stork stop what they were doing. Aerrow smiled. That was one way to get their attention._

"_We have a rescue plan!" Aerrow announced excitedly. He slammed his fist into his hand and ran toward the round table._

"_Whoa," Junko was saying, rubbing his head. Aerrow had the feeling he hadn't quite grasped what was going on yet._

_When Aerrow and Piper had finally gotten everyone at the round table, Aerrow put Piper's charts in front of him and began. "Most people would say this plan is dangerous, reckless," he raised his head and gave them all a cocky grin, "and pretty much impossible."_

"_In other words," Piper finished with a wink, "just our style!"_

_Aerrow was amused to see the different reactions this brought. Finn gave him his famous pistol fingers. Junko simply smiled in anticipation. Stork grimaced._

"_It all starts with Finn," Piper began, using a wooden model of a Skimmer and driver to illustrate it. "He goes high altitude and then cuts the engine for a little quiet time."_

Finn remembered Piper's words as he set out on his part of the mission. Fly toward the smelter at high altitude. Check. Cut engine. He let go of the gas. Check. His memory went back to the next part of the plan.

"_Then," Aerrow had said, "he beelines for the smokestack and drops this." Aerrow held up a blue translucent eruption crystal, throwing it over his shoulder to Finn, who caught it casually. "Totally unstable," Aerrow said._

_Finn's eyes widened as he held the crystal, and he held it out at arms length, eyeing it. Unstable, huh? Then why was he holding it?_

Finn was getting that same feeling now as he held that same crystal at arms length over one of the smokestacks and let it drop. He waited for what Aerrow had explained would happen next.

"_So when it hits," Aerrow had explained, "KAPOW! There's water everywhere."_

The crystal hit the grate at the bottom of the smokestack and erupted, bursting the pipes and letting water flow freely. The sound of rushing air and the rising of steam out of the smokestacks proved to Finn that it was time for the others to join him. It was time for the next part of the plan.

"_And when water hits hot metal—" Aerrow had begun._

_Piper finished. "—it gets steamy—lots of it!"_

"_So no one sees when we drop in for a zero-viz landing," Aerrow said._

Aerrow saw the steam rising from the smokestacks, and he signaled for Piper and Junko to follow him. It was time. They flew in over the factory. Aerrow weaved in and out of the pipes mostly by feel, remembering what Junko and Stork had said about this part of the plan.

"_Wait a minute," Junko had said. "A landing in zero-viz?"_

"_Instant death!" Stork warned, eye twitching._

"_No it isn't," Aerrow had answered. "We do that kinda thing all the time."_

That's why Aerrow was glad Stork wasn't there to say, _I told you so_, when the Storm Hawks crashed one on top of the other, with Radarr at the top of the heap, Finn stuck somewhere in the middle on top of the machinery, and Junko at the bottom holding his head. Aerrow and Piper had been thrown clear.

Aerrow stood, looking around and grinning. At least they had landed. That was something.

A red light was searching the area. As Aerrow stared at it, he saw it was coming from the end of a Cyclonian staff held by a Talon guard, and he remembered what came next.

"_Guards will be everywhere," Aerrow had explained to his team._

The guard's light fell on Aerrow and Finn. Aerrow hid his eyes from it, glaring at the Talon. "Who goes there?" the guard demanded. This had been the part of the plan where Finn had frowned and said:

"_Oh, great. Then we get caught."_

"_No," Aerrow had answered. "That's when we borrow a page from your book and lie."_

_Finn thought about it for a moment with his finger on his chin. Finally he smiled coolly and pointed to him, saying, "I like it!"_

_Aerrow went on to say how they would lie. "We dress like maintenance guys. We're there to fix the boiler."_

Aerrow and Finn had indeed dressed in the puke yellow janitors' suits, nametags and all. Aerrow even had a red toolbox to show for it, where Radarr safely hid. He explained to the two guards why they were there, but the guards didn't look convinced. They advanced toward them, staffs pointed their way. Aerrow smiled when he thought of what came next. After all, they had planned for this.

"_And when the guards don't buy it," Piper had said, "Junko explains it another way."_

Aerrow watched as Junko came up and tapped one of the guards on the shoulder. When the guards turned around, Junko pulled back his fist and punched. Both guards were knocked out cold. Junko and Piper then prepared for the next stage.

_Aerrow had said, "Then we get a change of clothes—"_

"—_and the doors open wide!" Piper finished._

The doors of the factory opened, and Piper and Junko, dressed as Talon guards and bearing Cyclonian staffs, stepped in with Aerrow and Finn behind them, still disguised as maintenance workers. One of the other guards saluted to them as they walked by. They went through another doorway and saw other Talons were running around and looking about suspiciously up on the balconies. One ran past them as they went through another door. No one suspected. It reminded Aerrow of how he had concluded the plan.

"_Once inside," Aerrow had explained, "we're like a well-oiled machine. Guards will be running all over. No one's got a clue, while we get free run to hunt for Dove."_

As the Storm Hawks rounded a corner, Finn stopped. What he saw was a girl about their age with fine black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing kitchen equipment and a chain on her ankle attached to a heavy metal ball. She was looking over her shoulder for guards as she tried to hide behind the doorframe.

Finn smiled knowingly and pulled out Dove's picture, which Aerrow had let him hold for safekeeping during the mission. He'd found who they came for! Yeah, he was the man! "Hey guys!" he called after his friends, who had walked on ahead. The others stopped and turned around. Finn pointed to the picture and proudly proclaimed, "Looky who I found!" He held the picture of her smiling face in front of him. When he pulled it down, there she was—scowling and holding a pot behind her head.

Finn saw her swing it. He felt his head start to throb and a loud ringing in his ears. The world spun and he tottered, still trying to figure out what had happened, before he fell. He dropped the picture, and it fluttered in the air.

Aerrow winced. That had to have hurt.

Dove turned around frantically, only to run into the Wallop, who hunched his shoulders and smiled welcomingly. Dove's eyes were wide and fearful as she ran the other direction.

That's when Aerrow remembered. They were still in Cyclonian and janitors' suits. She thought they were Cyclonians. He grabbed the girl's arm as she was about to run past. "Uh, Dove, wait!" She turned to him frightfully. "We're here to bust you out," Aerrow explained. When he saw she still wasn't convinced, he added hastily, "Uh, Wren sent us."

Dove's face lit up in an instant. "Huh?" she said. "Grandpapa?"

Aerrow was about to introduce them when Finn sat up in between them and held up a finger, eyes still rolling in their sockets. "Storm Hawks at your service," he squeaked, still recovering from his knock on the head.

"Eh, good," Dove answered as Finn got to his feet, revealing a French accent much like her grandfather's. She picked up the metal ball attached to her ankle and shoved it into his stomach, making Finn groan. "Then you can carry this." Aerrow winced again. She sure was being rough with Finn.

Dove now addressed Aerrow, whom she had seemed to rightfully assume to be the leader here. "Follow me," she said, turning and marching off, dragging Finn along with her.

Aerrow held up a finger and called after her. "But that's not the way out."

Dove stopped and turned around, which allowed Finn to catch up to her as he tottered under the weight of the metal ball. "Of course its not," she answered, placing her hands on her hips. "We free the Sky Knights of Gale next!"

And with that, she turned and marched on decidedly. "Whoa!" Finn called as he was dragged away, staggering.

Aerrow and the others raised eyebrows in surprise. She was much feistier than they had anticipated. Here Aerrow had thought he was rescuing some damsel in distress, but instead he found a girl who had inherited her grandfather's boldness, confidence, determination, fearlessness, courage, and smarts—with maybe a bit more sanity. She seemed to have everything under control.

So much for damsel in distress.

The Storm Hawks decided the best way to make it to the prison was just to walk on into it as if they were supposed to be there. They put Piper in front and Junko in back to act as guards, seeing as they were wearing the Talon uniforms. Aerrow and Finn walked side by side in the middle behind Dove, Finn carrying her ankle weight and Aerrow carrying their toolbox.

They walked on through the doors at the end of the hallway and ended up at a bridge that they would have to cross to get to the other side of the complex. Aerrow saw that two Talons with Cyclonian staffs were guarding the door. Hopefully they could pull this off, but Aerrow was beginning to doubt.

One of the guards held up his hand for them to stop as they reached the middle of the bridge. "Halt!" he called. "What's going on here?"

Aerrow watched the Talon carefully. The question was casual enough. Maybe this would work.

"We're taking this dangerous fugitive to the prison," Piper answered matter-of-factly, motioning toward Dove.

"Uh, she doesn't look dangerous," the Talon answered, his eyebrow raised.

"Oh?" Piper asked. She pointed at thumb at Dove. "This is the notorious evil Flying . . ." she hesitated, trying to think of something, "Dove . . . uh, Scorpion!" She smiled at her own quick thinking as she offered the name.

"I don't buy it," the Talon told them suspiciously. He held out his staff. "Where's your I.D.?"

Aerrow answered almost involuntarily. "It's . . ." He tried to think of something. Then with a smile, he held out the red toolbox to the Talon and said, "In here."

"Huh?" the Talon grunted. He stepped forward toward the box with his finger extended and pushed open the lock.

Radarr, hunkered down in the box, had heard all the ongoings, and he growled at the way the Storm Hawks were being treated. As soon as he heard the click of the lock on the toolbox, he leaned out of the box, snarling at the Talon ferociously.

The Talon yelped in shock and fear at the unexpected vicious animal. Aerrow watched as he swung at Radarr with his staff, but Radarr leapt out of the way. The staff headed for Finn, and the sharpshooter held up the heavy metal ball weight attached to Dove's leg to protect his head. The staff cut the weight off of the chain.

Finn opened his eyes and looked a ball. "Sweet!" he exclaimed. Now he wouldn't have to carry the heavy ball. He threw it over his shoulder.

The ball struck Junko on the temple, and he let out a mighty Wallop roar. Aerrow sidestepped out of the way as Junko rushed forward and slammed the two Talons through the locked metal door behind them.

Aerrow closed his eyes and winced. That _must_ have hurt. For the Talons, anyway.

Junko turned around and looked at them, embarrassed. "Uh, sorry you had to see that," he said, pointing a thumb in front of him.

Aerrow smiled. Now their way to the prison was clear. Aerrow and Finn could now take the guards' staffs so that they may have weapons. What's more, the Storm Hawks no longer needed their disguises, and they could get rid of them. The only thing left to do was free the Terra Gale Sky Knight squadron. He stepped forward ahead of the others. "Let's go!"

As soon as the Storm Hawks got within view of the prison cell in which the Gale squadron was held, Aerrow saw Radarr run forward. The little guy tried to pull the lever down to open the metal doors to let the Sky Knight and his squadron out. Then a Talon stepped seemingly out of nowhere and held his staff out, pointing it at Radarr. "You're in for a world of hurt!" he growled.

Aerrow and the other Storm Hawks, now free of their disguises, were quick to react. First Junko appeared in front of Radarr with a Cyclonian staff held out in front of him. Then Finn joined him, beating his staff threateningly against the ground. Aerrow and Piper came out as one, their staffs pointed at the Talon. Aerrow watched as Radarr, in his confidence, leapt in front of them all and showed off his fighting moves to the Talon, eyeing him and daring him to try them.

The Talon's jaw dropped and his eyes widened fearfully. Aerrow watched with satisfaction as the Talon dropped his staff and ran away with his hands in the air.

Turning back to the prison cell, Junko pulled down the lever and opened the hatch. Terra Gale's Sky Knight squadron, the Rebel Ducks, stepped out, smiling. Their Sky Knight nodded to Aerrow in a sign of thanks and respect that was only given to an equal. Aerrow returned the nod gratefully, glad to be so easily accepted as an equal by another Sky Knight.

At the door of the hangar bay, the Talon charged with guarding the place heard the doorbell ring. He stepped forward to door and put his hand to his chin, wondering if he should open it.

He never got a chance. From the other side, Junko smashed it down, crushing the Talon underneath it. Junko put his finger to his lip in concern when he saw what he did. He sure was hurting a lot of people today.

Aerrow didn't even notice. He and the others ran around Junko toward their skyrides. Their luck was going very well, and Aerrow didn't want to wait around for it to change.

Dove had followed along behind Piper. Before they reached Piper's Heliscooter, they were stopped by Finn, who stood in front of his ride, smiling coolly. He didn't even notice the critical look Piper gave him. He simply gestured to Dove hopefully and said as smoothly as he could, "Air Finn, at your service." He bowed before Dove and held out a hand toward his Skimmer.

Dove raised her eyebrows in surprise. Finn wasn't sure if that was a good sign, but he hoped it was. He gestured again and wiggled his eyebrows in hopes that she'd say yes.

Both of the girls raised an eyebrow at him and exchanged a glance. "Sorry, Finn," Piper answered for her. "She's riding with me."

Finn saw Dove give a relieved smile. He was disappointed, but he tried not to show it. "No _problemo_," he answered, smiling. He pointed to them as they walked past. "Heh, that's cool." He watched them. Dove didn't even look back at him. Did he overdo it or something?

Aerrow smiled after watching the confrontation. Finn never knew how to act around girls he liked. Actually, now that Aerrow thought about it, he wouldn't have minded having Dove in his Vulcan as long as there was no fighting, but in a battle Piper's Heliscooter was probably the best place for her. Not that girl like Dove needed much protection.

As Aerrow righted his Skimmer, the Rebel Duck Sky Knight approached the front of it. "After we free the others," he told Aerrow in a heavy French accent, pointing his thumb over his shoulder, "we'll meet you over Gale."

"Good luck," Aerrow answered as a farewell. He started his engine and took off into the air, followed closely by the other Storm Hawks. They left the prison behind, satisfied that the other citizens of Terra Gale would be liberated by the Rebel Ducks.

Aerrow couldn't help but smile in his triumph. A whole prison breakout of rebels and they didn't even have to fight for it! How's that for a perfect mission?

* * *

Author's Notes: See what I mean? They made the episode that they were _doing_ the mission at the same time they were _explaining _it. Oh well. Review and tell me how I did with that little dilemma. Please?


	16. Gale Force Winds: Battle for Freedom

Chapter 4: Battle for Freedom

As they flew, Aerrow and Radarr hung back and let Finn take the lead, watching Junko fly close to the sharpshooter on his port wing. They pulled up next to Piper and Dove at Finn's starboard wing.

Aerrow sighed loudly in relief once he knew Piper was in earshot, wanting to share his victory with her. "I told you the plan was foolproof," he said. "We saved the day and didn't even run into . . ." As he turned to look ahead of them, the words died in his throat, and he heard Radarr whimper fearfully.

A storm was headed their way, one heavy with thunder and lightning. But that wasn't a problem. A storm didn't faze a Storm Hawk. But that wasn't what Aerrow was looking at. Out of the dark clouds appeared five red skyrides. Aerrow recognized them immediately to be Talon Switchblades, no doubt flown by Talons. The lead one was an Elite. On it stood a tall, dark man whose blood-red eyes flashed viciously, and his two-bladed sword gave off an eerie glow of the same color. His confident, evil laugh sent chills up Aerrow's spine.

Beside him Aerrow heard Piper's anxious voice saying, "I think you spoke too soon."

Aerrow clenched his teeth. "Dark Ace!" Aerrow and the Storm Hawks would have to face him once again. Strangely enough, however, Aerrow found himself smiling. He was filled with excitement and anticipation that drowned out his fear.

The Dark Ace studied the approaching group. "Well, well," he said. "If it isn't the notorious Storm Hawks!" He smirked at the Sky Knight, but his eyes were narrowed in a scowl.

Aerrow saw another flash of lightning and knew that this was no ordinary thunderstorm. The lightning was red. Piper had seen it, too. "From the looks of that storm, he's got a Firebolt crystal," Piper announced.

Of course, Aerrow thought. He's a Talon. They always have Firebolts. Aerrow knew that the Dark Ace's must be high grade if Piper was so worried.

Clutching the handles of his Skimmer, he called to his team. "Storm Hawks, prepare for battle!"

The Dark Ace seemed to hear his yell. He dropped into the seat of his Switchblade and pointed his sword at the Sky Knight squadron. "Talons," he commanded, "attack!" The Talons dove toward them, accelerating.

Aerrow and Radarr shot forward, leading the team in a returning charge. Aerrow spared only a moment's thought of bringing Dove into battle. From what he'd seen, he could safely conclude that Dove could take care of herself. Besides, Piper wasn't one for hand-to-hand combat, although she was fairly good at it. She preferred to let crystals do the work for her. Therefore neither would probably get too close to the fighting.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes as he saw the Dark Ace flying in on him. With a grunt, he pulled his blades out of their sheaths and leapt to the front of his Vulcan, igniting them. The Dark Ace did the same, trying to psych the Sky Knight with his smirk, but it only sharpened Aerrow's battle drive.

Letting loose a surge of power, Aerrow rose in the air and performed the Lightning Claw. At the same time, the Dark Ace performed his own special move. Both used the power they had gained in the performance to levitate. Aerrow's shot missed, but much to his dismay, the Dark Ace's was coming straight on him. The Dark Ace smirked. He had him now.

There was no time to react. The shot struck dead on. Only the power of the Lightning Claw protected Aerrow from the full force of the blow as it knocked him out of the sky, and he felt himself falling. Keeping his head, he deployed his battle glider and soared back to Radarr and the Skimmer. It was then he took a moment to take in what else was happening around him.

He saw two Talons come up behind Piper and Dove. "On our tail," Piper confirmed. "Two of them!"

Before Aerrow could help, Junko intervened. "Leave those creeps to me," he said, flying up from below them and getting in between Piper and Dove and the Talons. Piper turned, and Junko flew in the opposite direction, luring the Talons away with him. When he was sure they were following, he ignited his Knuckle Busters and stopped his Skimmer, holding his arms out on either side of him. The Talons didn't see him stop until it was too late, and each flew into one of Junko's Knuckle Buster-enhanced fists.

Aerrow and Junko shared the same smile of amusement. Junko shut off the Knuckle Busters and grabbed his handles again. "Two down, five to go," he said.

The Storm Hawks now joined in formation again, with Junko in back, Aerrow on starboard, Finn on port, and Piper in the lead. It was the safest way to be, with protection from each other on all but one side.

Aerrow turned around as a shot came up from behind on his vulnerable side, missing him by an inch. He saw the Dark Ace firing his sword at him determinedly. He wasn't planning on losing his target.

Aerrow could have attacked him. In fact, he wanted to. But now was not the time. They had to get back to Terra Gale to help out with the other freed prisoners and get Dove home. They weren't here to win a battle; they were here to escape. And escape they would, Aerrow decided. Coming up with a quick plan, he yelled to the Storm Hawks. "Follow me!" he commanded, pointing his Vulcan toward one of the heavy thunderheads. "We'll lose them in that cloud!" He and Radarr disappeared into it, with Piper and Dove, Finn, and Junko close behind.

The Dark Ace watched them go. "Hide and seek," he said with amusement. "I'll play." After all, he thought, was it not _his_ crystal that had created this storm? He drew back his sword and fired at the cloud, which immediately lit with red lightning that betrayed the silhouettes of the escapees. "I see you," the Dark Ace taunted, although he knew they couldn't hear him. He fired again.

Aerrow turned just in time to see the Dark Ace's shot hit Junko and his Skimmer. Both lit with electrifying red circuits of energy that made Aerrow cringe. Such a blow would have really hurt him. But Junko, being a Wallop, wasn't fazed. As soon as the shock depleted itself, Junko, still a bit silly from the zap, simply said, "Whoa, tingly."

Aerrow was already thinking up another plan. He signaled to his team, holding his fist up and then pointing a finger above them. The others understood the signal immediately, and the Storm Hawks pointed their bows to the sky and ascended vertically, leveling out over the top of the storm clouds.

Aerrow led them to hover above an opening in the clouds where he could see the Talons below, the Dark Ace looking this way and that in frustration at having lost his targets. Aerrow smiled. They were right were they wanted them.

He turned to the rest of his team. "Stand by," he ordered. Finn gave him a thumbs-up before unveiling his chain-retraceable crossbow on his Skimmer, and Piper and Dove nodded, letting Aerrow know they were ready. Junko simply tightened his grip on his handles. Aerrow waited until he knew Finn had lined up the shot and then shouted, "Fire!"

The Storm Hawks dove, charging the Talons. At the same time, Finn fired. His crystal-enhanced bolts struck the Switchblade of the Talon on the Dark Ace's starboard wing. His scream of terror alerted the Talon commander, and he looked up in time to see Finn's bolts coming toward him, and he got out of the way. Finn was feeling full of himself, and he kept shooting, even though the Dark Ace had stopped avoiding them and was simply deflecting them with his sword.

Aerrow saw his chance. The Dark Ace was distracted. Now was the time to attack.

As Finn came in for a mock charge, Aerrow and Radarr fell in line behind him. Once Finn flew out of the way, Aerrow rose into the air and performed his Lightning Claw, shooting the pulse at the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace cried out in surprise as the blow struck his Switchblade and sent it spiraling toward the Wastelands. "Yes!" the girls cheered. Aerrow heard them as the Switchblade dropped, and his chest swelled with pride, sure his move had won them the battle.

To Aerrow's disappointment, the Dark Ace's engine was smoking, but it wasn't totaled. The Dark Ace pulled up on his controls, and the Switchblade leveled out, once again under control. Swinging his sword around, the Ace shot a blow at the irritating pipsqueak that had distracted him.

Finn saw it coming. "Whoa!" he said, but he was not fast enough to react. He was able to move away so that the blow missed him, but it struck his Skimmer.

Finn had his arms crossed in front of him to protect him, and his eyes were closed. When he opened his eyes, he saw the front of his Skimmer fall away from the rest of it . . . again. "Aw, man," he said just the other half of his Skimmer fell out from under him. "No!" he yelled as he fell. This was the end of him, he knew it . . .

BANG! The girls giggled to each other as Piper flew in under Finn, and he landed crotch first on the bow of her Heliscooter, the upper half of him bent over and draping the front of the ride. Pain racked his body, but realizing what an embarrassing position he was in, Finn tried to act cool. "Hey," he told the girls in a pained voice, waving. "How's it goin'?" This only made the girls giggle again.

Aerrow smiled in amusement. It was always Finn.

Junko seemed just as amused as his leader. He flew up underneath the Heliscooter, looking up at his friend. "What ya doin', Finn?" he asked tauntingly.

"Um, maintenance stuff," Finn answered, trying to keep his dignity. He turned around and pointed a finger at the girls, smiling coolly. "It's all good, girls!"

Piper and Dove narrowed their eyes mischievously, and Piper shook her skyride, unbalancing Finn. "Whoa!" Finn yelled as he fell and landed with a huff in Junko's arms. Finn and Junko looked away, Junko laughing nervously. This was an even more embarrassing position than before.

Aerrow's smile grew. He was enjoying every minute of this show!

The lightheartedness of the scene disappeared when the Dark Ace flew up behind Junko's Skimmer and fired at the engine, jumping Aerrow and the others back to reality. The blow sent Finn flying through the air, and he landed on the seat of the Skimmer behind Junko, gripping his shoulders in fright. "Whoa!" the boys yelled as the ride began to fall, its useless engine smoking. The Dark Ace followed, continuing to fire at them as they fell. Fearing for his friends, Aerrow followed.

Finn's heart had jumped to his throat. He leaned forward, gripping tight to Junko's shoulders. "Junko, gotta problem here!" he yelled in the Wallop's ears.

Junko turned around and glared at him. "The crashing problem or the _him_ problem?" he yelled, casting a wild glance at the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace was smiling at his triumphant and about to fire again, when a voice yelled to him, "Hey!"

Aerrow flew by and leaped off his Skimmer, punching the Dark Ace in the cheek and landing on his Switchblade. The Dark Ace grunted in pain and fell, immediately abandoning his chase after Junko and Finn. He sat up glaring at the Sky Knight who struck him when he realized his sword had flow out of his hands. Aerrow and the Dark Ace glanced up when the sword landed on the Switchblade, its blade sinking halfway into the top starboard wing. Seeing it, Aerrow remember now that he didn't have his own blades with him. Without their weapons, it would just be them. Unless, of course, one of them was able to grab the sword . . .

Meanwhile, Finn and Junko were still going down. Finn leaned forward again on Junko. "Come on, Junko," he begged in his ear. "Pull up. Pull up!"

Aerrow would have gone to save them, but he was preoccupied. The Dark Ace pinned him against the seat of the Switchblade. Desperate not to be caught underneath him, Aerrow kicked the Dark Ace off of him, sending him flat on his back on the stern.

The Dark Ace was unfazed. He simply smiled coldly and said as he sat up, "With a little more training, you'd make an excellent Talon."

Aerrow was infuriated by even the thought of such a thing! "I'd rather eat dirt!" he retorted.

The Dark Ace stood and held up a fist. "That can be arranged," he answered coolly.

Aerrow's irritation was pricked again, and he lunged at the Dark Ace. The Talon commander stopped his hands with his own, and they stood pushing on each other in a struggle of power. Aerrow could feel the Dark Ace's strength pushing against his and knew that he couldn't hold this up for long. Physically the Dark Ace was much stronger.

Meanwhile, Finn and Junko were still falling. Junko was pulling up on the Skimmer's handles as hard as he could. "We're gonna make it," Finn was saying over and over. "We're gonna make it!"

Junko must have pulled too hard. The handles separated from the Skimmer, wires and all. As they looked, the two Storm Hawks saw they had cleared the cloud line and were heading for a crash-landing on a small terra much like the Wastelands it rose from, with streams of lava and craggy rock formations. Finn and Junko exchanged terrified looks. "We're gonna die!" they cried in unison.

They both turned at the sound of a whistle to see a very amused Piper and Dove flying beside them. "Are they always this dramatic?" Dove asked Piper with a humored grin.

Piper rolled her eyes. "You have no idea," she answered.

Piper guided her Heliscooter ahead of Junko's Skimmer and Dove threw a safety line at them, its carabineer fastening on the front of the Skimmer. Finn and Junko smiled in relief. With that Piper, turned her Heliscooter skyward and the two boys avoided the crash-landing, merely scrapping the bottom of the Skimmer's hull on one of the rock formations on the terra as they ascended back above the cloud line.

Finn noticed that Dove had turned around and was giggling at them, but he was too relieved to care. He just let his breath out, not knowing he had been holding it, and held tighter to Junko's shoulders, feeling the Wallop wipe his brow.

Above them, Aerrow and the Dark Ace were still fighting on the Dark Ace's Switchblade. Aerrow kicked at the Dark Ace and then switched feet on him, but the Talon blocked his moves and struck out with his fist, knocking Aerrow down.

The Dark Ace saw his chance. He reached for his sword still stuck in his wing and held it out to Aerrow's throat, grinning in his triumph. "Checkmate," he declared confidently. He was about to prove that anyone who got in his way paid the price, even if the charge was little late.

Aerrow tried to think quickly of some line of defense, feeling in his pocket the only thing he had with him thanks to Radarr. He held up a bent wrench threateningly. The Dark Ace only lowered his sword and laughed in amusement.

Aerrow smiled. The Dark Ace had lowered his sword. Aerrow's ridiculous weapon had amused the Dark Ace long enough for him to put his guard down. That was his biggest mistake.

Aerrow leaped forward and stuck wrench in the levers connecting the wings to the Switchblade. The Dark Ace, realizing his mistake, raised his sword and shot a blast at him, but Aerrow back-flipped out of the way and landed feet first on his own Skimmer as Radarr flew by to pick him up.

Aerrow now had a plan, and he knew it couldn't fail. He turned around and smirked at the Dark Ace, daring him to chase. The Dark Ace sat down in the seat of his Switchblade and shot off after him. Perfect! The plan was in action.

Aerrow descended toward the dusty desert terra he had been to before, the one that had the risky Widow's Canyon. The Dark Ace followed without hesitation, shooting at Aerrow as they flew through the first part of the canyon. Aerrow avoided the shots with ease. Radarr was beginning to feel so confident that he turned around and shook his fist at the Dark Ace, only to have to duck to avoid one of his shots. Aerrow's heart was pounding in his ears. If he failed at this, they were both going down, and he knew it.

As they entered the cave of the canyon, Aerrow turned to his copilot. "What do you say, Radarr?" he asked him. "Wanna go two for two?"

Radarr turned determinedly to look at the exit to the canyon in front of him, a light at the end of the tunnel. Before this had seemed like a foolish stunt, but now it could turn out to be the very thing that keeps them alive. In the wake of true danger, Radarr lost all his nervousness, focusing only on what had to be done. He pulled down on the lever beside him, and the wings folded in on the Vulcan as it went through the exit.

The Dark Ace watched them with amusement. "Did you really think," he asked, "you could out-fly _me_?" He pulled up on the right handle of his Switchblade to bring in his wings.

Much to his surprise and annoyance, nothing happened. He pulled again and again and again. At last he remembered and he turned to look at his wing. Stupid kid! His wrench was jamming his wing! He couldn't transform! He stared ahead at the exit, clenching his teeth. If he lived through this, the things he would do to that boy!

Upon impact with the walls of the cave, the Switchblade exploded. "No!" the Dark Ace yelled as he was sent flying out the exit. He saw his sword falling toward him, and with a smile he reached out and grabbed it but shouted in frustration when the Firebolt crystal fell off its handle. "No!" he yelled again. And to think, this was one of the few times he didn't have his battle glider.

It was even more irritating to watch the kid swoop in and catch the Firebolt in his hand. The Dark Ace could simply watch him with hatred and glance over his shoulder at the fast-approaching ground that would soon spell his doom.

Then, much to his embarrassment, another Talon swooped down behind him and grabbed his hand, catching him just before he would have crashed into the ground. "Ha!" he said with delight. "I saved you, boss! I saved—"

The Dark Ace clenched his teeth. _No one_ could _ever _know he needed saving. He leaped at the Talon, pushing him off the Switchblade and listening to him howl in pain and shock as he took the controls of the Talon's Switchblade, bent on ending that kid once and for all. The Talon could only watch his commander fly away as his parachute deployed and caught on a rocky outcropping.

Aerrow smiled as he saw the enraged Dark Ace fly up behind him with his unpowered sword held high. He had him right where he wanted him.

The Dark Ace was about to attack again when he heard a whistle. Looking over at his starboard side, he saw Piper and Dove flying beside, Piper pointing her staff in his direction. Turning the other way, he saw Finn and Junko flying next to him, Finn with his crossbow pointed at him and Junko igniting his Knuckle Busters. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and saw two members of the Rebel Ducks fly up on either side behind him. Then a horn sounded and the Dark Ace watched in disbelief as the _Condor_ surfaced out of the clouds behind the Rebel Ducks. He was surrounded.

Aerrow turned around, grinning. "Now _that_," he said, holding up the Firebolt crystal, "would be checkmate."

The Dark Ace could only snarl at him. "Next time, Storm Hawk," he warned, "you won't be so lucky." He ducked underneath Junko's Skimmer and flew away, abandoning his pursuit.

Aerrow could only grin with anticipation. Next time, he would be waiting.

Once everyone was safe and sound and loaded on the _Condor_, the ship made its way toward Terra Gale. Thanks to the Storm Hawks, the people of Gale had won their freedom.

* * *

"Ho, ho!" Wren exclaimed when he saw everyone the Storm Hawks had brought back with them. "Good work, soldiers!" He gave a small bow gratefully before Aerrow, saying, "I . . . I don't know how to repay you."

Finn, who was standing beside Aerrow, raised his eyebrows hopefully. "Gold works for me," he said before Aerrow could answer.

Aerrow held up his hand in front of Finn to stop him from speaking further. Payment? Aerrow was never expecting that. They didn't need payment. "Uh, seeing Dove safe and Gale liberated is reward enough," he answered, smiling thankfully for the offer.

"Oh," Wren said amusedly while Dove frowned. "What a nice young—"

Dove slammed his pot lid helmet on his head. "Oof!" Wren groaned.

Dove got down by her grandfather's ear and whispered to him. "I think we can find something to give them, Grandpapa," she insisted. Wren tried to say something to argue, but Dove held up a finger to scold him. "Don't be cheap!"

Aerrow saw Piper and Junko exchange amused glances. All of them were quite taken to their fiery new friend.

"Fine," Wren agreed at last. He opened the front of his pot which he wore for armor and rummaged around inside it like it was some deep pocket. "A Windstone!" he proclaimed proudly once he found what he was looking for. Aerrow was interested to see Wren hold up a green crystal. "Purest grade," he told them. "Next time you face those Cyclonian swine," he spit to emphasize his point, "blow them a kiss for me," he said, handing the crystal to Aerrow, "for the resistance."

Aerrow took the crystal and held it up, knowing the significance of the moment. "For the resistance," he repeated solemnly. He was already deciding that he'd give the crystal to Piper for safekeeping. After all, she was the crystal expert among them. She could spend hours tinkering with them in her lab and has the ability to create new crystals, a talent rare at best. He was sure she would enjoy this gift.

His thoughts were broken off when Radarr, who had been standing beside him, heard the coo like that of a dove and turned to see Wren's hen sitting on a box of straw next to a rocking chair. She tapped the rocking chair lightly with her wing, inviting him to sit beside him. Radarr just squeaked and looked at Aerrow to see how he would react.

Aerrow just smiled, amused. "Uh, maybe we oughtta give those two a moment alone," he said, giving Radarr a sly grin.

Radarr looked back at the chicken, who batted her eyelashes invitingly. Radarr only squeaked and ran away to his cockpit on Aerrow's Skimmer, tapping his fingers as if he really didn't care and was impatient to go. Aerrow walked up next to the Vulcan, smiling. He knew better.

At that moment, three Rebel Ducks flew by overhead on their III Air Skimmers. The Sky Knight turned to Aerrow as he flew by and saluted him, thanking him in a way and congratulating him on a job well done. Aerrow saluted in answer, realizing that now, here on Terra Gale, he would be recognized as a hero.

Finn seemed to see the saluting as the finale of the mission. He leaned forward toward Aerrow with Junko at his side. "Now can we go to the beach?" he asked. Hearing him, Junko pushed his shoulder out of the way, nodding and smiling to Aerrow excitedly.

Aerrow smiled. Yeah, now they can go to the beach.

* * *

Author's Notes: And as this episode draws to the end, perhaps Aerrow will give me a break and let me right from someone else's point of view for awhile. However, I'm starting to care a lot less. I've always been good at writing Aerrow's point of view, and even though I like some variety, he kind of grows on you after awhile.

So, until the next part . . . See ya'll! And don't forget to review!


	17. The Code: The Phoenix Crystal

Author's Notes: Guess what? Harrier fans get see their favorite episode! Congratulations, you guys!

* * *

_**Part 4**_

_**The Code**_

_Honor is disgraced, and honor is won. New friends are made, and old enemies are confronted. Power is fought for, and power is lost. Old ways are driven back by the new. Flames rage._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Phoenix Crystal

On the outskirts of a terra high up on one of the peaks in a dark cave covered in skull bones is where Aerrow found himself now, not long after coming back from the trip to Tropica's beautiful beaches. Tiptoeing deeper and deeper into it, he could just barely hear the soft footsteps that told him that Piper and Radarr were still behind him. Radarr stopped for only a moment, resting his hand, but he drew away from the wall hissing with fright when he saw that he had rested it on a long-dead human skull. More frightened then ever, he stepped back in line behind Piper.

As quietly as possible they walked single file, deeper and deeper. Aerrow was looking around, and slowly his heartbeat quieted. He could see nothing here to be truly afraid of.

At some point, a loud crack echoed throughout the cave. Piper stopped fearfully and raised her foot to see if she stepped on something, but finding nothing, she turned around and scowled at Radarr. He was clueless as to why she was silently scolding him until he realized he was standing on a bone he just broke. He stepped back sheepishly. "Radarr, quiet!" Piper told him in a harsh whisper. Radarr swallowed and whimpered. Piper's nervousness had only added to his own.

"Piper," Aerrow whispered as they continued on tiptoe, "why are we whispering?"

Piper sounded exasperated when she held up her hands and whispered back, "Aerrow, this is a phoenix nest. You know what a phoenix is, right?" she asked skeptically, as though she couldn't believe he didn't know.

"Sure," Aerrow answered with a smile, glancing at her from over his shoulder. "It's a birdie."

"It's more than just a bird," Piper said quickly and quietly. "It's a very _big_ bird, and it's usually on fire!"

"Well," Aerrow said, trying to calm her, "it's also not here." He stopped, mouth open wide. There before him was a sight seen by very few. It was a phoenix's nest, a rocky stand with a dip in the middle. In the middle of the nest, Aerrow could see a fiery reddish-orange crystal as he and the others approached it. "Which means," he continued, forgetting to whisper in his triumph, "score one fire-blasting phoenix crystal for the Storm Hawks!"

Aerrow reached forward and picked up the crystal gently, holding it up for Piper to see. He could feel its heat through his glove, not hot enough to hurt bare skin but a comforting heat that made his fingers tingle.

Piper was studying the crystal nervously. "The phoenix and the crystal are linked," she reminded her leader, "so we need to be careful and—"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Aerrow saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was some kind of hook-like object that lashed out at him and grabbed the crystal out of his hand. This grabber, attached to a whip, flew backward and brought the crystal into a person's hand. Aerrow's heartbeat quickened to see a familiar tall, dark figure and hear his evil laugh. "Dark Ace!" he growled.

"Aerrow," the Dark Ace greeted him with a smirk. "So nice to steal from you again."

Neither Aerrow nor the Dark Ace had noticed Radarr seeking up behind the Talon. Now Aerrow heard him growl, and he and the Dark Ace looked down at the Ace's feet to see Radarr grabbing his leg. His jaws clamped down on his shin. The Dark Ace let out a yell of pain, and the crystal went flying out of his hand.

Aerrow watched it in panic. Remembering what Piper had said, he lunged, determined not to disturb the crystal and signal to the phoenix. Diving toward it, he hit the ground on his stomach, the crystal safe in his hand. _Got it!_ he thought.

At first, Aerrow smiled with relief. But then he heard the screech of a bird come from the phoenix crystal as it began to glow brighter. Streams of light erupted from it, forming into the shape of a feathered beak. Aerrow's eyes widened. The phoenix had been summoned. _Uh oh! _Aerrow thought. _Looks like it's waking up!_

Aerrow looked over his shoulder and saw Piper wince as the screech sounded again, this time not from the crystal. She turned around slowly to see what Aerrow could see.

From a hole in the roof of the cave, a gigantic fiery bird descended toward them. Aerrow stood and held the crystal close to him to protect it. The bird stopped and hovered above him, its fiery eyes glaring at Aerrow. The crystal had called the phoenix back. And it didn't look happy. It wanted its crystal back. Now. When nothing happened, it descended even lower, landing right in front of them. The Storm Hawks and the Talon had to shield their eyes from the light of the fire that constantly engulfed it.

Aerrow turned back to it when it screeched again, its cry directed at him. He looked at the crystal, wondering just how much he really wanted it. The phoenix took a threatening step toward him and screeched again. Aerrow could feel himself holding his breath. The heat of the flames penetrated his uniform, and it didn't take much imagination for him to see himself being burned alive on the spot. "You know what?" he said to the Dark Ace. "Maybe you should have this." He threw the crystal to him, and the Dark Ace instinctively caught it.

The phoenix's eyes left Aerrow and focused a glare at the Dark Ace. It screeched again, taking another step forward and another and another. The Dark Ace only smiled at its approached and tossed the crystal to Piper.

The crystal landed in her arms. "Hey!" she protested, holding it out for someone else to take. "Don't give it to me!" The phoenix screeched again, this time stepping toward Piper. Aerrow heard Piper scream at the top of her lungs, and in an instant she was off, the fiery bird's beak just missing her. She didn't even bother looking behind her, but she might as well have said, _Let's get out of here! Come on!_

_I'm right behind you! _Aerrow thought as he turned and ran, seeing her retreat. Being closer to the door, he led the Storm Hawks out, following the Dark Ace. The phoenix chased after them on foot.

Piper was panicking, looking over her shoulder wide-eyed, gaping at the creature, and gasping every time it brought its beak down and snapped at her. She was so terrified that she easily outdistanced Aerrow in her retreat, and she tossed the crystal back toward him as she ran by.

Aerrow saw it fly through the air and reached out and grabbed it, the phoenix hot on his heels. Up ahead of him, the Dark Ace, Piper, and Radarr disappeared into a narrow tunnel just big enough for a human to fit through and certainly too small for a phoenix. If he could make it to it, he might have chance.

The phoenix seemed to realize that, too. Aerrow glanced over his shoulder as it took wing and flew over him, planning on blocking his retreat. Aerrow could feel the sparks on his back as he ducked into the tunnel just before the phoenix landed in front of it. His first reaction was relief, but he didn't slow after he heard the phoenix's cry of outrage.

The walls of rock around Aerrow seemed to be glowing brightly, and Aerrow started sweating, feeling like he was in a big oven. His paced quickened as he realized what was happening. He dashed out of the tunnel behind the others just as the rock exploded from the heat of the phoenix's fiery breath.

They were out of the cave now, out on the ledge where their sky rides were parked. The phoenix had made its way out of the cave and was now descending on them again, targeting Aerrow.

Aerrow saw the Dark Ace mount his Switchblade and gun the engine. He smirked at them as they approached, thinking, _You'll have to run faster than that, Storm Hawks! _He zipped off the ledge and dove without deploying his wings just yet. Even with his wish to taunt Aerrow, he was desperate to escape the phoenix. Aerrow was bent on following his example.

Radarr was already in his cockpit, and Piper was already in her Heliscooter, but she hadn't left yet. Rather she had waited for Aerrow, who wasted no time in mounting his Skimmer with the phoenix's talons only a few feet behind. _Let's get out of here!_ he thought, but he was too frightened and exhausted to say it aloud.

The Dark Ace was still diving, and he looked over his shoulder triumphantly. "I'll collect the crystal from your charred remains," he growled, although he knew they couldn't hear him. And with that, he deployed his wings and flew away, thinking that Aerrow and his Storm Hawks were done for good.

As soon as Piper saw Aerrow safely in the seat of his Vulcan, she gunned the engine and drove off the cliff, Aerrow and Radarr close behind. And just in time, too. The phoenix was gaining on them. It landed right where they had been parked. Once clear of the cliff, they didn't deploy their wings. Rather, following the Dark Ace's example, they dived, the big fiery bird hot on their tails.

Piper looked down toward where they were descending. A lake was down below them. Aerrow could see that, as always, Piper had a plan. She turned to him. "Whatever you do, don't pull up!" she advised.

"_Don't_ pull up?" Aerrow said in disbelief. His heart beat with the thrill of it. "I like it!" he said. He heard Radarr squeak fearfully, and Aerrow hoped he was holding on. The Sky Knight cheered with delight at the feeling of freefalling as they crashed into the lake.

The phoenix pulled away with an annoyed screech as Aerrow and Radarr and Piper disappeared under the water with its crystal. It flew away, seeming to assume there was nothing left to do.

The frogs stopped croaking in the lake as the water vibrated, and Piper drove her Heliscooter out of it, landing in the bushes. Aerrow and Radarr were right behind her.

Aerrow and Piper crashed into each other, tossing Aerrow forward. Aerrow had to admit it hurt but not much. He and Piper coughed up water, and Aerrow could feel bruises developing now, but he thought it was worth it. "That was . . ." he began, only to break into a coughing fit. "Pretty cool," he finished, smiling at Piper.

A whimper somewhere behind him told him that Radarr thought otherwise. He turned to where he lay. Radarr had been thrown clear of the crash, but he had been thrown so hard that he made an imprint in the ground. He pushed himself up with his long ears, swaying with dizziness.

Then Aerrow saw Radarr's ears prick up, and he looked past him to see the phoenix crystal not two yards in front of the little guy. With a squeal, the furry copilot leaped out of the impression and scuttled toward the crystal, only to stop halfway there and chur in confusion when a gloved hand reached down to pick it up.

The hand belonged to a tall, built, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man with a yellow uniform and beautifully crafted armor. "Did you see this?" he asked four people behind him with similar uniforms and armor sitting on classic Air Skimmers as he held the crystal up. "It's exactly what we need."

Aerrow and Piper stepped forward beside Radarr to examine the people intent on taking their crystal. That very fact left Aerrow a little skeptical about their trustworthiness. He studied them closely. All of their hairstyles and armor were old-fashioned, and their Air Skimmers were the classic models, ones with only one set of wings that open manually, much like the Air Skimmer II model's two set of wings. These old models were slow and didn't handle very well when forced to go fast. Their engines were a combination of prop-driven and thruster type. The newer models—the II, III, III EL, and III Ultra—were lighter and faster and had two sets of wings. However, Aerrow knew that the classic's Tundras steel plating and solid frame meant it can withstand fairly heavy fire in comparison to others. But it was still old. Everything about these fellows seemed old.

To add to Aerrow's irritation, they didn't even take notice of him and his squad mates. "Uh, hello?" he said, trying to get their attention.

The man who was obviously in charge looked at him and shrugged. "Allow me a guess," he requested in a very proper British accent. "From your unkempt appearances and appalling skyrides, you must be the children now calling themselves the Storm Hawks."

Aerrow couldn't believe how rude he was. "Who are these guys?" he asked.

Piper didn't seem to share Aerrow's repulsion. She was staring at them in awe. "The Rex Guardians!" she answered Aerrow excitedly.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. The Rex Guardian Sky Knight squadron? _This_ was an honorable Sky Knight squadron?

"Hmm," answered the man in charged, obviously the Sky Knight. "Very good." He bowed before them.

Aerrow saw Piper put a finger to her lip with admiration, and she curtsied, making Radarr chirp in surprise.

Aerrow didn't bow. That gesture of respect was all the respect that the Rex Guardians had shown them so far, and he only respected those who respected him and his friends. "Well," he said to the Sky Knight, putting his hands on his hips, "if you really are a Sky Knight, you'll give us back our crystal." He held his hand out for it. "We nearly got burned to a crisp for that thing."

The Sky Knight gave him a queer look and said, "Hmm." Straightening himself up, he responded, "Then it's clearly much too dangerous to be kept by children." He held the crystal close to him. "It will be taken to Terra Rex."

"Hold on, that's not fair," Aerrow scolded, pointing a finger at them.

At Aerrow's reproach, every Rex Guardian simultaneously pulled out an energy sword consisting of a single long blade powered by a yellow striker crystal. An old design, Aerrow noted.

Aerrow gritted his teeth at the thought of another Sky Knight pulling a blade out on him, and he was relieved to hear the sound of two approaching Skimmers. Finn and Junko were coming for backup. Immediately Aerrow pulled out his blades.

Junko and Finn parked on either side of Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr. "These guys givin' you trouble?" Junko asked Aerrow, casting a glare at the Rex Guardians. He raised his Knuckle Busters and Finn aimed his crossbow. Aerrow held his blades at the ready.

"Wait," Piper said, stepping in between the two parties. "We're all on the same side here. We shouldn't be fighting each other."

"Piper," Aerrow argued, "they snatched our crystal." Then he added quietly under his breath, "And called us children."

"Low blow," Finn commented. And indeed it was. None of the Storm Hawks liked being thought less of for their age, but they all knew that Aerrow was especially guarded about it, and as a Sky Knight, such comments truly hurt his pride.

"The Code is quite clear," the Rex Guardian Sky Knight said to them, looking at the crystal. "The crystal is ours." He turned to them. "If you have a problem with that, you can always issue a challenge."

"Code?" Aerrow asked, trying not to snarl. "What Code?"

The Sky Knight started chuckling. "Huh, what Code!" he mimicked to his squadron, who joined in his laughter. Aerrow narrowed his eyes, feeling that he'd missed something very important, but he was too angry and embarrassed to ask further.

The Sky Knight glanced at him again and saw he wasn't kidding. "They're serious," he said disbelievingly.

That was it! "Okay, fine!" Aerrow said. He stepped up in front of the other Sky Knight, getting right in his face. "I challenge you for the phoenix crystal!"

"Hmm, it shall be so," the other Sky Knight agreed. He smiled warmly in way that suggested he still wasn't taking the Storm Hawks seriously. "Follow us back to our terra." He began to walk away. "Tonight you shall be honored guests," he said. Aerrow glanced behind him and saw Piper smile brightly at this, although he couldn't see why. "Tomorrow," the Sky Knight continued, mounting his Skimmer, "we'll see what kind of squadron you really are."

Aerrow watched them drive away, still bristling with irritation. As soon as they were gone, he turned to his squadron. "Now can someone tell me what this 'Code' is?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh yeah, I liked this one for some reason. I liked the idea of "perfect" Aerrow getting agitated and having wounded pride and not being so perfect! I'm sure some agree. Still, I'll give him this: a lot of fourteen-year-old boys would have acted worse.

You know, I'm really mean to my second favorite character, aren't I? But we all know I still love Aerrow. (Radarr's still better.)

Anyway, review!


	18. The Code: Dinner

Chapter 2: Dinner

Once the Storm Hawks got back to the _Condor_ and the boys had removed their armor, Aerrow had calmed down considerably, and Piper was willing to explain the Code to him and the others while they followed the Rex Guardians back to their terra, Terra Rex.

Piper brought out a blue book with the Storm Hawks symbol on it. The Storm Hawks all gathered on the bridge, and Piper threw the book down on the round table, opening it and flipping through the pages with Aerrow, Radarr, and Junko watching her curiously while Finn and Stork stood at the controls.

Piper stopped and began to skim the page with two fingers. "The very first Sky Knight was a Rex Guardian," she read, "and the Code is their ancient set of rules and rituals." She stopped reading and turned to Aerrow. "No one's changed a word in, like, 500 years!" She held her hands out to express her point.

Stork turned around as she said it, cringing. "And, uh, they seem a little," his eye twitched, "_up tight_."

Aerrow looked out the window to see what gave Stork that impression, seeing as the pilot hadn't actually met the squadron. The Rex Guardians flew in a V formation with the Sky Knight, Harrier, at the head, sitting up tall with his chin up and his sword held vertically. Then they banked a turn toward Terra Rex and flew perfectly in single file.

Aerrow had never subjected his squadron to such order and discipline. He had always considered such formality unnecessary and only a practice of the Sky Knight's discipline over his squadron. Aerrow allowed his friends' respect and trust in him to be his discipline, never truly enforcing his authority.

"We could probably learn a lot from them," Piper insisted, as though she could read his thoughts. Aerrow was skeptical of that, and he could tell Radarr was, too, as the little guy picked his nose in boredom. But Piper didn't seem to notice, and she continued talking. "They have class, discipline, well-maintained gear . . ."

As though to prove her point, Junko, who was watching and listening, leaned back on one of the _Condor's_ pipes, and it broke under his weight, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Besides all that," Aerrow argued, "uh, what do these guys have that we don't?" After all, he thought, they can't be that great. The whole point of being a Sky Knight squadron is to do what's right and fair. Aerrow was pretty sure that taking another squadron's crystal was neither.

Finn looked out the window and answered his question. "How 'bout a landing strip full of screaming fans?"

Aerrow looked out the window. Sure enough, their landing strip was the color of gold and in the middle of a stadium. The Rex Guardians landed the on the landing strip, and the Storm Hawks followed their example with the _Condor_. The Storm Hawks, minus Stork, got out.

Aerrow looked around. Lots of people were holding up pictures of the Rex Guardian symbol, a swan, as well as pictures of Harrier. Many fan girls surrounded the Sky Knight. Harrier smiled like a movie star and began signing autographs.

Now that was one thing that Aerrow would admit the Rex Guardians had over them. "Wow!" he said. Piper turned and smiled to hear him finally seeing it her way. "I mean," Aerrow said again, smiling at Piper, "wow!"

"Yeah," Piper agreed, watching the Rex Guardians again.

They watched as Harrier began putting his autograph on a look-a-like doll. "They got action figures," Finn noted as he leaned on the _Condor's_ wheel. He frowned. "Why don't _we_ have action figures?" he grumbled indignantly.

Piper huffed at his impudence but smiled when she saw Harrier approaching them. "This way," the Sky Knight said, placing his hands on his hips and smiling invitingly. "I hope you're hungry."

Piper put a finger to her lip. She had a feeling this would be an exquisite dinner.

* * *

Night eventually descended on Terra Rex, and the Rex Guardians and their squire gathered in the dinner hall. The table was draped in a white table cloth with a red, gold-bordered banner running down the middle of it, and the table was set with cups, plates, utensils, bowls of soup, and candles. There was room for five on each side, so there was enough room at the table so the Sky Knights did not have to sit on the end, where the authority normally sits. Harrier preferred to be equal to his squadron, and he had a feeling that Aerrow felt even more strongly about equality than he did. (They didn't bother to give Radarr a chair, thinking of him as a pet.)

The squire, who would not be dining with the Sky Knight squadrons, took his place at the door as a guard and assistant. The Rex Guardians all went to one side of the table, pulled out their chairs, and stood waiting for their guests. Harrier, although not taking the end, was still given a seat of authority and was put in the middle of the table.

Harrier turned solemnly when he heard a crash come from the hallway, seeming as if he expected no different. "The Storm Hawks," the squire announced.

Laughter drifted from the open door into the room as Aerrow walked in. The laughter came from Finn, Junko, and Radarr, who ran on ahead. As Piper and Stork followed Aerrow in, Piper hid her face in embarrassment at the lack of their civility. "You guys," she groaned.

The Storm Hawks were seated in seconds, not taking any regard that the Rex Guardians were still standing. Junko waited expectantly for the food; Finn sat down next to him and held up one of his glasses, marveling at its beauty; Aerrow simply looked around and smiled, taking a seat in front of Harrier to be on equal level with his fellow Sky Knight; Stork sat at the end, fingering the plate suspiciously; and Radarr popped up between Piper and Stork, knocking down one of the forks. Piper sat down where she felt less surrounded by idiots—between Aerrow and Stork—and shrugged at the Rex Guardians, smiling apologetically for their behavior. She hoped they'd straighten out soon.

"Glad to see you've dressed up for the occasion," Harrier said, taking note of the boys' armor, but Piper could see he was not impressed that they came in their everyday uniforms. The Rex Guardians had come in their everyday uniforms, but that was different because they had _nice_ uniforms.

Harrier continued on with certain suaveness. He clapped his hands and commanded, "Let the feast begin!"

As the Rex Guardians took their seats, Piper smiled with delight to see the chef come in wheeling a cart covered in a white table cloth with a covered tray on it and bowls surrounding it. His assistant followed with a white cloth on his arm. Piper couldn't believe it. They had their own chef! My, that beats having to do all the cooking for the boys!

She noticed with disgust that Finn was sticking one of his spoons to his nose when the cart pulled up next to him. He dropped the spoon and waited with a hungry look in his eye for them to place a bowl of soup in front of him. Licking his chops, Piper was embarrassed to see him pick up the bowl in front of all the Rex Guardians and start drinking it. "Finn," she asked with a scowl, "wouldn't you like to use a _spoon_?" She waved hers at him to get the message across.

Finn took the bowl away from his lips and looked at the dozen utensils on either side of him. "Which one?" he asked.

Piper felt herself growing pink. She smiled sheepishly at Harrier, who only grunted in disapproval.

Piper heard snuffling and looked to her left. Stork had leaned forward and was sniffing the soup. Grimacing with disgust, he pushed the bowl away. Piper shook her head. Didn't he know how rude it was to turn down a host's food?

On the other end of the table, she saw Junko use his spoon to drink from his cup. "Mmm," he said with delight. "Lemony!"

"It's for your fingers," the cook's assistant corrected him.

"_Oh_," Junko said. He put down his spoon, dipped his three fingers in his cup, and sucked each finger with loud slurping sounds. The cook's assistant covered his face. Piper was absolutely horrified.

Things got worse when the chicken was set out in the middle of the table. Before Piper could stop him, Radarr had leaped out and attacked it, pulling with all his might at one of the legs. It popped off, and Radarr fell back across the table with a crash. Piper could only cover her face in mortification.

Having knocked over two unlit candles and a cup and having fallen off the table, Radarr was fine. He stood up and held up his chicken leg triumphantly before finishing it in one bite and then stealing one of the Rex Guardian's glasses. He drained the glass and set it down with a clank, following it up with a burp. "Humph," Harrier said quietly and distastefully. Piper just wanted to disappear as Harrier shot a glare at her Sky Knight.

At least Aerrow hasn't done anything, Piper thought. He ate his soup right and drank out of his cup like a normal person. And then he had to go and ruin it by not disciplining Radarr and shrugging and making the excuse of, "Yeah, Radarr's a handful sometimes, but what're you gonna do?"

"Die of embarrassment?" Piper suggested quietly to herself, slapping her face. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

The next day, the Storm Hawks were driving toward the stadium to meet the Rex Guardians for their challenge. Surprisingly enough, Stork, not having a skyride of his own, agreed to ride with Finn. He normally rode with Piper, but she wasn't in a good mood right now. Aerrow noticed as they drove down the forested lane that Piper drove ahead of them, and when they would catch up with her, she hung back. Whenever he looked at her, she was staring ahead with her jaw clenched, looking as if she could have punched someone in the face.

Aerrow could guess very easily what was upsetting her. He wasn't exactly proud of the way most of his squadron had behaved in front of the Rex Guardians. But he didn't think it was _that_ big of deal. He had to get Piper to shrug it off. They could only win the challenge if they worked as a team. Besides, Aerrow hated to see Piper upset.

Aerrow and Radarr drove up beside Piper. She glared ahead, not bothering to look at them. "Okay," Aerrow began, "dinner last night didn't go so well."

"Didn't go so well?" Piper retorted. She scowled at him. "Try complete and total disaster! And that poor squire!" she added, turning around to scold Junko.

"What?" Junko said innocently, waving his hand to get his point across. "I thought he was choking."

Aerrow snorted in amusement. He'd actually found the spectacle of Junko holding the squire and punching him in the stomach rather humorous. Seeing the look Piper gave him, he looked back at her and said, "Forget it." He looked ahead of him as they neared the stadium. "What matters now is winning this challenge. Just 'cause they got fans and shiny armor and fancy rides doesn't mean they're any better than us."

He said this just as the Storm Hawks made their way through the entrance of the arena, a castle-like structure with a row of yellow flags across its top and the Rex Guardian's symbol over the archway. When they entered the arena, the Storm Hawks drew up their sky rides quickly and stared wide-eyed at what was around them. Aerrow and Piper, the two Storm Hawks who were the _least_ likely to be intimidated, looked around with jaws wide open in amazement.

In the middle of the arena were two stands, a small one holding the phoenix crystal and a large stand with five red flags on it, meant for the judges. The Rex Guardians stood in between the two stands, standing up proud and tall and waving to the cheering crowd. And what a crowd it was! The stadium was packed without a seat left! The din was almost unbearable with cheering and rhythmic clapping and stomping. _Clap, clap, stomp! Clap, clap, stomp! Clap, clap, stomp!_ Aerrow's ears were ringing from the noise.

Aerrow simply narrowed his eyes and smiled. He could see there was a good challenge here, and he couldn't wait to compete. The excitement in the stadium affected him, and he felt a thrill go up his spine and was suddenly impatient and ready for the challenge to begin. Looking around at his squadron, though, he saw they all had a different opinion.

Junko stared with one raised eyebrow. Piper cringed and glanced toward her leader for confidence. Radarr hid in his cockpit. Stork's jaw was hanging open and then shut with a snap, and he didn't unclench his teeth. Finn pretty much summed up how they all felt when he said, "We're so gonna lose."

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I just had to do the dinner with the Rex Guardians from Piper's point of view. And the description of the dinner was challenging, but so much fun!

Why yes, you may have noticed that I believe that the rules of the Code seem to be mostly for the display of the Sky Knight's authority. And, you know, if you have an unruly squadron that doesn't have faith in their Sky Knight, this disciplining system is very useful. But the Storm Hawks don't need that. They'd follow Aerrow to the ends of the Atmos! So of course, to _some of them_ it looks a little ridiculous. But to those who _like_ discipline and feel it's _necessary _(cough, Piper, cough) it looks pretty cool.

Yeah, I'm trying not to be too caught up in my opinions, but passion is a big part of writing! For me, anyway. So, if you have a different view of the Code, review and tell me. If not, review anyway!


	19. The Code: The Challenge

Chapter 3: The Challenge

The clapping and stomping continued as the two Sky Knight squadrons lined up between the two stands, facing each other with the Sky Knights in the middle of the lines across from each other. At the sound of a trumpet, three judges wearing long traditional robes walked up to the front of the judges' stand. They were wrinkled old men with an almost snobbish properness that reminded Aerrow of the members of the Sky Knight Council. The one in the middle, whose feather sticking up from the front of his cap marked him to be the head judge, eyed the Sky Knight squadrons, and holding out his hands, he said, "Sky Knights, prepare your squadrons for the first event." He held a finger in the air to emphasis "first." The crowd cheered as he did.

One of the Rex Guardians quickly grabbed his Skimmer and was in the air in a blink of an eye as the trumpet announced the beginning of the first event. He smiled and waved to the crowd as they cheered at him. Aerrow frowned. What was he doing?

The Rex Guardian's engine began to admit controlled white smoke as he began to fly around in a distinct pattern, the smoke making white clouds behind him. "The first event," the head judge was saying as he smiled and watched the Rex Guardian fly, "demonstrates grace and control. It is the noble art of skywriting."

Aerrow didn't see what was so great about skywriting. It did you no good in battle. Looking around at his squadron, he saw they all agreed with him except for Piper, who was staring at the Rex Guardian with admiration. Finn summed up how the rest of them felt when he rolled his eyes and said, "_Lame!_"

The Rex Guardian finished his design, and he flew out of the way of the crowd's view. The image, Aerrow saw, was that of a swan with its neck bent regally and its wings outstretched in flight. He had to admit it was pretty impressive, but he still didn't see the point of it.

The judges liked it, though. "The Rex Guardians earn the full ten points!" the head judge announced. He put his hands on his hips and smiled at the squadron. "Well done," he congratulated.

Seeing as the Sky Knight wasn't supposed to participate in this event, the Storm Hawks picked their second best Skimmer flyer to compete. The crowd was still cheering to the waving Rex Guardian when Finn flew by him, his engine admitting purplish smoke. Aerrow glanced at Harrier and saw him frowning as Finn did his work on the swan, adding his own details.

Harrier wasn't the only one to disapprove. The crowd gasped, and as Finn finished and drew away, the judges scowled. The swan now had a purplish crest and tail feathers and was breathing purplish fire.

Aerrow simply gave a cocky smile. He kind of liked it. It relieved him to turn to Piper beside him and see that she also thought it was a good show.

The crowd simply gasped again, and Aerrow began to fear their response, which could have definite influence on the judges. To his relief, he saw one little boy start to applaud and before long half the crowd joined him along with a couple cheers of approval.

Finn landed, sliding to a screeching stop and raising his hand to the cheering crowd. He brushed off his uniform with confidence and said to the judges, "On a scale of one to ten, I think that's an awesome!" He pointed his pistol fingers at them and wiggled his eyebrows cockily.

The judges, however, looked less than amused. "The score for the _Storm_ _Hawks_," the head judge said distastefully with his hands on his hips. He leaned forward and rested his hands on the front of the stand, shouting, "Minus fifty-two points!"

Finn stopped waving to the crowd and stared at him in shock. "What?"

The head judge explained. "You have been penalized for failing to salute, _and_," he said, gesturing toward the cloud swan, "defacing the noble symbol of our terra." Aerrow saw Piper frown and knew this couldn't be good.

"Come on," Finn argued. "It's totally an improvement. That swan rocks!"

The judges turned away scowling, and it was clear the matter was closed for discussion. "Forget it, Finn," Aerrow told his sharpshooter, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You did great. We'll make up the points in the next event," he assured.

Trumpets sounded to signify the beginning of the next event. "A pilot is only as good as their ride," the head judge introduced. "He or she must know it inside and out."

From the sound of it, Aerrow figured that Stork was the perfect member for this, and he sent him out in front of a pile of scrap metal with a Rex Guardian who also stood in front of a pile of scrap metal. "The first competitor to assemble a working ride from these spare parts will earn 20 points," the head judge explained.

As the crowd began to cheer, Stork looked around nervously. "You can do it, Stork!" Junko cheered him.

"Better win, dude," Finn said, pointing a pistol finger at him.

As the timer started, the Rex Guardian simply snapped his fingers, and a team of workers began to assemble the parts for him. Even so, just as they were getting started, they heard an engine roar. The Rex Guardian and his helpers looked over toward Stork in surprise. Aerrow simply smiled.

Stork had his ride assembled. It was a helicopter/motorcycle cross with three headlights and six tail pipes. Its engine gave deafening roar as Stork applied the throttle by twisting the handle. Scowling at the loud noise, the judges turned to see his assembled ride. "This may look like a normal converter," Stork told them, holding up a finger, "but it's also a sonic scrambler." He gunned the engine again, and the judges covered their ears while the crowd cheered approvingly.

The head judge gestured toward Stork. "The Storm Hawk," he said with a scowl, "clearly assembled the vehicle in the faster time."

"Finally," Aerrow said, exasperated. It was nice to be given credit for good work.

"Wait for it," Finn warned.

"But—" the head judge began.

Aerrow saw Finn give him a look that said, _I told you so._

"—your modifications are completely unauthorized, _and_," the head judge said to Stork, pointing at him, "you failed to wash your hands before and after the job!"

Stork was taken aback. He studied his hands. Were they that dirty?

Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw Piper frown, and he sensed what was coming.

"Disqualified!" the head judge shouted.

That did it. Aerrow held up a finger. "I have an objection!" he shouted defiantly. He stared down the judges, ignoring Harrier's glare. "None of this stuff would work in the real world. The Cyclonians would wipe the skies with us if we acted like this!"

"The Cyclonians may 'wipe the sky' with you," Harrier retorted, "but they wouldn't dare tangle with us. Even those brutes have honor."

Aerrow couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Honor?" he said. "Have you _met_ the Cyclonians?"

"Enough!" the head judge shouted to the two arguing Sky Knights. "The event goes to the Guardians!" He gestured toward the squadron, smiling in congratulations.

The Rex Guardians stood up tall and proud until the crowd started to boo. Harrier looked around in surprise. "I don't understand," he said. "The Storm Hawks are making a mockery of the Code. Why do they jeer?"

"Hey," Junko pointed out to him, holding out his hands, "at least we're putting on a good show."

"The next event," the head judge announced, "the traditional fighting technique of sky-fu." He gestured toward two stands that were set out, almost like those found for acrobats in a circus. Aerrow was fairly good at sky-fu, but a proper technique he never learned. The moves he used were simply any to keep him alive. Besides, it wasn't the Sky Knight's event. That is why he watched Piper take a stand across from the one female member of the Rex Guardians. Aerrow was surprised to see her dressed in a similar uniform to that of the Rex Guardian.

The trumpet sounded at the beginning of this event, and the Rex Guardian waved to the cheering crowd. She and Piper turned to face the judges. "Begin!" the head judge commanded. Piper and the Guardian put their hands together and bowed respectfully as a gong sounded. And then they started.

Aerrow watched with amazement as Piper and the Rex Guardian kept in time with each other in their moves. They took a fighting stance and kicked. They spun on their feet with one leg stretched out in front of them before pummeling the air with punches. They kicked and struck downward with their fists. It was one of the most intricate and beautiful things Aerrow had ever seen.

"Where'd she learn that?" he heard Finn ask him, his eyebrow raised. Aerrow didn't answer. He just kept his hand on his chin, watching Piper with narrowed eyes and a smile on his face, wondering the same thing. He could easily do what she was doing and keep it just as accurate, but there was no way he could perform it the way she was.

The girls continued their routine, punching and kneeing the air in synch. The Rex Guardian was painfully silent, but Piper grunted with almost every offensive blow to add power to her move. Then the two girls faced each other. They ran to the end of their stands and turned sideways. Their feet connected. They ran vertically into the air, their feet pushing off of the other person's feet. And then they flipped, tumbled through the air, and landed on their feet back on the stand in fighter's stance. Trying to psych her out, Piper winked at the Rex Guardian, who blinked in surprise.

Aerrow could only stare at Piper in awe. That was absolutely amazing.

The crowd was clapping and cheering, and the judges were smiling. "Each of you performed to perfection," the head judge said to the sky-fu competitors. He clasped his hands. "The event is a draw."

Aerrow saw Piper turn to the Rex Guardian waving to the crowd. Her eyes narrowed, and Aerrow knew she was on to something.

And indeed she was. Piper's eye caught sight of the Rex Guardian's jacket clasp that had the swan symbol etched into it. "Wait a minute," she called to the judges. The head judge turned to her in surprise. Piper held up a finger. "According to Lysander's wardrobe decree, section four, jacket clasps must be gold in color." She gestured toward her own as an example and then toward the Rex Guardian's. "Hers are silver."

The head judge looked toward the Rex Guardian and saw the silver clasp gleam in the sunlight. "Uh, it appears she is correct," he amended almost regretfully. "The Rex Guardian is disqualified."

Harrier's eyes widened in shock. "What?" he said. "But that's…that's…"

"A taste of your own medicine?" Piper suggested, giving him a cocky smile.

The Storm Hawks cheered her. Harrier just rolled his eyes.

"For the last event," the head judge announced, "the Sky Knight duel."

Aerrow retrieved his Skimmer and mounted it when Piper and Stork approached him. "Even though we've lost every event so far, except _mine_," Piper said, smiling proudly, "we can still win the challenge."

"Yeah," Stork agreed. "With minus thirty-two points, all you have to do is win before this runs out." He held up a little hourglass.

"Right," Aerrow said, taking a deep breath. "I can do this. No problem."

He glanced over at Harrier. The other Sky Knight had his Skimmer pulled up next to Aerrow's, and in his hand he held a long lance which he ignited with the power of a yellow striker crystal. Aerrow thought about a similar lance that had been given him for this challenge, which he had put in the back of his Vulcan for the moment being. Thinking of having to fight with the long, heavy weapon made him wish Radarr could fly with him. But this was Sky Knights only.

Harrier noticed Aerrow looking at him, and his eyes met his. It was time. "Go get 'em, Aerrow!" Piper urged.

Aerrow leaned forward and gunned his engine. Drawing forth the lance, he held it vertically as he drove down the landing strip and took to the skies, Harrier on his tail. Piper smiled confidently as Aerrow took off. There was no way they could loose this challenge, she thought. Not when it all hinged on Aerrow. He could do anything!

Aerrow turned to charge Harrier, his lance still held up straight. Yet as he charged, he couldn't help but feel that the weapon was wrong. It didn't feel right in his hands, and he knew he couldn't use it. With a grunt, he flung it behind him.

Harrier huffed. "What is he doing?" he wondered aloud in frustration.

Aerrow continued his charge, glaring at Harrier. Harrier returned to the attack and the glare. Thinking this was enough, he shot a blast from his lance at Aerrow's Skimmer. Aerrow avoided it easily with a spin. Harrier blinked in surprise as his Skimmer zoomed overhead. The next thing he knew, Aerrow was on his starboard wing with his twin energy blades drawn, the left one pointing toward Harrier.

Harrier's first reaction was to cry out in surprise. As soon as he caught his senses, he was outraged, and he glowered at Aerrow, who simply cast him a cocky smile. Following Aerrow's example, Harrier threw away his lance, leaped out of the driver's seat, and pulled out his sword from its sheath on his back. He landed on the port wing in a warrior's stance.

Aerrow stood up straight and spun his blades, sizing Harrier up, painfully aware that his time was running out.

It was Harrier who made the first move. Furious with Aerrow's insult to the Code, he struck out with his sword with the goal of actually hitting him with it. Aerrow simply deflected it. Harrier went again and again. Each time Aerrow met his attack.

Down on the ground, Piper, Stork, and Radarr were watching worriedly, glancing every now and then to the hourglass in Stork's hand. They were running out of time.

Harrier was still striking and Aerrow still blocking. Finally with a roar Harrier's sword came down on Aerrow straight on, and it was only Aerrow's blades interlocking with it that kept the ignited blade off his head. With a yell, Aerrow shoved him back, thinking the blow was much too close for comfort.

He saw Harrier pull back to strike again, and it gave him an idea. When the sword came at him, he didn't block it; he avoided it. The sword came down on the Skimmer's controls. The engine stopped, and the propellers failed. Aerrow could hear the wind whistling through his ears and felt the nose of the Skimmer start to dip. They were going down. The crowd gasped in fear as the two Sky Knights headed in for a crash landing.

Quickly Aerrow jumped off the Skimmer, grabbing Harrier. Piper, Stork, and Radarr stared in stunned silence and heart-pounding panic as Aerrow and Harrier hurtled toward the ground. Harrier was screaming with fright.

But Aerrow had planned for this. He deployed his battle glider, trying to right himself so the wings could catch the current, but the combined weight of he and Harrier was too much for the wings. They were still falling. All the glider had done was slow their fall and helped Aerrow to control where they crashed.

Aerrow swooped in on the landing strip. As they got dangerously close to the ground, he banked, causing the port wing of his glider to scrape along the ground and take the main impact from the fall. Then the wing caught itself and sent the two Sky Knights forward into a cloud of dust.

Piper, Stork, and Radarr watched anxiously, fearful that someone had been hurt, but the dust cleared to reveal Harrier lying on the ground with his hand over his heart, seemingly unharmed. He tried to lift himself up off the ground, but suddenly Aerrow was standing over him with his blade to the Rex Guardian's throat.

Harrier looked around, and Aerrow waited for him to see there was no way out. "I . . ." Harrier said, "I yield."

Aerrow smiled and glanced over to see a grinning Stork watching the last piece of sand fall to the bottom of the hourglass. Aerrow had won the challenge without a second to spare.

The Storm Hawks cheered in triumph. "He did it!" Piper shouted. As if she had any doubt.

"We win!" Junko reminded them, flexing his muscles.

Yes, Aerrow thought. They had won. Now there should be no conflict between them and the Rex Guardians. He sheathed his blades and offered his hand to help Harrier to his feet.

Harrier only scowled at him and knocked his hand away as he stood up. "That was the most flagrant disrespect for the Code I'd ever seen!" He marched up to the judges' stand with a confused Aerrow close behind. "He abandoned his ride, and he's not even wearing regulation dueling armor!" he reminded the judge, gesturing toward Aerrow.

The judges looked a bit torn on this. They turned around and held a conference. Harrier scowled at Aerrow threateningly. Not one to take threats lightly, Aerrow returned it, waiting anxiously for the judges to make their verdict. This will be the difference between winning and losing the challenge.

"We agree," the head judge said at last. "Although Aerrow won the duel, we penalize him by ten seconds. The Rex Guardians have won the challenge! The phoenix crystal is theirs!"

Aerrow could only stare in surprise. What kind of fairness was that? In every event the Storm Hawks had been equal, if not superior, to the Rex Guardians and yet simply because they had not followed the rules perfectly, they lost.

He watched in irritation as Harrier took the phoenix crystal from the stand. The crowd began to boo. Harrier looked around at the crowd, frustrated and not understanding their disapproval. "You should be cheering!" he shouted to them. "I am your Sky Knight! I am your protector!"

Aerrow watched him with a raised eyebrow and felt more than saw Piper's presence beside him, seeing her put her hand on her hip.

"I am one," Harrier continued, holding up the phoenix stone, "who has guaranteed your safety for generations to come!"

What? Aerrow turned to Piper. "What's he talking about?" he asked her quietly.

"Dark Ace," Harrier called.

Aerrow and Piper turned at the sound of an engine from another skyride entering the arena. A Talon Switchblade Elite. It drove past Finn and Junko, raising a cloud of dust. As the dust settled, a tall dark figure appeared out of the clouds of dust, walking toward Harrier. Aerrow's pulse quickened. The Dark Ace was here.

The Dark Ace approached Harrier and stopped in front of him. To Aerrow's shock and enragement, Harrier held out the crystal to the Talon. "Accept this crystal," Harrier said, "to affirm our peace."

"Don't mind if I do," the Dark Ace said, taking the crystal in his hand. He turned to Aerrow and smirked at him, almost daring the young Sky Knight to do something. Then, looking fondly at the phoenix crystal, he slipped it into the bag on his hip.

Aerrow couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing. "You made a deal with the Dark Ace?" he said to Harrier. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I know exactly what I'm doing!" Harrier retorted, pointing at Aerrow. "I'm ensuring that the Cyclonians will never threaten Terra Rex!"

"That's the Dark Ace!" Piper reminded Harrier. "He doesn't do deals!"

"He gave his word," Harrier insisted. "He is honor-bound."

The Dark Ace could only smirk at this. He laid a hand on Harrier's shoulder, preparing to each him a lesson. "Honor is overrated," he said. Harrier turned to him and blinked in surprise. "The Cyclonian invasion force is preparing as we speak," the Dark Ace explained.

He drew back his fist and punched Harrier a good three feet in front of him. The crowd let out a gasp. Aerrow's eyes never left the Dark Ace as the Talon mounted his Switchblade, smirked at him, and said, "Thanks for the rock, Aerrow."

Aerrow glared at him and watched him take to the skies. _No need to thank me, _Aerrow thought, _because you won't be keeping it!_

* * *

Author's Notes: Uh, oh. The Dark Ace is back! "Aerrow" plus "Dark Ace" spells "trouble"!

Hmm, personally I think it's very important to obey the rules in a competition, so Aerrow and _most_ of the Storm Hawks were in the wrong. However, I still consider them innocent because they were never taught the rules, except Piper of course. If the judges were truly on top of things, then perhaps they would have thought to read the regulations so that they would give the Storm Hawks no excuse for not following them. You have to make sure everyone knows the rules before you can scold them for not following them. Eh, that's just me.

Now, do I see reviewers? Yes, I think I do! Oh, hey wait, where are you going? What do you mean I _don't_ see reviewers? I'm not blind, am I? Please review and tell me I'm not blind! (Talk about the story, too. That's kind of the point of reviewing.)


	20. The Code: Phoenix Duel

Chapter 4: Phoenix Duel

Aerrow ran toward his Skimmer, his squadron behind him. "Come on, guys," he urged them. "We've gotta stop 'em!" They could not let the Dark Ace escape with the phoenix crystal!

They were almost to their sky rides when two Rex Guardians blocked them, igniting their swords threateningly. "Aw, come on!" Aerrow shouted at them angrily. "He's gettin' away!"

Harrier mounted his Skimmer. "This is our battle!" he told them.

Piper pointed a finger at him, eyes narrowed. "You don't know who you're dealing with," she said.

"Quiet!" Harrier shouted at her. His glare turned to Aerrow. "You're about to see how a _real_ Sky Knight does battle!" He gunned his engines and took to the skies with his squadron behind him.

Finn and Junko only smiled cockily as they flew away. "Those guys are gonna get smacked down so hard!" Finn predicted. Junko nodded. Aerrow knew it, too, but right now, he didn't think it was funny.

The Dark Ace was cruising through the skies when two pulses of yellow crystal energy just missed his head. He turned around and saw the Rex Guardians coming after him. "Bad decision," he growled. He brought his Switchblade about, looking at Harrier's clenched teeth. Then he sized up the rest of the squadron. "Only five of you?" he commented with a smirk. "I better go easy."

The Dark Ace charged the Rex Guardians, flying over them and turning his Switchblade upside down with his ignited sword held out. The blade cut off one of the Guardian's wings, and he fell from his ride, deploying his parachute. The Dark Ace couldn't believe that they were stupid enough to fly rides with only two wings! "Where'd you find your rides?" he called over his shoulder with amusement. "A museum?"

"Guardians," Harrier called to his squadron, "fight with honor!"

The Dark Ace turned around and came back. Just as the Rex Guardians were banking a turn, the Talon zoomed by with his sword held out, and it cut off another wing from one of the Rex Guardian's rides and sent another Rex Guardian parachuting down to the terra below. He came back and, using the blades on his wings, he sliced another Skimmer in half. Another Rex Guardian was sent parachuting. The crowd gasped as the Dark Ace swooped in and shot off the wing of one of the two remaining Rex Guardians, and another parachute was deployed. The Dark Ace smirked. It was now just him and the Sky Knight.

Down on the ground, the Storm Hawks and their guards were watching with despair, Aerrow prickling with irritation at being unable to help. "I almost feel bad for them," Finn commented.

"You gotta let us up there," Piper told the Rex Guardians who guarded their rides.

"Come on," Aerrow added. "Look around! The Dark Ace just took out four of your squad without breaking a sweat. You think he's going to have trouble taking down Harrier?"

The Rex Guardians shrugged, and their eyes widened in realization. They watched one of their men parachuting down into the arena and seemed to be contemplating letting the Storm Hawks go. At least, that's what Aerrow hoped they were doing.

Harrier and the Dark Ace were charging each other. Harrier held out his sword as the Dark Ace spun over him, and their blades connected. They circled again. Harrier was furious to see someone fight an opponent so unfairly. "Those who fight with honor will always prevail!" he shouted at the Talon.

"Times have changed," the Dark Ace told him calmly as he drew back his sword. Swinging it back, he fired at Harrier's Skimmer, wrecking it with one blow. The force sent Harrier into the air, where he deployed his parachute. The Dark Ace couldn't have another Sky Knight being problematic in the future, so he swooped in and cut the ropes on the parachute. "Enjoy the ride!" he called to Harrier as he flew away.

Harrier screamed as he began to fall face first toward the terra. The audience gasped. Harrier was too scared to be aware of anything. No, this couldn't happen. He was the honorable one, the hero! Heroes don't die, not without success!

Just then, he landed on something hard and heard the audience start to clap and cheer. Lifting his head and shaking away his new headache, he found himself on the port wing of a biplane. Looking toward the driver's seat, he saw Aerrow smile at him and noticed Radarr in the cockpit. Behind them, the other Storm Hawks followed.

Harrier couldn't believe they thought they had the nerve to stop his heroics. "How dare you interfere with my duel!" he shouted at Aerrow.

Aerrow shrugged. "Ground's right there if you wanna get off," he answered.

Harrier looked down toward the ground, hearing some people in the crowd gasping and screaming. Down below, the Dark Ace was shooting at the Rex Guardians, who were scattered on the ground without skyrides and unable to defend themselves. The Dark Ace, he saw, was looking to kill.

He turned back to Aerrow, still clutching the wing. "Very well," he said at last. "We might require some _small_ assistance."

Aerrow smiled. He knew it. He looked back toward Radarr, and Radarr leaped onto the wing and stuck a parachute pack on Harrier's back, deploying it for him. With a yell of surprise and fright, Harrier's parachute caught then wind and sent him off the wing and down toward the stadium.

Aerrow looked down and saw the judges scowling with lack of confidence. It was time to show those guys what the Storm Hawks could do! The Storm Hawks charged the Dark Ace, getting on his tail.

The Dark Ace turned about. _Well, well,_ he thought. _Reinforcements. Hardly a match for me!_

"Here he comes," Junko warned. As he got closer, the Storm Hawks scattered and split up, leaving Junko to face the Dark Ace head on while the others circled around him.

The Dark Ace shot at Junko's Skimmer, sending his bottom starboard wing flying. Junko was relieved to see it was only one, but then the Dark Ace fired four more shots at him. Luckily all missed . . . except for one, which shot off his other bottom wing. The force made the top wings pop off. Junko gasped and thought, _No! Not the wings! _He grabbed either wing, only to feel the rest of his Skimmer fall out from under him. "Whoa!" he shouted as he began to fall. He flapped the wings furiously, and miraculously they kept him in the air. _Hey! _he thought. _I'm flying!_

Seeing Junko down, Finn flipped and headed for the Dark Ace. _Lucky hit!_ he thought. _But now you're dealing with a flying ace! _He brought out his chain retractable crossbow in the bow of his Skimmer and aimed it at the Talon. Three times he fired, and they would have hit dead on had the Dark Ace not deflected them with his sword. Then the Talon pointed his sword and fired just as Finn shot again. Finn pulled away when he saw the red pulse heading toward him. Purple sparks erupted around him as the shot and the bolt met halfway and exploded.

The Dark Ace decided enough was enough. Flying in upside down, he held his sword out as he passed by Finn. The sharpshooter held his arms across him to protect himself and closed his eyes.

When he opened them, his first thought was, _Am I hit?_ And he was. It was just like it was before in every battle. The front half of Finn's Skimmer fell away from him. "Aw, man," he said. "Whoa!" he shouted as the Skimmer fell out from under him. Luckily, he had a parachute on him. He frowned as he looked up, thinking, _Epic fail!_ Hopefully Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper would have better luck than him and Junko had.

Aerrow watched only long enough to be sure that Finn deployed his parachute and drifted down toward the terra, looking annoyed. The Sky Knight was infuriated to see a smile on the Dark Ace's face and was determined to wipe it off!

As the Dark Ace turned around and came back, his sights fell on Piper. _Hmm,_ he thought. _Another one . . ._

He shot a pulse toward Piper, just barely missing her head. _Barely dodged that!_ she thought, her heart beating with fear.

Aerrow caught his breath as Piper gasped, swerving back and forth to avoid the Dark Ace's shots. Gritting his teeth in anger, he and Radarr shot after them.

The Dark Ace was feeling full of himself. _And now to finish you off . . . _he thought.

But Aerrow and Radarr were drawing closer. _He doesn't see us yet! _Aerrow thought. _Almost there . . ._ Aerrow leaped to the front of the Vulcan, his hands in fists. If anything happened to Piper, the Dark Ace was a dead man!

Finally one of the Dark Ace's shots met with Piper's helicopter blades. Her eyes widened as she looked down at her controls and saw the needles spinning. _Uh, that isn't good!_ she thought. The controls were going crazy. Her engine was smoking. One more strike like that and she was going down.

The Dark Ace wasn't going to be satisfied with just knocking out of the skies this time. _I'm tired of this,_ he thought. He pointed his sword at Piper's back. "Goodbye," he said softly.

When Aerrow heard that, he knew what he had to do. _Alright, _he said to himself. _It's now or never . . . _With that, Aerrow leaped to the front of the Dark Ace's Switchblade and knocked the sword aside. "Hello," he greeted the Talon with a cocky smile.

The Dark Ace growled. _You again? _he thought. Every time he was so close, this punk had to come in and ruin it! The Dark Ace leaped out of his seat and swung his sword at Aerrow's legs, meaning to cripple him for a painful death, but Aerrow simply jumped over the moving blade, leaping high into the air. Just as he began to come down again, he pulled out his blades with a grunt and ignited them. They met with the Dark Ace's sword.

Aerrow levitated in the air, the power of the blades seeming to course through him in his fury. His full weight and strength was coming down on the blades, and he knew that if the Dark Ace drew away, he would fall to the Switchblade. They shoved against each other with full force, and slowly Aerrow's blades were pushed back dangerously close to Aerrow's head. Any closer and this would be it. With desperate effort, Aerrow shoved with every ounce of his strength, and the Dark Ace was forced back.

Aerrow landed on the bow of the Switchblade, blades held at the ready. The Dark Ace struck first, and Aerrow blocked. Swing after swing was met. Aerrow smiled as the Dark Ace went for his legs again, and the young Sky Knight leaped out of the way toward the tip of the top starboard wing.

The Dark Ace was snarling at him in frustration. "This ride isn't big enough for two!" he growled at him. From his bag on his hip, he drew the phoenix crystal.

Aerrow eyed it, the sound of the phoenix's screech echoing in his ears at the fearful memory of the flames heating his back. "I'd think twice about using that," he said to the Talon.

The Dark Ace didn't listen. He stuck the crystal on the end of his sword's handle and ignited the weapon. Aerrow saw the sword's blade ignite in flames, and for a split second he wondered if he should be worried. The Dark Ace pointed the flaming sword at him. "Afraid of a little heat, are we?" he taunted.

"Me? No," Aerrow answered. He pointed a blade at him. "But you should be."

At first, the Dark Ace didn't know what he was talking about. Then he heard a loud screech, and he turned around.

The phoenix was flying toward him, screeching at the top of its lung. It had sensed its crystal, and it wanted it back. Now.

Aerrow smiled. His work here was done. "Say 'hi' for me," he told the Dark Ace as he turned and leaped off the Switchblade.

_Coward! _the Dark Ace thought. _Come back and fight! _Scowling in fury, the Dark Ace turned when he heard another screech and saw the phoenix descending upon him. Okay, maybe fighting wasn't the best idea. Perhaps he should be fleeing the giant, fire-breathing bird!

Radarr flew underneath Aerrow to catch him as he fell. He seated himself in the driver's seat and didn't descend, willing to risk his own life just to see how this turned out.

The Dark Ace clenched his teeth fearfully as the phoenix approached. Disengaging his sword from the use of the crystal, he seated himself and piloted away from the phoenix as fast as he could. The phoenix stayed on his tail no matter which way he turned. "Get away from me!" he shouted angrily at the phoenix.

The phoenix answered him by breathing fire onto the back of his Switchblade. The Dark Ace tried to grasp the handles, but he cried out in pain as the ride turned orange with the heat of the flames. Grunting in rage, he turned around to see the phoenix breathe more fire at him, and he decided the Switchblade was no longer safe. He dived off his sky ride with the phoenix diving after him.

As he fell, the Dark Ace got an idea. He suddenly turned skyward, deploying his battle glider. He smiled as the phoenix overshot him but grimaced as he heard its screech again and saw it come after him once more. He took the crystal from his sword, looking at it carefully. It wasn't worth this. "Oh, fine!" he said to the phoenix. "You want it, go get it!" And with that, he threw it toward the ground.

The phoenix turned its head to watch it as it fell and then with a screech dove after it. Its talon caught the crystal, and satisfied to have the crystal back, it flew away back toward its nest, leaving the Dark Ace free to glide away.

Aerrow smiled as he watched the Dark Ace glide away. Just as he always thought. Playing with fire will just get you burned.

The audience cheered as the danger passed, and Aerrow landed in the arena to where his squadron and the Rex Guardians were waiting for him. Harrier approached Aerrow respectfully. "We were wrong about you, Storm Hawks," he admitted, "and we're sorry." He held out his hand, and Aerrow smiled, having no hard feelings. He gladly took his fellow Sky Knight's hand and shook it. The crowd cheered and clapped in approval.

"It's not over," Piper reminded them. "The Cyclonians are coming."

"We'll find away," Harrier answered, though he didn't sound so confident.

Aerrow placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe we could stick around," he suggested. Realizing he might be imposing, he drew his hand away and added, "Uh, that is, if you're up to learning some new moves."

"Terra Rex," Harrier began and then hesitantly added, "and _I _would welcome that."

"So would I," a voice behind them said. Aerrow saw Harrier and Piper raise eyebrows, and he turned around to see what Finn was doing this time.

Finn was signing autographs for fan girls. "This is something I could get used to," he said, finishing his autograph and giving the book back to the fan girl with a wink. The girl smiled and hugged the book to her chest. Then Finn turned to the next girl. Aerrow smiled and rolled his eyes. Of course.

* * *

Author's Notes: And with the end of "The Code" comes the temporary end of Aerrow's reign over the main point of view. And the sad part about it now is that I don't want to change anymore. I like writing for Aerrow!

Up next, Junko in "Tranquility Now". Ooh, Junko. Yeah, I'm not so good with him . . .


	21. Tranquility Now: Buster Trouble

_**Part 5**_

_**Tranquility Now**_

_Time is lost, and time is found. A new friend is made, and old enemies are confronted. Time is stopped and started again. Chaos ensues, and peace is found. Courage is lost, and courage is found from belief in one's self._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Buster Trouble

It all started on the defenseless Terra of Glockenchime. High up in the Timepulse Tower, a large tower containing massive clockworks, the Timepulse Crystal was emitting a steady pulse throughout the Atmos. In the top chamber of the tower, a small old man named Steward was looking around at his staff, checking his watch. "Good, good, good!" he exclaimed in a German accent, his white mustache wagging as he said it. He turned to two members of his hooded staff. "Timekeepers," he said to them, for that is what they were, "we are to the very second." He pointed to his watch. They were indeed right on schedule, and Steward couldn't be more satisfied. As head Timekeeper, it was his responsibility to keep everything in order.

All that was ruined in an instant. Just to his left, something struck the wall from the other said, and it fell in. Steward stared in horror. Three Talons were standing before him, the one in the middle a bulky man wielding a crystal-studded mace. His assistants had Cyclonian staffs. "Hello," the bulky Talon said, although it didn't sound much like a greeting.

Steward had never been more scared in his long life, but he was determined not to run. He had a job to do. He was about to shout to his two Timekeepers, but they were gone in an instant, too fearful of the Talons to stick around.

"Goodbye!" the bulky Talon's voice came again. Steward heard him grunt and felt him grab the front of his uniform, holding him by the throat. Steward swallowed uneasily. He was here facing the Talons alone, and no one was here to help him.

"Stop the clock," another voice ordered. Steward peered around the bulky Talon as all the Talons seemed to forget about him and turn around to address the owner of the voice. Steward recognized her to be a fourth Talon, this one a petite woman whose high heels clicked on the metal flooring. He didn't know quite how such a skinny little woman could be a threat, but apparently she was if all these dangerous men were led by her.

The female Talon stepped forward in front of Steward. Plucking up his courage, the head Timekeeper demanded, "Who are you to order around the Timekeepers of Glockenchime?"

"Ravess," the leading Talon answered him. She gestured toward the bulky Talon. "You already met my brother Snipe."

Before Steward could react, he saw Snipe raise his mace, and it came down on one of the metal beams not inches from Steward's head. Oh yes, he'd already met Snipe and was wishing he never had. He watched fearfully as Snipe drew his mace back. Ravess' musical, haunting voice reached him again. "Sure you won't reconsider?"

Steward stepped back, now very fearful for his life. He was beside a large lever before he knew what he was doing. As he reached down to pull it, he knew that with one pull he could stop his clockworks, but it would take much more than that to start them back up again. And so many people were depending on it . . .

His hand trembled and he glanced back at the Talons. He saw Snipe slam his mace in his fist with a roar and Ravess smirk at him. Steward turned away, his shoulders sagging. There was no choice. With or without him they would shut down the clocks. At least if he did it, they might let him keep his life. He grabbed the handle of the lever and pulled it toward him with a defeated sigh. All around him, turning wheels came to a standstill. At the top of the tower, the Timepulse Crystal stopped emitting its pulses and slowly its gears stopped turning.

He looked back at the Talons only to see Ravess smirking in satisfaction. "Send a message to Cyclonia," she said to one of the lesser Talons without turning to address him. "Tell Master Cyclonis her will is done."

* * *

On the _Condor_, everyone stopped as a humming sound died down on the bridge. In the glass sphere in the center of the bridge, two rings spiraled around each other in response to the Timepulse. Junko watched these wheels slowly come to a halt, and he could sense the tension it caused.

Stork tapped the glass. "Don't be alarmed," he said to them, "but we've completely lost the Timepulse!"

The rest of the Storm Hawks huddled around behind him. Next to him, Junko could hear Piper getting anxious. "Without the Timepulse, all navigation instruments are worthless!" she said, a bit panicky.

Junko didn't quite grasp the meaning of this until they were interrupted by the sound of a ship's horn. He and the others looked out the window to see two airships running into each other. Now Junko understood. Without the Timepulse, ships couldn't know where they were going!

Junko had barely taken this in when he saw Piper cringe as another horn sounded. Out of the clouds another airship appeared, heading straight for them! Finn pointed to it. "Now, that could be a problem," he said. Junko blinked as he found his best friend clinging to him fearfully.

Stork ran to the controls and was desperately trying to turn the _Condor _away from the oncoming ship, but they were too close, and a ship can only turn so sharply. Somehow they cleared most of the ship, but its rudder, located underneath its hull, was unavoidable. All the Storm Hawks screamed as the rudder lodged itself right into the bridge of the _Condor_ and remained stuck in the wall, hooking the two ships together.

Junko grabbed on to the nearest thing to him when he felt the _Condor _start to tilt. Finn lost his grip on him and fell into the far window. The ships were going down together.

Aerrow was gripping the railing in front of the controls next to Stork, Radarr clinging to his shoulder. "Okay," he said, although he didn't sound okay. "What's our best-case scenario?"

"I'm hoping to pass out before we go splat," Stork offered.

Apparently that really frightened Finn. "Let's review the meaning of the phrase 'best-case scenario,' shall we?" he suggested nervously.

To Junko the problem was simple: they had an airship stuck to them, so all they had to do was get the ship off of them. And he had the tools to do it! "Keep your shorts on, Finn," he said to his friend. "I got this!"

He turned to the huge rudder sticking out of the wall and, smashing his fists together, he ignited his Knuckle Busters. He gave a mighty Wallop roar as he drew back his fist and punched the airship right off the _Condor_.

Finn laughed nervously with relief. "Punch out a giant metal airship," he said. "Huh! Why didn't I think of that?"

At first, everyone seemed too amazed to even react, although Junko couldn't see why. Then Stork remembered they were falling nose first, and he pulled back as hard as he could on the controls to level out the carrier.

Junko saw Piper looking out the window. "That airship's still headed for a mountain!" she cried frantically.

Junko peered down. Sure enough, the ship was falling toward a pointing peak, nose first.

Aerrow ran past him, saying, "Come on, Junko. I got an idea!" Junko smiled. When Aerrow had a plan, it was almost always nearly as good as a plan Piper could think up, and anyways Junko would be happy to help in any way he could.

Quickly explaining his plan, Aerrow mounted his Skimmer (without Radarr, surprisingly enough), and told Junko to stand behind him. Junko balanced with one foot on the seat and one on in Radarr's cockpit as Aerrow drove out of the hangar bay and sped toward the mountain for all he was worth.

Aerrow's plan was playing over and over in Junko's head so that he might not forget it. Junko roared as he leapt off the Vulcan. Aerrow flew out of the way to let the Wallop do his thing.

The horn of the crashing ship sounded as Junko landed on the mountain's peak, and he turned to face it. Now, with his tools, he was about to have his moment of glory. The ship was headed straight for him. Determinedly, he ignited his Knuckle Busters and pushed against the ship as it descended toward him. Through the window to the bridge, he could see the driver and passengers covering their faces, but they were about to see that there was nothing to worry about. His hooves slid against the rock, but slowly they gained traction. And then, with all the strength he and his Knuckle Busters could muster, he not only kept the ship from colliding with the mountain, but he held the ship vertically up over his head in a massive show of strength.

Hearing the passengers cheering him on, he smiled modestly. Oh my, these Knuckle Busters he wore seemed quite something!

He looked out toward Aerrow, who sat on his Skimmer gazing at Junko's feat in disbelief. Then he returned Junko's smile with his own cocky, lopsided grin that Junko had come to know so well. The Wallop was glad to see his leader was pleased and that he could help these poor passengers in danger. After all, that's what being a Storm Hawk was about, and he thanked the great Atmos that he had the Knuckle Busters to help him do the job.

* * *

Far away in Cyclonia, beyond its many jagged peaks and burning fires, Master Cyclonis was in her throne room working with her machine and various crystals, as she normally does. Her hood was off, giving her vision a wider range, which is why she was aware of one of her lesser Talons standing behind her although she did not turn around. "Speak," she commanded of him.

The Talon bowed his head and clasped his hands, saying, "Ravess reports success, Master. We await your command."

Success. Hmm, it's been awhile since one of those. She had to secure it. "Start with deploying all squadrons," she ordered without turning around. "Any merchant ships they find may be picked clean." That would provide Cyclonia and its troops with much-needed supplies and perhaps scare off anyone who wants to stop them from conquering the Timepulse.

The Talon bowed and clasped his hands again before turning to report her orders to Ravess. Cyclonis smirked, glad to have success after so many recent failures and resistances. _This should help remind our resisters who really holds the power on Atmos,_ she thought.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Finn was looking at the damage done by the collision. "Aw, this plating's mangled," he groaned. "Fixing it's gonna take forever."

Junko smiled when he heard this. He stepped up behind Finn, saying, "We'll see about that! Stand back," he ordered. He swung his fists together, igniting his Knuckle Busters, and stepped toward the hole in the ship. Grabbing hold of each broken metal plate, he forced them back into position with a mighty shove and a roar. The hole was now no more than a barely visible crack in the wall that needed to be nailed up.

Finn stood back with his hands on his hips. "You've been workin' out," he commented with awe.

"Huh, it isn't the muscles," Junko corrected with a gesture. "I'm nothin' without these Knuckle Busters." He held them up for show, gripping them tightly to prove his point.

"Come on, buddy!" Finn countered. "Give yourself some credit!"

"Huh, it's true," Junko insisted. He could see this was going to take a little while to explain, so he leaned on the chair behind him. "I'm a Wallop, right?" he said to Finn. "And Wallops are strong and mean." He sat down in the chair. "But ever since I could remember, I was different. More intellectual. My only friend was a timid little Gleep named Minky." He smiled as he pictured the scaly sky blue creature smiling up at him, staring up with aqua eyes and rippling the spine on his back.

Thinking of it, he remembered why Minky was his only friend. "The other kids," he continued, "they just picked on me."

He could still picture that, too. _He remembered when three other Wallop kids had once come over and kicked of the pile of blocks he was playing with. Junko had held Minky close to protect him as the other boys pointed at him. "Look," one of them had said, "Junko's a Gleep!"_

"_Gleep! Gleep! Gleep!" they had all jeered. Junko had just sat there, feeling less than fit to be a Wallop._

But of course, his stars changed. He smiled as he continued. "My aunt Eunice was just about the toughest old brawler I ever saw. One day, she let me in on our family secret."

"The Knuckle Busters!" Finn finished for him.

"I was a whole 'nother Wallop!" Junko concluded. Then he frowned. "But I never forgot the way they treated me."

Finn just stared at him. Then he surprised and frightened Junko with his next question: "Can I try 'em?"

Junko stood up and held up his weapons. "These Busters aren't toys, Finn," he reminded him.

Finn bent down and clasped his hands, looking up at Junko with those big puppy eyes he just couldn't resist. "Please?" he begged. "I won't break anything."

Junko looked down at his Knuckle Busters and then up at Finn. Those puppy eyes made it so hard to resist, and Junko hated disappointing his friend. What harm could he really do? "Oh, alright," he said at last. He removed his Busters and held them out to Finn. "Just be careful."

Finn wiggled his fingers eagerly. "Careful is my middle name!" he assured. However, when he took the Busters in his hands, the weight of them made his hands sink to the floor, and Junko frowned. Using every bit of his strength in his arms, Finn lifted up the Busters and held him leave with his chest. "Guh!" he exclaimed as his arms shook from the heavy weight. Junko smiled guiltily with amusement. Finn looked absolutely pathetic. It appears that it took some Wallop strength to really handle them.

Arms still trembling, Finn said, "Now, let's see what these puppies can—" He never finished his sentence, for at that moment he swung the Knuckle Busters over his wrists and bashed them together, activating them. He stood there for a fraction of a second, staring in fascination at the green light the Busters gave off.

But then, however, things started going downhill. One slight movement with his hands was given so much momentum with the Busters on that he couldn't control it. Junko watched anxiously as Finn floundered about aimlessly in an attempt to regain control, crying incomprehensible, nervous things this such as, "Ah! Ooh! Ah! Oh!"

Finn cried the loudest when the Busters gained so much momentum that Finn was actually flung forward across the room. Junko stared in horror as Finn headed for a pole with his precious Busters on his hands. "Look out!" he cried.

CLANK! Finn hit the pole smack in the face, and the Busters flew out of his hands toward the open window.

Junko ran forward, wide-eyed in panic. "Whoa!" He ran to the window just as the Knuckle Busters flew outside. He leaned down to catch them as they fell . . . but his grasp fell just short, and the Busters disappeared into the clouds. Junko gasped. He couldn't believe what just happened. "Oh, no!" he cried. "Oh, goddie, ah!"

Finn was at his side in less than second, guilt and anxiety written all over his face. "Junko, I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. Junko just put his hands on his head. He just couldn't believe it. "We'll go down and get 'em," Finn continued, seeming desperate to fix this. "Everything will be fine."

At that moment, the worst thing that could happen happened. Aerrow's voice sounded a command on the intercom. "_Everybody to your ride!_"

Junko gasped and clenched his teeth fearfully. Aerrow wanted them for a mission now? This was not good. This was not good at all.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, see? Not so good with Junko. Steward, however, was rather fun. I used to not think of him so much, but now I'm rather fond of him. But Junko, much as I love him, is a hard person to write for. I think I did horribly. Of course, the only opinion that matters is _yours_. Reviews, anyone?


	22. Tranquility Now: Power Problem

Chapter 2: Power Problem

The Storm Hawks set out on their skyrides, minus Stork who didn't own one (although he could have easily built one in the time it took the other Storm Hawks to get ready). They were flying to Terra Glockenchime to see what was wrong with the Timepulse Tower. Aerrow and Radarr flew at the head of the diamond formation with Piper in the rear and Finn and Junko on either wing. Junko was grim with apprehension, and he was feeling sick to his stomach.

Aerrow looked back and noticed the Wallop's expression. "What's with Junko?" he asked Finn. He figured Finn would know. Everyone was best friends on the Storm Hawks, but everyone has their best of friends among their best friends, and Finn was Junko's. Junko, likewise, was Finn's.

Finn looked over at his friend now, quickly trying to think up a little white lie. Aerrow was a good friend and understanding, but in a time of crisis and duty, he was also their leader. The last thing you want to tell your commander is that your best friend feels unable to perform his duties. "He's fine," Finn answered him. "Just lost three games of Splonk in a row."

This comment made Junko feel even sicker. He half wished that Finn had told Aerrow. Perhaps then the Sky Knight would have given him leave. Then again, if Finn didn't understand his crisis, then how could Aerrow?

Finn laughed uneasily at Junko's apprehensive expression. "So," he asked Aerrow, in order to change the subject, "what would anyone want with a boring old clock tower anyway?"

Piper answered him. "The Timepulse beacon is relayed to every airship in the Atmos," she said. "Without it, travel between the terras is impossible. Any craft bigger than a skimmer is grounded."

"So we're taking ours to Glockenchime to start it back up," Aerrow finished.

Junko gasped. They were going on a dangerous mission? Where they would need strength? Oh, no!

Finn glanced at Junko, and then back at Aerrow. "_Or_," he suggested to their leader, "Junko and I can hang back with the _Condor_. You know, keep Stork company, maybe do a little recon down at the surface." Junko saw him wink at him and hoped against hope that Finn knew what he was doing and that Aerrow would take his suggestion.

No such luck. "Finn, what are you talking about?" Aerrow responded. "I need your aim and Junko's strength. Come on." He and Radarr flew on ahead with Piper right behind them as always.

Finn and Junko hung back. Junko was positive he was going to be sick.

"You know," he heard Finn say, "in a lotta ways, those Busters were just a crutch."

Junko could see the analogy clearly. "You're right," he said. "'Cause without them, I'm lame!"

"No!" Finn countered quickly. "I mean you're Junko, meanest, toughest Wallop in the Atmos!"

Junko shrugged. He didn't feel any better. "If you say so," he said, turning back toward the skies.

Side by side, the two friends flew up behind Aerrow and Radarr and Piper.

Just then, the clouds cleared, and Junko could see Terra Glockenchime ahead, its tall tower reaching to the skies, the still beacon with the Timepulse crystal in it at the very top of the clockworks. "So, just like we planned," he heard Piper say as she followed his gaze. She looked back at Finn and Junko. "You two find the Timekeepers while Aerrow and I head for the crystal chute. We rendezvous at the mainspring. You got that?"

Junko shrugged and sighed. There was no getting out of this.

Piper seemed to take that as an agreement. She flew away with Aerrow and Radarr close behind.

Finn watched them go. "Uh, sure," he answered. "No problem." But he winced, and Junko knew he was thinking the same thing he was. Big problem.

Junko followed Finn to the tower, where they hid close to the hangar bay to keep sight of it. Two Talons on Talon Switchblades flew by in front of it. "Cyclonians," Finn grunted. "Should've figured." He turned around and shushed Junko—not that Junko really needed it; he was too scared to make a sound—and then proceeded forward. Junko followed nervously, cowering and glancing around. If there was any trouble, Junko felt he had no defense. The two entered the hangar bay, right behind the unsuspecting Talons.

Once they landed, the two headed for the staircase. Finn had his crossbow drawn just in case.

Junko bit his nail anxiously. "I'm really not sure about this, Finn," he whispered to the sharpshooter. "I should've stayed back on the _Condor_."

"I'm telling you, you'll be fine," Finn whispered back. "Now just watch out for Talons."

Suddenly, Finn's crossbow was shot out of his hands by a red pulse of crystal energy. Finn put his hands on his head in surprise and panic as the crossbow landed at the bottom of the staircase.

Junko looked past him and pointed. "There's some."

Finn turned around.

Three Talons were standing at the top of the staircase with their staffs. As quickly as he could, Junko whipped around and ran away, hearing Finn's footsteps close behind and the angry shouts of the pursuing Cyclonians. As they reached the bottom, Finn took the lead, and Junko saw him scoop up his crossbow as they ran by the place where it fell.

They stopped when they saw an open doorway to their left and entered it as quick as a flash.

Junko was gasping for breath in their hard run, and he could hear Finn was doing the same, but they didn't seem to be getting them anywhere. Looking down, Junko saw that they were on one of the wheel gears of the clockworks, and it was spinning in the opposite direction. It was like running on a treadmill.

Junko glanced behind him, and to his dismay, he saw the Talons running behind them as well, also unable to propel forward. The lead one leveled out his staff and fired.

Junko's eyes widened when he saw the shot. He grabbed Finn's shoulders and forced him down. On longer running or even on their feet, they spun with the wheel, tripping up the Talons. The Talons were flung off the wheel, but Junko and Finn held on for dear life, crying fearfully.

Junko felt his stomach drop as they were swung underneath the wheel. Then as the wheel came up again, the two Storm Hawks were flung off and into the door on the ledge opposite of the ledge they came in on. Junko saw Finn slam against the metal door before he himself was flung on top of him. Knocked silly for a moment, Junko slid down the door with Finn underneath him, head whirling.

Junko could never be quite sure how, but somehow the three Talons managed to follow them. They approached them now with their staffs out and their faces twisted in snarls. Junko stood uneasily with Finn at his side, hoping the sharpshooter had a plan. Junko wasn't the planning sort.

The Talons stopped in front of them as Finn straightened. They were caught between the Talons and the locked door. "Tear the door open, Junko!" Finn told the Wallop. When he saw Junko hesitate, he added, "Busters or not, you're still a Wallop!"

Junko raised his three-fingered fists in a sudden surge of hope, but looking at them and seeing no Knuckle Busters drained it from him. He slumped. "I . . . I can't," he said.

Finn turned to the Talons, laughing uneasily as they approached. "Hey," he said to them. He looked around nervously, thinking it was over, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Next to the door was a bucket of tools, and among the tools was a pair of brown work gloves.

Finn picked up the gloves, studying them with doubt as his plan formed in his mind. "Aw, this better work!" he mumbled to himself.

Junko turned to Finn when he heard him shout, "Here, catch!" Two soft, floppy items landed against his chest, and Junko caught them in his hands. He studied them uneasily as Finn told him with a smile, "Cyclonian Knuckle Busters. Way more powerful than yours!"

The Talons were getting closer. "Get the Wallop first!" the lead on growled.

Finn's eyes widened anxiously and he turned to Junko, hoping against hope that this would work.

Junko slipped the gloves on his hands, feeling them out. He smacked them together. Nothing. "These are just dirty old gloves," he told Finn.

It was then that the lead Talon shot a blast at Junko.

Junko didn't see the Talon fire; he never knew he did. All he knew was that he felt jolts of crystal energy paralyze his body for a moment, and he felt a certain power sizzle within him. Wow, that must be the Cyclonian Knuckle Busters! "I can feel it!" he exclaimed to Finn. "Like millions of energy crystals inside me!"

His confidence renewed by the power of his new Knuckle Busters, Junko turned around to the door and grabbed hold of it, his fingers digging into the metal. With a roar he tore the metal door out of its frame, whipped around, and threw it at the Talons, pinning them underneath it. Smiling at his success, he turned to Finn. "Let's go!" he said to him determinedly. With that, he whipped around and marched through the open doorway.

Finn laughed to himself as Junko walked away. "Well, what do you know?" he said to himself. "He bought it!" He turned around and followed Junko.

"You're right, Finn," Junko was saying as he still felt the tingling inside him. "These are way stronger than mine!" He started doing a flurry of punches with them and was charged with adrenaline.

That's when things started to go wrong. Psyched as he was, and still tingling from the blow of the Talon's staff, he felt that he couldn't control his own strength. Again he thought is was the gloves. "Whoa! Uh oh!" he shouted as he started doing a flurry of punches this way and that. "Whoa! Oh no! They're _too_ powerful." He ran along one way and then the next, being dragged by his gloved fists.

Finn shushed him. "Quiet!" he whispered. "The guards are gonna hear you!" His eyes followed Junko back and forth. "Those Knuckle Busters aren't really—" He was cut off when Junko ran toward him, and his fist came at his face. Finn ducked just in time, and Junko's fist connected with the wall behind him.

Finn watched Junko turn around with a raised eyebrow. Junko saw he was heading right for a bookshelf, his fists still punching the air. "I can't shut these things off!" he shouted. Finn winced and shut his eyes as Junko punched right through one bookcase. He cringed again when he smashed the one behind it and then the next one.

Junko was still going at it, unharmed even though the bookcases were shattered and books were strewn everywhere. Then Junko punched right through the wall behind the bookcases, but he still couldn't stop. More than ever, he wanted his old Busters back!

* * *

Steward was still in the top room of the tower with the Talons. He was gagged and tied to a chair. Every moment he was forced to sit there with no stimulation, he thought about all the horrible ways this could end for him and the Atmos.

A little ways away from him, Ravess and Snip were at the radio, and Ravess was speaking into it. "Master Cyclonis," Steward heard her address, "I assure you the Timepulse is secure. Even if the Storm Hawks could travel here, this tower cannot be taken."

Storm Hawks? The kids who thought that they could form a Sky Knight squadron? Why was Master Cyclonis worried about them? Their Sky Knight was a mere fourteen years old, and very few of them were much older. When Steward had pictured his rescuer or rescuers, he figured it would be a Sky Knight or Sky Knight squadron, but not kids.

It took him less than a second to think of all this, and during that a time he heard a crash that sounded like shattered glass. Apparently it was pretty loud; even Master Cyclonis heard it through the radio transmission. "_What was that sound?_" her voice asked.

"Uh," Ravess answered uneasily, "nothing." Thinking quickly, she said, "Merely my dear brother Snipe."

Snipe, stupid as ever, answered from across the table. "That wasn't me. It must have been a—"

Ravess slammed a bucket on top of his head just in time to shut him up. "Uh, must be . . . bad connection," she told her master. "Can't hear." And with that, she hung up on Cyclonis as quickly as she could.

_Must be a . . . a what?_ Steward wondered. He felt the first surge of hope since he had been captured. Perhaps help was not far away.

His hope turned to more fear, however, when heard Ravess say angrily and sarcastically to Snipe, "Get your mace, genius!" She walked toward the glass clock face where two lesser Talons stood with their staffs. "We have visitors!"

Snipe tottered along behind her, mace in hand and with the bucket still on his head. Junko's out-of-control smashing had alerted the Talons to their presence.

* * *

Author's Notes: Still choppy. Oh Aerrow, come back and help guide my fingers on this keyboard! Junko's not so good at it. Heck, I'll pick _Stork_ over Junko. But you know, every Storm Hawk deserves a chance to have an episode seen through their eyes, and I'm not giving up on Junko, even though Finn would probably work in this one, too.

Yeah, well, I could always completely re-write this and replace the chapters if you want me to, although I think that would be a little drastic. Again, I must have your opinion. Want to press that review button at the bottom of the screen? Come on, now, I don't bite. Well, most of the time, anyway . . . What? I'm a wolf. What do you expect? Look, I've had my shots, so you're not going to get rabies! Fine, since you're so stubborn, I'll do this: if you _don't_ review, I _will_ bite! Oh yeah, now your mouse is moving to the bottom of the screen!


	23. Tranquility Now: Trapped

Chapter 3: Trapped

Piper drove through one of the tunnels, Aerrow and Radarr riding along next to her. Looking back on it, Piper figured that it might have been better if either Junko or Finn had come with her and the other with Aerrow and Radarr; that's what a really good strategist would have done. Then maybe the other two would be less likely to get into serious trouble. However, she would much rather team up with Aerrow; the two of them were very close and worked well together in almost all situations. Besides, Piper was best working alone, and this way she knew that if she separated from her partner, he could take care of himself—and if he didn't, Radarr would take care of him.

At the moment, Aerrow's eyes were looking ahead of him with a look of determination and fearlessness that Piper admired but often wondered whether it was real. She could experience instances herself when she wished to cover up her emotions, especially when she was in charge, so she could easily relate. Normally when Aerrow was covering up anything, Piper could somehow sense it, but right now she wasn't picking up anything. He seemed to be concentrating solely on the mission.

Aerrow turned to her. "What makes you think this crystal chute's unguarded?" Aerrow asked. Piper got the feeling he'd been in too many tunnels where enemies waited at the other end.

"I bet the Talons don't even know it's here," she assured him. At least, she hoped they didn't know.

So of course, she had to be wrong.

Aerrow and Piper stopped their rides just at the exit of the tunnel, peering around the wall to where three Talons on Talon Switchblades guarded three crystal chutes, one of which Piper knew led up to the top where the head Timekeeper was being held and where the mainspring was located. Somehow they needed to get to the chute and up it without letting the Talons know what they were doing. It looked like it was time for them to split up.

"I'll draw them off," Aerrow said to Piper. He and Radarr drove out of the tunnel and into the next one, yelling at the Talons. "Hey!" Aerrow called. "Cyclonia stinks!" Radarr stuck his tongue out at them, and the two shot off. Piper smiled. That'll distract them!

Sure enough, it did. "Get 'em!" one of the Talons ordered to the others, and the three of them shot on after her leader and his copilot.

Piper watched them leave before she stepped out into the pipe, smiling in the pleasure of her cleverness. The Talons had no idea. Leaving her ride, she tiptoed toward the crystal chute and grabbed hold of the ladder. Then her smile turned upside down when she looked up into the small shaft. That's one long ladder.

* * *

Aerrow briefly wondered why he was always the one chased by the Talons on their missions. Not that he was complaining. It wasn't like he was accident-prone like Finn, or sometimes even like poor Radarr. Perhaps it was his sense of duty; he felt it was his job as a Sky Knight to be the one to do the most perilous work. Or it might be that he found excitement in the idea of chasing and battle. The thrill it gave him was like no other. Besides, on this mission, Piper knew more of what she was doing. She was the best one to get into the crystal chute. Also, although Aerrow would admit it to none of his squadron, he hadn't wanted Piper to get into trouble. He had complete confidence she could take care of herself, but he would much rather take on the danger himself than let Piper, or any of his friends for that matter, take it for him.

As Aerrow and Radarr fled from the Talons down the tunnel, Aerrow glanced ahead of him to see the tunnel open up into the clockworks. "Radarr, wings!" he ordered. Radarr squawked and prepared to pull the lever, letting it down just in time as they drove off the end of the tube with the Talons on their tail.

Aerrow was just noticing a gong in the middle of the clockworks when Radarr squawked again, this time in warning. Aerrow glanced to his right and saw one of the Talons was flying beside him, smirking at him. At first he worried Aerrow, but then the Sky Knight smiled. There was no way the Talon was going to keep up with him if they remained side-by-side. Radarr seemed to realize it, too, and he smirked at the Talon, pointing ahead of them.

The Talon blinked in confusion at their obvious amusement. He looked ahead of him to see why. "Whoa!" he yelled as he headed for the gong. There was no avoiding it; he ran right into it. The gong rang as the two collided. Aerrow and Radarr narrowly avoided it.

Aerrow glanced behind him at the two remaining Talons, his mind already at work. Banking a turn on a barrel roll, he looked ahead to see a pipeline with two openings. Perfect! Bee-lining for the bottom opening, Radarr brought the ride back down to bike mode. They drove up the tube and out the other opening, deploying the wings once more.

Aerrow was now facing the Talons, and he knew what he had to do. Drawing his blades, he leapt up onto the front of his Skimmer. Radarr took his place at the controls while Aerrow jumped off his skyride with a yell.

His foot connected with the first Talon, sending him off his Switchblade. In one fluent movement, he landed on the seat of the Switchblade next to the other Talon. Swinging his blade around, he released a pulse that cut the other Switchblade in half.

Aerrow saw Radarr fly up underneath him, and he jumped off the Switchblade, landing on the Vulcan's seat behind his furry copilot. "Thanks, Radarr," he told him gratefully. Such moves wouldn't be possible without his copilot's help, and he knew it.

Aerrow couldn't help but smile when he saw what happened to the Talons. Both had landed in loose springs that now bound them. They bobbed up and down, eyes rolling in their senseless heads. Quite amusing.

Aerrow's good mood was short-lived, however. He could hear the droning of more skyrides coming his way. Glancing upward, he saw two pipes that opened up into the chamber. Two skyrides flew out of each pipe.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes. More Talons. This mission wasn't turning out as simple as Piper had thought.

* * *

Steward wiggled in his bonds. He'd been sitting there abandoned for a long time, and as long as he wasn't being watched, he was planning on doing whatever he could to free himself.

Suddenly, the grate in front of him lifted up and out of the chute appeared a stretch of dark blue hair, followed by a dark-skinned face. Piper quietly and carefully made her way out of the chute and stood next to Steward, seeming prepared to free him. She shushed Steward, who nodded vigorously. There was no way he was going to endanger his chances of escape by making a sound.

But just when Piper was about to free him, a voice shouted, "Freeze!"

Piper screamed; she had been quite shocked to hear the shout come out of still silence. Steward's eyes widened fearfully at the sight in front of him. Piper turned to see two Talons advancing toward them with their staffs pointed at them.

Now Piper is not one to simply stop and stare helplessly. Like Aerrow, she quickly begins to analyze and assess a difficult situation as soon as she is faced with it. Unlike Aerrow, she usually came up with a plan right on the spot, and hers almost always had sense to it.

This time was no different. She looked down to see an open oil can beside the chair and the open chute in which she had climbed out of not far away. She smiled. Perfect. With one nudge of her toe, the can tipped over, and oil spilled onto the floor right under the Talons' feet. "Whoa!" they cried as they slipped on the oil and ran in place, desperately trying to keep their balance.

"Race you to the lobby!" Piper told them. Then she pushed them.

"Whoa!" the Talons yelled again. This time, they did loose their balance, and they flipped in the air and fell down the crystal chute head first, their staffs disappearing after them.

Piper winced as they fell but couldn't help smiling at her success. "You win!" she yelled down to them.

She freed Steward with haste and the two had brief introductions. Steward couldn't believe it. He was rescued by a Storm Hawk after all.

Piper was quickly on her next task of starting the mainspring again. "Come on," she told the head Timekeeper, getting behind the big wheel and pressing her weight against it. "If we can give the Timing Wheel a good push . . ."

Steward laughed. He just couldn't believe this girl could be so naïve. "Oh, that's crazy!" he said. "Ten Timekeepers it takes to move the Timing Wheel!"

But Piper wasn't giving up that easily. "Come on!" she insisted. "Push!" With all her might she began to push against the Timing Wheel to no avail.

Steward just watched her, blinking. Had she no sense? They couldn't move it. Period. Oh well. He had to give her credit for trying. Rolling his eyes and sighing, he got behind the wheel as well and began to throw his weight against it, although he knew it was useless.

Suddenly, the wall behind them fell in with a crash, and Piper could plainly hear Junko's nervous yell. She turned around and saw Junko walking toward them, punching the air, with Finn running behind him, arms outstretched to try and stop him. She placed her hand on hip. They couldn't have this; all this crashing and yelling could alert someone. "Junko," she demanded, "what are you doing?"

"I can't stop my Cyclonian Knuckle Busters!" Junko cried as he walked toward Piper and swung at her head.

Piper ducked and watched Junko totter away. "His what?" she asked Finn as the sharpshooter ran up beside her.

"I've been trying to tell 'em," Finn answered Piper. Then, without further explanation, he yelled at Junko, "Those aren't really Cyclonian Busters, big guy!" He cupped his hand around his mouth to enforce his yells. "They're just some gloves I found!"

"Don't be silly!" Junko yelled back as his fist busted a wooden pole. There's no way these couldn't be real. Junko was still tingling with their energy.

"Look, Junko," Piper said to him. "They're just gloves." She gestured toward the head Timekeeper. "Steward has some just like them."

Junko turned to Steward, who had seen more that day than he felt he could take in during a lifetime. The Timekeeper held up his gloved hands to show Junko as the Wallop approached, swinging his uncontrolled fists. "You mean, all this time," he said as he approached the trembling little old man, "I've really been . . ."

Steward saw the Wallop coming closer and closer. As he closed in on him, Steward's trembling heightened, and he put his hands over his head to protect it from Junko's fists. The Wallop trailed off when he saw Stewards hands, covered with brown gloves that looked a lot like his "Cyclonian Knuckle Busters."

At that moment, the energy of the Cyclonian staff that struck him finally fizzed out, and the tingling left. Junko no longer felt energized. He let out a sigh, and his shoulders sagged, which made Steward feel safer, and he stopped quivering and lowered his hands.

Junko couldn't believe it, and he felt hurt. His best friend had lied to him. "Finn," he said, shaking his head and turning to him, "how could you trick me like that?"

"I was only trying to help," Finn insisted.

Then a voice sang into Junko's ears, musical and haunting. "Looks like you could all use a little help!"

All of them cringed. Steward's eyes widened, and Finn and Piper scowled as they looked toward the entrance. Junko peered around, his heart skipping a beat.

Four Talons stood before the back of the glass clock face with their staffs ignited. In the middle of them stood Snipe. At the front of the group stood Ravess.

Brother and sister narrowed their eyes and smirked at them. Junko saw Steward and Finn step closer to Piper, and he did the same. Not one of them looked hopeful. There didn't seem to be much of way out of this one. They were trapped.

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr were flying through another tunnel coming off of the chamber with the four Talons on their tail. Aerrow wished to turn on them and fight them, but he knew that wouldn't work for their plan. He needed to keep as many Talons as he could away from Piper and the others. He peered down the tunnel, hoping that it led out of the tower so that he may turn on them in the air. Parachuting to the Wastelands would preoccupy them for awhile.

Behind him, one of the Talons fired a volley of shots at them, and Aerrow swerved to avoid them. Peering ahead of him, he felt a hint of relief. There was literally a light at the end of the tunnel. "Finally," he said to Radarr, "a way out."

Radarr's eyes followed his, but they noticed something else as well. Over to the right of the exit were the controls that opened and closed the hatch. Thinking quickly, he dug into his cockpit and pulled out the perfect item for the job. Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw him holding . . . a spatula?

But Radarr knew what he was doing. He threw the spatula like a boomerang, and it flew through the air and struck the lever on the hatch controls, knocking it backward.

Aerrow waited for something to happen, and soon Radarr's idea was clear. The hatch was beginning to close. Aerrow gassed his ride, pushing his Skimmer as fast as it could go. They wouldn't fit. Aerrow spun the ride onto its side and slipped through the tiny opening left just as the door of the hatch closed. They made it!

Aerrow turned around as he heard one of the Talons yell in fright. Watching the hatch, he heard a loud CRASH and saw the metal door bulge outward as something—Aerrow knew it to be a couple of things—collided with it on the other side.

Aerrow circled the tower, smiling at his success, before turning to Radarr, who he believed deserved as much credit as he did. "Nice moves!" he told him.

Radarr squawked and pricked his ears. Aerrow wasn't the only one who could do a few stunts.

Aerrow circled the tower again, trying to plan his next move. For some reason, he had the feeling his friends were in trouble.

* * *

The Talons stood before the three Storm Hawks and Steward at the top of the clock tower. Snipe stepped forward, slamming his mace in his palm. Junko's heart sank. That didn't look promising.

Junko saw his buddy Finn step forward to meet that challenge, and that scared him as much as anything. What in the world was he doing?

"It's only fair I warn you," said Finn to the Talons. He put his arms around Junko and patted his chest. "This is the meanest, strongest, toughest Wallop of them all!" Junko hated seeing Finn so sure of his abilities when he himself knew he was no good. Even Piper was smiling confidently.

But Ravess only smirked, and Snipe brought his mace down on the chair Steward had been tied to, smashing it to bits. Steward stared disappointingly. That was his favorite chair.

Finn was still smiling. "Show this clod what you can do, Junko!" he insisted.

Junko frowned doubtfully as he looked at Snipe's smirking face. He put his hands up in the air. "I give up," he said.

Piper and Steward—and Finn, bless his soul—all turned to him with a look of disbelief. Junko could only smile sheepishly. They shouldn't have even believed in him to begin with. He had nothing to give.

Junko hid behind Finn as the Talons advanced closer with their staffs pointed at them. "At least you could have bluffed a little," Finn told Junko tartly. "You know, a roar or something."

"I'm just not the Wallop you think I am," Junko told him from where he cowered behind him. "I'm no match for these guys."

Ravess' voice broke into their quiet conversation. "Thought maybe we'd take a little trip to Cyclonia." She glared at all of them. "A one-way trip!"

"Or," Snipe suggested to his sister, slamming his mace into his palm, "we could just smush 'em!" An evil smirk spread across his lips, and Junko and Finn winced. Junko whimpered. This was it. They were all done for!

Snipe raised his mace above them, letting lose a mighty battle cry, when he stopped and eyed the clock face. Junko cocked an ear, and he heard it, too, a sort of whirling sound coming from the other side. Not a second later, a skyride in bike mode crashed through the clock face. Aerrow and Radarr had come to the rescue.

The two let the Vulcan fall to the ground on its side, and Aerrow leaped clear of the crash with Radarr hugging his neck and looking over his shoulder. They somersaulted in the air, and the Talons watched them skeptically.

Ravess and Snipe never should have looked away. Junko saw the skyride still sliding along the floor, headed right for them, but he wasn't about to warn them. Both screamed as the Skimmer felled them.

Aerrow landed in front of his team and Steward, Radarr still clinging to his shoulder. Junko had never been more relieved to see him. He always did heroic stuff like that, making a dramatic entrance at the moment when all hope was lost and changing the course of the battle at the last moment. And Junko couldn't be happier about it right then.

"Perfect timing," Piper told their Sky Knight. She looked as relieved as Junko.

Aerrow turned around, and he and his sidekick smiled. "Like clockwork!" he punned.

Ravess got up on one knee. She was shaken from her collision with Aerrow's Vulcan but not hurt, and her brother seemed likewise as he sat up with his eyes rolling in his sockets. "Don't just stand there!" Ravess ordered to the other Talons. "Attack!"

Junko faced the Talons, trembling like a leaf in the wind as his friends took their stances and Steward moved out of the way. And then, the battle began.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I got Aerrow back! Mind, I only got him back for about two pages out of seven, but I still got him back! And I had Piper for two pages, too! Yeah!

And then back to Junko again, doggone it! I'm not sure I'll ever get the hang of him!

And now, for the most important part: you're opinion. So go ahead, review. Oh, don't worry, I'm not biting. I'm muzzled this time. But even with the muzzle, I can still say: Happy New Year, everyone!


	24. Tranquility Now: Battle of the Clock

Chapter 4: Battle of the Clock

Junko saw the lesser Talons rush forward, but Aerrow as quicker. He swung one of his blades in front of him, releasing a wide pulse that knocked the three Talons to the ground. It was the last thing Junko saw before he was tackled by Snipe.

Finn didn't have time to help him. He was busy facing off with Ravess. The two stood facing each other, sharpshooters sizing up the abilities of the other and each silently proclaiming to be the best. As one, they lifted their weapons and aimed. "Go ahead," Finn dared Ravess. "Try me."

As one, they fired, and the arrow and bolt met in the middle. It was just as it had been before; Ravess' more powerful arrow destroyed Finn's bolt and still had enough momentum to keep going. Finn yelped as it knocked his crossbow out of his hands.

Finn frowned. He had been rather scared before, but Aerrow's dramatic entrance had raised his confidence beyond his abilities. He turned back to Ravess. "Alright," he said. "You want to play that way?" He reached out to her and motioned for her to attack with two fingers. "Bring it!"

Oh, Ravess brought it, alright. She brought her foot right into his face! Finn was slammed back against the metal wall behind him, and he fell to the floor with a groan. He felt dizzy as he lifted his head and shook it to try to shake off the wooziness.

Ravess smiled at her success. As far as she was concerned, Finn was beat. Her eyes scanned the room for a moment and quickly were drawn to one of her Talons falling to the ground, unconscious. She turned to see Piper knocking another unconscious Talon on top of the first with her staff. Sensing her gaze, Piper looked up, and their eyes met. It was time for Ravess to change to a new target.

Junko was too preoccupied with Snipe holding him up above his head to notice what was going on around him. "Can't we just talk this out?" Junko suggested to Snipe. Junko always preferred to talk instead of fight.

"Snipe doesn't talk!" Snipe answered. "Snipe only smashes!"

Next thing Junko knew, Snipe threw him across the room, and his back slammed into the metal wall, leaving an imprint in it as he fell to the floor. As he shook his head and tried to get up, he saw Snip coming toward him. This was not good.

Meanwhile, Radarr was being chased by, not one, not two, not even three, but _four_ Talons! Of course, it was all part of his friend's plan, and Radarr knew he'd be okay if he just followed it. He led the Talons down into the clockworks, and then back up another staircase. When he saw the dead end up ahead, he turned around and struck a warrior's pose, growling at the Talons. They would be sorry now!

The Talons only laughed at him. What was a little furry critter going to do to them?

Then they heard a whistle. Looking over his shoulder, Radarr saw Aerrow leaping onto the railing seemingly out of nowhere, whooping like a wild man. He slid down the railing on his feet, using one of his blades for support. The crystal energy from the blade sent yellow sparks flying off the metal railing as he howled with excitement.

"Oh no," one Talon said.

As quickly as they had come, the Talons turned back around and ran back the way they had come. Radarr watched Aerrow slide by him, and he smirked after them. Those Talons had never seen a wild boy slid down a railing with two ignited blades, now have they? And they thought Radarr was just being a scared little critter! Not so tough now, were they?

* * *

Back in the top room of the tower, Junko was trying desperately to avoid Snipe's attacks. Now he watched Snipe rip a metal wheel about a foot long and half a foot thick off of one of the gears. He lifted it over his head and threw it at Junko with a roar.

"Whoa!" Junko yelled when he saw it coming. Quickly he rolled out of the way.

Junko was out of danger, but for Piper and Ravess it was another story. The wheel landed between the two of them, interrupting their battle. Both screamed as the floor crumbled underneath them from the weight of the collision. They fell through with a low crash.

Junko's eyes widened in dismay. "Piper!" he yelled. But before he could run to help her or listen for an answer, Snipe, who seemed very unconcerned for his sister, grabbed Junko by the collar and slung him across the room.

Junko remembered lots of pain after that. Imagine having a wooden door slammed into you four times in row. That's what it felt like as he crashed through one metal object, then two, then three, before crashing into the wall on his back and falling on his hands and knees.

He raised his head again, feeling helpless and hopeless. Piper was probably hurt or worse, Finn was out of the fight, and he had no idea where Aerrow and Radarr had gotten off to. He'd lost all his safety nets, and he had no rope to hang on. He whimpered as he saw Snipe closing in on him again. All he could do was hope that the Talon would either end it soon or someone would rescue him and his friends.

* * *

Luckily, Piper had not fallen far. She'd only fallen a couple feet or so onto one of the staircases in the clock works, and all of the debris had missed her. She raised her head slowly as she came back to her senses and giggled at the first thing she saw.

Ravess was sitting on one of the many pendulums of the clockworks, completely stranded. She frowned at Piper's snickers. "What's so funny?" she snarled as Piper stood up. "You're not doing so well yourself!"

Not sure what she was talking about, Piper looked around, and immediately she tensed. The falling debris had broken off parts of the staircase to either side of her. She, too, was trapped.

* * *

Back up in the top room, Snipe was towering above Junko again. Junko saw him draw back his fist, and the next thing he knew was more pain. "Ow!" he shouted as he punched across the room again and into the gigantic Timing Wheel. His back ached as he slammed against it, and he fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

Finn was also on his hands and knees not far away. His eyes had widened when he saw Junko soaring above his head, and he knew that if someone (preferably Junko) didn't do something soon, his friend could really get hurt . . . or worse. Desperately he tried to talk some sense into the Wallop once more. "Junko," he yelled to him, "it was never the fake Busters that made you strong. It was you!"

Junko couldn't believe Finn was still trying to make him believe that. "You're just saying that to make me feel better!" he retorted between gasps.

Finn let his breath out as he stood up. "No," he insisted. "You don't need 'em. You never did. Think about it."

Junko hung his head. He still thought Finn was preaching in vain, but a part of him wanted to believe his friend. However, he didn't have much time to think about it before Snipe was approaching him again. "You are pathetic!" he said. "A waste!" He made a sound of disapproval and disgust, and Junko began to tremble in terror, his lip sticking out as if he were pouting. "Look at you," Snipe continued, "cowering like a tiny little Gleep!"

Junko stopped trembling. "What did you just call me?"

"You heard me," Snipe growled. He smiled, thinking he had the upper hand. "I called you a Gleep." He pointed a finger at him and began taunting him. "Gleep! Gleep! Gleep! Gleep! Gleep!"

But Junko was hardly hearing him. All he heard was the taunting of the other young Wallops in the schoolyard pointing at him and calling him the same thing. _Gleep! Gleep! Gleep! Gleep! Gleep!_ His face hardened in rage. He could _never_ forget the way they treated him!

He was brought back to reality when Snip slammed his mace in his fist and held it above his head to finish off the Wallop. "I never liked Gleeps," he snarled through his smirk.

Junko snarled as he heard Snipe roar and saw the mace coming down on his head. His rage exploded, and in his furiousness he caught the mace in his hand. He heard Snipe whimper in surprise and saw him raise an eyebrow as Junko's grip tightened and the mace's ball and the crystals that studded it crumbled in his grip.

Snipe lifted what was left of his mace and studied its missing ball unbelievably while Junko stood up in front of him. He couldn't believe it. Finn was right! He smiled confidently at Snipe and drew back his fist, ready for some payback!

As his fist connected with Snipe's face, the Talon skidded across the floor on his rear and slammed into the wall. Recovering from the shock, he stared at Junko in disbelief, his jaw hanging open. Junko approached threateningly, greatly enjoying the change of odds.

Snipe roared in fury, sure he could take on this wimp. He lunged at Junko and punched at him twice, roaring each time. And each time, Junko evaded him, smiling confidently. Then he let out his own punch that sent Snipe high into the air, crashing into all kinds of machinery and shaking the whole tower before finally landing on his back on the floor, his eyes rolling senselessly in their sockets.

Steward gasped as he looked at the damage they were causing. "_Mein_ clock!" he shouted, his arms outstretched in worry. He gestured to Finn, who was down on one knee not far away. "You have to stop them!" he told him.

Finn shook his head and winced. "I'm not gettin' in the way of that."

Junko made another dead-on shot that was so hard, Snipe left an imprint on the wall he slammed against before he slid to the ground. Junko was encouraged to see him clench his teeth fearfully when he grabbed hold of his shoulder and lifted him up. He was feeling so good about himself that he just couldn't help being grateful. As he drew back his fist, he pointed at Snipe and said to him, "I need to thank you."

"For what?" Snipe snarled.

"I really learned something today," Junko answered. "I like Gleeps. You—not so much."

Snipe whimpered. He had a feeling this was going to be painful.

Junko saw Finn wince as Snipe was sent out the top of the clock stuck in a spring. Stars danced around his head as he lurched forward and backward on the spring like a coo-coo bird.

Junko felt Finn's hands on his shoulders. The Wallop was still panting, tired from his workout and letting his anger slowly drain away. "See?" he heard Finn say. He turned to look at him. "I told you," the sharpshooter reminded him. "You didn't need those Knuckle Busters after all." He emphasized his statement with a gesture as if he were shooing a fly.

Junko gasped painfully as he lifted up his sore red hand, feeling it throb. "Yeah," he said. "I can bust my own knuckles."

As Junko glanced out the window, he saw Ravess, having climbed out of her predicament, flying away with a Talon flying on either side of her and with a senseless Snipe in the seat behind her. Junko couldn't help but smile. The Talons were fleeing. They had won!

He hadn't even had time to worry about the rest of his friends before he heard boots clanking on metal, and he and Finn turned around. It was Piper, having managed to get out of her problem (with Aerrow's help). Aerrow stood not far behind her with Radarr sitting on his shoulders. Piper placed her hands on her hips while she and Aerrow scanned to area, seeing all the humanoid-like imprints left in the machinery. "What happened?" Piper asked.

Junko was still studying his sore hand, so he let Finn answer. "What else?" Finn responded. Suddenly Junko felt Finn slap him on the back. "They got Walloped!" the sharpshooter proclaimed.

Junko glanced at him and back at Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr, smiling sheepishly. It seemed he _was_ quite the Wallop, but come on. He wasn't _that_ good!

Now that the Cyclonians were gone, the only thing left to do was to start the Timepulse again, and the only way to do that was to move the Timing Wheel. Four Storm Hawks and one Timekeeper hardly counted as ten people (Radarr didn't even count a whole person strength-wise). But maybe, just maybe, they didn't need ten humans. Maybe they needed just one Wallop.

Junko stepped up to the gigantic metal wheel and laid his hands upon it. It was up to him now. He slammed his weight against it, roaring as he did so. The wheel inched but didn't turn. Junko pushed harder.

The others waited silently. Only Aerrow looked completely confident. Finn seemed determined. The others—Piper, Radarr, and Steward—were much less than sure that this would work.

At last, with one great mighty shove, the wheel began spinning. Gears began turning. And at the top of the tower, the Timepulse Crystal was rotating once again, sending out its pulse.

The others smiled with relief. "Good, good, good!" Steward proclaimed in delight.

Junko only smiled at them bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't useless and lame, he now realized. He really was a strong Wallop. He saw Finn wink at him, and he smiled, glad to have a friend with so much confidence in him even when he didn't have confidence in himself.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Stork had been watching the Timepulse indicator diligently. His face lit up, only slightly, when he saw the wheels spinning around each other again. The _Condor_ had her navigation back!

Up ahead, Stork heard a ship's horn, and he glanced out the front view window to make sure it wasn't because of a collision course. His smile grew wider, only slightly, to see two ships pass each other by, simply hailing each other. Every ship could now navigate once again. Now there would be tranquility in the Atmos once again.

Stork rubbed his brow with the back of his hand and sighed in relief. "That could've ended worse," he commented. With that comment, he set his mind going on all the horrible possibilities, and his eye twitched. "Much, much worse!"

* * *

Once everyone was back on the _Condor_, Finn disappeared for a while. When he returned, he brought with him a surprise for Junko.

Junko smiled as he admired at his Knuckle Busters, undamaged and back on his fists were they belonged. "Aw," he said to Finn. "You didn't need to go to all that trouble." He smiled at his best friend.

"Aw, are you kidding?" Finn insisted. "It was no trouble at all, except for the scorpion flies and the elephant ants." It did seem like trouble to Junko. Finn's face had a bunch of swollen red bites and stings, including one gigantic one right under his eye that made him squint.

"Well," Junko answered, looking at his Busters and then looking up at Finn, "it's good to know I don't need these things all the time."

"Yeah," Finn agreed, tilting his head to the side. Then he smiled and gave Junko two thumbs up, adding, "But they sure do look cool!"

Junko swung them over his fists and clashed them together, igniting them. "Yeah," he agreed as he felt their power. He was so grateful to Finn, he didn't know what to say other than, "Thanks, Finn."

Finn just placed one hand on his hip and gave him a thumb up and a smile through his swollen red face. It was such a comical sight that Junko had to try his hardest not to laugh.

* * *

Out in Cyclonia, Ravess and Snipe weren't having the same luck. They stood before Master Cyclonis in her rebuilt throne room, having reported their failure. Both were a bit nervous. In fact, while Ravess felt some shame, Snipe only felt terror, and his knees shook and banged against each other.

Master Cyclonis turned to them. Her hood was open, and she held a red crystal in her hands. "Failure has consequences," she said. Her eyes narrowed at the two fools. "Terrible consequences."

Both of the Talon commanders closed their eyes in submission, and Ravess went as far as to bow her head. But that would not be satisfactory to Cyclonis. She needed to show them just how _severe_ these consequences could be. Holding out her red crystal, she bowed her head and closed her eyes so that she may concentrate on its power. Two waves of red crystal energy shot from it, each lifting one of the terrified Talon commanders, who screamed in fear and shock. They were held high above the floor by the energy, not daring to think of what would happen to them now.

They weren't up there more than a second before Master Cyclonis decided that was enough, and she stopped using the crystal. Both siblings exchanged terrified glances before falling to the floor with a loud crash, landing on their bellies.

Both raised their heads wearily to look upon their master, who was drawing in her crystal. She felt that was a good example, but she wished to clarify that they understood. "Am I clear?" she asked.

"Yes, Master Cyclonis," Ravess answered her, not bothering to raise her aching body off the ground.

Master Cyclonis thought about this failure for a moment and all the recent big failures. "These Storm Hawks are becoming a problem," she commented.

Ravess and Snipe stood up. "Give us another chance," Ravess asked quickly.

Master Cyclonis turned around. "No," she answered. Much as she knew they would want revenge, she couldn't risk them failing against the Storm Hawks again. "The Dark Ace will deal with them later," she proclaimed. "For now, they merit closer observation. One of them in particular." She thought of how Aerrow had caused her so much grief, but she was too smart to think much of a Sky Knight. No matter what age, they were all the same. No, her target was a different member, the most useful of all of them. "I see promise here," Master Cyclonis commented to herself, narrowing her eyes. "Great promise."

* * *

Author's Notes: I think this is the only episode in Storm Hawks that I've seen that has a story arch leading into the following episode (other than episodes 1 and 2, but I consider those both to be parts of the same episode). But just take a look. She says she sees promise in one particular Storm Hawk, and the next episode is "Best Friends Forever".

When I first saw this episode, I thought maybe she was talking about Junko (since the episode was about him) or, the more likely choice, Aerrow. I had no idea she was talking about Piper, but it makes perfect sense when you think about. This is one of the few TV shows I've seen where the key character and main hero is not the main rival of the head villain. Then again, I guess you want your main hero against the villain that shows up most often, and that is the Dark Ace. Besides, Aerrow has enough rivals—the Dark Ace, Mr. Moss, Carver—he doesn't really need Master Cyclonis on his case, too. Besides, maybe with her rivalry against the Master, something bad will finally happen to Piper. After all, nothing bad ever _does_ happen to her. Then again, that could be because she's one of the few of them who's smart enough to avoid trouble. And she's not daredevil enough to get into trouble, tough enough to take it, or paranoid enough for it to be good irony (as is the case with Aerrow, Junko, and Stork—bad things happen to Finn and Radarr just because it can).

Okay, I'm babbling now, so I'll leave. Please remember to review!


	25. Best Friends Forever: The Storm

_**Part 6**_

_**Best Friends Forever**_

_Storms rage. A new friend is made and lost. An old enemy is confronted. The grey is found between the black and white. The power of friendship is discovered._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Storm

Dark clouds filled the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Rain pelted anything in its wake. And it was through this storm that a Cyclonian freighter was traveling, pulling behind it a barge stacked with garbage. The driver was completely unaware of what was going on in the piles of junk behind him.

Piper dug diligently through the mass of stinky waste and rubbish. _Let's see what's here . . . _she thought as she dug. The other Storm Hawks might not realize it, but a reconnaissance mission in the Cyclonian dumpster was very important and could be vital. She knew that she wouldn't be here at all if the boys had gotten their way. Only Aerrow had supported this mission, and his support was the reason they were here at all.

Aerrow was digging through the junk not far away from her. Like her, he had a pack strapped onto his back for which he could put any "treasure" they might find. Shifting through the stacks, he picked up a large piece of scrap metal and moved it out of the way and then moved another heavy piece to the side, noting to himself that this was a great place to visit if they were low on money and needed repairs.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled overhead. Aerrow clenched his teeth fearfully and glanced up at the sky as the rain pelted him, and he saw and heard only more thunder and lightning. _A storm is coming,_ he thought. It worried him. Though it was raining, the storm hadn't quite reached them yet. This was good, and Aerrow preferred it that way. Flying in thunderstorms as bad as this one was really dangerous. He didn't really feel like taking "Storm Hawks" too literally. He turned to Piper. "We should get out of here before the storm hits," he said. Although a commander, he preferred making suggestions to giving orders, especially to Piper.

Piper turned around to face him. She could see the concern on his face, and she knew if she were being smart, she'd agree, but she really had a good feeling about this. "A few more minutes," she insisted. "We're going to find something here. I can just feel it!"

Not far away, Finn, having fully recovered from his scorpion fly and elephant ant attack, was trying to sift through the piles, also having a bag strapped to his shoulder. He pulled at a pipe out of the pile of junk, but it was giving him difficulty. When it finally pulled loose, it came back with so much force that Finn tottered back and forth before falling forward and twisting around to land on his rear and back. He sat up, now with dirty goggles over his eyes and a clothespin stuck over his nose. He felt something squishy in his hand. "I can feel something, too," he told the two of them, "but I don't want to know what it is." His voice sounded stuffed up due to the clothespin. He lifted his hand and stuck his tongue out in disgust when he found the hand covered in something green and slimy.

Radarr, meanwhile, ran in front of him, scurrying along in the trash piles, sniffing. He turned his head back and forth as he sniffed, leaping over to one pile, then the next. Like a dog, he was intrigued by every strange, strong scent within the dumpster, no matter how horrid the smell. He dug through one pile before leaping to another one in which he pulled up a piece of scrap metal.

He didn't have much time to react before something that had been under the hunk of metal that was small, furry, and scary screeched at him, showing him its teeth. Lightning flashed as it did so. Radarr was so freaked by the sight that he screeched in fright and ran away, not realizing that it was only a mouse. Piper had to hold in giggles at his reaction.

Just then, Junko burst out of a pile of metal with a Wallop roar, holding a bent bottle in his hand. Piper saw him hold it close to him and smile, saying, "Yorca juice! I haven't had this in ages!" He rolled his eyes and smiled again before sticking the bottle into his sack. He _loved_ yorca juice!

"Eh," Finn said, sticking out his tongue as Junko walked past him. "More like 'yucka juice.'" He was still wearing the dirty goggles and the clothespin. They were quite helpful. "Of all the places to do recon," he grumbled. He gasped in disgust. "Never thought we'd hit a garbage barge." _I want to go back to the _Condor, he thought to himself, but he didn't need to say it aloud. It was pretty obvious.

"You can learn a lot about someone from their trash," Piper countered. Just as she said it, she pulled up a sack with a Cyclonian symbol on it. _What's this . . .? _she thought. Inside it was a wet scroll. Piper gasped. Finally, here was something! She pulled the scroll out of the sack. "Paydirt!" She unrolled it. It was a map of some kind of terra that the Cyclonians must have some kind of plan for. The Cyclonians must be doing something here. She smiled. She couldn't wait to show it to Aerrow! "Cyclonians should invest in a better shredder," she commented.

But before she could do further examination, the wind blew the map out of her hands. "Hey!" she shouted. _Oh no! _She jumped up to try and catch it as it swirled over her head, but the wind whipped it away from the barge and out into the storm. Piper frowned. She knew it was probably lost forever. Unless by some miracle that it blew back to her, the winds would eventually tear it to shreds if the rain didn't first. She groaned, giving it up for lost.

She turned and jumped off the pile of junk onto the side of the barge where she, Finn, and Junko had parked their skyrides. Finn and Junko were running to their Skimmers as well.

Likewise, Radarr leaped into his cockpit on Aerrow's Skimmer not far away, and Aerrow seated himself as well. Piper saw him studying the skies again and knew he did not like the weather. _This is a bad storm . . . _Piper thought to herself, knowing Aerrow was thinking the same. And if a flyer as good as Aerrow was worried, then they all should be. "It looks like a big one," he said to them as thunderbolts flashed overhead. "We'd better go." With that, he twisted his handles, applying the throttle. The tires screeched as the wheels slid along the wet metal of the barge as he and Radarr started off with their squadron behind them. Junko was the first to follow, with Finn behind him. Piper took up the rear.

Once in the air, Piper could see what Aerrow was talking about. All of them were constantly leveling out their rides as the wind blew them this way and that, and the dark clouds and heavy rain made for bad visibility. They did their best to do their regular V-formation with Aerrow in lead, Junko and Finn on either wing, and Piper in the back.

Just then, a piece of paper flew by in front of Piper, and she gasped. It was the Cyclonian map! It flew back the other way in front of her, but Piper didn't have time to grab for it, and it flew away behind her again. She had to go after it! "I'll catch up!" she called to the others. Then she whipped her Heliscooter around and went back for the map. The boys had not heard her call and still thought she was right behind them.

Piper headed as fast as she could toward the flying piece of paper, which was luckily withstanding the storm. She circled around and around as it looped in the wind, and finally whipped by it, catching it in her grasp. "Got it!" she shouted triumphantly. She rolled up and held it up proudly, glad of her success, when she heard something. The winds, which were already screeching, seemed to be getting even louder.

Suddenly, loose objects whirled in her wake, and her Heliscooter stopped, although she was gunning the engine for all it was worth. She glanced over her shoulder.

Behind her, the winds building up in the storm had started funneling into a tornado, and the clouds had turned black as it touched the ground. The horrible monster of a storm had caught Piper's Heliscooter in its winds and was sucking her in.

Piper turned around, absolutely terrified. "This doesn't look good," she commented. This storm _is_ dangerous!

The Heliscooter could no longer resist. Piper screamed as the skyride was picked up by the wings and swung around in a spiral. She began to lose her seat on the ride. Desperately she hung onto one handle, desperate not to lose her grip, but one by one her fingers let go as she whimpered in fright. She screamed louder than before as she lost her Heliscooter, being thrown about in the storm. She was too scared to call for help, but she wished more than anything for someone to save her! Oh, where were the guys? Junko, Finn, Radarr, Stork, Aerrow? Aerrow, where were you?

* * *

Aerrow and the others were battling the storm for all they were worth. As another boom of thunder sounded, Aerrow swore he heard the winds howl even louder, if that was possible. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the dark funnel heading toward him. "HUH?" he gasped. Not good! He had a feeling something like this would happen.

Junko, who must have seen Aerrow's look of fright, glanced behind him and frowned as well. Aerrow scolded himself for letting any fear show to his team, and he decided to stare ahead of him the rest of the way. Looking about, he shouted to them. "We need to ride like the wind!" He said it as confidently as he could, but he was scared to death.

"No," Finn answered him as the wind whipped the clothespin off his nose. He turned to him with a crazed look. "We need to ride faster!" He gunned his engine and zoomed ahead of Aerrow. His mind and heart racing with terror, Aerrow followed, not thinking once to glance behind him to see if Piper and Junko were following. Radarr was thrown back against his seat by the force of the acceleration, and Aerrow heard him screech in alarm.

Up ahead, he could see the _Condor_ coming closer, struggling against the high winds. Stork was having the hardest time keeping the ship level, and he groaned as she tottered to the port side, then the starboard.

Aerrow had gained the lead again in his desperation to get in out of the storm. He clenched his teeth in determination as he tried to steady his Vulcan enough to make the landing as he eyed the landing strip. He gunned his engine one last time, giving it all it was worth and ignoring the recommendations of the flight manual completely. It seemed he couldn't get the Skimmer to beeline, and it was driving him nuts! "Whoa, wha!" he called as the ride wobbled. Radarr brought in the wings just in time, and they made a successful landing, skidding into the hangar bay before coming to a halt. Finn did the same on the other side of him, and he could see that the sniper had lost his goggles in the storm.

Junko, on the other hand, had a bit more trouble. He hadn't transformed yet, and he flew over their heads with his wings outstretched, heading right for the back wall of the hangar bay. "Look out!" Aerrow called to him. He and Finn lowered their heads, and Finn raised his arm to protect his head as Junko went by. Aerrow gritted his teeth and winced on Junko's account as he heard the Wallop's Skimmer slam into the back wall. He dared a glance behind him, frightened by that thought that Junko might be hurt.

The Skimmer slid across the floor on its side before coming to stop with Junko still in the seat. Only his leg was visible. Aerrow was relieved to see the Wallop raise his hand and give them a thumb up. He and the others sighed in relief while Finn wiped his brow.

Aerrow felt his heart start to slow down, glad everything had turned out alright. He glanced around him, wishing to exchange a smile and a glance with Piper the way they always do when one of the other guys did something silly or stupid that was amusing, but Piper wasn't there. Aerrow's heart skipped a beat. "Uh, guys?" he asked the others nervously. "Where's Piper?"

* * *

Piper was still out battling the storm, screaming as she was spun around and around in the twister. Thinking quickly, she tried to deploy her parachute, but it was ripped from her shoulders.

Suddenly, a figure levitating with purple crystal energy grabbed her hand, letting the purple crystal energy envelope Piper, too, protecting her from the storm. "I got you!" a voice called to her.

Piper looked up at the one who had caught her. "Who's got me?" she asked nervously but gratefully.

* * *

Meanwhile, the _Condor_ was still battling the storm with her hangar bay wide open and facing into the gale. Junko was doing all he could to keep Aerrow's Vulcan from blowing over, and Radarr was holding onto him to keep _himself_ from blowing over. But Aerrow knew Radarr would be fine and wasn't worried at all about his Skimmer. It was Piper he was concerned about. Holding out his arm to protect his face from the wind and rain, he struggled forward against the gale to the hatch of the hangar bay, hoping Piper would come in any time.

Finn was hanging off the doorframe, his feet swept out from underneath him by the wind. "Aerrow!" he shouted to him. "We have to close the hatch!" He could see Aerrow was struggling, and he held his hand out to give the Sky Knight something to hold onto.

Aerrow grabbed his hand to steady himself just as a chicken flew by his head, swept up in the winds and squawking in fright. Aerrow couldn't help but notice that the chicken looked a lot like Wren's hen who liked Radarr, but it was a fleeting thought. Right now Piper was his main concern. "Just another minute!" he shouted to Finn. He looked out the hatch desperately. "Come on, Piper," he whispered. "Where are you?" He felt so ashamed for losing his nerve and not remembering to check on his team. If he had, maybe he could have helped Piper or at least have noticed she was gone.

Finn was still intent on getting Aerrow to see reason; they had to shut the hatch. "I'm sure she's found shelter by now," he shouted over the wind as Aerrow helped him to get his footing. "Besides," Finn insisted with a shrug, "this storm isn't so bad."

Aerrow let go of him and peered out into the storm. Someone who was doing business was being carried in the storm, toilet, newspaper and all. They were followed by someone in a bathtub, and then a bathroom sink. _Yeah_, Aerrow thought sarcastically. _This storm isn't bad at all._

"I'm going out to find her!" he shouted to Finn. He turned and ran back to his Vulcan.

Radarr heard his statement, and he leaped into the cockpit, ready to help him find Piper (and perhaps rescue a certain chicken on the way). Aerrow jumped into his seat and gunned the engines. His tires screeched as he turned and sped toward the hatch opening for all he was worth. He just had to find Piper before it was too late!

He and Radarr cleared the hangar bay and extended their wings, taking to the air, when they met with the gale. The winds pushed against the Skimmer, and no matter how hard its engines pushed back, it was no match. Aerrow gasped as his wings bent under the pressure, and he and Radarr were pushed backward into the hangar bay. He gasped again as the Vulcan landed on its nose, jarring the bones in his neck and back. The sky ride flipped over, luckily landing right-side up in the back of the hanger bay.

Aerrow sighed in defeat. If it were merely his life at stake, he wouldn't give up on Piper. He'd have left her an opening, giving her any chance he could of return. But there were other lives to worry about, the lives of the rest of his squadron. The storm was only getting worse, and any opening was dangerous to the ship and its crew. They couldn't look for her in this storm. "Batten down the hatches," he announced into his radio.

Up at the helm, Stork was relieved to hear him say that, but he could see all kinds of things flying around him as the ship tottered and threatened to roll. He grabbed the intercom hastily. "Batten down _everything_!" he shouted into it.

Just as the hatch was shut, another gust of wind came and pushed the _Condor_ completely up onto her stern. Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko were thrown about the hangar bay along with the tools and machinery as the ship flipped and tumbled in the gale. The lights went out, and Aerrow knew nothing but movement, pain, darkness, thunder, and the flashes of lightning bolts.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yes, as some of you may have noticed, I have been kind of pushing for the impression of closeness between Aerrow and Piper. However, let's be sure that this "closeness" is not confused with a pairing. Since the show does not specify if any of the Storm Hawks have any "feelings" for someone (although people have their own ideas and opinions), not including, of course, the stalker hen's crush on Radarr (and Radarr's affection for her, although he tries to hide it) and Finn's eyes checking out every "hot" girl he meets, we can't say whether or not Aerrow and Piper like each other _that_ way. But the show _does_ suggest that Aerrow and Piper do love each other, but it could just as easily be (and considering Nerd Corps' reputation, it most likely is) a brother/sister thing. I'm just supporting that bond without trying to eliminate the possibility of either type of bond. Besides, I'm not even sure a guy like Aerrow even knows what love is, even love as simple as the love for your friends. I think he just kind of does it naturally and isn't always sure how to accept it. But then again, that's just an opinion. I have to be careful with opinions in this fic . . .

So do we have that cleared up? No surefire pairings here, got it? Okay, just checking. Now you see that pretty review button at the bottom of the screen? It's calling you! Obey the button!


	26. Best Friends Forever: Lark

Chapter 2: Lark

At last the storm cleared. The _Condor_, finally relieved of her enemy, limped along in the sky while her crew recovered.

Aerrow opened his eyes wearily. Everything about him hurt. His neck ached and his back and his hands and knees as well. He heard Junko and Finn groan and Radarr whimper. Surprisingly enough, the sounds came from underneath him. He glanced down and saw that he was lucky enough to end up on top of a heap in which the four Storm Hawk members had ended up. He was on top of Junko, who was on top of poor Radarr, who was on top of a flattened Finn. For the most part, though in pain from the crushing of the members on top of them, they all seemed fine.

His squadron . . . Aerrow glanced around hopefully, only to be greeted with all kinds of scattered pieces of metal and machinery. Oh no. "Piper!"

As quickly as they could, the four Storm Hawks ran out of the hangar bay and made their way up into the bridge. The automatic doors, which open upward and downward, the two parts meeting a third of the way up, opened as Aerrow stepped onto the bridge, looking around hopefully with the others close behind. He hoped, although he doubted, that Piper was here, and also wished to see if Stork was alright.

The place was an absolute mess! Everything was strewn out onto the floor. And buried up to his head under it all, pinned by the helm of the ship which had broken off the front, was Stork. To Aerrow's relief, he seemed alright. "Just checking," the Merb said to him from where he lay in the mess, "but we are alive, aren't we?"

"We're fine, Stork," Aerrow assured, holding up hand to emphasis the idea of being calm. He turned to the flight engineer. "Junko, how's the ship?"

Junko looked around. "Uh, nothing Stork and I can't fix," he answered.

"Good," Aerrow responded quickly. "Then Finn and I are going to find Piper."

Finn blinked in surprise. He didn't remember volunteering for the job. But as Aerrow walked past him with a distressed look on his face, he knew better than to challenge him. Practically the only time any of the Storm Hawks could possibly make Aerrow mad was when he was scared or worried. Now was not a good time to oppose his authority. Besides, Finn was worried, too, and he wouldn't mind helping. He turned and followed his Sky Knight back toward the hangar bay.

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr and Finn were flying through a bunch of jagged peaks hardly big enough to be called terras. Aerrow was trying his radio again. "Piper, come in!" he called desperately. No response. Aerrow looked away, his despair growing. "We've been at this for hours," he whispered bleakly. He was beginning to lose hope of ever finding her. And the more he despaired, the more he blamed himself for what happened. Oh, why hadn't he just turned around and taken a head count during the storm? If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

Finn was looking about, and suddenly he pointed and shouted, drawing Aerrow from his thoughts. "There!"

Aerrow looked ahead toward where he pointed. A glittering light was coming from one of the peaks. There were only two things that could cause that: sunlight reflecting off a sleek surface or a crystal. It had to be Piper! Aerrow gunned the engine for all it was worth, speeding toward the terra with Finn close behind.

As soon as they landed on the terra, Aerrow jumped out of his Skimmer and ran toward the light, sick with worry. The object was on the other side of a chasm in front of him. His shoulders sagged as he saw what it was. Finn ran up beside him. "Piper's Heliscooter," he told him. No doubt about it. Though bent all out of shape, it was definitely Piper's Heliscooter. The light they had seen was the sunlight reflecting off one of its metal helicopter blades.

"But no Piper!" Finn added anxiously.

_This isn't good,_ Aerrow thought. He glanced at him, feeling a throbbing pain where his heart should be. The aching in his chest was more painful then any blow he'd received from the Dark Ace or any hit he'd taken in a crash. A driverless skyride, trashed and wretched, usually meant the worst. But Aerrow scolded himself for his lack of faith. He had to believe Piper was still out there, alive. He turned around, determined to find a path down to the Heliscooter. Finn followed.

When Aerrow reached the Heliscooter, he flipped up the lid on one of the handles and pushed the bottom it revealed to activate the radio, which still worked. "Aerrow to _Condor_," he reported. "Piper's Heliscooter's trashed. We don't see her anywhere!"

As Finn approached him, Aerrow heard Stork respond on the radio. "_Um, you better get back here_," he said. "_Piper just showed up, and she's acting . . . strange._"

Aerrow and Finn exchanged glances. Acting strange?

* * *

As soon as they landed on the ship, Aerrow and Finn went running up to the bridge. Aerrow was in panic. He wouldn't let himself imagine what could possibly be wrong with Piper.

He and Finn found Stork adjusting the Timepulse receiver and Junko tightening some last few screws in the helm, both seeming very unconcerned. Aerrow and Finn ran up to them. "Where's Piper?" Aerrow asked them anxiously, calling their attention. "What's wrong with her?"

Then Aerrow heard a strange sound. It was Piper . . . laughing. And not just any kind of laughter, either. It wasn't like those little giggles and snickers Aerrow was used to hearing when he and Piper played around or when one of the guys did something stupid. It was . . . happier. Even so, Junko frowned and Stork scowled as they both cast a glance beyond Aerrow and Finn. Aerrow and Finn turned around.

Piper was sitting at the table with a bag of purple crystals and the map she had recovered from the storm stretched out in front of her. She seemed fine. In fact, she seemed better than fine. She was laughing with pleasure with another girl who sat beside her, whom Aerrow did not know. The new girl was blue-eyed and freckled with a hoop-shaped ring in either ear, and her blonde hair was pulled back in pigtails. Her outfit was pink—too much pink for Aerrow's taste (even her nails were pink)—with blue sleeves, and the one on her left was detached at the elbow.

Stork cringed at their laughing. Tapping the glass of the now-operating Timepulse receiver, he said, "Oh, I've seen it before. Azarian Laughing Fever." He turned to Aerrow. "Goes on like this till their brains explode." He put is hands on his head and then opened them and pricked his ears to emphasize his point.

Aerrow cast Stork a questionable look and saw Finn do the same. He had them worrying over Piper's welfare just because he thought she had Azarian Laughing Fever?! Whatever _that_ was.

It was then that Piper finally noticed that Aerrow and Finn had at last arrived. She smiled. She couldn't wait to introduce her very best friend to her _new _very best friend. She shushed her new friend, putting her finger over her mouth, before she waved to them and called her leader over. "Hey, Aerrow!" She pointed a thumb at the girl beside her. "This is Lark," she introduced. "She pulled me out of the storm."

"Uh, hi," Aerrow greeted her, returning her smile. He didn't really know what else to say. A moment later he thought that maybe a "thank you" would be appropriate, but the girls didn't give him much of a chance.

"And guess what?!" Piper burst out in her excitement. "She's into crystals, too!" She gestured toward the purple crystal hanging around Lark's neck, much like the blue one on Piper.

"Oh, I've got a few," Lark said modestly, holding up her hands, "but I don't know as much as Piper."

"_So_ not true!" Piper insisted, waving her hand as if she were shooing a fly. She addressed Aerrow again. "Lark actually created a force field that protected us from the storm!" Yes, Piper could remember it well. Her being in that terrible storm and thinking: _I'm dead!_ Then suddenly Lark was there, and she took Piper's hand . . .

Piper saw Aerrow and Finn exchange glances, gaping. They were obviously a little overcome by Piper's new enthusiasm. Piper continued without thinking much about it. "We didn't even get hit by a single raindrop!" she said. "We almost forgot about the storm!"

Then Lark started giggling. "Until that really loud thunder!" she reminded her.

"KABOOM!" they both mimicked together in delight, bursting out into a fit of giggles.

Everyone had different reactions, Aerrow noticed. Radarr, who had just entered the bridge, was actually eyeing Lark suspiciously. An irritated Stork walked up beside a confused Junko. "It's like a whole other language," the Wallop commented.

Piper didn't notice any of them. "My ears are still ringing!" she proclaimed to Lark, referring to the thunder again.

"A total buzz-o-rama!" Lark added through her laughing fit.

As they continued laughing, it struck Piper that she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard, the last time she had been this happy. Even Aerrow couldn't crack jokes like Lark.

Stork just groaned as they laughed and stuck corks in his ears.

Then as Piper glanced at Aerrow again, she remembered her duties. "Oh, here," she said, getting up and grabbing the map. "Lark helped me figure out the coordinates."

Finally, here was the kind of Piper Aerrow knew! He took the map from her and unrolled it, studying it. "Terra Tundras," Piper defined for him.

"Oh, been there once or twice," Lark commented. "Not much but hills and dirt." "Very boring" was the way she had described it to Piper earlier.

Piper couldn't help but notice with annoyance that Finn was eyeing Lark as she spoke.

_But the Cyclonians are doing something there, _Aerrow thought, still looking at the map, _which means it's important. _"Set a course," Aerrow suddenly ordered. "Whatever the Cyclonians are up to there, we'll find out."

Radarr, unnoticed by the rest of them, stuck his head over the box behind Aerrow, churring to himself and eyeing Lark. Something didn't smell right about her . . .

While Piper and Lark stood side by side, Finn was suddenly there next to Lark, flashing her a smile. "So, you're into crystals?" he said, trying to play it smooth.

Piper and Lark exchanged a glance. Was Finn _flirting_ with _Lark_?

"How awesome," Finn continued.

Piper and Lark burst into a fit of giggles. _As if!_

Finn tried to do his pistol finger thing, but he groaned and gave up when he saw them giggling at him. He glanced at Aerrow and pointed a thumb at the girls, wanting an explanation.

Aerrow shrugged. Why in the world would he have an answer? "I don't know," he answered quietly.

Finn shrugged. If Aerrow didn't understand Piper, then there was no hope for any of them. _Hmmm . . ._ Finn thought. _Girls!_

Piper tried to control her giggling when she heard Aerrow address her and Lark. "Girls—"

At that very moment, Radarr leapt onto the table in front of them, growling at Lark viciously. Piper cocked an eyebrow. What was up with him?

Lark stepped forward and bent down to his level, reaching out a hand for him to sniff. "Hey, little guy!" she greeted him. "What's your name?"

Radarr only growled more fiercely, and, much to the Storm Hawks' surprise, he lunged at her.

Aerrow quickly intercepted, grabbing hold of Radarr's tail and pulling him back. "Radarr!" he scolded. "What's wrong with you?"

Radarr stared at him in disbelief. What had he done wrong? He had only tried to protect Piper!

Lark shrugged it off, waving her hand dismissively. "It's okay. After all," she said, placing a hand on her heart, "I am a stranger."

Piper placed a hand on her hip. "Hardly! You saved my life!" she reminded her, placing her hands on her heart as she did so. She grabbed Lark's arm. "That makes you a best friend forever!"

Radarr growled softly. This didn't look good. They should not trust her!

"Hey!" Piper said to Lark suddenly, grabbing her arm again as she got an idea. "You wanna see my crystal lab?"

"Oh! Do I!" Lark exclaimed excitedly.

That only made Piper more excited. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had reacted that way when she asked to show them her crystal lab, not even Aerrow. She ran happily toward her room with Lark close behind.

Aerrow and Finn watched in confusion, exchanged a glance, and then gazed at the door again. Girl language was far beyond their comprehension. It was like Piper used a different dialect when she talked with Aerrow, and perhaps a completely different language when it came to the other guys. And what was with this whole "best friends forever" thing? Aerrow wondered. He had saved her life before. Did that make _him_ a best friend forever, or was it different because he was a guy who cared less about crystals? Aerrow scolded himself for being paranoid, but he couldn't help wondering.

Radarr growled and leapt off the table, ignoring Aerrow completely. He wasn't so sure about Lark, and he was going to see what was up! As the girls walked along with Piper in the lead, Radarr followed along silently behind them, stalking them as he tiptoed on his hind legs.

"Oh, you know what?" Lark said suddenly, stopping Piper (and Radarr). Piper turned to look at her. "I forgot my crystals on the bridge," Lark said, laying her finger on her cheek. "Go ahead," she told Piper. "I'll meet you there."

"Um, sure," Piper answered with a shrugged. She turned and walked away. _Okay_, she thought. _That was weird . . ._

Radarr hid behind a crate beside the wall, watching as Piper walked away, leaving Lark alone in the hallway. Lark turned around and eyed the furry copilot with a smirk. Radarr's eyes widened, and he churred questionably. Apparently he wasn't as good at secrecy as he thought. He flattened himself against the wall as soon as he saw her eyes and tried to sneak back to the safety of the bridge and Aerrow's shoulder, meaning to walk on all fours beside the wall.

He didn't even make a move before there was Lark, kneeling down in front of him beside the box. What she thought was, _What's your problem?_ But what she squealed instead was, "Oh, aren't you cute, following after me." She tapped him on the nose. "Here," she said, pulling something out of her clothing that glowed a pink light. "Want a snack?" She held it out in front of his nose.

Radarr's curiosity got the better of him, especially after hearing the word "snack". He leaned forward and sniffed the object in her hand to see if it was good to eat. A crystal? Why in the world would he eat a crystal?

He didn't realize it, but in leaning closer he had gotten right in Lark's reach. Right as he realized his mistake, the girl grabbed him and hugged him close. "Gotcha!" she hissed maliciously. Radarr whimpered in fright as she slammed the pink crystal against his head. In a moment, he seemed to disappear. _Now they can't see you! _Lark thought viciously.

But Radarr felt no different. He was unaware of his invisibility. He only knew that the girl would pay for that! He struggled against her grasp, growling viciously and trying to reach her hand to bite it. Lark held him out a safe distance from her so that the invisible creature could do her no harm. Looking over her shoulder to be sure no one saw, she opened the lid of the box. Radarr squealed as he was thrown headfirst into the crate and had the lid slammed on top of him.

_Stay there!_ Lark thought. "There," she said. "That oughtta keep you outta my hair." She narrowed her eyes as she smirked and flipped back her pigtail. After all, she couldn't that Sky Knight's annoying little pet around to save him and his dear friend Piper and all the rest of the Storm Hawks when the time came for her to unleash her plan.

As Radarr listened to her from within the crate, he could hear the underlining in her voice that made his fur stand on end. The ever-familiar dark tone of evil.

* * *

Author's Notes: It's Radarr to the rescue! Maybe . . .

This episode is supposed to be from Piper's point of view, but it seems like she isn't doing enough thinking (besides what she's already blurting out loud) for me to really add anything to her thoughts, nor is she being observant enough for me to use her to see what else is going on. Besides, I think Nerd Corps focused most on the guys at this point in the episode to show their complete incomprehension of Piper's and Lark's "girl talk" and also focused on Radarr (yay!) because he had an idea of what was going on right from the beginning. Go Radarr! Go Radarr! Go Radarr! Go . . . I should probably shut up now, shouldn't I? Reviews, anyone?


	27. Best Friends Forever: The Master

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long. School started up again, so it's been taking up my time. But finally, here we are! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Master

When Lark finally caught up with her (surprisingly enough, without her crystals), Piper opened the door to her room with the press of a button. She couldn't help smiling when she heard Lark gasp in amazement. Lark stepped into the room, which was covered with maps and charts. A desk was in the corner, covered in papers, and a crude bed was at the end of the room. But Piper knew that wasn't what had Lark's attention. Set to the walls and on the shelves and her desk were crates of different kinds of crystals.

"Wow!" Lark exclaimed. She pointed to some green crystals in a crate. "Bloomers!" Then she looked at some red, orange, and yellow crystals on Piper's shelf above her bed. "Blazers!" Then she looked at the blue crystals in a crate under her bed stand. "Icers!" She looked on her desk at a blue crystal hovering beside an open book. "Oh, is that a floater?" she asked with delight. She stepped in and put her hand over the floater, moving it with the crystal as it went up and down ever so slightly. She loved this room!

Piper stepped into the room after her, and Lark straightened and smiled at her. "You've got quite a collection!" she exclaimed, putting her hands on hips.

Piper smiled with pride as she came and sat down on the desk next to Lark. "It's my favorite spot on the ship," Piper told her, "the only place I can really just relax and be me." After all, none of the guys ever understood, no matter how hard they tried. Sometimes she sat in here for hours.

"Well, where are your books?" Lark asked.

"I don't really have any," Piper answered sadly. She only had a couple, and they weren't that informative. It was too bad. Piper liked to read.

Lark's jaw dropped in amazement. "You mean, you taught yourself all of this?"

"I work mostly on trial-and-error," Piper said, trying to be as modest as she could. "More error some days than others." After all, Lark wasn't a _guy_ to which she had to seem tough. She could be modest with her. "For example," she said, pointing to one of her machines across the room, which was covered in green slime. "Never combine a slimer crystal with an eruption stone. I learned that the hard way."

Lark laughed. "I'll remember that," she said.

Piper giggled. This was great, being here with someone who really understood. It set her mind to work, thinking of why she couldn't be this happy and carefree all the time. "The guys just don't really understand what I do sometimes," she told Lark.

Lark grunted in disgust. "Boys!" She cast Piper a look that said, _What do they know?_

Piper giggled at that. "It's nice to have another girl around," she said.

"Yeah," Lark answered. Suddenly a barrier seemed to break down in front her. She said, "I don't have many friends, either." Piper frowned in concern, but apparently Lark didn't like giving too much attention to her weaknesses. "Hey," she said suddenly, pointing to something else on Piper's desk, "what's this do?"

Lark picked up the instrument as Piper explained. "It's a crystal scope. Helps me figure out what's what."

Lark lowered the crystal scope and smiled at her. Just as she did so, the purple crystal around her neck was attracted to the scope, and it made a sound as the crystal glowed brighter. Lark pulled the scope away quickly.

"Wow," Piper commented. "Your shielding crystal is pretty powerful." She lifted an eyebrow. That was pretty suspicious.

"Oh, it's nothing special," Lark insisted. "Lot's of 'em out there if you know where to look." Even as she said it, she was setting the crystal scope down away from her crystal.

Piper's experience told her that powerful crystals didn't just appear out of the ground (okay, maybe literally, but not often), but she decided not to say anything. It was obvious to her that Lark was hiding something about that crystal, and Piper knew a subtle way to try to figure it out.

"Hey, here's something I'm experimenting with," she said. She turned around to her desk again and pulled out a green crystal wrapped in a ribbon of metal. It was one of her newer crystals. "It's a blocking crystal," she explained to Lark. She held it out over the floater crystal and activated it. Lark stared with interest as the blocking crystal zapped the floater, and the blue crystal fell onto the desk. It was down for less then a second before it spun and rose again. Piper grunted in irritation. "I just need to figure out a way to make the charge last longer," she told Lark. She gasped, pretending as if the idea had just struck her. "Why don't we try it on yours?"

Lark straightened anxiously. Her voice was nervous as she spoke. "I-I think we're getting close to the Tundras," she said, ignoring Piper's suggestion. She stepped toward the door away from Piper and gestured out toward the hallway. "Why don't you show me the rest of the ship before we get there?" With that, she walked out the door without waiting for Piper to answer.

"Hmm," Piper said to herself. "Sure," she answered. She studied her blocking crystal with new interest and insight. If that wasn't suspicious, she didn't know what was. She followed Lark out the door, keeping the blocking crystal with her.

The girls walked onto the bridge just as Junko, sitting in a chair beside the helm, screwed the lid off the bottle of yorca juice he found on their recon mission and stuck a straw into the gooey green liquid.

Finn, standing not far away, eyed him with disgust. "You're not seriously going to drink something you got at the dump, are ya?" he said as Junko stuck the straw in his mouth.

Junko ignored him and sucked on his straw. He laughed with delight at his first sip. "Yummy!" he proclaimed, holding the juice bottle high in the air before taking another sip.

Piper took another look around for Stork and Aerrow. Stork was driving, as usual. Aerrow was behind him staring out the window, seeming preoccupied with his thoughts. Wondering what was on his mind, Piper stepped forward. All the boys accept Stork turned around to look at her, having heard her boots clank against the metal floor. "Uh, have you seen Radarr?" Aerrow asked her.

_No,_ Piper thought. She exchanged a glance with Lark, who only shrugged. He wasn't with them. "I'm sure he's around somewhere," Piper assured him with a shrug.

Stork still had corks in the ears, which made Piper guess he couldn't hear much of anything. He turned around and shouted to them now so that he might be able to hear his own voice. "We're approaching the Terra Tundras!" he announced.

Piper looked out the window. Sure enough, the red surface of a terra could be seen sticking up out of the clouds just ahead. Aerrow reached for the periscope and focused on the terra. "Lark's right," he declared. "Mostly hills and dirt." Pretty boring. He focused in on it closer. "Wait," he said. Piper stiffened. Aerrow could clearly see huge cranks and other machinery watching over a man-made ditch. "Something's going on down there."

Piper could see Aerrow's determined face as he turned around and started marching toward the door. "Come on, Finn," he called to his wingman. "Let's go check it out."

Then something weird happened: Aerrow's direct order was challenged. Of course, Piper would sometimes interrupt her leader to give him valuable information or would not take his suggestions, but never had any of them completely refused a command. But that wasn't all. It wasn't any of the Storm Hawks who challenged him; it was Lark, the new person on the ship. She got in front of him and stopped him, much to everyone's surprise, especially Aerrow's. "No," she said. "Piper and I will go." Before Aerrow could say otherwise, Lark gave him facts to back it up. "I know this terra, and isn't Piper best at recon?" She cast a smile over her shoulder at Piper.

Piper couldn't help but return that smile. It was nice to get some recognition for once. "That's right," she agreed. "I am." Lark's success at this challenge made it easy for Piper to take it up. She walked toward a bewildered Aerrow and laid a hand on his shoulder. "We'll just do a quick pass and report back," she assured him.

Aerrow wasn't to sure about this. Still a little surprised at being talked out his own command, he was uneasy about the way Lark was playing them. And to add to his concern, it wasn't that long ago that he had feared he had lost Piper. He didn't feel like reliving that fear. Yet despite all of this, he found himself letting them go.

Aerrow watched carefully as Piper and Lark left the hangar bay on Lark's pink Heliscooter with Lark driving. He could see Finn's eyes following them as well, and that let him know that he wasn't the only one instinctively on guard. "You think we should follow them?" Finn asked.

Aerrow didn't think about it long before he came to a conclusion of what Piper would think of them if she found out they had followed her. "No," he answered. "We'll keep in contact with 'em from here." Even as he said it, he looked out the window again and frowned.

Behind him, Stork was glad to see the giggle boxes finally leaving the ship. He took the corks out of his ears and sighed with pleasure. "At last," he said, his ears drooping with relief, "quiet."

Aerrow glanced around him a moment as he remembered another problem, well illustrated by the lack of background noise and the absence of weight on his shoulders. "Has anyone seen Radarr?" he asked. No one answered.

* * *

Radarr squawked in frustration as he tried in vain to break out of his prison within the crate. Giving one last mighty shove against the lid, he burst out of the box and into the abandoned hallway. Then he looked himself over but couldn't see anything. Oh dear! He was invisible! And Lark! He had to warn Piper, Aerrow, and the others before it was too late! He tried to scurry along the hallway to the bridge, but the slamming into his head, being thrown into the box, and breaking out of the box just now had really jostled his head. He squawked as his head spun in dizziness and almost tripped over the two little plants in the hall before making his way toward the door. He probably would have run into that, too, if it hadn't opened automatically.

* * *

Meanwhile, Piper and Lark were making their way toward the Terra Tundras. Piper was feeling uneasy about this. Going on reconnaissance missions alone was not her kind of thing, and after all that's gone on, she wasn't sure she counted Lark for much. She wished the guys were here, or at least Aerrow. The Sky Knight almost always went on recon missions with his squad. Even Finn would be a welcome addition, even if he was the _only_ addition. "We should go back and get the guys," Piper said to Lark.

Lark sighed in frustration at the very suggestion. "The two of us made out just fine in the storm," she reminded her. "We'll be fine here."

"I don't know," Piper answered. "It seems like a lot going on down there." She could see the ditch Aerrow must have been focusing the periscope on from where she sat. There were all kinds of smoking machines down there and lots of movement that told her of lots of people. She didn't really feel like facing a great number without backup.

"Why do you want to go running back for help on a simple recon mission?" Lark scolded.

"That's not what I was saying," Piper insisted. She wasn't sure that this would be a simple recon mission.

"You want me to turn around?" Lark challenged with a snarl.

Piper eyed her suspiciously. There was something here she didn't like. All the same, she wasn't going to show fear now. "No," she answered.

"Well, then, let's go," Lark insisted. She lowered the Heliscooter in for a landing.

They picked a spot overlooking the ditch that was a safe distance away from the people within. Piper pulled out her binoculars to see what was going on. She couldn't believe what she saw. Machines at the sides of the ditch were pulling out crates filled with purplish crystals. Down in the ditch were Cyclonains, thousands of them! Some where drilling into the ground to pull out the crystals within the rock, others were filling the crates, while still more pushed crates to hook up to the levers. Surely the great machines were also run by still more Cyclonians. "Wow," Piper said to Lark as she lowered the binoculars. The Cyclonians were looking for something down there. "Definitely some kind of mining expedition."

Just then, she dropped her gaze and spotted something glowing at her feet. "Crystal dust!" she exclaimed, kneeling down and spreading her hand over the circular pile of purplish-pink dust. "This is what the Cyclonians are after!" She blinked in recognition. Looking up at Lark, she noted, "It's the same structure as your shielding crystal." She raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation.

"Told you there were lots of them if you knew where to look!" Lark answered. It was the only explanation she offered.

Piper's mind was already at work. If it was the composition of a shielding crystal, then the Cyclonians could now make them. "That many crystals could shield an entire squadron," she exclaimed, "maybe even an entire terra."

Lark sighed, putting her hands on her hips and staring out over the mine. "Impressive, isn't it?" she commented.

"Yeah, I guess," Piper answered, standing up. She didn't like the way Lark said it. Despite that, she was still thinking about the Cyclonians. She clenched her fists. "We can't let them get away with this," she proclaimed. She turned to Lark. "We've gotta tell Aerrow!"

But just as she turned around and was about to run back to the Heliscooter, Lark grabbed her hand and held her back. "Huh, what's the rush?" she asked slyly. "Don'tcha wanna stick around and find out what's _really_ going on?"

Piper had given Lark all her chances, hoping that she was wrong, but now her suspicions were confirmed. She finally understood. She pulled her hand out of Lark's grasp and crossed her arms. "I think I already know what's going on," she said.

Lark smiled. "What's that?"

"You're working for the Cyclonians, aren't you?" Piper exclaimed, pointing a finger at Lark.

"Piper," Lark said softly with a smile, "I can honestly say that I don't work for the Cyclonians."

"No, I guess you don't work for them," Piper retorted, pulling out her blocking crystal. "It's the Cyclonians who work for you!" she proclaimed, pointing another accusing finger at her. "Isn't that right," she paused to thrust the blocking crystal over Lark's shielding crystal, "Master Cyclonis?"

Lark's form faded, and standing before Piper was a pale, violet-eye, black-haired girl with a dark red uniform and an open hood with a small green cape. The image of the Master lasted for only a second before she was Lark again, so long was the charge of the blocking crystal.

Piper backed away from her. She had felt full of courage when she was challenging the face of Lark, but seeing Master Cyclonis in all her dark splendor had frightened her only long enough to set her heart racing. Even so, she refused to run, knowing that right now the last thing she could do was turn her back to her enemy. It could be the last thing she did.

Lark—or should we say, Master Cyclonis—put her hand up by her necklace. "Well, I've just gotta know," she said, taking hold of her crystal and changing into her true form. "How'd you figure it out?" she asked, casting Piper a smirk.

"Wasn't like it was that hard," Piper answered boldly. "The only Cyclonian who knows that much about crystals is the Master herself!" Yet there was one thing Piper couldn't understand. "But why the disguise?"

"Heh," Cyclonis grunted in annoyance. She turned away, almost sadly. "Like you'd ever invite me over to hang out."

Piper was taken aback. She wouldn't let herself believe that was _all_ Master Cyclonis had wanted to do, but Piper couldn't help pitying her as she remembered her as Lark for a second.

But then Cyclonis reminded her of who she _really_ was—or the way she _really_ acted. "You know," she said, "I've heard a lot about you, Piper. About your crystal mastery." She smirked again. "I wanted to see for myself."

Piper could see dark clouds gathering, and it reminded her of the storm. That made her even madder, and in her anger, her fear dwindled. "So you pulled me from the storm just so you could destroy me?" she challenged. That was a rather whacked-out concept in her opinion.

"Oh, I didn't come to destroy you," Cyclonis answered. She took a few steps toward her and gestured to her. "I came to ask you to join me."

A clash of thunder sounded after Cyclonis made the offer, and Piper drew back in shock. Join her? Of course she wouldn't! Yet even as she told herself that . . .

"You see," Master Cyclonis prodded, "we're a lot alike, you and me." Piper scowled at the idea, but maybe . . . Cyclonis seemed to notice her discomfort. "More than you'd like to admit," she added.

Piper could sense the truth in Master Cyclonis' words. It scared her more than anything.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper and Lark alone on a recon mission and Radarr's disappearance had been driving Aerrow crazy with worry. It was time for dinner, and the group had set four spots at the round table, each with a plate that had a full cooked chicken on it. Only two of the guys had gotten drinks before Aerrow couldn't take it anymore. Even with dinner on the table, Radarr _still_ hadn't shown up. Aerrow began searching for him feverishly, giving him an outlet for his worry over Piper's wellbeing as well. The others agreed to help him in his search.

"Hey, Radarr? Hello?" Junko called. He was looking under the round table, while Finn checked behind boxes and Stork looked out the window.

Aerrow looked around irritably. "Radarr," he scolded, "we don't have time for your games!" He only said it because that all he hoped it was.

He and Finn went down the hallways to search. "Hey, Radarr?" Junko heard Finn yell from down the hall.

Then Aerrow's voice echoed down to him. "Radarr!"

"Radarr, where are you?" Finn called. Junko only half heard him that time; still holding his bottle of yorca juice in his hand, he stuck the straw in his mouth and began to chug it down, not realizing Radarr was already on the bridge.

"Radarr?" the little furry copilot heard his boy shout for him, but Radarr knew that if he went to him, he wouldn't be able to see him. He would have to show Junko he was here. Leaping onto the table, he grabbed a leg off of one of the chickens and jumped down in front of Junko, holding it.

Junko's jaw dropped when he saw the floating chicken leg in front of him and heard it squawk. It wiggled in front of him and squawked again. Okay, that's weird. He eyed his drink as he remembered what Finn had said to him: _You're not really going to drink something you got at the dump, are ya?_ Maybe Finn had a point after all. Junko stood up and set the bottle down on the table, backing away from it and observing it from a safe distance with his finger on his lip.

His eyes widened as he saw the bottle start to float in the air. Then it wiggled and squawked at him. Junko couldn't believe his eyes. _My yorca juice can fly!_ he thought. "Sit! Stay!" he ordered it. He walked forward, pointing at it and scolding it. "Bad juice!"

Aerrow had walked back onto the bridge, and hearing Junko talking to his juice behind him, he turned around to see what was going on.

He turned just in time to see Junko charge forward. _I got you!_ the Wallop thought as he grabbed his floating juice. He heard a squawk as juice squirted out of the bottle. Stork looked over his shoulder just Aerrow saw it, too; most of the juice didn't land on the floor. Rather, it landed on the figure of some sort of animal. The invisible animal, now covered in visible juice, fell over on the floor with a whimper, still holding the bottle. _Wow! _Junko thought. _Radarr!_

Aerrow walked over to where it lay and saw the animal with relief. It was indeed Radarr. But immediately his thoughts were analyzing something else: his invisibility. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed to the others. "He's been cloaked!"

Wait! Radarr squawked in surprise. They could see him? He stood up quickly, dropping the bottle, and studied his appearance. He was still invisible, but now he was covered in visible green goo (yorca juice). So they could see him now! Great!

"Radarr, what happened?" Aerrow demanded as he heard Finn walk up behind him.

Radarr laid a finger on his chin and held up his other pointer finger to tell Aerrow to wait while he thought of a way to tell him. Charades seemed the best way. He clasped his hands together, smiled, and started laughing, sounding awfully similar to a chimpanzee. He started doing hand gestures that reminded Aerrow of the gestures he'd seen the girls using in their talking and giggling.

Finn was the first one to realize it was charades. "Oh, I love this game!" he exclaimed. "Okay, okay," he said, trying to calm himself down to think. "First word sounds like 'girl.'" He pointed to Radarr and tried to think of something that sounded like "girl." "World?" he guessed. Radarr slumped at his lack of smarts. "There's someone from another world?" Finn continued to question.

Radarr tried again. He grabbed his ears so that they looked like pigtails and started chirping as if in delight, mimicking laughter.

"Laughing?" Finn asked, puzzled. "'Laughing' doesn't sound a thing like 'girl,' Radarr." He pointed at him critically. "You're really not good at this," he commented.

Radarr screeched in frustration, holding his head. Whimpering desperately, he appealed to Aerrow. If anyone could understand him, it would be his boy.

Aerrow looked a bit confused, but he'd gotten the gist of it. "He's trying to tell us about a laughing girl," he translated for the others.

Both Finn and Junko looked completely puzzled, but Stork put his head in his hands at their stupidity. He understood. After all, what girl had been continually laughing all day and driving Stork _nuts?_ "Lark!" he exclaimed to them. _Radarr is invisible because of Lark!_ he wanted to scream at them but didn't.

Radarr tapped his nose. That was it.

"Oh, Lark did this," Finn exclaimed with a smile, happy to have finally figured it out. As Aerrow cast him a look of concern, he suddenly seemed to realize what he just said. "Oh," he repeated, now with a darker tone of realization. "_Lark_ did this."

_Oh no! This is terrible!_ Junko thought. "We've gotta warn Piper!" Junko exclaimed, exchanging a worried look with Stork. She was in danger!

Little did they know that Piper had already found out that Lark was not to be trusted. She was already in grave danger. And soon, they all would be.

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, so anyone who noticed that Piper wanted to go back and tell _Aerrow_ specifically about what she saw on the terra, don't immediately think this indicates a pairing between them. You have to remember that a Sky Knight squadron is like a military unite without the same strict discipline (although it _could_ have the same strict discipline if the Sky Knight so chooses). This means that, when Piper was going to tell Aerrow about the problem, or wanted him with her on her recon mission, she was simply wishing for the presence of her leader and commander and wished to inform of information so that he might direct the squadron. I'm just pointing that out because my mention of wishing for Aerrow at her side might be mistaken for a pairing. Also, I've heard people use that fact of proclaiming she needed "to tell Aerrow" as proof she likes. This is not proof, although I will not rule out the possibility of that being the reason behind it.

Sheesh, I'm spending a lot of time pointing out what is not definite proof. But hey, I'm going to keep doing it. For example, for all you Piper/Stork supporters, when Piper hugged Stork . . . But I'll get there in the next episode.

Here's a _Storm Hawks_ related trivia fact that this episode reminded me of: "Tundra" comes from the Russian Sámi word _tundar_, meaning "flat-topped hill". Maybe this is how the Terra Tundras got its name. After all, it's not cold like the chilly desert biome of the Arctic.

Okay, no one's been voting on my poll. Why not? I want votes! Of course, you vote after you review, right? _Right?_


	28. Best Friends Forever: True Friends

Chapter 4: True Friends

"Come on, Piper," Master Cyclonis insisted as she gave her offer again. "Imagine the two of us working together. The world would be ours!" _Leave the Storm Hawks and work with me, Piper!_ she thought silently. _Work with me or the Storm Hawks are dead!_

Piper couldn't believe what she was hearing from Cyclonis. _No! Never! _her mind screamed. "You've gotta be kidding!" she answered Cyclonis. "I'd never join you!" _I'm with the Storm Hawks,_ she thought, _forever!_

"Well," Cyclonis answered calmly, "there's always the alternative." As she said it, five Talons rose up behind her, flying on Talon Switchblades. The Talons smirked at Piper, one of them brushing his mustache coolly. Cyclonis' Talons were ready to fight. And with her powerful crystal, her Cyclonians would be invisible.

"You have the best seat in the house," Master Cyclonis told Piper with a chuckle, "for your friends' destruction." Piper watched as she pulled out a large pink cloaking crystal and her crystal staff, sticking it into its tip while the fingerlike appendages on the end of the staff closed in on it.

"Attack!" she ordered the Talons. As she said it, she turned around and shot a blast from her staff at them. Now invisible, Piper heard them fly away in the direction of the _Condor_, and she gasped. But there was nothing she could do at the moment.

Cyclonis was now putting another crystal, purple in color, at the other end of her duel-ended staff. She turned around and faced Piper again, just as a thunder boomed overhead. "Now," she said, sneering at Piper, "where were we, girlfriend?"

* * *

Aerrow couldn't believe how quickly this new storm pulled in. One minute, the sun gleamed on the _Condor_'s patchy metal sides, and the next they were plunged into darkness as blue-gray clouds blotted out the sun. It was at that instant that he looked out the window and saw a red energy pulse collide with the bow of one of the _Condor_'s mighty engines. Five more shots came at their bow, rattling the ship and sending Finn over backward in a somersault before landing on his stomach while Junko and Stork clutched the ship's helm for dear life. _Hey, what's happening?_ Aerrow thought.

Once the shaking stopped, Stork ran to the window and peered back and forth fearfully. "There's nothing out there," he said surly.

Aerrow braced himself against the wall as another pulse shook the ship, Stork likewise grabbing the window frame and Junko and Finn taking hold of the railing. "That nothing sure feels like something!" Finn exclaimed.

Something was out there . . . but what? Aerrow's mind quickly made an assessment . . . maybe not as quickly as Piper would have, but enough to come up with a makeshift plan. "Everyone, battle stations!" he ordered, throwing his fists in the air. Without waiting to see them follow his order, he ran to the door.

"Where are you going?" Junko called after him.

Aerrow stopped just before the door as it opened automatically for him. "Whatever's out there is cloaked just like Radarr," he explained, motioning toward his copilot. "I'll try to draw them away from the _Condor_. Start blasting!" And with a gentle gesture that said, _Radarr, come with me,_ Aerrow and his copilot headed down to the hangar bay.

The ship continued to rattle as the invisible foes continued to fire at them. One shot barely missed the landing strip just as Aerrow and Radarr made their way out of the hangar bay, taking to the air.

As they flew, Aerrow heard something behind him like water rippling. Glancing behind him, he didn't see Radarr in his cockpit. The wind had blown the yorca juice out of his fur. "Radarr, you still with me?" he asked.

Radarr's squawk sounding from the cockpit reassured him only for an instant as the thought dawned on him; he was in enemy skies without knowing where the enemy was. A shot shook his Skimmer just as this thought past through his mind. He glanced around anxiously. "Where _are_ they?" he wondered aloud.

A volley of shots was coming his way from two different locations on the starboard wing. Aerrow didn't have time to dodge, so instead he braced himself for the impact that shook his Vulcan. Standing up, he drew his left blade and took three shots in the general direction, but from what he could hear, none of them seemed to hit, and the shots kept coming at them. One of them knocked right into his engine. Aerrow yelled in shock and fear as the skyride with its smoking engine fell toward the Wastelands, leaning to the port side as it did so. Aerrow was thrown out of the seat, staying with the ride only because of his grip on the handlebars. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he said to himself. His eyes wondered to the seemingly empty cockpit. "Radarr, I hope you're ducking."

* * *

Piper gasped with fear and rage as she faced Master Cyclonis. "So all this . . . this friendship was just some twisted game to you?" she exclaimed, pulling out her energy staff.

"I don't have time for friends," Cyclonis growled, pointing her purple crystal-staff point at her. "I have a world to conquer!"

Cyclonis struck forward, but Piper was expecting it, and she blocked it with her staff. Cyclonis came again, and the same thing happened, but his time, Cyclonis used her own staff to shove Piper backward. Piper was hurled through the air with a scream onto her back.

It didn't take her long to recover, and she grunted with determination as she sat up. She was met with Cyclonis' staff point. "It's amazing how much you can learn about a person after a few hours with them, and I think I know you pretty well now, Piper," she said as thunder rumbled overhead, "well enough to know your next move before you even make it!"

Piper cringed. She was in a bind now.

Cyclonis activated her staff, and Piper was engulfed in an agonizing energy pulse that sizzled throughout her entire body. She gasped and dropped her staff, unable to move.

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr flew toward the _Condor_, a direction that Aerrow knew to be _away_ from their invisible opponent who was firing shots at them. Aerrow tried to draw others firing at the _Condor_ away from her by flying in front of the bridge, just dodging shots. It seemed to work on some, but now he and Radarr were in unavoidable danger. Aerrow slammed his fist against the top of his open windshield. This was terrible! "I can't fight them if I can't see them!" he said in frustration.

Opening the lid on his right handle, he pressed the button it revealed, activating the radio. He was a commander calling on his own squad, but he had no choice. "Guys," he called to the others, "I need some help up here!"

"_Already on it!_" he heard Finn say to him over the radio.

Back on the _Condor_, Finn was pouring a sticky, yellowish substance from a wooden bucket into the _Condor_'s energy cannon. "This morning's porridge," he said, with a smile at his own genius. "Sticks to your ribs. Should stick to them!"

Junko, who sat on the seat behind the cannon, smiled with anticipation as Finn finished filling it up. _Great idea, Finn! _the Wallop thought silently. _Let's hit them with our breakfast! _He moved the cannon's platform forward and shot a blast at the air. It was a lucky shot, hitting one of the enemies square on. The porridge now covered their upper form. It looked at its now visible hands in confusion.

On the bridge, Stork eyed it through the ship's periscope now that he could see the attackers. "Yeah," he said into the radio so the others could hear. "Cyclonians."

Down at the cannon, Junko seemed delighted by their success, as was Finn. "It worked!" Junko cheered. He turned around to Finn, who was still holding the bucket. "Quick, get more!"

Finn didn't like him saying that because now he had a confession to make. "Actually," he said, showing Junko the empty bucket, "that was all of it." He chuckled and smiled, feeling a bit sheepish.

Aerrow heard what they had said over the radio, and he smiled. "I've got an idea!" he radioed to them. "Do we still have the tar we used to patch the roof?"

Aerrow glanced back at the _Condor_, checking the damage as he heard Junko answer back, "_Yeah_."

"Get it," Aerrow ordered, "and every pillow on the ship!"

Another invisible Talon was coming toward the ship just as Finn finished loading the cannon with a bucketful of tar. Junko let if fly right after Finn stuffed a pillow into it. It hit the Talon, covering him and his Switchblade's wings and engines in tar and feathers. Junko couldn't help but laugh at the comical sight.

Aerrow and Radarr flew in closer to the now visible Talon. Aerrow drew his left blade slowly, trying not to get the already surprised Talon to focus again before he had a chance at an easy shot. As the feathered Switchblade came closer, Aerrow yelled and sliced at with his blade, wrecking it. With a shout of surprise, the Talon was sent parachuting down to the Wastelands, his cloak deactivated. _Goodbye to you! _Aerrow thought. He smiled to himself. "Bull's-eye!"

* * *

Piper groaned as she tried to get up off the ground. Master Cyclonis had stepped away from her, but she now took a step forward again. Piper squeaked in alarm and clutched her staff, charging it and getting it ready for a blow. She knew what Cyclonis was doing next.

Cyclonis advanced on her until she stood over. Raising her staff above her head, she prepared to bring about the fatal blow. At that moment, Piper raised the point of her staff and fired, sending Cyclonis sprawling backward. "I learned a lot about you, too, my friend," she growled in explanation, and really she thought, _I understand you._

She got to her feet just as Cyclonis did the same, using her staff for support. "You're so naïve," Cyclonis said to her. "We were never friends!"

Her point aimed at Piper again, and Piper raised her own staff, prepared to dodge. When Cyclonis raised her staff over her head and brought it down again, Piper was ready. She leapt out of the way, flipping over Cyclonis' head and twisting so that she was facing her when she landed.

_Oh no?_ Piper thought. She knew the true story, and she had a very different take on the situation . . . Cyclonis wanted to be strong, but she also wanted a friend. "You can act all tough and destroy the world," she said to Cyclonis, "but you can't hide who you really are—a lonely girl who desperately wants a friend."

Cyclonis' smirk fell to a frown. _No!_ she thought. _You're wrong! I don't want any friends!_ But even as she told herself this, she knew it wasn't true.

Piper could see that not only had she caught Cyclonis off guard, but she had distracted her with her own thoughts. Now was her chance. Piper leapt forward, swinging her staff and knocking Cyclonis' staff out of her hand. Cyclonis growled and turned around to see her own staff spinning in the air only for Piper to shoot at the cloaking crystal one of the ends, destroying it. Cyclonis gasped. Without that crystal, her plan would be in ruins!

Piper smiled as she looked to the skies overhead, waiting to see how her team would handle the Cyclonians now that they could be seen.

Aerrow was suddenly distracted as something small and furry that he knew to be Radarr leapt onto his back with a squawk of fright, hugging his neck. Glancing over his shoulders, he was surprised to actually _see_ Radarr. Radarr smiled at him, fully aware of his visibility, but Aerrow wasn't looking at him any longer. He followed his eyes toward the open sky, and what he saw made him squawk in fright again.

Four Talons now materialized behind them, with the man with the mustache in the lead. "Huh?" he said as he glanced at his hand. How in the world was he visible?

Aerrow knew what had happened. Either the cloaking crystal used on them had been destroyed or it had been deactivated. He smiled. "They can't hide anymore!" he said to Radarr.

As they banked a turn, Radarr let go of Aerrow, and the young Sky Knight leapt to the bow of the Skimmer with his blades drawn and one foot balancing on his port wing. As they sped toward the Talons, Aerrow leapt off the Vulcan with a grunt and landed on the first Switchblade's wing. In less than a second, he leapt to the next, grabbing hold of its bottom wing and swinging himself up into a somersault before landing on his feet on the bow of the last Switchblade. The Talon didn't have time to react before Aerrow brought his left blade down onto its bow. The Switchblade tilted to its starboard wing and plummeted, while Aerrow jumped off the side. Radarr flew underneath him to pick him up, and he landed once again on his feet on the bow of his own sky ride. _And goodbye to you!_ Aerrow thought, looking after the Talon.

Finn eyed two Talons flying side-by-side from where he still sat upon the cannon with his crossbow in hand. "I see you!" he said tauntingly as he took aim.

"Oh, yeah!" Junko said as he fired a shot at the Talons. "This is a lot easier now!" His shot wrecked one of the Switchblades.

The _Condor_ continued to shoot at the Talons still circling them. One of them just barely missed them. He glanced back at the _Condor_ only to face forward again and be met with another threat. "Huh?"

Somehow, the Sky Knight's Skimmer had charged him without him knowing it. Aerrow stood on his starboard wing, and his copilot was in the driver's seat. He leapt into the air as Radarr flew by, and his blade sliced right through the Switchblade. Aerrow landed on his Vulcan's stern and smiled to himself as he heard the Switchblade explode into flames and turned to see the Talon parachuting to the terra below.

As the _Condor_ continued shooting at them, the mustached leader saw that there was no hope for them here. "Retreat!" he called to the other Talons. "Retreat!" He and his two remaining airborne comrades flew over the three parachuting Talons as they made their way back down toward the Terra Tundras.

Master Cyclonis snarled as she watched them land. She turned back to Piper. "I still have one trick left," she said to her. "You know what this is, don't you?" she said, pulling forth a small, deep purple crystal.

Piper smiled. She knew exactly what it was: an oblivion crystal, an extremely dangerous crystal with an unknown origin. It can send objects into another dimension, a realm of oblivion. But there was something else about it that Piper knew which Cyclonis seemed not to know.

Cyclonis pointed the purple crystal and fired, but Piper only shielded her face from it and felt its power before she straightened again. Nothing had happened, and she was okay.

Cyclonis looked down at the crystal with confusion and rage. _It's not working!_ she wanted to scream in frustration, but she kept her cool.

Piper smiled to a confused Cyclonis, for she knew that Cyclonis also knew what she was about to explain. "Oblivion crystals won't work on friends, even if they were only friends for a moment." She could see her victory in her hands now as Cyclonis stared at the oblivion crystal in disbelief with her jaw hanging open before she sent her a snarl. "It's a dud," Piper chuckled, "_Master_."

"This isn't over, you know," Master Cyclonis growled as she pointed at Piper. With that, she raised her hands into the air, and through the power of crystals, she teleported back to Cyclonia in a beam of light. _Goodbye, Piper,_ she thought as she left. _But remember—I'll be watching you!_

Piper brought her hand down, having used it to shield her eyes from the light. "I'll be waiting," she answered with a smile. But even as she said it, she felt an aching in her heart at the thought of going back alone. _Goodbye,_ she thought silently.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper had been greeted with many relieved faces, but she found she couldn't be social at the moment. As the _Condor_ made her way to sunnier skies, Piper retreated to her crystal lab in her room.

Piper sat at her desk, working on an experiment. She was just adding a spark of energy from a green crystal to some pink crystal dust she'd taken from the Tundras when a plume of pink smoke arose from it. Piper sighed. For once, she just wasn't interested in her work.

She heard three knocks at the door and had a feeling about who it might be. "Come in," she called.

The door opened, and Aerrow appeared, leaning against the doorframe. Piper looked away as Aerrow rested his hand on his hip. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Piper answered. "Cyclonis didn't really hurt me." She met his eyes and could see he was worried. Aerrow seemed to know that Piper was bothered by something other than physical pain. "I-I'm okay," she insisted to reassure him.

Finn was waiting beside the door outside the room, not sure how to begin this. _Piper is sad,_ he thought. He felt he should do it for her. _Hmm . . . _he thought. _What do girls like doing? _Taking a breath, he came around the doorway. "Hey," he greeted her, ignoring Aerrow. He put his hand on his head as he tried to think of something to say. "Uh, cool crystals . . . a-and stuff."

"Hmm, thanks," Piper answered. She knew he didn't really mean it, but she could see that he was trying.

"Well, I was wondering," Finn began hesitantly, "seeing as you're a girl and all, d'you wanna braid each others' hair or, or something?"

Piper couldn't help but laugh out loud. That was probably the funniest thing she'd heard all day!

"What?" Finn asked, sounding confused. He'd meant it as a serious question.

Aerrow laughed with her as Piper got up and left the room, starting her way down the hall, now with a smile on her face. What do you know? It seemed that she didn't need girl friends to have good friends. She stopped and turned around. "Thanks, Finn," she said through her giggles. "I really needed that."

Finn raised an eyebrow as she walked away. He didn't get her reaction at all. "I will never understand girls," he told Aerrow as the Sky Knight stepped up beside him.

Aerrow smiled as he looked after Piper. Yeah, well, luckily for him, he didn't have to understand everything about her to be her friend. He could just simply enjoy it. He knew that he could not be a Sky Knight without her at his side; he knew all of them could not be the Storm Hawks without her. She'd do anything for them, and he hoped that she knew they would do anything for her, too. At least, he would. For all of them. That's what friends are for.

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's some completely random _Storm_ _Hawks_ related trivia: "Rex" means "king" in Latin. Therefore Terra Rex is Terra King. And if you want to be really technical, "terra" means "land" or "earth" in Latin, so really it's "King Land" or "King Earth" (if put in proper English format).

Okay, so who here thinks that Piper and Lark's relationship was _never_ beyond friends? *raises hand* Nothing against homosexuals, but being homosexual is not "normal". Most people are heterosexual. There's nothing _wrong_ with being homosexual, but considering the work Nerd Corps does and the age group _Storm Hawks_ is directed to, I can almost guarantee that most of the characters are heterosexual, including Piper and Master Cyclonis a.k.a. Lark. Piper and Lark were just really good friends for a moment. After all, girls can get pretty clingy with their BFFs. Furthermore, when boys have physical contact, it's rough play or real fights, but girls my be a bit more gentle and loving toward their friends.

Okay, well, I've said my part, and opinions vary, so if you have another take on it from specific details, tell me about it when you review (hint, hint).


	29. The Black Gorge: Dark Descent

Author's Notes: Yes, it's time for all you Stork fans to have your first moment.

* * *

_**Part 7**_

_**The Black Gorge**_

_Bravery is found in the fearful. A friend is gained and lost. Horrors appear out of the shadows and from unexpected places. Sanity is lost in the blackness. Darkness descends, and light is found._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Dark Descent

Lightning flashed in the distance and thunder rumbled. It was an omen of what was to come, Stork thought. And indeed it was.

As soon as they flew over the gorge, the _Condor_ lost her drive and began falling nose first into it, just as he knew she would. Her alarms were going off to alert them, but her crew was all too aware of the current situation. Stork pressed his weight against the ship's helm as he tried to bring her up, but he knew it would be useless. They were all doomed.

His leader was standing not far behind him, and he had turned to Piper. "What's our status?" he demanded to know.

Piper was checking the gauges. "Losing crystal power, fast!" she reported back.

Stork clenched his teeth. Of course they were losing power! They were diving into the Black Gorge, for crying out loud! Everyone knows that you're bound to have bad luck here.

Finn seemed to be in hysterics. "Oh, we're goin' down, man!" he said as he cringed. He grabbed Junko and pulled him into his face with a crazed look. "We're goin' down!" Then he looked out the window in front of him. Screaming in terror, he ran away from it.

Stork gasped through clenched teeth when he saw what had scared him. The _Condor_ was about to collide with a rocky ledge coming out of the side of the gorge! In desperation, he pulled the ship over to avoid it. "Whoa!" Aerrow yelled as he clutched the railing to keep his feet. Radarr slide across the floor, and Piper's scream could be heard as the others lost their balance. But Stork was one with the _Condor_, and her intentional movement could not capsize him.

Yet even with this stunt, the great ship scraped her hull against the ledge as they went by, and somewhere behind Stork a pipe burst. Junko grabbed it and hooked it back together, but he gasped as another pipe beside him split open at the screws.

With a heavy heave, Stork straightened her out again, but now she was beeping at him. He checked the gauges on the helm, and every needle was sinking as the _Condor_ tilted again.

Aerrow clutched the railing. "Hold on!" he warned the others. Like Stork, he knew they were going down. Piper met his eyes as she and Finn held on to a protruding piece of metal. Radarr, at first, had hold of the Timepulse receiver, but as the tilting ship pulled the floor out from under his and Junko's feet, he squawked and found it necessary to leap onto Aerrow's shoulders and latch onto his head. Aerrow seemed a bit annoyed by this, but considering the circumstances, he just closed his eyes and tolerated it.

The _Condor_ was completely vertical by now, and she was accelerating as she headed for the canyon floor. But yet even so, Stork had to believe in her. Maybe, just maybe, she could reserve enough power to land. He pulled back on the helm as hard as he could, trying to level her. Blackness descended upon them as they neared the bottom, but still Stork pulled.

Stork's eyes popped open. That sound. The humming of the engine. He felt her slow, felt her level, and carefully she hove to, hovering over a ledge. With relief, he straightened himself in a dignified fashion before giving Aerrow a thumb up. Aerrow seemed a bit skeptical of the situation, which made him a bit more comical with Radarr clinging to his face. The others were just plain relieved . . . until the power went out again.

The lights blacked out on them, and Stork felt the _Condor_ drop out from underneath his feet, having given up the last of her strength. He fell forward onto his chest and chin, his legs hanging over him in the air.

Great, he thought. Just great. Trapped in the Black Gorge where they would surely be doomed. And he had known better. He said to the others, "I would like to take this opportunity to remind you all that I told you a _shortcut_ over the Black Gorge would have catastrophic results!"

The others got to their feet. Aerrow used the railing for support as he straightened himself out, gasping at some pain in him. Stork felt a little better hearing that gasp, seeing as it was _his_ orders that got them here in the first place! (It might have been even more satisfying if he still had Radarr clinging to him.) And the Sky Knight _still_ insisted on being in the right! "Come on, Stork," he answered back. "You know all that talk about the Black Gorge is just spooky old legends."

Just as he said it, a howl from some wild beast came from outside. Everyone addressed the sound, with Finn's eyes widening in fear. Aerrow turned back to Stork. "Isn't it?"

Stork rolled his eyes. No wonder they didn't normally knight young boys. They were so ignorant.

* * *

Outside, on the opposite side of the Gorge just above them, dark figures were peering out of a black cave, their glowing red eyes fixed on the _Condor_. The first of the "spooky old legends" was closer than they thought.

* * *

Unaware of anything going on outside, the Storm Hawks turned on the lights and began taking a look at the mess. And what a mess it was! With everything strewn everywhere, it seemed to Stork that it was even worse than the last storm they had been in, the one in which they had almost lost Piper.

He allowed Junko to assess the damage done to the _Condor_'s interior and Piper to check the engine crystals while he looked through his ever necessary supply boxes. They would need them now more than ever . . . even though they were all doomed anyway.

Aerrow looked around at them all with concern, Radarr clinging to his side with his arms wrapped around his neck. "Everyone okay?" Aerrow asked.

Stork gave him a look. Okay? _Okay? _Why in the world would they be _okay_ trapped in the Black Gorge?

"We terrific," Finn answered back sarcastically for him. "Crashing into the Black Gorge suites us just fine."

Stork could tell by Aerrow's look that the young Sky Knight blamed himself for this, but that was just fine with Stork. After all, it _was_ his fault.

Stork looked over to the engine when he heard Piper speak. "Something is draining our crystals," she said as she held one of her many crystal tools over the blue engine crystals. "In a minute, these will be nothing but dust!"

Stork knew that now they were in a critical situation—as if they weren't always—and he knew just what they needed for their last few days, for they were all surely to die here. He went over to his supply crates, tapping his fingers together and smiling slyly as he looked for the right one. "Mummified Virus Plague," he defined, pointing to a crate with a white germ-like picture on its lid. "Altarian Brain Worm Infestation," he continued, pointing to one that had a picture of a brain with worms coming out of it on its lid. Then he pointed to the one with a black skull and crossbones, with the skull having red eyes. "Oh, yes," he said, smiling in triumph and drumming the air with his fingers. "The Black Gorge.

"Ah," he said as he opened up the lid, revealing a piece of rolled-up parchment and five pairs of goggles. The boys and Radarr only stared at him as he pulled out the goggles and held them out in front of them. "The light-enhancing glass in these peepers will let us actually see our slow and painful demise," he said dramatically.

"Thinking," Piper said as she glanced over at them from where she still stood over the engine crystals, "let's find a way out of here before that happens."

Stork got up beside her and held up a finger, eager to point out her mistake in this. "No airship this size has ever entered the Black Gorge and been heard from again," he told her as she leaned away from him.

"Our skimmers!" Finn suggested. "We could just fly outta here and come back for the _Condor_ later." The boys and Radarr brightened. It sounded good to them.

To Stork, it only showed how little they knew. "That's pretty much impossible," he answered. He pointed to the engine crystals as examples. "The natural energy field here drains crystals of their energy."

Piper pulled out one of the engine crystals, examining it. "Without crystals, our vehicles are useless," she said with new insight. "So are our weapons."

This made the boys look scared, except for Aerrow, who only seemed determined.

To Stork, it marked the end he had always known would come soon. "Might as well hope our end will be quick and painless," he said in a melancholy voice. "But in the Black Gorge," he reminded them as the lights went out, "it won't be."

Finn looked around at the gloom that had descended right when Stork paused. "Uh, okay," he said with frightened eyes. "That's actually kinda creepy."

Stork's ears caught the sound of tiny feet making a pitter-patter on the floor just beyond them at the same time Finn saw something small and furry move out of the corner of his eye. "Hey!" he shouted when he saw it. "Not funny, Radarr!"

"Radarr's with me," Aerrow pointed out. Radarr was looking at Finn, perplexed. He hadn't let go of Aerrow since he grabbed onto him after the crash.

Finn gasped and straightened as he felt something creeping up his back. "Then," he said as a little bare paw was placed over his shoulder, "who's with me?"

Stork's eyes were fairly descent in the dark—it's part of having large, glowing yellow eyes—but even he couldn't cut through this darkness and he knew human eyes were no match. "Um, the goggles?" he suggested, pointing to the ones in Finn's hand.

Finn held them up over his eyes, and Stork waved at him, sure that now the sharpshooter could see, well, sharply. He pointed to the figure he could vaguely see on Finn's shoulder and slipped on his own goggles to see. The others did the same.

Finn turned his head cautiously and screamed. A tan-furred, spiny mammal with patches of white and pointed floppy ears sat on his shoulder and smiled up at him, staring at him with large, brown eyes. Finn screamed, and the creature screamed, their eyes widening and the critter's ears standing on end. Finn ran away, and the creature leapt in the opposite direction right into Junko's arms.

With a grunt of surprise, Junko caught the creature, cradling it close to him. The creature showed Junko those large brown eyes, and Stork feared—no, _knew_—that Junko would fall for them. And he did. "Hey, cute little fella!" he greeted it . . . or should we say, him, for it was a male creature. He scratched the creature under the chin, and the thing chirped in delight, opening his mouth to reveal his rodent-like buckteeth.

Junko walked over to where Finn was hiding behind a pile of boxes. "Look at him, Finn," he coaxed him. "He's just as scared as you." He stopped in front of the pile of boxes where Finn was peering over them, and the little mammal turned around with a chirp of curiosity at the thing that had scared him.

Finn chuckled with embarrassment as he stood up and walked out from behind the boxes with a smile. "Yeah, cute," he said. Then he crossed his arms, frowning, and insisted, "And I'm not scared."

Junko held the animal in his hand, admiring him. "Can we keep him?" he asked, mostly to Aerrow.

Oh, that was disaster waiting to happen, Stork thought. He got up next to Junko. "If you want to live," he warned, "I really wouldn't recommend it. Never trust a native of the Black Gorge." His eyes met with the native's as he added, "Ever."

The native only cheeped again.

"I'll call you Mr. Cheepers," Junko told the animal. Stork frowned. No one ever listened to him. He watched Junko scratch Mr. Cheepers under the chin, and Mr. Cheepers chirped in delight, seeming content with the scratching and the new name.

Radarr, on the other hand, did not like this one bit. Having finally given Aerrow's neck a rest, he was down on the ground not far from Junko's feet. He narrowed his eyes and growled behind closed lips. He trusted that creature as much as Stork did. Besides, even if he was wrong about Mr. Cheepers, _he_ was the animal among the Storm Hawks. He would not allow some cute, useless Black Gorge native to be his replacement.

Much to his annoyance, and to Stork's, Aerrow didn't seem concerned. "Maybe you oughtta ask Mr. Cheepers if he can get us outta this mess," he suggested to Junko jokingly.

"Wait a minute," Piper answered. "I think _I_ can!" She turned back to the rotating engine with its dying crystals. "The Gorge may drain crystal energy, but I happen to have one Solaris Crystal," she said, holding up a glowing yellow crystal, "which absorbs solar energy. I can harmonize it to recharge the _Condor_ and get us outta here!"

All looked saved for a moment, until Piper said, "Wait a minute." Stork kind of figured that was coming. It's the way doom works. And of course, Stork saw Finn stiffen when Piper had said that. Who else could be the cause of their destruction? They all watched with sinking hearts and growing frustration as the crystal's light went out. "It's dead!" Piper exclaimed in frustration through clenched teeth.

Like Stork, she saw Finn trying to tip-toe away when glancing over her shoulder, and she also put two and two together. "Finn?" she asked. Finn hid behind the pile of boxes again. "What did you do?" Piper demanded to know.

Everyone's eyes turned to him expectantly, even Mr. Cheepers'. Finn's reaction told Stork he knew that he was in a tight place as he peeped over the boxes anxiously. "Uh, to my defense," he said, holding up a finger, "we all enjoyed the impromptu luau on Tropica, did we not?"

Ah, now Stork remembered.

_It had been their trip to Tropica after their Terra Gale mission. He, Piper, and Aerrow had all gotten lounge chairs with Radarr sticking close to Aerrow. The others had been willing to give Stork the chair under the umbrella. Meanwhile, Finn had cooked for them, and Junko, being Junko, hovered over the roasting meat, licking his chops. Finn had smiled as he spun the meat over a crystal, which was yellow and glowed like the sun._

It figured Finn would be the one to bring about their doom.

Piper looked more agitated then any of them. "You used my only Sol Crystal for a barbeque?" she yelled at Finn.

Junko put his finger to his lip, still holding Mr. Cheepers in the other hand. "It _was_ pretty tasty," he commented.

Piper sighed. "Okay," she said, already forming a plan around the dilemma. She looked at the crystal. "We'll just have to expose this crystal to direct sunlight to recapture its charge."

"That's all?" Aerrow asked with a smile. "Well, let's catch that rock some rays and get outta here!" So ignorant, as always.

"Um, excuse me," Stork reminded them, picking up his Black Gorge crate and setting it on the table. Everyone turned to him expectantly. His expert knowledge seemed to be enabling him to take a leadership role that even Aerrow was respecting. It was making informing them a lot easier. Too bad it wouldn't last long.

"They call it the 'Black Gorge' for a reason," he said, pulling out the scroll and unrolling it on the lid to reveal its identity as a map of the Gorge. It was covered with pictures, mostly skulls and crossbones, some with pictures of monsters, all black with red eyes. Only one place was without a gruesome picture, and Stork traced the path there with his finger, stopping at the red X. "There's only one place that sees direct sunlight here," he explained, taping the X, "but only for a few seconds once a year, and," he added, holding up a finger to the crowd that had gathered around, "it's at the far side of the Gorge. That one tiny moment is just about," he paused to count on his fingers before turning back and holding up two fingers, "two hours from right now."

"Two hours?" Aerrow asked, exchanging a smile with Piper. "Plenty of time!"

"Let's not forget," Stork reminded him, pointing to their location on the map that had a picture of a red-eyed black bat, "metal-eating Vulca bats," he pointed to another picture of things with stems, large heads and teeth, and red eyes, "enormous meat-eating plants," here Mr. Cheepers whimpered and leapt up onto Junko's shoulder, "and worst of all, the vilest creature of the entire Gorge!" He pointed to a picture of a black face with big teeth, red eyes, and pointed ears with crossbones underneath. "The giant poison-toothed spiny Gorge sloth!" At this, Mr. Cheepers squealed in alarm and jumped off Junko's shoulder, scampering away for cover, as if proving Stork's point. "You'll never make it," Stork finished as they watched Mr. Cheepers run away. "Better off living out the rest of our short lives in the wreckage of the _Condor_."

Then came a thud against the wall from outside as something landed on the ship, screeching. Everyone cringed. "Guessing that would be the Vulca bats," Piper said. Stork ducked behind his crate with a gasp. The terrors of the Black Gorge had found them sooner than he anticipated. They would be dead soon. He just knew it.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah, yes, the Black Gorge. You know, every fantasy has something like this: the Dark Mountain, the Black Tunnel, the Dark Cave, the Dark Forest, the Black Forest, the Dragon's Lair, the Goblin Hole. It's always dark and enclosed . . . and dangerous. So what better way than to have the pessimistic character as the hero?

Here's more trivia: There is no real Black Gorge obviously, but there is an actual Dark Forest, called so because the trees are so thick there that there is very little sunlight on the forest floor. It's located in Germany, ironically the same country that was the birthplace of the term "Goth." [The original Goths were a group of ancient Germans who settled south of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and founded kingdoms in different parts of the Roman Empire between the 3rd and 5th centuries.] Because of the lack of sunlight and ability to settle, the Dark Forest was a much unknown place in medieval times and was featured in dozens of legends as a forbidding place that harbored the unknown. Much of it is still unexplored, but now instead of feared it is revered as a wildlife reserve, now probably the only place in Germany that harbors predator species such as wolves, which were extinct in Germany for decades until rather recently.

I've got more trivia somewhere along the line of this episode, trust me. And if you're getting tired of it, I'll shut my trap and just do the story.

Now, will there be reviews? I can't decide if I should continue trivia, or even this fic, if I don't get reviews!


	30. The Black Gorge: The First Terrors

Chapter 2: The First Terrors

Stork stayed inside the _Condor_ as the boys got their armor on and they, Piper, and Radarr ran outside to save the ship. Four more Vulca bats flew out of the cave and descended toward the _Condor_ as they ran outside.

The first bat landed against the ship's hull with a thud, its razor-like jaws peeling off a piece of metal with ease. Its big ears went back against its head as Junko grabbed hold of the creature and pulled it back. It flapped its wings in an attempt to escape, nodding his head and throwing its U-shaped horns backward. As Junko held it just out of reach of his face, it screeched at him ferociously, eager to get back to dinner. "They're eating the _Condor_!" Junko yelled to the others.

Three of the long-eared bats were on landing strip, cleaning off a piece of piping when they raised their heads as a blue furry creature headed toward them, streaking out on all fours. Radarr leaped into the air, striking one in the face, then another, knocking them to the side. Before the third could react, he landed in front of it—him—and struck him in the groin with his knee. The creature's glowing red eyes stilled, and it fell over backward, stunned.

Meanwhile, Piper and Aerrow were fighting side by side, warding off some of the huge hovering bats with clubs. Even as they held these off, another group of five flew in and landed on the _Condor_. Piper and Aerrow gasped as the bats began gnawing on it. "The _Condor_ won't last through much more of this!" Piper exclaimed. "We've gotta get them off the hull!"

She stopped when she heard a voice say, "Don't worry. Finn's got this under control." She turned to see Finn, having just come out the door, holding his crossbow over his shoulder. He pulled it out and aimed at the feeding bats. Most of the Vulca bats flew away when they saw the weapon aimed at them, but one remained, and it paused in its feeding to turn and face Finn. Finn aimed at it and pulled the trigger . . . only to watch the bolt go less than a foot before its tip hit the ground. Finn looked concerned as he looked down at the bolt. "Uh . . ."

Piper rolled her eyes. What part of "no crystal power" did Finn not understand?

The Vulca bat, realizing it was not in danger, took to the air and headed toward Finn with a screech, determined to face the creature that was threatening him. Finn screamed and ran back into the ship with the Vulca bat on his tail.

When he was inside, he turned around, realizing there was nowhere to run. He fell backward and saw the bat land in the doorway and roar at him. Looking at his crossbow, Finn realized it was his only defense even though it was useless. With a grunt, he threw it at the Vulca bat, but he gasped as the bat just caught it in its teeth and shook it, bending it. It seemed to recognize it as another source of food.

Just then, a Vulca bat bit through the wall and poked its head in. Thinking quickly as he could, Finn grabbed the wooden lid of a crate and slammed it into its head, trying to force it out again. "They're coming through!" he warned the others.

Piper and Aerrow were still fighting alongside each other outside, swinging their clubs at the bats. "Hey!" Piper shouted in surprise when one of them snatched her weapon out of her hand. It took it a little distance away and began gnawing on it with two partners. Piper slumped. Now what?

Aerrow came to stand beside her, and she could see that he was also now weaponless. However, he also had a look that told her he had an idea, a vague idea, but an idea. He pointed to the bats feeding on the club, saying, "We need to give them something else to chew on. Quick, grab more stuff!" Piper followed him as he ran back to the ship.

Junko watched with anxiety as Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Finn began throwing any spare piece of metal they could find out to the bats. There was plenty of it strewn all over the floor after the crash. Only Junko was upset. They were throwing out _his_ metal! "Wait," he demanded, holding up his hands in an indication to stop. "What are you doing?"

"Creating a distraction!" Aerrow answered as he picked up another piece of metal and threw it outside.

Junko looked at a piece of a pipe on the floor. "But that's my extra special piece of . . . silvery metal!" Junko exclaimed as Piper picked it up.

Piper examined it. "What does it do?" she asked.

Junko put his finger to his lip. "I don't know," he answered with a shrug. "I just like it!"

Piper apparently could see no use for the metal, and she threw it out at one of the Vulca bats that had entered the ship. Junko gasped as the bat caught it in its mouth.

Then Finn said something that Junko isn't sure he'll ever forgive him for. "Hey, Junko's room is full of metal stuff!" He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled after gesturing toward Junko's quarters. Aerrow and Piper stared at the room with relief. Oh no.

Junko got in front of his room, locked by a metal chain and almost bursting with metal items. "Please don't!" he begged them all.

But the others advanced toward him still with Aerrow in the lead. "Gotta take one for the team, Junko," the Sky Knight said.

There was nothing Junko could do or say to stop them.

* * *

At last Stork felt it was safe to come out and see how everything went. There was a big pile of metal out in front of the _Condor_ from which the Vulca bats were feeding. Junko looked distress by the sight, but Aerrow seemed optimistic, as always. "Great," he said with a smile. "That'll keep 'em off the _Condor_ for awhile."

"We have less than two hours to go get this crystal charged up and back on the _Condor_," Piper reminded them as she pulled out the Solaris Crystal.

Just then, Junko brightened. "There's Mr. Cheepers!" he exclaimed.

Stork grimaced. He had almost hoped that they had gotten rid of that thing, but it turned out not.

Mr. Cheepers was walking upright on his hind legs as he headed for a natural land bridge made of rock that led to the other side of the Gorge. Mr. Cheepers stopped in front of it and pointed. "Hey," Junko exclaimed as Mr. Cheepers started heading across the bridge. "I think he knows a way!"

Junko started to follow after him, and Stork knew he had to stop him before he made a major mistake. He got in front of the Wallop and held out his hand to stop him. "When you take this journey—" he said, "and if you do, you will most certainly die—the only path to follow is this map." He held up his rolled-up map and pointed to it. Then he held up a finger and said, "The one person to escape the Gorge fought irreversible Gorge Madness to create this so any desperate soul trapped here would have a chance of survival. A slim chance." He held up his fingers to demonstrate.

He shoved the map into Aerrow's hands. "Take the map," he insisted. "As usual, I'll stay behind and hide out, I mean," he pointed his fingers at Aerrow hastily to correct himself, "_protect_ the _Condor_." When he finished, he held out his hands.

Aerrow just had to kill his fire by putting the map back in Stork's open hands. "You do realize you're coming with us, Stork," he said to the Merb.

Stork's heart skipped a beat, and his eye twitched. "I am?"

"You're the expert on this place," Aerrow insisted, gesturing to him. "We need you to be our guide."

Stork would later come to realize that this was actually a big compliment, seeing Aerrow's pride was a fragile thing and a leader often does not like to admit he can't lead. But right now, all Stork could see was the darkness around him, the horrors it hid, and all he could feel was the cold that such a dark place held for a cold-blooded animal, and all he could hear was the beating of his own heart. "Guide?" he squeaked. "But I—" And just like that, he fainted in front of them, falling over backward.

Radarr was sniffing his feet as the Merb opened his eyes again, not moments later. "Come on, Stork," was the first thing he heard from his Sky Knight. Thinking how much he was starting to _hate_ him saying that, his vision cleared enough for him to see Aerrow leaning over him and offering his hand. "We need ya," he insisted as he helped Stork up. "You're the only one who knows enough about this place to get us there."

Stork pointed to their navigator, who had picked up the map. "Piper's good with maps," he reminded Aerrow. "Let her do it." He turned to her. "Just follow the dotted line and avoid anything with a skull and crossbones."

Piper unrolled the map, and Stork realized that there were skulls and crossbones everywhere except where they wanted to go. He shrugged.

Piper rolled the map back up. "I'm with Aerrow on this one, Stork," she insisted. She held out the map to him. "You're the expert."

Stork groaned as she placed the map in his hands the same way Aerrow had. He thought about it, and then said, "I'll need a minute." There was no way he was going out there without protection. Hastily he ran back into the _Condor_.

He placed broken pieces of pipe on his arms. He put a helmet on his head with two lights on its top. He placed pots on either shoulder. He pulled a round ducky float up onto his waist over a lifejacket. Add a few more padding on the legs, put a ring of radishes over his head, and then put a microphone that doesn't hooked up to him and positioned in front of his mouth. Then he stood up proudly in front of all of them, showing them his suit of homemade armor as a hole blew in the ducky float, and it let out a hissing sound as it went flat. Everyone stared at Stork like he was crazy, but that's only because they didn't know what was waiting for them. Only Finn seemed excited by Stork's homemade armor. "Now _that_ inspires confidence," he said, pointing at Stork with his pistol fingers.

Stork approached them all, relishing his new roll in authority. He looked them all over as a general would look over his soldiers before he made his speech. "Take a long look at the person next to you," he commanded of them as he walked by them, "as, more than likely, they will _not_ be coming back." Everyone only eyed him with discomfort before they began to follow him as he headed out across the land bridge.

* * *

As they continued on their way, one of the Vulca bats just ate a metal object with a looking glass, taking it in his mouth and gulping it down in one bite, before burping and falling backward.

* * *

Although a good distance away from that now, Junko cringed and groaned. "I feel like I just lost something important," he told the others.

But Stork didn't have time to spare for him. He was in the lead, holding the map in front of him. "Ahead is Meat-Trap Marsh," he told the group, "the first of the ever-increasing Gorge horrors that all lead to the giant poison-toothed spiny Gorge sloth and our inevitable demise."

Radarr was in the back of the group, watching Mr. Cheepers walking ahead of him. He eyed him suspiciously as Stork said this sentence. Mr. Cheepers looked back to Radarr to smile and cheep at him, but Radarr only growled in response. Mr. Cheepers turned away fearfully, and in the growing gloom his so-called brown eyes now glowed red, for it was something he could not help.

Stork had reached the edge of the Marsh, standing just beyond its brown-colored waters. The group walked up behind him. Surprisingly, even with the absence of much sunlight, plants were growing here. Stork saw Aerrow looking around them and grunting passively, indicating that he didn't see anything really threatening about the place. But Stork was looking at his map, and he knew better. Apparently so did Mr. Cheepers. He got in front of them, cheeping and stretching out his little arms, warning them not to go forward.

Finn started walking toward the Marsh as he spoke. "Ah, this doesn't look so bad," he said. Stork's eyes widened fearfully as Finn yelled in surprise and fell into the swamp's murky waters just as he finished speaking. He frowned in annoyance. "Okay," he corrected. "It's bad."

Mr. Cheepers didn't like this one bit. He cheeped and pointed before running over to the wall and gesturing to a dark tunnel, cheeping again. Junko leaned toward him and put a finger on his chin. "I think Mr. Cheepers is trying to tell us something," he said. "Hey, maybe he knows a shortcut!" he proposed as he straightened and held up a finger.

Stork had a small moment of panic. _Shortcut?_ He ran up to Junko and leaned toward him. "There are no shortcuts," he corrected Junko. He held up the map to show the Wallop and leaned in on him as he spoke. "Straying from this map means certain _doom_ at the hands of the giant Gorge sloth!" He fanned the map in the air to emphasis his point. Piper and Aerrow watched skeptically with their hands on their hips, but Stork paid them no mind.

Just beyond them, a large green plant with a flower on top was rising upward and opening jaws with a slight hiss to reveal white teeth. But no one noticed.

Stork then leaned forward to Junko, planning on psyching him to listening to his advice. Referring to his earlier comment, he said softly with a smirk, "Unless, of course, that's what you want."

Junko turned away. "No, thank you." Satisfied with that answer, Stork turned back to the map.

Junko turned around, hearing Mr. Cheepers cheeping again. The little critter mimicked a roar, although it sounded like a squeal, and pointed to the tunnel again. "It's okay, Mr. Cheepers," Junko tried to assure the little guy. "Stork knows what he's doing."

As he was saying it, the large, toothed plant rose up behind him. Stork was interrupted from an examination of his map by a loud roar. The plant leaned forward and snapped at Junko, who froze with teeth clenched in fear. Stork and the others slowly turned around to look.

A giant meat-eating plant was hovering above them! It hissed at them menacingly, and everyone gasped in shock and terror, except for Finn, who was still stuck in the mud and had the back of his head to the action. He seemed to hear what was going on, though, because Stork heard his irritating voice call up to them. "What's happening?"

In front of him, Finn saw four more meat-eating plants rise up from the Marsh and screech at him. "Um, guys!" he called fearfully as a fifth one rose. "You might want to look over here, huh?"

Stork was too busy looking at the one in front of him to worry about what was behind him, but his ears were keener than that of a human's, and he could easily guess what had Finn so worried. That meant that they were surrounded. Their doom had come, just as he had predicted, and it hadn't been too far on their journey.

Piper, however, did what Finn said. Now Piper wasn't one to give in to despair. Being petrified but thoughtful was more her style. Her eyes widened as a plan formed in her head upon seeing floating rocks making a dotted line across the Marsh. She smiled, for once glad she had listened to the sharpshooter. "Thanks, Finn! Good thinking!" she said to him as she ran toward the Marsh and jumped from Finn's head to the next rock, flattening out his hair.

"Hey!" Finn called when she stepped on him. But she had no time for apologies.

She leaped from rock to rock. On the third rock, two plants came at her, but she was able to avoid them and make it across safely.

Stork and the others had turned around and saw what she doing, and Stork was supporting following her. The others didn't need any coaxing. Aerrow was the first after her, running across the rocks in long, perfect strides, with the jaws of the plants breathing down his back. As soon as he landed on the other side, he turned around, seeming to expect the others to be right behind him.

Radarr was leaping his way across, but a plant came down on him when he was only halfway. Thinking quickly, the copilot leapt onto the plant's "head" and hopped off it onto the other "heads," jumping from plant top to plant top. The second plant was so eager to get him that it bit the top of the third plant in trying to grab Radarr.

Stork couldn't wait another minute on the side he was on. He stepped on Finn's head. "Hey, wait a minute!" Finn protested, but Stork was following the policy of every man for himself and didn't bother to acknowledge him.

As he leapt to the first rock, he turned when he heard the nearest plant roar at him and advance on him. Its stem only extended far enough for its jaws to snap inches from Stork's face, covering it with spit. Stork only stared at in irritation, his fear of being eaten drowned out by the smell of the plant's rank breath and the thought of being covered in plant spit. "I wonder if I'll have a gruesome allergic reaction to that," he said to himself. And with that, he turned and ran to the other side, only to turn around and wait for the two Storm Hawks remaining, thinking to test himself for any illness once—_if_—he got back to the _Condor_.

"Get me outta here!" Finn cried desperately. "Whoa!" he cried as a large hand grabbed his head and pulled him free of the mud.

"I gotcha, Finn!" Junko announced triumphantly as he threw Finn into the air and caught him on his flat, outstretched hand with Finn on his belly. _Oh no_, Stork thought. _Poor Finn._

Finn seemed to sense that, too. "Junko," he called to the Wallop as he threw him in the air again, this time catching Finn on his back. "What are you doing?"

Junko drew back his hand and with a loud grunt launched Finn into the air like a dart. "Whoa!" Finn cried as he spun through the air toward the other side.

He didn't make it. One of the gruesome, meat-eating plants caught him in its mouth, with only Finn's legs hanging out. "Oh, great," Finn groaned in a pained voice from within the plants mouth.

_Well_, Stork thought, _that's the end of Finn._

But Junko wasn't going to have that. He was already running across the rocks toward the plant that held his friend. "Sorry, Finn!" he yelled. "I'll save you!" With that, he launched in the air and grabbed hold of Finn's leg, the force of his pull causing the plant to screech painfully as its mouth was plied open. Junko was swung forward, and when he swung back again, he let go and fell to the rocks below.

That worked like a catapult, sending the plant's head flying backward. Finn was flung from its mouth, and Stork watched with horror as the sharpshooter's back was getting closer. He was going to land on them. _Oh no,_ Stork thought. _Poor me._

Junko jumped onto the opposite bank in front of the heap of people he had created. Finn raised his head, but when he did, his eyes widened and his jaw fell open before his head fell back again. That hurt!

Stork would've agreed with that. Definitely.

As Stork got to his feet, he saw Junko looking at a tunnel in the wall and saw Mr. Cheepers walking out of it on his hind legs. The little mammal walked in front of the delighted Wallop. "You made it, Mr. Cheepers," Junko rejoiced quietly, picking up the smiling creature in his hands. Mr. Cheepers purred as Junko rubbed his cheek. Stork snorted. It was a disgustingly cute moment.

Aerrow placed a hand on the cooking pot covering Stork's shoulder. "What's next?" he asked urgently.

Stork unrolled his map and studied it. "Let me see," he answered. "Living Tar, Cave of Eels, treacherous terrain, and then the irreversible Gorge Madness."

Finn stood behind Stork. His hair was a mess, but surprisingly the sharpshooter didn't seem to care. He picked dirt out from under his nails absentmindedly. "Irreversible madness?" he asked skeptically. He blew out of his mouth dismissively. "Bring it on," he challenged, crossing his arms. "I'm ready for _anything_!"

So the group moved from Meat-Trap Marsh, the spot on the map marked with toothed black plants and black skulls and crossbones with red eyes, to the next widening of the Gorge, Living Tar, which was marked with a giant dripping black glob with _more_ black skulls and crossbones with red eyes.

The Storm Hawks were actually in this clearing in front of a large tar pit and were gathered around Stork and studying the map questionably when the sound of moving liquid rang in Stork's ears and he was drawn to something in front of him by Piper's fearful gasp and Radarr's squawk of question.

The great tar pit seemed to shrink back from the shoreline and rise into the air, its dripping form taking on glowing yellow eyes and gaping mouth. Oh yes, Stork saw this one coming. Living Tar. Sure to be their undoing.

But Piper didn't seem intent on letting that be the end of them. "Split up!" she told the group.

Stork had to admit it was a good move. The group "split up" just as the tar monster lunged at them, landing in a puddle in the spot where they had just been standing. Radarr, Piper, and Finn went to the left, and Stork followed Junko and Aerrow to the right. The monster had turned its "head" around to see them, and Stork shivered as it roared at them threateningly. He glanced over in time to see its hand-like glob reach out and snatch up Finn! Stork pulled up short, a small part of him not willing to leave Finn behind. The others soon followed suit.

"Oh!" Finn called fearfully as the tar monster held him over its gaping mouth. "A little help, please!" he called to them desperately.

Stork glanced at Aerrow, wondering what they should do. As always, their leader had an idea. He turned to Junko, who was watching the tar monster. "We can take him!" he declared. Junko turned and gritted his teeth, nodding in agreement. And with that, Aerrow looked back at the tar monster and ordered, "Charge!"

How typical, Stork thought. That always seemed to be Aerrow's plan. Jump into the action and fight with all you have. Stork knew that one day Aerrow would get himself killed for that, maybe bringing them with him. It was as likely as any other doom.

That day didn't seem to be today, however. Aerrow and Junko charged toward the tar monster, who hadn't even seemed to remember they were still there. Just as the monster was about to drop Finn into its mouth, Aerrow yelled up to it. "Hey, ugly!" The tar monster glanced down at them skeptically.

Aerrow took its moment of forgetfulness of Finn to his advantage. He charged the monster with every ounce of speed he had, and then with a, "Yah!" he jumped and chopped through the monster's "arm" with his leg.

"Whoa!" Finn yelled as he fell free from the tar monster's grasp. Stork was sure he would fall to his death, but Junko caught him in his arms. The two buddies smiled at each other, glad that they were still alive through this.

The sweet moment didn't last long, however. Stork's eyes widened as the tar monster reared back in front of his friends. Junko turned and ran, still holding Finn. Aerrow followed close behind, breathing heavily and lagging in his step. Stork guessed it took a lot more effort to chop up a glob of tar than he thought.

Seeing that its prey was beyond its reach, the tar monster flattened itself into a pool once more.

Stork looked at the map. Now they would move from the Living Tar to the Cave of Eels, a placed marked with a picture of a black fish-tailed, large-toothed eel. As if the first three terrors weren't enough.

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, someone explain to me what _plants_ are doing in a place with no sunlight? You can't have plants without sunlight! And why isn't a cold-blooded animal like Stork just _freezing_ in these constantly dark conditions? And living tar? Oh well. I won't go berating Nerd Corps for their scientific flaws. But seriously, they . . . I think I'll quit while I'm ahead.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Vulcan" is the name of the Roman god of fire and fire-based arts, such as metalwork. "Vulcanian" means to relate or consist of metalworking or the metal craft. This is perhaps the reason the metal-eating bats of the Black Gorge were called "Vulca bats". (So Nerd Corps might not always get science right, but they know their mythology very well.)

So how I am doing with Stork? What to tell me when you review? Please? _Pretty _please?


	31. The Black Gorge: Sloths' Secret

Chapter 3: Sloths' Secret

As Stork studied the map, he saw Junko out of the corner of his eye leaning down to Mr. Cheepers, who had appeared again and was pointing to another tunnel off the map chirping and cheeping with urgency. Stork turned to him and shook his head, pointing down the opposite tunnel. He knew where he was going, and he didn't need a Black Gorge native leading him to his doom! He marched off determinedly into the tunnel on the map, the others following him except for Mr. Cheepers, who took his tunnel and glanced over his shoulder at them worriedly.

Stork looked carefully at his map before he came to the edge of another wetland, things that were popular in this land with no sun to evaporate it. The Merb was really starting to feel the coolness of the place. Being cold-blooded, his body temperature was cooling, too. His activity rate wished to slow, and he was tempted to take his time studying his surroundings. He took a moment to simply take everything in. He smiled. Although doom must certainly be lurking, it didn't seem it was here to face them at that very spot. To make it even better, a natural rock bridge led from one end of the bog to the other, so it wouldn't even be a challenge getting across. Confidently he started across.

Piper didn't seem so sure about it. Stork glanced over his shoulder to see her looking at Junko questionably, but the Wallop only shrugged. Together they fell in step behind their Sky Knight and his copilot, who were following Stork without a second thought. Finn took the rear . . . again. That turned out to be a bad idea . . . again.

The Snapping Eel of the Cave of Eels was just quietly taking a nap when he felt something treading upon its back. Irritated by its interrupted nap and anticipating a long-wanted meal, it raised its head slowly and turned it about to look upon the creatures on its back, its head slowly catching up with the creature in the back of the parade, the crystal-like light hanging from an appendage off its forehead just inches away from the creature.

Finn heard the heavy breathing of some large creature; that's what first clued him in that yet _another_ animal had its eyes on him. With the hairs rising up on his neck, he slowly turned around to be met with a large, gaping yellow mouth . . . again. He maintained control of his panic only long enough to turn back around again.

Stork heard Finn scream and scolded himself for not seeing _that_ one coming. "Run!" he heard Finn yell as the sharpshooter started running. Stork and the others turned around questionably, only to see the eel's head looming above them. Then Junko yelled in fright and they were all off and running.

The eel wasn't brain dead, obviously. It saw that they were using its body to cross the bog, and it began to lift its tail so that they couldn't cross to safety. Being in front, Stork, Aerrow, and Radarr made it without difficulty. Piper and Junko had to jump for it. Stork stared across anxiously at their missing member.

Finn was being bounced on the eel's tail, which the eel now pulled closer to its head. The wingman didn't look in a position to get himself out of trouble. He was staring around wide-eyed and muttering, "They're all out to get me! All of them! This one said so." Stork watched in horror as the eel opened its mouth wider and drew back its head. This time, it really _would_ be the end of Finn.

But Junko wouldn't have it. Gritting his teeth in anger at the thought that anyone would _dare_ hurt _his_ best bud, the Wallop leapt toward the eel and punched at it with all his strength. Stork and the others cringed as the Wallop struck blow after blow on the Snapping Eel.

By the time the Wallop was done, the eel was wrapped about itself with its eyes rolling in its sockets. Then its head dropped down, falling unconscious as Junko walked away triumphantly, carrying Finn in his arms. Stork almost felt sorry for the poor water monster. Then its eye cracked open and it made a soft growl in its throat, and Stork decided he shouldn't be giving pity where pity wasn't due and that they should probably leave. Besides, they had to keep going.

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, three Vulca bats circled the pile of metal, screeching angrily at the ones not allowing them to land. Two others were feeding on opposite sides of the bottom the pile, and two others were fighting over a piece of metal at the top. One of them gave a sharp tug, and the other was thrown back with a screech as the winner began to gobble down his prize.

* * *

Nearly on the other end of the Gorge, the group had stopped to rest. Stork, Piper, Aerrow, and Radarr were huddled in a group, while Junko and Finn stood off to the side. Junko seemed to sense the item's disappearance. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. "I think I just lost a rare left handed . . . ratchet thing forever!" He put his head in his hands despairingly.

Just then, Stork raised his head and pricked his long ears. A little creature had stepped in front of them. It was Mr. Cheepers. He waved at them and chirped.

Junko immediately brightened. "Mr. Cheepers!" he exclaimed.

Just then, a random phrase was spoken from Finn. "It's me!" he said. "I taste good!" Stork and the others all turned to look at Finn questionably. The sniper was sitting on the ground, looking around with a crazed look. He licked his arm and hugged himself declaring, "My flavor's irresistible!"

"What's gotten into Finn?" Stork heard Aerrow ask him.

"Well, let's see," Stork answered, observing Finn like a scientist would observe a specimen. "Darting eyes, shortness of breath, paranoia directed toward inanimate objects . . ."

As though to confirm this last part, Finn picked up a rock and held it to his nose, sniffing it suspiciously. Then he pointed to the stone and shouted, "I'm on to you, you little rock!" And with that he threw it with so much force that he fell over forward.

All this assured Stork that his assessment was correct. "The sure sign of Gorge Madness," he answered Aerrow.

"Are you sure?" Piper asked. Aerrow and Stork turned around to look at her. "He's like that when he skips lunch, too," she reminded them with a hint of amusement in her face.

Finn licked himself again. "I'm delicious!" he declared.

Aerrow was looking at Finn with concern, but Stork could see his mind was not in the present but in the future. "How much more map is left?" he asked his guide.

Stork pulled out the map and unrolled it. It dropped to the floor. Aerrow gasped. They'd never make it.

"Maybe we could take one of Mr. Cheepers' shortcuts," Junko suggested, gesturing toward the little creature who was cheeping and jumping up and down as he pointed to another tunnel off the map. "He keeps going off the map, and he hasn't even broken a sweat."

Stork couldn't _believe_ Junko could even suggest such a thing! "A _shortcut?_" he exclaimed. "Shortcuts are a sure path to doom! It's why we're here in the first place, remember?"

But the group didn't seem to be taking his warning. Everyone was looking at Mr. Cheepers as he continued to cheep and jump up and down, pointing down the tunnel. Aerrow turned to his guide. "Sorry, Stork," he said, "but we're out of time. If sunlight won't return for a whole year—"

"—we have to least try to follow Mr. Cheepers," Piper finished.

Stork hated it when his Sky Knight and navigator did that, finishing each others sentences. It was as if they were of one mind when it came down to the facts. Besides, they did it often enough for it to be just plain weird. He wondered briefly if they communicated on the same brainwave or something.

He was about to make a counter argument, but the others were already turning away and heading down the tunnel after Mr. Cheepers. "Oh, fine," Stork said to them in frustration. "Ignore the map. I won't be responsible for the shocking, horrible consequences!"

At first Stork had it in his head to play it safe and follow the map, but when he saw crazy Finn run into the tunnel to catch up with the others, he sighed. He couldn't just let those kids go on without some sort of help. They didn't know what they were getting into. He was the only adult of the group. When both Aerrow and Piper failed to see reason, he felt responsible for them, and he had to go to be sure they were alright. Besides, although he wouldn't admit, he was worried about their safety. Also, he didn't really look forward to going on alone. He followed the others into the tunnel.

When they reached the other side, Mr. Cheepers chirped in delight. They were on a narrow path on the cliff face of the side of the Gorge, much further along then they would have been. "See?" Aerrow said to Stork. "We made it."

Stork stepped forward, studying the map and the trail as Mr. Cheepers began to climb up it. There was a bend in the trail, with a wall blocking the rest of it from view. Yes, they truly did make it. Stork hated to admit it, but, "It seems Mr. Cheepers was right," he said. "Sunlight Valley is on the other side of that wall."

"We'd better hurry," Piper warned them. "The sun will be shining any minute!" She pulled out the Solaris Crystal.

Stork and Piper were distracted by chewing sounds. They turned to see a very strange thing; Finn was holding his leg and chewing on it like a corn-on-the-cob. "And I think it's fair to say Finn's getting worse," Piper added. Stork could see she was still slightly amused by the idea, and so was Stork, for that matter.

"Let's go!" Piper shouted. She sprang forward.

Then Stork glanced at the map. So that's why! Oh dear. No! "Stop!" he shouted.

Piper stopped dead in her tracks, looking confused. Mr. Cheepers turned around and gave them an innocent look.

But Stork wasn't buying it. He ran up in front of Piper to get right in the little Black Gorge native's face. "I get it now!" he declared. "It's a trap!" He pointed to Mr. Cheepers. "_He_ led us to the far side of the valley, home of the giant poison-toothed spiny Gorge sloth!" He turned back to the group, stretching his arms out wide. "I can't let you pass!" he declared to them. "Behind this wall is a fate worse than any you can possibly imagine," he clenched his fists, "worst than Meat-Traps or Snapping Eels or Living Tar!"

He glanced behind them. A hideous light was befalling the great canyon just beyond them. "Hide your eyes!" Stork squeaked, covering his own eyes.

Junko simply stepped forward, picked Stork up, moved him to the side, and ran on ahead. Stork heard the others' ragged, desperate breathing as they ran past him. He opened his eyes to look for the others and felt panic cease his heart when he saw that they did not heed his warning.

Junko led the group into the next chamber and pulled up short, seeing sixteen little furry, bare-pawed, spiny-headed, yellowish tan-and-white creatures. Mr. Cheepers, the one with a darker hue of red in his fur, stood in front of them, holding out his paws invitingly. "Well, will you look at that?" Junko exclaimed. "Mr. Cheepers has friends! Lots of 'em!"

Stork had come up behind him with his hands covering his eyes. When he heard what Junko said, he uncovered his eyes and found him . . . correct. "Oh, well" Stork said in embarrassment, waving his hand dismissively, "never mind."

All the little creatures except for Mr. Cheepers came forward with their paws outstretched, ready to be petted and hugged. Mr. Cheepers hung back, studying the group as they all looked upon his relatives warmly. Junko and Piper were even kneeling down to pet them. Mr. Cheepers narrowed his eyes and purred softly to himself. The Storm Hawks had fallen for his trick, hook, line, and sinker!

Piper was enjoying the little creatures to the fullest, but that didn't stop her from noticing the sunlight picking over the top of the Gorge. It was coming in just over a narrow ledge at the edge of the drop-off on the cliffside. Pulling out her Solaris Crystal and smiling, she stood up and ran toward the ledge, eager not to miss this moment. "I'll be right back with a fully charged crystal," she called over her shoulder as she ran.

The guys remained down with Mr. Cheepers' friends, watching them affectionately, feeling that tender feeling that cute animals conjure up in humanoids. Junko was still squatting, petting them. "This is great," he said as one climbed up onto his shoulder. "Look at all the pets we can bring back to the _Condor_!" He turned and scratched the one on his shoulder on the nose.

Stork shivered. Now _that_ would be a disaster!

Beside him, Finn sighed in relief, seeming to slowly gain back his sanity . . . or at least what little of it he had to start out with. "Aw, man!" he exclaimed as he covered his face and laughed to himself. He straightened up and put his hands on his hips. "I thought I was really gonna lose it there!" Much to Stork's annoyance, he nudged him with his elbow. "At least your big sloths were just a myth," he said with delight.

Stork looked down at the cheeping creatures at his feet, his great, terrifying sloths. Yeah, terrifying to a fly! He still couldn't believe he was wrong, that he obsessed the point of the giant sloths over nothing. "Oh, doom," he said, "why have you forsaken me?"

Radarr was the only one looking at the little cheeping creatures skeptically. It wasn't that he thought they were evil or anything; he just didn't like the thought of them taking over his position as the Storm Hawks' animal.

He glanced around at them until his eyes fell on Mr. Cheepers. Mr. Cheepers' blood-red eyes narrowed viciously, and he snarled at Radarr from behind a smirk.

Radarr squawked in alarm. He and Stork were right! Mr. Cheepers was out to get them! Quick as a flash, Radarr slammed into Aerrow and wrapped his arms around the Sky Knight's neck. "Radarr," Aerrow called to him in an amused chuckle. "What's gotten into you?"

Radarr pointed a shaking finger at Mr. Cheepers, but Mr. Cheepers only smiled warmly and waved back. Radarr frowned. He could have just sworn . . .

Meanwhile, Piper was running for all she was worth up the narrow protrusion leading up to the very spot where the light touched the ground. She finally came to the very edge, smiling as the warm rays of light fell on her skin. Peering up at the sun, she felt she could soak in its beauty forever, seeing as it had been so long since she had last seen its rays. She looked at her Solaris Crystal. It was time to charge. Putting it in her other hand, she held it up to the light, where it began glowing brightly. "I-it's capturing the charge!" Piper called over her shoulder excitedly. Soon they could leave this forsaken place!

The light began to spread throughout the depressed ledge. It fell upon the Storm Hawks, Mr. Cheepers, and his friends. The little creatures shut their eyes to the light and began to screeching terribly. "Whoa!" Junko said. "What's happening?" The little creature on his shoulder gave a pained screech before falling off. Junko caught it in his hands. When it opened its eyes again, they were blood-red and the pupils had narrowed to slits. It screeched at him viciously, and Junko yelled in fright, dropping the creature. Stork didn't like the looks of this.

They all looked toward Mr. Cheepers, who was slowly morphing. His front limbs grew longer and more muscular, and his fur changed from tan-and-white to a deep purplish color. "Mr. Cheepers?" Junko questioned. Mr. Cheepers and the others continued their changes, growing bigger and bigger until they towered above them. Their teeth lengthened and the spiny fur on their ends lengthened and hardened in actual spines. Their snouts began to lengthen, protruding from their faces even more, and their red eyes began to glow.

"Wait a minute," Finn said. "Cheepers' friends growing spines, dripping teeth, becoming gigantic?" As he said it, the transformation was complete, and every Storm Hawk except for Piper, who had her back to them, could see what they truly were. "Sloths!" Finn cried.

Mr. Cheepers, obviously the leader of the group, beat his fists on the ground, his fists now complete with huge claws.

As terrified as Stork was, he found the moment rather gratifying. "Well," he said with a nervous chuckle, "what do you know? I was right after all."

Mr. Cheepers lowered his now gigantic head toward them, and the other sloths did the same, planning on closing in on their prey. The Storm Hawks backed away from them. "Piper?" Aerrow called to the one member missing. "Might be a good time to go!"

Piper was still charging the crystal, unaware of what was going on behind her. "Just another second!" she called back. "We don't have a full charge yet."

Stork watched in terror as some of the sloths turned around and started heading her way, their great fists pounding the ground as they walked, and the leader among this group growled. Luckily, Piper had heard them, and she turned around in time to see them advancing toward her. "On second thought," she said hurriedly, pulling the crystal down out of the light and looking at it, "that's enough."

Stork couldn't believe that she was crazy enough to do what she did next. Seeing as she was at the edge of the ledge, there was only one way to run, and that was _toward_ the sloths. However, Piper seemed to know what she was doing. As the first sloth raised its claw to swipe her with it, she leapt onto the sloth's head as its claw came, and it swept underneath her feet. The sloths' eyes widened in surprise as she leapt onto another one of their heads, then another. The second one turned around and sniffed at her angrily, but by that time, she had leapt down from the sloths' heads in front of the other Storm Hawks. She only took less than a second to glance back at the giant beasts that seemed to appear out of nowhere before she turned back to the group and shouted, "Let's move!"

Stork didn't need any encouragement; he was making his way down the path again and around the wall away from the sloths as fast as his feet could carry him! The others followed close behind with Cheepers leading the other sloths on their tails. He knew that if they didn't leave soon, they were all goners!

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The crystal-like appendage on the front of the Snapping Eel is actually found on a real creature, as most of you might know from watching Disney's _Finding Nemo_. The creature is called the anglerfish. It lives in zone of the ocean known as the deep ocean. The deep ocean is about 3,000-13,000 feet below the surface. It's completely dark and bitter cold. Because of the dark, predators can attract prey with little beams of light. This is what the large-toothed female anglerfish does. The female anglerfish has a long spine that originates on its head and hangs in front of its mouth. The most commonly known is the _melanocetus_, as seen in _Finding Nemo_. This particular anglerfish has _huge_ teeth and a lure that extends from its forehead. It is probably from this fish that the Snapping Eel's crystal-like appendage is derived from.

I probably am sounding pretty smart with all my trivia, aren't I? Like I said on my profile, I'm not smart; I just know random information. I'm especially interested in words (being a writer) and animals (being an animal-lover) so once you enter that territory, it's amazing what I can come up with. Hmm, maybe I am smart; of course, being smart doesn't mean you have commonsense. I could still use some of that.

So, do we like it? Do we hate it? Somewhere in between? Let me know! That means review! If you don't, I'll set a _melanocetus_ anglerfish on you! Exactly how it'll attack you on land, I don't know, but I'll find a way!

Ow! My anglerfish bit me! Bad anglerfish! Bad! Ow!

On second thought, I'm getting rid of the anglerfish.


	32. The Black Gorge: Free Again

Chapter 4: Free Again

Junko pulled up beside Stork, as they ran from the sloths. "Which way?" he asked anxiously.

Stork knew exactly what to do. "The only way to leave is to take the long way back. Trust me!"

Aerrow was running in the back of the group with Radarr. It wasn't exactly the safest position, but Stork noticed that the Sky Knight seemed to prefer it as it gave him a good view of his squadron and made him a barrier against the dangers that threatened them. Stork glanced back to see the Sky Knight glancing over his shoulder, doubt on his face. He was trusting Stork, but he wasn't convinced that Stork was right. All the same, he ordered, "Follow Stork!"

Just as they came level with the shortcut Mr. Cheepers had taken them through, Finn pulled up, but the others kept running. The Gorge Madness had taken hold of Finn again as soon as he had seen the sloths, and now he was looking around with a crazed look again. "They're all gonna eat me that way!" he said, gesturing toward the path the others were taking. "I'm a delicacy!"

In a moment of panic, Aerrow outdistanced Junko, putting the Wallop in the rear. This turned out to be good thing. Junko was able to grab Finn as he ran past.

They came to the Cave of Eels, where they started across the "bridge" again, although every one of them was keenly aware that it was not a bridge. The Snapping Eel's head rose up behind them and snapped at them, but adrenaline had kicked in and they were outdistancing the eel as quickly as the eel was approaching. Junko was still in the rear, still holding Finn, and Finn was still mad. "I don't wanna taste good!" he shouted as the eel snapped at Junko's back.

They were saved when the Snapping Eel was distracted by five sloths coming into the chamber on the side of the bog opposite of where the Storm Hawks had just jumped to. Mr. Cheepers, the lead sloth, raised one of his clawed fist and punched it into his palm, encouraging the other sloths that they could take a single eel.

But the Snapping Eel had its secrets. It turned upon the sloths, rearing over their heads and spreading its fins out wide, screeching. Just then nine other eel heads burst out the water and reared above them, echoing the first eel's call. The sloths looked around at them worriedly and shrank back as the eels struck out at them. They were in trouble now!

The Storm Hawks turned to see what was going on when they heard bodies of flesh being used as punching bags. When Junko turned around, Finn seemed delighted by the sight, and he laughed the laugh of a crazed man. "Fear the bitter taste of Finn!" the sniper shouted, throwing his fists in the air.

Yes, the sloths sure had something to fear, Stork agreed. The eels were using two of the sloths to play a game of catch, and another eel was throwing a sloth into the air before plunging into the water with it as if it were a beach toy, drowning the sloth in the process.

Stork looked beyond them to see Cheepers and the other surviving sloth racing for the tunnel shortcut, along with another sloth who had been slow in following and had just now fallen into step behind them. "That's why they have a shortcut!" Stork heard Aerrow say as he watched them, too. "The sloths don't like it here either."

With the sloths taking the shortcut, Stork realized they'd be right on their tails again. Aerrow seemed to realize that, too, and he took the lead through the next tunnel. They came out on the other end where that tunnel and the shortcut tunnel met. The sloths slid out of the other tunnel just behind them.

The Storm Hawks raced toward the Living Tar as the tar monster rose up in front of them. Radarr, stretching out along the ground and running on all fours for top speed, glanced behind him at the three sloths bearing down on them. The little guy had an idea. He hung back, drawing the sloths to chase him rather than the rest of the group. Once he had the sloths nearly on him, he ran headlong for the tar pit before coming to a sliding stop on his hind feet. The sloths couldn't make such a stop so quickly, and they slid past him, glaring at Radarr from over their shoulders. _The big dummies_, Radarr thought. _Can't even stop right!_ He teased them by putting his fingers on either side of his mouth and stretching it, sticking his tongue out at them. The sloths turned around and were about to pounce when the tar monster lunged first. Radarr scampered out of the way. The tar engulfed the sloths, just short of Radarr.

It had been quite a show for the other Storm Hawks. Stork was convinced that the copilot was out of his mind, but Aerrow seemed to think it a great stunt. "Great job, Radarr!" he cheered as Radarr smiled at him proudly. "Now run!"

Realizing he was standing by the Living Tar and not moving, Radarr leapt forward on all fours, his leaping gait coming in long strides as he fell in stride behind his best friend and Sky Knight just as Mr. Cheepers punched free of the tar. He shook his fur to rid it of what tar he could and growled as he watched the Storm Hawks disappear into the next tunnel. He knew how to get ahead of them.

Only a little more ways to go, Stork thought. He was amazed at how quickly someone could cover large distances when their life was on the line. Finn laughed idiotically as they were coming upon the next wetland at Meat-Trap Marsh. "He's done for!" he shouted. "Cheepers will never get past the giant Meat-Traps!"

He stopped laughing and wheezed as they came to the edge of the Marsh, devoid of all life except for a few weeds. "Where are they?" he asked.

Stork didn't have time to dwell on that. He started across the Marsh on the floating rocks with Junko and Finn, Piper, Aerrow, and Radarr close behind. Junko was able to leap past Stork and take the lead. The others also got in front of Stork.

Junko was the first to land on the opposite bank, and just as he did so, someone else jumped in front of him, making the ground shake. The others came up behind him except for Stork as Mr. Cheepers loomed over Junko and Finn and roared in their faces. "Whoa!" Finn cried as Junko dropped him at his feet.

But Junko didn't seem to care. He was looking at Cheepers with his jaw hanging open in disbelief. Stork couldn't see Junko's face from where he lingered out on the rocks, but he knew that was what Junko was doing. "Don't you remember me, Mr. Cheepers?" he asked the sloth. "I cared for you. You were my friend!"

Stork thought Junko was crazy, trying to find a softer side of a giant poison-toothed spiny Gorge sloth. But surprisingly, it seemed to be working. Mr. Cheepers did a double-take. His eyes softened, and he sniffed in Junko's familiar, friendly scent. Junko padded his fingers together and smiled hopefully.

But it was not to be. Junko's scent was friendly and familiar, but it was also the smell of food, and Cheepers' stomach won out over his heart. He roared and raised his hands, extending his claws and preparing to rip Junko limb from limb. "Mr. Cheepers!" Junko shouted desperately. "NO!" Stork held his breath, preparing for the worst.

Jaws snapped shut, and the predator lifted its head and began to gobble down its prey. But it was not Junko in the mouth of Mr. Cheepers. It was Mr. Cheepers in the mouth of a Meat-Trap. "Oh, yeah?" Junko shouted in response to the sloth now that he was out of danger. He pointed to the plant the sloth had disappeared into. "Well, you were a lousy pet, Mr. Cheepers!"

Stork finally ventured onto the shore now that the threat of the sloth was over. Junko led them through the next tunnel. They were almost to the _Condor_.

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, two Vulca bats were still picking crumbs off the ground. One of them was lucky enough to find the last piece of metal: a little bolt. It gobbled it down greedily.

* * *

Just down the tunnel, Junko gasped. "Junko?" Aerrow asked in concern.

"It's like, all my stuff," Junko answered in despair. "It's gone!"

Stork picked up the pace. If all of the metal was gone, then his precious _Condor_ was in danger!

* * *

The Vulca bat who had the last bite now raised his head and screeched, eyeing the _Condor_. It was still hungry; it wasn't very often that hunks of pure metal entered these parts. The bat took wing and flew toward the great ship, six other bats following in its wake, screeching as they flew. They landed on the aircraft carrier to resume their feeding.

As quickly as they could, the Storm Hawks ran through the tunnel to the ledge just across from the _Condor_. Seeing his ship was in danger, Stork took the lead, determined not to let his pride and joy be ripped to shreds by bats. He started across the rock bridge with the others in his wake.

Three human skulls lay in the middle of the path. Stork avoided them with ease, but Piper, coming up behind him, did not see them. With a grunt, she tripped, and the Solaris Crystal fell from her grasp. "No!" she shouted as it spun through the air.

Stork heard her cry, and he pulled up short and glanced back to see what was the matter. The crystal! Stork was inclined to go save the _Condor_, but her life was useless without that crystal. Taking the pot from his left shoulder, he ran toward the edge of the bridge where the crystal was falling, catching it in the pot just before it would have fallen down, down to the canyon floor.

With the crystal in his pot, Stork started toward the _Condor_ again, the others following close behind. Piper smiled in relief, but she didn't even have time to push herself off the ground before Junko, taking up the rear, kicked her up into the air and caught her in his arms. Three more bats came in for feasting behind them, but they ignored them.

Finn had just disappeared into the ship, and Aerrow, Radarr, and Stork followed close behind. As soon as Stork was inside, they began to close the ramp. Junko made a jump for it, and he and Piper slipped into the doorway just before the ramp was brought up completely.

Stork was quick to hand the crystal off to Piper, who used it to charge the engine crystals almost as soon as he had placed it into her hands. The bright sunlight from the crystal lit up the bridge, and the engines started admitting their blue crystal energy once more, lifting the _Condor_ off the ground. The Vulca bats still clung to her sides.

One of the bats bit through the side and snapped his jaws irritably. "They're still coming through!" Piper announced.

Stork didn't turn to look at her. He concentrated on the gauges and his own driving as the ship continued to rise. One of the gauges sunk down to zero. Stork was afraid of that. "No steering," he announced nervously. "That's gonna be bad."

The _Condor_ spun steadily as she rose further and further up the Gorge until sunlight began to fall on her battered sides once more. As soon as the sunlight was upon her, the bats that clung to her sides stopped feeding. They tried to cover their eyes with their wings, screeching in terror. They hated sunlight. It was too bright, and it blinded their eyes, which were so used to darkness. As the _Condor_ gained steerage and headed toward the parting clouds where the sun was brightest, the Vulca bats let go their hold on her and fled back to the dark depths of the Black Gorge.

Piper and Aerrow were watching them go through the two periscopes, one of which had been repaired by Stork after Finn had broken it in their first battle over Terra Gale. Both the Sky Knight and the navigator smiled to each other as the Sky Knight let out his breath. They were free of the Gorge's clutches for good!

* * *

But Junko wasn't celebrating. He and Radarr were in his room, and Junko was despairing. "I had all the coolest stuff in the world," he told Radarr, "and now its all gone."

Radarr looked up at his friend, hating to see him so sad. Looking around, he spotted something that he thought would cheer him up. With a churr, he ran toward the item and was back in front of Junko in a second, holding up a little bolt and smiling with another churr.

Junko sniffled as he took the bolt from Radarr, but his face lit up as he realized that not _all _of his stuff was gone. He smiled at Radarr, glad the little guy had helped him realize that.

* * *

Aerrow and Piper were side-by-side on the bridge, watching Stork drive. They knew he was happiest here, at home on his precious _Condor_, guiding her through the skies.

They and Stork were distracted by a silly comment by mad Finn. "Then the giant plants wanted to eat Finn, too," the sharpshooter said as he rubbed the ship's various gauges. "But you won't let them, would you, _Condor_?" He hugged the sphere the gauges stood upon, smiling. "I'm feeling better now!"

"Exactly how irreversible is this Gorge Madness?" Aerrow asked Stork, scratching the back of his head before turning to Stork and putting his hands on his hips.

"_Well_," Stork answered, deciding it was best to be honest now, "it could be more of a 24-hour thing." He chuckled in embarrassment and decided to still make it seem dramatic by adding, "Give or take a couple of years."

Next thing he knew, Piper had leaped forward and hugged his neck. Stork gasped as he was choked by her, and he panicked. Skin-to-skin contact! Who knew how much germs she could be spreading! "What? What? What?" he asked anxiously in a choked voice.

Stork turned to face Piper as she released him. "You know," she explained to him, placing her hands on her hips, "if it wasn't for your obsessive paranoia, Stork, we'd all be just another legend of the Black Gorge."

Now Stork understood. She thought he was a hero, and she was grateful. Aerrow seemed to think so, too, from the way he was smiling. It gave Stork a warm feeling inside to know that they thought this of him. Maybe a few germs from skin-to-skin contact wouldn't hurt after all.

Aerrow had to ruin the moment by stepping forward and saying, "What we need after so much darkness is a little sunshine. Anyone know a shortcut to Terra Ray?"

Stork turned back to the helm, his pupils diluted, his eye twitching, and his whole body trembling in terror. "Shortcut?"

* * *

Author's Notes: They're out of the Black Gorge! Yay! I wonder if Stork ever let Aerrow take that shortcut to Terra Ray . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: When we think of sloths, we normally think of the slow-moving, poor hygiene tree-dwellers of South America (unless you're a _Storm Hawks_ fan. Then you think of giant poison-toothed spiny Gorge sloths!) However, if you believe in evolution, then there once was a time that sloths grew as big as spiny Gorge sloths do in Atmos. Back in the Pleistocene period, the time of ice ages, ground sloths roamed throughout the Americas. The biggest came from Argentina—20ft long _Megatherium_. It grew as tall as a mastodon and heavy as a small mammoth. It had extremely long, curved claws (like our Gorge sloths) that were meant for catching and pulling down branches to reach food and for warding off enemies. These claws may also have been for mating, attracting a female and/or fighting with a rival, although that's not known for sure. However, these mammals were rather slow movers, and they were almost completely herbivorous.

So Nerd Corps _does_ know science. It just likes to change things up a little. However, it is a little ironic that the name of the most fearsome beast of their Black Gorge, "sloth," means "laziness".

Now review! This time, if you don't review, I'll set my _Megatherium_ giant ground sloth on you!

Still not reviewing? _Megatherium_, charge! I said charge! That means faster than one mile an hour, you idiot! You're worse than the anglerfish! Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it! You can put those claws away. Please?

Ow! Bad sloth! Bad!

Okay, the ground sloth has to go, too.


	33. Absolute Power: Finn's in Charge

_**Part 8**_

_**Absolute Power**_

_Power is given, and power is abused. The peaceful work for evil and revolt. An old friend returns, and old enemies are confronted. Those alone remain alone._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Finn's in Charge

Things were finally pretty quiet on the _Condor_ after coming back from their trip to Terra Ray. It was time to kick back and take it easy, maybe even getting around to taking care of the various little problems on the ship.

Piper set the album in the phonograph and placed the needle on it carefully as the Storm Hawks began their work. The music began to sound from the speakers, a light electric sound with a nice and steady harmony. Piper bounced on her knees as she stood at the round table overlooking one of her charts.

She wasn't the only one enjoying her music. Stork brought down one of the _Condor_'s levers on the loudest beat of the measure before bringing the next lever down at the same instant on the next beat, in synch with the music. He also started bouncing on his knees and pointing his fingers, performing his own little subtle dance. As he looked out one of the periscopes to examine the area, his shoulders bounced with the rhythm.

Junko was also feeling the song as he tightened up one of the wheels in control of the _Condor_'s piping, turning it with the rhythm.

Radarr did the same as he turned on the nail driver, smiling up at his boy. He and Aerrow were fixing the front of the vent. Aerrow slammed the grate of the vent against the wall at the loudest beat of the measure, smiling as the song rang in his ears. Radarr leapt onto his shoulders and screwed in the bolts with the crystal-powered screwdriver at each beat.

Piper was happily nodding along with the music when suddenly the record stopped and was replaced by the sound of heavy metal music with the same tempo. Piper turned around in time to see Finn standing by the record player, laughing quietly and looking pleased. "That's better," he said. He began to play his air guitar along with the electric guitar of the record performs, clearly enjoying himself.

The other boys were slightly irritated, but it didn't both them enough to do anything about it. Piper, however, was more than _slightly_ irritated. That had been _her_ music!

Finn was interrupted in his jamming when he heard with irritation the sound of Piper's "lame" music once more. He glanced over in annoyance at Piper, who was back at the round table studying her charts and bouncing on her knees with the rhythm. She had no right to take out cool music and replace it with something so boring! He went over to the record player and turned it back to heavy metal, jamming on his air guitar once more.

Piper gritted her teeth together as the heavy metal drifted to her ears again. She walked over to the record player where Finn was standing and changed it back to her song, interrupting Finn's air guitar once again. "Excuse me," she said to him. "That was my favorite song."

_That_ lame stuff was her favorite song? Finn couldn't understand it. "Why would you want to listen to that stuff when you can have the song stylings of Finn instead?" As he said it, he put the record player's needle back on his album and went back to his awesome air guitar.

"I'd rather eat nails," Piper answered, "which is exactly what that sounds like . . . _on a chalkboard!_"

Finn paid her no mind. If she couldn't recognize good music when she heard it, so be it. He continued his air guitar until he heard the song change _again!_ He turned to see Piper's hand on the needle, which was resting over her record. _Oh, come on!_ he thought.

He grabbed her hand and the needle underneath, moving the needle to the other side of the double record player and placing it on his album, narrowing his eyes at Piper warningly. Piper only answered by giving him the same look and moving the needle back again. Finn moved it over. Piper moved it over. Finn moved it over. Piper moved it over. Finn. Piper. Finn. Piper. Finn. Piper. "Please stop," Piper said at last through gritted teeth, doing her best to smile.

Finn could see Piper was in real trouble now. She couldn't even tell what cool music was! "You know," he said to her, "what you need is a lesson in 'cool,' Piper, and this is where it's at." He moved the needle back onto the heavy metal record.

"I definitely do not need to learn how to be cool from you!" Piper answered irritably. "Besides, it's _my turn_!" She picked up the needle, refusing to place it down on _either_ album.

Finn could see he had lost this battle for the moment, but he wasn't about to admit defeat. So he said, "Whatever," and walked off, annoyed.

Piper set the needle back down on her album and resumed her study of her charts, bouncing with the music. Moments later, she stopped, her eyebrows drawing together in frustration as the heavy metal resounded through the room once more. "That does it!" she shouted.

Finn was happily doing his air guitar when suddenly the music stopped. He turned and looked toward the record player in annoyance. Piper was there, holding his album in her hand. "You are so childish, Finn!" she shouted at him. "You never respect anyone else, and to top it off, your music grates on my nerves, and I can't take it anymore!" She must have really blown her top. She drew back her hand and flung the heavy metal album like a Frisbee as hard as she could.

An olive-eyed, purple-haired, slim, curved figure stood in the doorway, catching the album in her hand.

Finn gasped, and he, Junko, and Stork stopped what they were doing and stared openmouthed. Aerrow, with Radarr still standing on his shoulders holding the screwdriver, looked over with pleasant surprise.

"Problem with your record player?" the figure asked.

Piper gasped and giggled with embarrassment at letting her idol see her temper tantrum. "Starling," she greeted her, putting her hands together and smiling sheepishly. "What are you doing here?"

Starling lowered the album. "I'm on a mission," she answered, "and I need some help."

Starling was greeted warmly as she entered the ship, but everyone was too much in awe with her to really be at ease. Except for Aerrow. Finn could see that his Sky Knight was treating Starling as he would any of the Storm Hawks.

Starling approached Aerrow to speak while the others minus Piper gathered at the round table.

"This is a dangerous mission," Starling said to Aerrow, who still had Radarr sitting on his shoulders. She gestured toward him. "You're the only one I know who might be interested."

Piper approached, smiling. "Do you need any maps or charts?" she asked. "Because I can plot—"

"Aerrow only," Starling interrupted.

Piper's face fell at once, and Finn was almost temped to tease her. The girl was _obsessed_ with pleasing and impressing Starling. She was Piper's number one role model. And she was turned down by her. It was the perfect opportunity to pester her!

"Sorry, Starling," Aerrow answered the older Sky Knight, "but I'm not leaving my team behind."

Finn smiled and gave his famous pistol fingers, glad to be thought of so well. He could see Junko smiling and Stork grimacing out of the corner of his eye.

"Success depends on a low profile," Starling insisted. "If I could go alone, I would, but I need one more." She held up a finger, emphasizing "one."

Aerrow put his hands on Radarr's paws, which were wrapped around his neck. Uncertainty lingered in his eyes. He turned to the Finn and the boys at the round table. "What do you guys think?" he asked.

Finn and Junko shrugged. As far as Finn was concerned, he wasn't about to suggest that one of his best friends miss the opportunity to go on a mission with a world-famous Sky Knight.

Stork scratched at his arm worriedly. "You're better off," he told Aerrow. "I think I'm developing a rash." Finn rolled his eyes. Yeah right. Stork scratched the back of his neck. "Probably contagious," he added.

Aerrow and Piper grimaced, and Radarr whimpered, lowering himself on Aerrow until he was hanging on his shoulders with only his front paws, hiding behind Aerrow's back.

But then again, Stork's "ailments" weren't always to be taken seriously. Aerrow still lingered in indecision. He turned to his first officer. "Piper?"

"Whatever you want," she answered. As disappointed as she was, it didn't seem she was going to let that stop her from letting him take this opportunity.

"Alright," Aerrow said to Starling at last. "Radarr and I are in, but the _Condor_ has to stay within reach. If we get in a pinch, I want my team at our side."

Finn did his pistol fingers again, glad that Aerrow thought so highly of them. Junko stood up and slammed his fists together encouragingly. Stork only grimaced.

"Fine," Starling agreed, seemingly indifferent. "Let's go." She turned and walked toward the door, her shoes clanking against the floor

Radarr leapt off Aerrow's back as the Sky Knight turned to his first officer. "Piper," he said, pointing to her. "You're in charge." He started walking forward, following Starling before stopping and ordering, "Stay on tactical alert."

_How unfair!_ Finn thought. "Piper always gets to be in charge," he complained, placing his hands on his hips. "When's it my turn?"

"Um, well, Finn," Aerrow answered, seeming to find it difficult to explain, "you see, Piper is very organized," he said, gesturing toward her, "and she has experience."

Finn hated seeing Piper smile so smugly at Aerrow's comments, and he still didn't see Aerrow's reasoning. "But she just looks at maps and tells Stork where to turn," he argued, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Stork before gesturing to himself. "I can do that."

Piper frowned doubtfully at him, a dangerous idea forming in her mind.

Aerrow still seemed a little unsure and didn't quite no how to explain it. "Ah, it's not that simple. I—"

"Finn can be in charge," Piper interrupted.

Aerrow glanced at Piper, then at Finn, then back to Piper. "What?"

"Really?" Finn asked. He couldn't believe _Piper_ of all people was suggesting that.

"Yeah," Piper told Aerrow. "How else can he get the experience? Besides," she added, turning to face Finn, "when he realizes how much _work_ it really is," she placed a hand on her hip, "maybe he'll stop asking." She gave him a challenging smirk.

Oh, so that's the reason, huh? Finn returned the look. He was sure that it wasn't _that_ much work. Aerrow went through the steps daily without breaking a sweat, and Piper could do it with eyes closed. What could be so hard about it?

"Okay," Aerrow said hesitantly. "Finn's in charge."

"_Suh-weet!_" Finn exclaimed. He was going to like this!

Aerrow and Radarr followed Starling onto the bridge where Aerrow and Radarr mounted their Skimmer and Starling grabbed her own skyride, a Slip-Wing Fighter Ultra, a skyride similar to an Air Skimmer III Ultra. Starling liked to call her particular ride the _Red Streak_. The _Red Streak_ was stripped down to be light and fast, the fastest vehicle ever built. With the right crystals, she cannot be caught!

As one, the three of them gunned their engines, the _Red Streak_ admitting purple crystal energy next to the Vulcan's blue. With tires squeaking against the floor, they took off for the exit with Aerrow and Radarr in the lead, diving off the landing strip and transforming their rides to biplanes. Finn watched them disappear from sight before he turned back to what was now _his_ team, lining them up to examine them.

As they lined up, Junko took more interest in the metal bolt he was holding, Piper picked grit out from under her nails, and Stork rubbed his chin dismissively. It wasn't much a lineup, so Finn whistled and slid up in front of them. He watched with satisfaction as each of them straightened and drew to attention. Each watched him skeptically as he found it necessary to do this procedure just as it's done in the movies. He marched down the row purposefully before stopping and standing up straight before Junko. Smiling to himself, he figured that was all the formality he was going to use.

Holding up a finger, he announced, "One word. Bar-be-que!"

"Huh?" Piper asked. Stork cringed and Junko grinned.

"To show you what a great leader I am," Finn explained, "we're starting off with a hangar bay party," he paced in front of the line again, holding his finger up, "so I want the place looking festive. Then a thought ran across his mind, a wonderful thought for payback! He stopped and, glancing over his shoulder at them, he said, "One more thing." He turned around to face them. "All music selections must be approved by me," he said, pointing to himself with his thumbs, "for enjoyment on the _Condor_." And satisfied with his first big speech as a leader, he turned and walked away.

Junko was tapping his fingers together excitedly, but Piper and Stork were less than enthused if not downright annoyed. Stork gave Piper a glare. "This is all your fault," he told her.

Piper winced as she looked after Finn. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all . . .

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh yes, now I get to do power-mad Finn! Oh, the fun I could have with this if I decided not to stick to _exactly_ with what was in the episode . . . But I'm more honest than that.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Finn's name may refer to the word "fin". Normally when we think of the word fin, we think of flippers, but that's not the only meaning. A fin could also be a wing-shaped movable blade meant to control and stabilize a vessel. It could also refer to the vertical sheet of metal on the tail of an airplane. Or it could refer to the small flat structures used to stabilize rockets, missiles, and aircrafts, the most likely meaning that could have inspired the name for the sniper. However, "Finn" is a boy's name which originates from Ireland, where it means "fair" as in "pale," "blond," "attractive," and "beautiful." But no one tell Finn that! He's ego's big enough as it is.

Oh, and I got a suggestion from one of my reviewers, Hard-boiled Egg Devils, that I should put _two_ trivia facts for every chapter. I think I can come up with two for most of the chapters. So here's the second one for this chapter.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Back in episode 3 "Gale Force Winds" (the second part of this fic), I noticed that at one point in the episode (chapter two of part two) that the Storm Hawks were using a lot of military terms. Some of these may only retain to the U.S. military. I'm not sure. But anyway, remember when Stork said, "I have two bogeys . . ." to Junko when he spotted oncoming Talons. "Bogey" is used by the military to describe an unidentified flying object believed to be hostile. Moments later, Finn screams, "SOP ASAP! Niner, niner! Engage! Engage!" SOP stands for Standard Operating Procedure. Of course, we know what ASAP is (as soon as possible). Why Finn shouted "Niner!" is a mystery to me. It simply means "nine." "Engage," as you may know, is a shorter way of saying, "Begin battling the enemy." "Ace" is also a military term that may explain the Dark Ace's title. An ace is a top fighter pilot who has taken down five or more enemy fighter planes.


	34. Absolute Power: King of the Condor

Chapter 2: King of the _Condor_

The two Sky Knights flew side by side as Starling guided Aerrow to their destination. Aerrow wasn't too sure about leaving Finn in charge, but he trusted Piper's judgment. He'd go along with her plans so long as the _Condor_ was still flying when he got back. Hopefully the others would monitor Finn or else it might not be.

It was nice to be with Starling again. Over the short time they had been together in the past, Aerrow had become quite fond of her and thought of her as highly as he did the members of his Storm Hawks. Yet there were times when she closed him away, and it was the times when he offered her the most friendship.

Aerrow knew why, too. When he had once asked her about friends, she answered, "Don't need 'em." He knew that wasn't true. She just didn't want to go through the pain of making friends and then losing them again. After what happened to her squadron, he didn't blame her. He understood perfectly. If it wasn't for his luck of meeting Radarr, Piper, Finn, Junko, and Stork, then he might also have turned out the same way.

Yet even with Starling's wish not to get too close, she had come back. This brought Aerrow's mind back to the mission. He turned Starling. "So, where are we headed?" he asked.

"To help save some Raptors," Starling answered with a queer smile.

Aerrow and Radarr blinked in surprise. "Raptors?" Aerrow repeated. Most Raptors, scaly inhabitants of Terra Bogaton, had attitudes that reflected that of the rogue Raptor squadron, which ran the terra. Though they are lacking in brains, Raptors were one of the few predator species of humanoid that would even eat other humanoids. Why in the world would they want help from Sky Knights? And why would Starling want to help Raptors after what the Raptor squadron did to her squadron, the Interceptors?

"Well, Terradons, anyway," Starling corrected.

That made much more sense to Aerrow. Terradons, also inhabitants of Terra Bogaton, were closely related to Raptors, but they were less predatory and vicious. They also had much more smarts, some enough to be considered geniuses. From what Aerrow had heard, they also tended to grow a bit plumper in the middle than Raptors.

"I got a distress call from some scientists held under siege by Repton himself," Starling explained, scowling at the name "Repton." "It seems that they no longer want to help Repton develop his diabolical weapons. Repton needs their brainpower, but he's starting to lose his patience."

* * *

Meanwhile, on Terra Bogaton, a great metal dome laboratory covered in spikes sat in the middle of the hot, dry desert of sparse vegetation just beyond the grasslands, surrounded by a metal wall with spikes on the top of each tower. Security was added by being further surrounded by an empty moat as well as hidden firearms from the building and wall. A wooden bridge behind a stone gate was the only safe way to get inside.

Inside the laboratory, the three Terradons were at work on their escape plans and their methods for delay. The scaly creatures looked very much like Raptors, but their tails were a bit shorter, their spines a bit more clumped and covering only their heads, and they were a bit heavier around the middle. Using their machines and crystals, twisting screws, drilling, and studying their books and notes, they worked with confidence, yet with anxiousness.

Just outside the gate, the Raptor squadron, sitting atop their Bone Wings, waited for them. Repton put a megaphone to his mouth, growling. "We know you're in there," he hissed into the megaphone. "Open the gates!"

Oppinsaur, the leader among the Terradon scientists, was not inclined to do so. He put his goggled eyes to one of the towers' periscopes and looked down upon the bridge to see Repton's brothers charging the gate with a large, metal-tipped log.

Well, now, they couldn't have that. Oppinsaur pressed the red button nearest to him. In response, two energy cannons rose up from the two towers on either side of the gate, striking the log and those holding it and electrifying them with green crystal energy. Oppinsaur turned and laughed to his colleges. The look on the Raptors' faces had been priceless! It was even more gratifying to see them running back across the bridge in horror when he turned back to the periscope.

Repton growled. This wasn't going well for him.

The Terradons paid him little attention thereafter as they looked upon their crystals and hammered at their equipment. In their work process, a fly flew by the hammering Terradon and out into the open, buzzing unceasingly as it headed for the open skies above the tree-line.

Just then, a small energy cannon, much like the ones on the laboratory's walls, rose up from the ground and aimed at the fly, firing.

Shocked and hurt by one of the many energy cannons of Terra Bogaton's sophisticated aerial defense system, the fly was burnt to a crisp. It stalled, gave two last feeble buzzes, and fell.

* * *

During this ongoing, Starling was still explaining to Aerrow their mission to rescue the Terradons. "They told me they've got a means of escape," she said. "They just need a couple of Sky Knights willing to help them past Repton's air defenses."

"But no one's ever gotten past the energy cannons of Bogaton," Aerrow pointed out with a smile. And he was right. No one. Not even a little fly.

"That a problem?" Starling challenged jokingly.

A problem? A stunt like that would be just plain thrilling! "Nope," Aerrow answered with a shrug and a smile. Starling's grin and her raised eyebrow told him she expected nothing different.

As Aerrow turned ahead of him, he realized they were approaching Terra Bogaton. Taking the lead, he lowered the Skimmer. "If we come in low, they'll never spot us," he explained.

The _Red Streak_ came up close beside him. "My thoughts exactly," her driver answered.

Aerrow smiled as they came in, aiming for the side of the cliff just off the edge of the terra. Judging his distance correctly, he rounded out a curve to point his bow upward and skim along the side of this cliff. The _Red Streak_ was at his side, just a bit further behind.

As they reached the edge of the terra's surface, Aerrow's Vulcan and the _Red Streak_ leveled, their wings folding in as their wheels hit the dirt. Aerrow could instantly see why the Bone Wing skyrides that originated from this terra were better for the ground than the air. Flying above the tree-line was dangerous here, and on this dusty, rocky terrain, mountain bikes were much more convenient. Having not plotted their course, the Sky Knights would need to read and run. But Aerrow was confident, and with Starling at his side to guide him when he needed it, he was able to navigate the terrain with ease.

But the terrain and the cannons above them were not the only things to watch out for. None of them were aware when the rides ran over a wire lying across the ground. A detector powered by a green crystal began to beep just as they drove out of earshot.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Finn was in the hangar bay, happily watching Stork fix up his Skimmer for him. One thing he loved about being a leader is that he could tell his gadget specialist that he wanted it in top condition, and just like that, the gadget specialist did it. It was a wonder Aerrow never asked it of Stork after every battle. Then again, Aerrow never seemed to take his power to its full potential.

Hearing wheels turning against the floor, Finn turned around with a smile. Junko was rolling in the barbeque grill. "Where do you want the grill, boss?" he asked.

Boss. Finn liked the sound of that!

Of course, Piper had to ruin it. She _always_ ruined the fun. She placed her hand on the top of the grill and pushed. Junko grunted as it came to a stop. "Whatcha doin'?" Piper asked disapprovingly.

"My first order, remember?" Finn reminded her. "Party at O-nineteen hundred."

"Yeah," Piper answered, "well, that sounds good for morale and all, but," she cleared her throat to sound smart—Finn always hated it when she did that— "didn't Aerrow say something about _tactical alert_?"

"Oh," Junko said, putting finger to his chin, "that's right!" He smiled and turned the grill around.

Finn frowned. What did he think he was doing? That was not his order! Aerrow had put him in charge, not Piper! He stopped the grill with his hands. "Pah!" he retorted to Piper. "We're always on alert. As team leader—"

Stork came out from behind the wheel of Finn's Skimmer and turned off the drill. "_Acting_ team leader," he corrected.

"As acting team leader," Finn started again, casting a glare at Stork, "I say we enjoy being on alert for a change!" He turned to Junko and pointed to the floor, ordering, "Put the grill there."

Looking like a confused puppy, Junko turned around and was about to put the grill where Finn had pointed, but Piper put her foot on one of the front wheels. "Finn," she scolded, "we need to be at the ready!" She turned back to the Wallop. "Junko, put the grill away!" she ordered.

"Junko," Finn countered, and the Wallop turned to him, "not another step!" Finn was determined to have his way.

Junko looked back to Piper, who narrowed her eyes. Well, two could play that game! When Junko turned back to Finn, the sharpshooter mimicked her look, demanding that his order be met. Junko put his hands on his head. "My head hurts," he complained.

Finn tried again, pointing to himself with his thumb and saying, "As acting team leader, I say we're having a high-alert party right now!" Ignoring the weird look his squad mates gave him, he pointed to the navigator. "Piper, you're on decorations." Piper rolled her eyes while Finn spoke to the Wallop. "Junko, fire up the grill." He pointed toward his Skimmer. "Stork, you're cookin'."

"That's probably _not_ a good idea," Stork said from where he stood beside the Skimmer, still holding the drill.

Finn ignored the comment, throwing Stork a spatula. "And don't be cheap on the sauce," he added to Stork. The others only cringed, but Finn knew they'd thank him later. "If partying is to be done, it will be done in style!" He cast them his pistol fingers. They'll see. Soon they'll be glad that he was in charge.

* * *

Back on Terra Bogaton, Repton stood at one of the outlooks on his mountain-shaped base unit, looking through a spyglass. His three brothers stood behind him, waiting to hear what had triggered the alarm.

Repton smirked as he spied two skyrides, a Skimmer and a Slip-Wing, riding toward the interior of the terra. The riders had armor hooked to their clothing, and one of the rides had a symbol of a hawk taking wing on its wing-plate. There was only one explanation. "It seems we have some Sky Knights in our little nest," Repton told his brothers with a hiss. He laughed to himself. On his home turf, they would be no trouble at all. He turned to his squadron. "Bring them to me!" he ordered, balling his fist.

His brothers straightened and saluted him. "Yes, sir!" they responded in unison.

Repton's smirk grew as he got an idea of what to do with them. "They'll make a fine addition to this evening's stew." His pointed teeth flashed in a toothy, snake-like grin that would have sent any dog running with his tail between his legs.

* * *

Stork was at the grill in the hangar bay of the _Condor_, wearing a white apron and a white chef's hat as he held the spatula in his hand and watched the can of sauce sitting on the grate of the grill. It began to shake and whistle as it gave off steam before the lid exploded, sending sauce everywhere. Stork ended up spotted with it. He turned around and gave Finn a look. "I warned you," he reminded him.

Finn blinked. Had Stork no enthusiasm? He always liked parties that were fun and relaxing. What was his problem right now? And why was it so hard for him to warm a can of sauce on a grill?

Finn turned around to see Piper putting out empty wine glasses and two silly-faced balloons on a table covered in a patched tablecloth. There was nothing "cool" about any of it. He walked over to her, trying to carry the same air of leadership that Aerrow always seemed to have by taking a leader's stance, standing up tall and putting his hands behind his back. "A little weak on the high-alert party decorations, Piper," he commented. She looked up to meet his eyes. "What about a banner?" Finn suggested with a smile. Yeah, a banner would look great!

"You know, Finn," Piper answered with an exasperated look, "being in charge does not make you king of the _Condor_!"

"Hmm," Finn said to himself. Piper's suggestion had brought up a great idea. _King of the _Condor, he thought to himself.

_His imagination ran away with him as he pictured himself in a throne on the bridge just behind the helm, wearing a large metal crown with a green crystal in the middle of its front. Stork would be at the helm, pushing one level forward and pulling one back, then switching them simultaneously in a rhythm. Junko would be beside the throne with a large, blue feathered fan, keeping Finn cool. Piper would be leaning over the chair, holding a plate of grapes in one hand and holding one of the branches in front of Finn's face in the other. Finn would eat one of the grapes, let his breath out in satisfaction, and raise his crowned head to demand to Stork, "Onward, I say!"_

"_Yes, oh, my master," Stork would respond as if in a trance and continued with his driving._

In all ways, it was the perfect daydream. Finn smiled and lifted a finger. "Make a note," he said to himself. "Bridge throne."

Stork groaned and turned away from the grill, starting to walk away, still covered in patches of sauce. Finn caught him in the act. "Ah tah tah!" he told Stork, stopping the irritated Merb in his tracks. "As acting team leader, I ordered you to grill."

"Um, I've got more important things to do," Stork reminded him, "like _flying the ship!_" Acting as if he had won the right to do his own thing, he started walking toward the helm.

"You're dissenting," Finn told him. He needed to discipline that. "Punishment for dissent is, uh . . . banishment!"

Stork stopped and gasped. He refused to turn around and look at Finn, but if looks could kill, the _Condor_'s wall would have caved in.

"You can't be serious," Piper said incredulously.

But Finn was dead serious. He turned to his most trusted follower. "Junko, would you please see Stork to his quarters?" Junko turned to Stork in disbelief.

Finally Stork turned around. "Don't bother," he responded. "I know the way." And with that, he walked out the large, open doorway to the living quarters of the ship, the three-piece automatic door coming in from both sides and the bottom to slam shut behind him. He certainly seemed angry, but Finn couldn't have anyone disobeying him.

"Nice team leadership," Piper commented sarcastically to Finn. "Now who's gonna fly the _Condor_?"

Finn smiled. He had the perfect idea.

Finding a long, slender metal stand, Finn set a long green fruit on top of it which he adorned with a smile, yellow button eyes with black dots in the center for pupils, and a mop missing most of the handle with black fibers for hair. It was pretty pathetic, but considering the materials being used, it was a good duplicate of Stork's face. Next, Finn tied straps around the metal pole on the stand, which he then tied to two levers on the helm, the ones that kept the ship level, once Junko had moved the figure into the driver's position.

Junko straightened it out as Finn presented his creation to Piper with a wave of his hand. "_Voila_. The silent Stork."

"An autopilot?" Piper asked doubtfully. "Yeah. That's really gonna work."

Finn was getting tired of her sarcasm. "I'm sensing dissent here," he warned.

"Ya gonna send me to my room?" Piper asked him teasingly.

Yes, that was exactly what Finn was going to do. He pointed to her. "I declare Piper," he raised his finger, "banished!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Junko frown in uncertainty, but he didn't think twice about it. There are just some things Junko didn't understand about discipline and good leadership.

Piper didn't seem let down at all by her banishment. She saluted her acting leader, still being sarcastic. "Keep up the good work, Finn!" And with that, she walked off the bridge.

Finn had turned away from her. He cocked an eyebrow to acknowledge her absence, but he kept a solemn and important face that was so critical to a leader. At least, that's the way all the leaders on TV look. Even when their most trusted officer was giving them a concerned stare.

* * *

Aerrow, Radarr, and Starling were still driving deeper into Bogaton when Starling turned to Aerrow and said, "You know we have company, right?"

Aerrow glanced behind him. Sure enough, Repton's brothers were on their tail. He saw the strong one, Hoerk, smirk at him from his place in the lead. Aerrow wasn't concerned, however. The Raptor species was not known for their brains. "I wouldn't worry too much about those guys," Aerrow said to Starling.

They turned back to path ahead of them only to see a chasm not three hundred yards from them with a dirt ramp leading off of it. They would have to clear it during their escape. "Remember, stay low," Starling warned Aerrow, but Aerrow didn't need reminding. He was already picturing the stupid thing the Raptors would do when they pursued them.

Aerrow's Vulcan and the _Red Streak_ took the jump off the ramp together and landed safely on the other side, the _Red Streak_ landing just half a second sooner. Together the Sky Knights and Radarr continued off into the trees.

Spitz, the runt of the Repton's nest with a mean streak to make up for it, grinned as he took the lead from Hoerk, thinking that the Sky Knights had made a mistake. He drove off the ramp and deployed his skyride's wings, his brothers following his lead. Aerrow glanced over his shoulder and smiled. It was the _Raptors_ who had made the mistake this time around!

Lugey now took the lead from Spitz. A Raptor with a girdle bigger than most Terradons', he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and he proved that now. "How dumb are these guys?" he asked his brothers in his deep, childlike voice. "Heh! We've got a perfect shot!" He laughed to himself as he looked down on the _Red Streak_ and the Skimmer.

Just then, two energy cannons rose up on either side of the Raptors and aimed at them. Lugey's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

Both the cannon's fired almost at once, and all three of the Raptors were struck dead on. The Raptors and the Bone Wings sizzled with green crystal energy, the Raptors trembling and grunting in pain. The charge only lasted for a second, and the Raptors, their skin smudged black with burns, felt their Bone Wings fall out from under them.

Aerrow and Starling laughed as the brothers disappeared in the trees behind them. Now that was fun to see!

* * *

Repton wasn't nearly so amused.

He stood in the main room of his base unit, standing before his fireplace in which stood a large caldron. Stands leaned against the back walls, supporting chains from which Repton's prizes hung. Whenever Repton conquered a person or preferably a whole squadron, he didn't collect the head of his victim. That was a waste of good food. Instead he collected shields.

But even looking at all his victories hanging before him could not dampen his rage upon hearing about the humiliating failure of his squadron, who were kneeling before his stand, quivering. "Shot down by our own defenses?" he growled to them as he looked upon the fireplace. He whipped around. "I have a reputation to uphold!" Hoerk and Spitz hid their faces in their hands. Most of the time, when their boss was this mad, there was going to be pain.

But Repton had other things to worry about right now. Two invaders had gotten halfway into the interior of Bogaton successfully. That had to stop. "I'll deal with the Sky Knights myself!" he declared. "As for you three," he continued, pointing his unlit energy boomerang at his squadron, "remind me why I shouldn't use you for target practice!"

Lugey shrank back and whimpered. Gulping, he answered, "Because Mother made you promise not to." He smiled at his brother, as if smiling would help him remember that they were related.

Repton was contemplating that now. "Sometimes," he growled, "I can't believe we came out of the same nest."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: We ran into military terms again. Finn used the term "01900". That shows you how much he knows about proper use of military time. You see, in the military, they don't say time as whatever o'clock and AM or PM. They say 0100 for one o'clock AM, 0200 for two o'clock AM, and so on. When they get to one o'clock PM, they say 1300 because it is thirteen hours into the day. This way their times are not confused. However, Finn made the mistake of saying, "O nineteen hundred." If he actually _knew_ how to speak military time, he would have known that you say "O" only for hours 1-9 for a fourth digit. By the time you reach 1000, you're number _is_ a four-digit number.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: This one's kind of lame, but I did say I would do two trivia facts if I could, so here it goes. When Finn presents his "silent Stork" to Piper, he says, "_Voila_." "_Voila_" is a French word. "_Voi_" means "see" and "_la_" means "there", so "_voila_" means "see there."

Okay, I need feedback. How am I doing Finn? I'm not quite as confident with him as I am with Aerrow or Piper or even Stork. Still better than Junko, though. So you tell me: how am doing with Finn's point of view?


	35. Absolute Power: Ending the Reign

Chapter 3: Ending the Reign

Everything was going well on the _Condor_ as far as Finn was concerned. He wasn't missing Stork and Piper. They weren't needed here. Their acting team leader was doing just fine on his own.

He studied the map that was set on the stand. Junko was watching him with his arms crossed. "Don't you think it's about time to let 'em out now?" the Wallop asked him, referring to the others.

Finn ignored him, too proud of his own success to worry about the others at the moment. After all, he had just plotted their course perfectly! He grabbed one of the periscopes and peered outside. "Still on course," he confirmed with a smile. "Hah! I'm already as good a navigator as Piper!"

"Hmm," Junko answered skeptically.

Suddenly, the _Condor_ tilted to her port side, sending Junko against the window. The map's stand toppled over and slid across the floor toward him. But Finn knew exactly what to do. He grabbed the silent Stork and, bracing himself with his foot against the helm's stand, he pulled the autopilot back until it jerked back the right lever. The _Condor_ hummed as she leveled out once more.

Finn leaned against the helm's stand with satisfaction on his face. After all, he had just righted the ship. "Flying?" he said as Junko picked up the map's stand and set it up. "Pah!" Finn waved his hand dismissively. "Nothin' to it! Piece a cake!"

Junko growled, gritting his teeth and balling his fists, but he was stopped from saying anything from the sound of one of the _Condor_'s pipes hissing and leaking steam. Finn saw the Wallop start to walk toward it, seeing as mechanics was his job, but Finn was feeling confident in his own abilities. He stepped forward in front of Junko, saying, "Allow me." He grabbed the wheel that sealed the valve of the leaking pipe, and with three turns, each with grunts, the pipe was silent once more.

Finn dusted off his hands cockily as he walked past Junko. "I'm getting a handle on this whole mechanic deal as well." With a sigh of relief, he sat down in the pilot's seat beside the silent Stork and took off his shoes. Leaning back with his hands behind his head, he put his feet up on the dashboard with his legs crossed. Oh yes, this felt good! It was nice to finally relax. "It's hard work at the top," he said. "All this running around." Then he got a great idea. He turned to Junko. "Hey," he said to him. "Do you think you could . . ." He looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes.

Junko growled. "No!" he shouted. "This time you've gone too far!"

"Junko," Finn asked calmly, "is that dissent?"

"I don't do foot-rubs!" Junko shouted.

That was enough disobedience. "Banished!" Finn declared.

"Hah!" Junko exclaimed with frustration. Scowling angrily at Finn, he marched toward the door.

Finn turned away indifferently. Fine, if that was the way Junko was going to act, he didn't need him anyway!

Just then the pipe began spraying again. Not wanting to get up, Finn waited for it to stop. Finally he shouted, "Anyone gonna get that?" His only answer was Junko slamming the door behind him. Finn grunted in frustration and stood up. "I have to do everything around here," he complained as he grabbed hold of the wheel and turned it thrice.

* * *

Out in the hallway, Junko couldn't believe Finn would be so mean. He stomped off to his room and sat there, holding his teddy bear and sucking his thumb to relieve his anger. "_Psst_," he heard someone whisper. "Junko."

Junko took his thumb out of his mouth and glanced up. It was Stork. He was in the vent above his room. Piper was with him. And they had seen him sucking his thumb! Smiling sheepishly, he hid his thumb behind his back, embarrassed. He saw Piper and Stork exchange glances, telling Junko that they had indeed seen him sucking his thumb, but they didn't mention it. Instead Piper whispered, "Come with us."

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr and Starling were still heading toward the secret entrance to the laboratory when Aerrow saw something sending up a dust cloud ahead of them. The Raptor brothers were back. This time, two other Raptors had come along, one of them leading and the other wearing a mask. The lead one snarled, his eyes locking with Aerrow's as he saw them approaching. Aerrow knew that this is one that they called Repton.

Starling's eyes were on them, too. "You wouldn't want this to be easy, would you?" she asked Aerrow, smiling and cocking an eyebrow at him.

Aerrow smiled. The harder, the better!

Repton brought out his boomerang and ignited it. "Welcome to Bogaton!" he shouted to them, although it didn't sound much like a greeting. At his word, all the other Raptors drew their saw-toothed, double-edged, duel-ended swords, each powered by a scalus crystal like Repton's boomerang.

Aerrow wasn't deterred. He grinned as he thought of the joke he would play on them. Tightening his grip on his handle and hauling it upward, he turned his Skimmer up on its bow. Radar fell out of his cockpit and hung onto the handles for dear life as Aerrow spun the ride, rotating right through the mob of Raptors, causing them to scatter. Starling followed in his clear wake.

Once past their blockade, Aerrow set his Vulcan down, successfully pointing it right-side-up and bow pointed forward. Radarr's eyes were rolling in his sockets, but he simply squawked and shook his head to clear it, smiling. After all, the stunt was better than having to face the Raptors in battle.

Starling pulled up beside Aerrow and gave him a thumbs up. Aerrow's smile grew broader, glad to have an experienced Sky Knight's approval.

But their challenge wasn't over yet. Radarr glanced over his shoulder and squawked in fright. The Raptors were still following them. Repton pursued them, still holding out his boomerang. Hoerk and Spitz went to the left; Lugey and the other Raptor went to the right.

Aerrow became aware of their presence when off to his left, just beyond Starling, Spitz and Hoerk jumped off a natural dirt ramp, waving their swords. Spitz yelled a battle cry.

Aerrow would never cease to be impressed with what Starling did next. She leaped off the _Red Streak_, grabbed Spitz's sword, and flipped over his Bone Wing, bringing Spitz with her. Then she somersaulted in the air, used her hand to brace herself on Hoerk's Bone Wing, and kicked Hoerk out of his seat. Both Raptors fell to the ground with a scream while Starling landed right back in her seat on the _Red Streak_. And she didn't even have a copilot to catch her. "Nice moves!" Aerrow complemented her.

"Thanks," she answered. "Watch your back."

Aerrow turned to see Repton pulling up next to him, drawing his boomerang and swinging it at him. Aerrow dodged it, swinging his ride to the left and pulling so close to the _Red Streak_ that she almost slid against the Skimmer. Starling pulled back to avoid that. Aerrow was sure that even with his close relationship with the Cyclonians, Repton probably didn't even know his name, but he would show this Raptor that he was a fighter. He drew his own blade with his right hand, driving with his left, and he swung the blade at the Raptor. Repton only swung back with his boomerang, and Aerrow came at him again. Their blades met and continued to flash as they swung back and forth.

Starling watched them from where she hung back, and she was gripped with fear. Fighting Repton was something she was fine with, but watching one her friends—well, not "friend," but someone she knew very well—fighting Repton was just too terrorizing after . . . what happened. She gunned the _Red Streak_'s engine for all she was worth, driving up and striking Repton's Bone Wing's back wheel.

Repton was sent sideways, sliding across the dusty ground before spinning and coming back toward them with a hiss. So that was the way these Sky Knights played, huh? He did a wheelie and lunged toward them. Two could play that game! He threw his boomerang at Starling. Aerrow glanced her way just in time to see her duck the blow.

But Repton's aim had been perfect, even anticipating a miss. It spun on ahead of them and sliced right through a heavy branch from a tree up ahead. Aerrow heard Radarr screech in terror as the branch the size of a small tree fell across their path. But there was no time to dodge.

The two Sky Knights jumped the branch, ending up going through the leafy small branches coming off it. Starling broke through first with Aerrow close behind. He could feel the scratches already forming on his skin from where the branches had caught on him, but it was all in day's work. "Radarr," he called back to his copilot, "still with me?"

Radarr threw off the many leaves that had coated him and glared ahead of him in annoyance, holding a twig in his mouth.

Suddenly the masked Raptor drove up in front of them. Radarr squawked, dropping the twig. Aerrow heard the _Red Streak_'s tires skidding against the ground as she started to turn, and he knew he should do the same. The Raptor started after them.

Starling seemed as if she was trying to lose the Raptor by taking him over huge mounds of dirt, sometimes taking to the air for a few seconds. The chase reminded Aerrow of a dirt bike race, only he was happy to take second place in this race if only the third placer wouldn't catch him.

It didn't work out that way, however. A flash of light in the corner of his eye told him the masked Raptor had caught up with him and was raising his sword above his head. Aerrow drew his blade again as the Raptor swung at him, first one way, then back, then bringing it downward again. Each time Aerrow met his attack.

Radarr, sandwiched in between the fighters, ducked each swing, hunkering down into his cockpit where it was safer. Of course, his cockpit! He had all kinds of things in there to help Aerrow. Radarr searched around inside it until he found his newest bent wrench. Perfect! Holding it triumphantly above his head, he squawked with excitement and sent the wrench into the axle of the Bone Wing's back wheel. "Ah!" the Raptor shouted as his ride flipped in the air. Radarr flinched without sympathy as the Raptor and Bone Wing landed in a heap. Aerrow smiled. And that was why you have a copilot!

As they sped away, Aerrow knew it was getting time to split up, but he didn't like it. Starling turned to him. "Just like we planned?"

Aerrow was uncertain. It wasn't his safety he was worried about; it was Starling's. "Are you sure this is the way you want to do it?" he asked her.

"Positive," Starling answered confidently. "Now go save some lizards!"

"Good luck, Starling," Aerrow offered as he sped away. He was sure she would need it.

Repton was coming up on Starling, his mouth opening in a toothy grin as he saw his target left alone by the other Sky Knight. He grabbed his boomerang and rose into the air, spinning around and flinging it in his signature move.

Starling never saw it coming. It struck the _Red Streak_'s stern head-on. Starling glanced back at, saw it smoking, and fought for control, but the _Red Streak_ wavered and fell sideways, throwing her driver.

Repton caught his boomerang as it came back to him and smirked. He'd caught his prey at last.

Starling groaned as she raised herself off the ground, watching as the Raptor drove up in front her. "What have we here?" he asked menacingly. Starling only glared at him. Soon she would make him would wish that he had not caught her.

* * *

Repton hauled Starling back to the base, where he brought her into his room for questioning. He chained her hands together with a chain hanging from the ceiling. Afterward, he activated the furnace crystals in his fireplace, filled up the caldron with water, and set it on top of them to boil. Starling glared ahead of her while he worked, refusing to give anything away. She knew Repton would soon be prodding her, and she was determined to keep silent.

Sure enough, Repton started digging. "I'm sure it won't be long before your friend comes for you," he began. "Then I'll have two Sky Knights this evening!"

"Don't count on it," Starling retorted. "He's got more important things to do!"

"I don't suppose you want to tell me what those _things_ are?" Repton hissed.

Starling narrowed her eyes. "Not a chance."

Repton growled in contempt and gestured toward the heating caldron. "Perhaps you'll change your mind when it's time for dinner."

* * *

Meanwhile, Raptors patrolled the laboratory, waiting for the Terradons to come out for supplies. One stood guarding the gate with his sword drawn and pointed to it while another drove around the perimeter of the wall. Both were unaware of what was happening just under their feet.

Aerrow and Radarr had made it safely to the opening of the secret underground passageway to the laboratory. Now they tiptoed toward the underground gate, which was marked with the Terradons' spiky symbol and had an energy beam in front it to block intruders. The door was small with a large peephole, sealed shut at the moment, for the people inside to see out. Aerrow got down on one knee and looked around. There didn't seem to be anyway to get by the harmful energy beam. "This is the entrance," he told Radarr with certainty, "but—"

Just then, the peephole opened to an eye covered in a red goggle lens. "What's the password?" the person behind the door demanded, obviously a Terradon.

"Password?" Aerrow asked dubiously, hearing Radarr churring in confusion. The two exchanged glances. They hadn't been told anything about a password. Aerrow decided to try something else. "I'm the Sky Knight you called for," he told the Terradon. "I'm here to get you out."

"Hmm," the Terradon answered skeptically from behind the door. "You look a little short to be a Sky Knight."

Aerrow gave Radarr another weird look. Was it the age issue again, or did he just not realize that Aerrow was kneeling? Well, it didn't matter, really. All that mattered was getting the Terradon to listen to him. "Starling sent me," he tried again. "We have to hurry."

"Starling?" the Terradon said in amazement. No one sent by such an acclaimed, noble Sky Knight could be of ill will. The peephole closed as the energy beam flashed and disappeared, and the door swung open.

Aerrow and Radarr were greeted by a fat humanoid lizard wearing a white lab coat and red goggles. Introductions were made, and Aerrow learned that the Terradon's name was Oppinsaur. He was more or less the leader among the Terradon scientists.

In the middle of their laboratory was a curtain enclosing something. Oppinsaur led Aerrow and Radarr over to it. Pulling a rope, Oppinsaur opened the curtains and revealed a vehicle. "This is how we get off the ground," Oppinsaur told them.

Aerrow cocked an eyebrow and he heard Radarr churr. It wasn't much of an airship; the vehicle was basically a blimp-shaped air balloon with a rudder in back that was turned by gears in the front for steerage. "Sad, I know," Oppinsaur said, "but it's the best we could do with what little we have in here."

Aerrow chuckled involuntarily, then checked himself. "No," he said. "It's really nice." Even as he said it, a spiked piece of metal fell off the airship's stern.

"The real trouble is going to be getting off the terra," Oppinsaur explained to Aerrow. He got a map of Terra Bogaton on which its defense cannons were marked. "The most impervious aerial defense network in all Atmos!" the scientist defined for them. He pointed his thumb to himself. "I know; I designed it."

"Hmm, nice work," Aerrow congratulated him, although he was wishing Oppinsaur _hadn't_ designed it.

"We have no weapons," Oppinsaur continued. "We need someone else who can disable the air defense cannons, or we'll never make it out!"

"We'll get you past those battlements and off of this terra!" Aerrow declared, rolling up the map and handing it off to Radarr. With a squawk, Radarr turned and headed back for the exit, knowing what was expected of him. "I just so happen to have the best Sky Knight squadron in the Atmos standin' by!" Aerrow explained.

* * *

As for the "best Sky Knight squadron in the Atmos," their ship's alarms were flashing and blaring and the pipes were leaking steam. Finn looked around frantically. Everything was going wrong! He ran to the wheel of the pipe and turned it in a panic before shouting fearfully. It hadn't stopped leaking and hissing.

Then he saw something even scarier. The straps that connected the levers and the autopilot broke. Finn screamed. Now what was he going to do? He needed a driver. He grabbed the intercom. "Stork, please!" he begged into it. "Please come back to the bridge!"

But Stork was busy. He, Piper, and Junko were in the backroom of the _Condor_. They had tied a rope to the ship's rudder and slipped it in through a grate. Junko grunted as he pulled on the rope, and Piper giggled in anticipation while Stork looked out the periscope to make sure that Junko didn't hit anything. The _Condor_'s stern was lifted up and in doing so caused the ship to dive.

"Ah!" Finn cried as he felt the ship start to tip under him. Objects began sliding across the floor toward the front window as the ship listed, and Finn lost his footing. He grabbed onto a pipe secured in the floor to keep himself from sliding into the window. In his other hand he still held the intercom, his only hope. "Junko, buddy!" he begged. "Heh! We have a mechanical problem!"

The others didn't respond. They only laughed.

Finn tried again, desperately. "Piper, I promise to be nice! From now on, we can listen to your music!"

At last, Piper's voice came over the intercom to him. But it was not relief. "_We're all banished, Finn,_" she said.

Finn couldn't take it anymore! "You're not!" he called over the intercom. "I quit! I'm not acting team leader anymore!"

"_Okay,_" Piper's voice answered. "_We'll think about it._"

What? They'll think about? But Finn was in trouble _now!_

Finn dropped the intercom as the ship tilted even more, and he was met with a horrifying sight; the _Condor_ was going to crash into a mountain! Finn screamed. Now he was _really_ in trouble!

But of course, the others had everything under control. Stork warned the others of the collision, and Junko pulled hard on the rudder again and brought it down. The _Condor_ leveled and then inclined upward, smoothly gliding over the mountain's peak.

The reign of the power-mad Finn was finally over.

* * *

Author's Notes: Gee, you don't realize until you try to write this just how disjointed it is and how little it focuses on Finn. I think I've done Aerrow about as much I've done Finn this episode. Not that I'm complaining about writing for Aerrow, but I need to constantly be with my character to write for them. All this jumping around is making me loose focus for Finn's personality. Heck, even Stork was easier for me than Finn. Still beats Junko, though.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Terra Bogaton may have gotten its name from "bogey." Although a military term referring to an unidentified flying vehicle believed to be an enemy, in slang "bogey" has come to mean a cause of trouble. That's exactly what most of the inhabitants of Terra Bogaton are.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Most of you might know this from Wikipedia, but if you don't, I'll tell you now. Repton's brothers—Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz—are named after the sounds of what Wikipedia calls an "explosion of mucus." I call it coughing up snot. First you hork a loogy, then you spit. I know, nice imagery, isn't it?

Okay, are there reviewers? Anyone? Hello? *hears cricket chirps and frowns* Figures.


	36. Absolute Power: The Interceptor

Chapter 4: The Interceptor

Radarr knew what his new mission was as soon as Aerrow had handed him the map. He made his way back out into the underground passageway, got back to Aerrow's Skimmer, snuck off the terra, and flew back to the _Condor_ with the map in his paw.

The Storm Hawks all gathered around the round table to see what Radarr had delivered from Aerrow. Finn lowered his eyes shamefully. He felt like a complete heel after how he had acted, and now he was sure that whatever it was that Aerrow and Piper wanted them to do, he wouldn't have part in it because he didn't deserve a part.

Piper unrolled the map on the table. "This is amazing!" she said. "It's a complete schematic of the defense network." She turned to the pilot. "Stork, set course for Bogaton." She pointed to the Wallop. "Junko, get ready for an aerial bombardment." Both the Merb and the Wallop saluted her, happy with their new acting leader.

Finn leaned against the table and sighed. "I guess you'll want me cleaning up the hangar."

Much to his surprise, Piper laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Hardly," she answered unexpectedly. "You may be a lousy leader, Finn, but you're our best shot! I need you at the blaster to bull's-eye those towers!"

A smile lit Finn's face. He was still needed after all! He stood up and gave Piper his pistol fingers. "Done and done!" he assured her.

* * *

Back in Repton's base unit, Repton was still trying to get answers out of Starling. This time, he was holding his ignited boomerang to her throat. "You'll find Raptors to be extremely patient, young lady," he told her. "We live long lives. Tell me why you're here, and I'll see you have one, too."

"You'll find out soon enough!" Starling declared with a smile. It was time to go through with the plan. She slipped the end of her nunchucks out of her sleeve, ignited it, and cut the chains off her hands.

"What?" Repton exclaimed in furious surprise.

Starling twirled her nunchucks and held them out, psyching Repton out by winking at him. The Raptor thought he was so tough, but she knew better. She could win any fight with him.

Repton growled in contempt at her wink, but Starling was already on the attack. With a battle cry, she leapt into the air and swung her nunchucks down on Repton. He met her blow with his boomerang. Still seeing that she had the upper hand, Starling flipped backward and landed on her feet a few yards in front of her opponent, facing him and holding the ends of her nunchucks high.

She studied his eyes carefully, looking for some recognition. Even after all he had done to her, Repton seemed unaware of her identity. "You don't remember me, don't you?" she asked him.

Repton's eyes narrowed. "Should I?"

Starling's eyes wondered over the racks of shields, and she was comforted to see he still had it. She pointed her nunchucks at a small shield that had the symbol of a bird whose wings were outstretched as if to block an attack. The symbol of the Interceptors, her old squadron.

"The Interceptors," Repton stated. He smirked at her. "So, you were one of them. Feel honored. It was one of my fondest victories."

How dare he speak so dishonorably about her squadron! Rage swelled inside her as she pointed her nunchucks at him. "You didn't get all of us that day, Repton," she told him. He snarled at her, but that only made her more determined. "And that," she shouted, holding up a fist, "was your biggest mistake!" In her fury, she flipped over backward, absorbing the power of the hanzo crystals within her nunchucks. She bounced off the floor on her hand, rose into the air, and swung her nunchucks at Repton, releasing a pulse in her signature move. The pulse flung Repton back against the wall, and he fell forward on all fours with loud gasp.

Starling smiled as she landed on her feet on the ground again, holding out her nunchucks. She'd show this Raptor what happens when you mess with an Interceptor.

Repton raised his head and snarled. He'd show this Interceptor what happens to prisoners who don't cooperate!

* * *

The _Condor_ zoomed toward Terra Bogaton, getting down below terra level so as not to be shot at by the defense cannons. Finn sat in the chair behind the energy cannon at the turret, which was sealed for the moment. Piper was clutching the railing, staring out the window. "Remember," she reminded Finn, "Aerrow and Starling are down there, so don't miss!"

Finn smiled and saluted her. Him miss? Yeah right! When did he ever miss?

The turret opened and the retractable stand on which the cannon stood was pushed outward onto the open platform the turret opening had made.

Piper turned back to Stork, who was driving. "Stork, now." Stork pulled one of the _Condor_'s levers down, and the _Condor_ rose up from the clouds to hover over the terra. It was time.

Finn saw the first cannon rise up from the trees and take aim at the great ship. Finn took aim as well, and he fired first blasting the cannon to pieces as two others rose up beside it. Finn fired repetitive shots, blasting both of them.

* * *

From within the laboratory, Aerrow and the three Terradons had loaded onto the Terradons' airship. Oppinsaur was making last minute adjustments while Aerrow stood at the helm, ready to drive them out when it was time. The ground shook as they heard the first shots fired. Aerrow pointed. "That's our cue!"

* * *

Outside the walls of the laboratory, two masked Raptors, one of which was the one Aerrow had faced earlier, sat on their Bone Wings at the entrance, with Lugey in between them on foot. They stared as the Terradons' airship rose above the building through the open ceiling.

The masked Raptor from the Sky Knights' chase laughed, but Lugey saw nothing funny about this. He ignited his sword and raised it to fire, but the masked Raptor waved him off. "Let 'em go," he insisted. "Above that tree-line, they'll be finished!" Lugey lowered his sword. He was right, after all. No one could get through Bogaton's aerial defenses.

* * *

Within the base, Starling and Repton were still fighting. Starling leaped one way, and Repton came after her only to see her jump another direction and go after her again. The third time, she met his attack, blocking his boomerang with the wire of her nunchucks. They grunted as they pushed against each other in power struggle that Starling knew she couldn't win. However, she was encouraged when she looked out the window. She cast a grin at Repton.

"What are you smiling at?" the Raptor growled. He turned around in time to see the Terradons' airship heading out to open skies. His head flipped back to her. "You're a distraction," he growled.

"Oh, I'm not just a distraction!" Starling retorted. She slipped out of the struggle and swung her nunchucks at him. Repton avoided the blow. Seeing this, Starling somersaulted in the air and kicked the Raptor backward. Repton landed on his feet only to watch Starling leap into the air again and swing her nunchucks at him with a furious yell. He stepped back from the swing. Starling could see that she was wearing him out, but he was still determined. He hissed and slashed the air with boomerang backward, then forward as he roared in anger.

* * *

Aerrow drove the Terradon airship through the trees, deciding it was best to rise above the tree-line gradually. The Terradons were looking overboard nervously, waiting for the first cannon. Aerrow could sense their anxiety. "Don't worry," he assured them. "My team won't let us down!"

The Terradons lightened a little, but their eyes still wondered over the treetops. There was no assuring them until they saw the success with their own eyes.

The first two cannons rose up and aimed at them as they cleared the tree-line. From behind him, Aerrow heard Oppinsaur gasped, and he glanced over his shoulder at the cannons, feeling his heart fluttering in his chest. In a moment of insanity, he wondered if maybe he'd just committed suicide. After all, this _would_ be suicide without his team backing him up.

But Piper was already noting the cannons on the chart. "Finn," she shouted, "two towers, three o'clock!"

Finn swiveled around on the turret and fired at the cannons. Nothing was going to shoot down _his_ Sky Knight while he was on the job!

Oppinsaur sighed in relief and let his shoulders sag as the cannons were shattered to bits. Aerrow smiled, scolding himself for his few seconds of lack of faith.

The danger was far from over, however, and Piper was well aware of it. "Junko," she said to the Wallop, "keep those turkey burps of yours dropping!"

Junko was on the other open turret platform with six of his homemade Buster bombs. These particular Busters were turkey burps, little bombs that packed a big bunch when dropped from above. Each was adorned with a scary face painting of Wallop design. Junko picked one up and dropped it over the side. Clucking like a turkey as it fell, the turkey burp took out three cannons when it exploded.

Three more cannons rose up from the trees. Before anyone could do anything about them, they fired at the _Condor_. Finn felt the ship rock back and forth as it tried to avoid them, but one of it brushed the bottom of her starboard engine. Finn knew he had to take these suckers out before they did any more damage. Swiveling the cannon and his seat to aim at them all, he shouted, "Hah! Hah! Yah!" as he fired. All three cannons were shot dead on.

* * *

Starling and Repton were still going at it. Repton swung his blade at Starling time and again, but each time Starling fended him off, swing with her nunchucks. Finally Repton spun around in the air and tried to use his long, whiplash tail to strike her in the head, but Starling ducked. He spun again, this time going for her feet, but Starling jumped and leaped away, holding out her nunchucks. There was nothing Repton could pull on her that she hadn't planned for. She had been planning this day for a long time.

* * *

Aerrow's eyes scanned the trees fearfully as the Terradon airship rose even further. The Terradons continued to look over the edge with worried glances. Much to Aerrow's dismay, he saw a cannon rise up from trees and take aim at him. Finn saw it, too, but not before it fired.

Finn saw the shot strike the airship's bow and saw Oppinsaur duck another shot. Aerrow yelled as another one headed for him. Without hesitation, Finn knocked the cannon out. "Gotcha!" he said in triumph. No cannon messes with his friends!

But there was still more. Six cannons rose up and fired the Terradon airship. Aerrow gasped as he ducked another shot and Oppinsaur did the same. With expert precision, Finn fired at three of them, then swiveled and fired at the other three. "Yeah!" he shouted. He smiled to hear Aerrow and Terradons cheer him on, followed by Aerrow's nervous laughter as his fears melted from him. The Terradon airship sailed out to open skies, free at last. And it was all from Finn's expert shooting! _Oh yeah, who's the man!_ Finn thought. _It's the Finnster!_

* * *

Back inside the base, Starling finally reached an upper hand by kicking Repton back against the wall. The Raptor grunted painfully as fell forward on his belly, his boomerang falling from his grasp. He lay still. Starling stopped and waited to see if she had won.

It wasn't so. Not yet, anyway. Repton pushed himself off the ground and shook his scaly head with a growl. Hissing in disgust, he reached for his boomerang. Starling swung back her nunchucks, waiting for the attack.

Repton was furious by now. "You little . . . !" he began, but didn't finish. With a loud grunt, he flung his boomerang at her.

Starling's eyes narrowed on it. Repton had just made the biggest mistake of all. As the boomerang neared her, she swung her nunchucks at it and sent it spinning back toward Repton. Repton's eyes widened as he saw it coming toward him, and he ducked. The boomerang swung around and sliced right through the support beams on one section of his shield stand before coming back to Starling. Repton growled as he stared at it, saw it shake, and saw it topple. There was no time to dodge. With one last defiant yell, he was buried underneath the stand.

Starling stood over looking the wreck, holding the boomerang in her grasp. Ah, there it was! With a slight smile, she grabbed the shield of the Interceptors, which had ended up on top of Repton's face. Repton looked up only to find his own boomerang held to his throat. But although a thief, a rogue, and one quite fond of foul play, Repton followed the laws of a Raptor very well. Once you were defeated, then that was that. The most honorable thing to do was to face your fate with no fear. "Go ahead," he told Starling. "Take your prize."

"Thank you," Starling answered, holding up the shield. "I will."

Starling saw confusion rise Repton's eyes as his slit-shaped pupils studied her. "All this for a shield?" he hissed in disbelief.

"Yep," Starling answered. "All this for a shield. And you're ride. I believe you owe me one."

Repton growled at this, but there was no stopping Starling. Leaving the boomerang, she headed outside quickly and mounted his Bone Wing. She sped toward the balcony and took to the air just before she would have collided with the railing. Repton ran after her but was left standing on the balcony. In rage, he roared and raised his fist as she flew away.

* * *

When Aerrow got back on the _Condor_, he found the most peculiar thing. Finn was on the his hands and knees on the hangar bay floor with a scrubbing brush in his hand and a bucket full of soapy water next to him. Happy to just clean rather than to live the nightmare of being in charge, Finn whistled while he worked.

"Huh?" he heard Aerrow say. The Sky Knight turned to Piper. "Is Finn _cleaning_?"

Piper placed a hand on her hip and smiled smugly. "Yup."

"He went power-mad, didn't he?" Aerrow guessed.

Piper rolled her eyes and smiled. "You have no idea."

Just then, Aerrow saw Piper's eyes light up as he heard a loud engine approaching them. Although it wasn't the stealthy approach of the _Red Streak_, Aerrow knew there was only person who could get that kind of reaction out of Piper. He turned around to greet Starling. Finn tuned in to hear what they had to say.

Starling drove in on Repton's Bone Wing, bringing it in on a nice, calm landing. "Nice job taking out those energy cannons," she congratulated Piper.

"Oh!" Piper exclaimed in delight. She giggled and leaned against the wall.

_Here she goes_, Finn thought.

"Oh, thank you," Piper said. "I can do other things, too, you know." She held out her hand and counted on her fingers. "Lock-picking, recon, convert— Yah!" Finn held back a snicker as she lost her balance and fell over in the middle of her bragging spree. Starling blinked and turned to Aerrow, who only shrugged and chuckled in embarrassment. Piper had covered her eyes with hand. Now she lifted it and peered out sheepishly as she shrugged, her face flushed.

Starling dug into the Bone Wing and pulled out her shield, showing it to Aerrow. The younger Sky Knight stepped forward. "I'm glad you got it back," he said.

Starling placed it back carefully and met his eyes. "Now you know why I couldn't ask the rest of the Storm Hawks to help."

"Not one of us woulda said no," Aerrow assured her.

"Of course not," Starling answered. "You're the Storm Hawks."

"You're always welcome to join the team," Aerrow offered, sounding hopeful.

Finn cocked his head. Join the team? Really? Oh, Starling, say yes!

But Starling simply answered, "I know," and turned around and left. Aerrow smiled after her as Piper stood up and waved enthusiastically. She was too much in awe with Starling's presence to have noticed much about her conversation with Aerrow.

But Finn had heard every word, and he contemplated it for only a moment. What had that been all about? What did the Sky Knights mean? And what was this whole, "I know," comment. What is that supposed to _mean_?

Oh well. Best not to dwell on it. He still had to finish cleaning the hangar bay. Then he had to get something to eat. Maybe he should have sandwich . . .

And just like that, he forgot all about it.

* * *

Starling wished to go back to Terra Bogaton to retrieve the _Red Streak_ and repair her, but she'd have to wait until the Raptor squadron was called out by some mission of their own first before it was reasonable. Besides, she had other business to take care of first.

Starling landed the Bone Wing on the outskirts of her home terra, Terra Mesa. Her eyes wondered up the flagstaff in front of her to the tattered flag bearing her old squadron's symbol in their memory. It was a sad place for her, but at the same time a comforting place where she felt close to her friends. It was best to be reminded of them now when she had been so close to actually joining another squadron, so close to being with friends. The boy Sky Knight was warming her heart little by little, and his squadron helped as they warmed up to her. She must remember what happened last time and keep her distance, if not for her sake, then for theirs.

She watched the flag longingly before taking out the shield. Walking toward the flag, she leaned it against the bottom of the flagstaff. There. Now it was back where it belonged. Her work here was done.

Starling mounted her Bone Wing, reminded of who she was. She was an Interceptor, and no matter whom she met and what they said and did, they could not change that. She would always be an Interceptor, even if it meant she would always be a lone wolf.

* * *

Author's Notes: The ending makes me sad! However, Finn's last thoughts were quite fun to write!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The term "raptor" originally referred to a bird of prey, but similarities between those and small, fast, two-legged carnivorous dinosaurs has led to scientists calling them raptors, the most famous of which is the velociraptor. They were once believed to be reptilian, just as the Raptors in _Storm Hawks_ are, but new evidence shows that they may have been at least semi-warm-blooded and that most of them, including the famous dog-sized velociraptors, had feathers. It is believed that today's birds are descended from dinosaur raptors.

You know, that may be the reason there's a Raptor species in the Atmos. Many of the names focus on birds: Storm Hawks, Red Eagles, Rebel Ducks, Buff Buzzards, Piper, Junko, Stork, Starling, Dove, Wren, Harrier, Ravess, Snipe, Princess Peregrine, Griffin, Owsley, the _Condor_, the _Blood Crow_ . . . I should get to the point, shouldn't I? So of course, if you're going to have lots about birds, why not have something about their ancestors?

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Most people have not heard of nunchucks, but they are a real martial arts weapon, also known as nunchaku. The classic nunchucks is basically just two sticks attacked by some kind of rope or chain. Although simple and seemingly not much of a weapon, they can be very harmful if used effectively.

I'm looking for reviewers again. *cricket starts chirping again* Hey, you be quiet! *squishes cricket* That'll show you!


	37. Velocity: Sure to Lose

_**Part 9**_

_**Velocity**_

_Speed is sought, and speed is gained. Trading becomes trickery. Allies compete, and allies work together. A race is run, and a race is won. A storm rages. New friends are made, and an old enemy is confronted._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Sure to Lose

Aerrow and Radarr were in Aerrow's Skimmer, racing across the hot, red deserts of Terra Saharr as fast as they could go. Normally, the only thing that would ever draw Aerrow to this dust bowl of a terra was the bazaar. You can get almost anything you want there, and there are some pretty good deals for items if you want to haggle a bit. It was a good place to get supplies. But right now, Aerrow wasn't there for that. This time, he was here for something much bigger.

They came off a mound of dirt and saw the vertical stacks of rocks about them. Other than that, it was mostly clear sailing. Even so, Radarr didn't deploy the wings. They biking it this time.

As they came down the hill and hit the ground, Radarr glanced behind him and squawked. "I know, I know," Aerrow answered anxiously. The Sky Knight was painfully aware of the four skyrides following on his tail, and his heart beat a mile a minute as he sped away as fast as his Vulcan could take him. He came off two more mounds, trying desperately to outdo them, but his pursuers didn't let up.

Then something horrible happened; the needles of his gauges began to go down and his engine began to smoke. His Air Skimmer III Ultra could not take the stress of the race, old and rundown as it was. Radarr looked extremely concerned. "Don't worry," Aerrow assured him. "Like I always say, it's the rider, not the ride."

At that moment, Aerrow smiled. He was in for a thrill now! They were driving off a cliff!

Radarr squawked fearfully as the Vulcan leaped off the edge of the cliff and bounced off one tower of rock, then another before landing on the ground again in the section of Terra Saharr's desert known as the Sands of Sibular, a place littered with rock towers. Radarr churred and shook his head to rid himself of the dizziness from the trick, but he smiled all the same. After all, they were doing great!

But Aerrow knew they weren't home free yet. The four other drivers were gaining on them. "Here they come," Aerrow warned his copilot as he looked over his shoulder. Radarr glanced back and gritted his teeth together as their pursuers drove down the slight incline of the cliff face.

Then he raised his nose to the air. What in the world was that horrible smell? Was something burning?

Aerrow heard Radarr squawk his warning, but the Sky Knight had already seen it. The engine was smoking again and sending up yellow sparks. The Skimmer could not handle the stress Aerrow was pushing her to. She bolted forward, only to growl and slow. Aerrow's heart beat faster as he glanced behind him at the other four drivers again. At this rate, he wasn't going to make it. He turned back to his Vulcan. "Come on, baby, come on!" he coaxed her.

But it did no good. The needles on her gauges sank again. Her bow began to smoke, and when the controls started to spark, Aerrow knew it was time to go overboard. Grabbing Radarr by his long rabbit-like ears, he jumped free of the Skimmer as it fell on its side in a cloud of black smog and dust.

Aerrow gasped as he bounced off his knees, then his rump, before finally getting a grip with his feet. He and Radarr scrambled to find balance, but the force of the fall tripped Aerrow up on his stomach. The copilot squeaked in surprise as he was flung into the air, and he landed on his chest and chin as he hit the ground next to Aerrow, his eyes rolling in their sockets.

Aerrow glanced at him only a moment just to be sure he was alright. Pushing himself off the ground, he turned around and held his hand over his eyes to block the blinding desert sun to face his humiliating situation. Radarr turned around and let his eyes focus, and then he, too, blocked the sun and glared at those amused.

Their pursuers had pulled to a stop before them. One of them was a dark-skinned man with high cheeks bones. Not far behind him, a redheaded woman gazed at Aerrow, her body surprisingly lacking much clothing despite the unforgiving desert sun, although she had plenty of tattoos. She covered with clothing only what was appropriate to cover. The rider to her left was a burly, blond man of Nordic build. The last was also strong of build. His head was bald, and he had a tattoo of flame showing on his shirtless chest between the two sides of his vest. All were well-armored. They were Sky Knights, some of them Sky Knights Aerrow even recognized; the woman was the leader of the all-female squadron, the Screaming Queens; the Nordic-like man was the leader of the burly Buff Buzzards; and the tattooed man he knew by name. He was Blister, Sky Knight of the Third Degree Burners and host of the mighty event that had brought Aerrow to this terra.

All of them smirked at Aerrow from his embarrassing position on the ground. Aerrow could only glare back, although he had to admit that he himself was far from satisfied with his performance. Blister got off his Third Degree Burner Air Skimmer, a type of Air Skimmer that the Third Degree Burners had modified to be even more heavily armored and to have three extra thrusters for the high winds of the frequent sandstorms of the area. And they were fast, faster than almost all other Skimmers. Aerrow burned with envy to have such speed now. But of course, it made sense. Bad-tempered Blister was extremely competitive, and racing was his thing.

Blister marched up to Aerrow and stood before him, frowning distastefully. Aerrow only returned the look and waited for the retort he was bound to get. He couldn't quite see the older Sky Knight's face as he stood under the light of the desert sun. "You want to win the race tomorrow," Blister said in a surprisingly high pitched voice with an Australian accent, "get a better ride." He leaned in and smirked at the boy, blocking the sun and leaning in so close that Aerrow didn't need to strain his eyes to observe the details of his nose ring.

Aerrow and Radarr exchanged glances, and Radarr churred in irritation as the other Sky Knights laughed at them. Blister got back on his Skimmer, and the four of them drove away in hysterics, sending up a dust cloud behind them.

Aerrow coughed on the dust as they drove away. Radarr lifted his goggles, and he and Aerrow exchanged desperate looks. Aerrow knew they were right. His Skimmer could not take this. It was too old, the engine was too slow. There was little hope of him winning the Great Atmos Race, the annual bike race across Terra Saharr. He longed to take home the Velocity Crystal Amulet, the powerful velocity crystal on a chain necklace that served as the prize for the winner, but he couldn't see how that would be possible for him. Radarr whimpered as if he could read his thoughts, and two sat there cross-legged on the dusty salt flats in despair.

* * *

Across the desert flats, beyond the red mounds of dirt, was a huge wall of stone. Within its walled boundaries was Tent City where Sky Knight squadrons from around the Atmos had come for their Sky Knights to enter in the Great Atmos Race, each hoping that their Sky Knight would take home the Velocity Crystal Amulet. Their carriers were parked not far from the city. Four of them were parked close by at either corner, the choice spots reserved only for the Sky Knight squadrons who got there first. It was no surprise that the Third Degree Burner Airship was among them. Yet in the opposite corner was the _Condor_, taking her rightful place after ten years of being absent.

Bunches of chickens flocked the streets, undisturbed by the noise and clamor around them. The Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes walked down the middle of the dusty street under an umbrella. The Absolute Zeroes were the Sky Knight squadron of Terra Blizzaris, thereby Blizzarians. Blizzarians were coyote-like humanoids with rabbit-like ears and pointed teeth. Their fur was long with a soft undercoat and the course outer coat like that of a wolf, so thick that snow would not melt on their bodies. With all these tools used for cold weather, it was no wonder the Blizzarian Sky Knight was looking for shade from the hot desert sun under the umbrella.

Not far from the Blizzarian, the Rebel Ducks were hammering away at their Sky Knight's Skimmer. Blister walked down the street purposefully past the Blizzarian. Two Sky Knights drove down the street. The lead chicken of the flock clucked as she passed others working on their skyrides. The Blizzarian headed toward its Ice Grinder, where the other Absolute Zeroes were examining it. Everyone was anticipating the big day.

Aerrow noted all of this as he told Finn what happened to him and Radarr out on the flats. He sat on his partially repaired Vulcan, feeling miserable about his humiliating crash. Everyone else was doing fine but him, it seemed, even the cold-loving Blizzarians. The good news was that the other Sky Knights had been generous enough not to spread rumors. No one was whispering or glancing at him. That was something.

When he finished explaining, Finn smiled. "So the other Sky Knights totally blew past you in the practice run," he said. "Big deal. That's just practice."

Aerrow rubbed the back of his neck and let a little light in on his anxiousness as a small smile crept across his lips. Yeah, Finn was right. Only practice.

"The Storm Hawk always win the Great Race," Finn assured, waving his hand dismissively.

Aerrow knew he was right. It was Lightning Strike, Aerrow's ancestor, who had won for so many years. And if he could do it, than so could he!

Aerrow didn't have much time to take confidence in that before Finn grunted as someone ran into his back. "Always _won_," corrected a voice with an Australian accent. The sharpshooter turned around, and Aerrow raised his eyes. It was another tattooed, bare-chested man, which revealed him to be another Third Degree Burner. His fiery-red hair stood up in a Mohawk with small, pointed beard to match, and he sported a ring in his left ear. It was Burner, in charge of the Third Degree Burner's heavy ballistics. "The Race hasn't been run in ten years," he reminded the boys. "I'd bet you new pups aren't half as good as the old Storm Hawks." He crossed his arms, smiling smugly at them.

"Oh, really?" Finn challenged, pointing a finger at Burner.

Aerrow put a hand in front of his sharpshooter. "Let it go, Finn," he advised.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Radarr stand up and turn around, attracted by his boy's voice and churring in wonder that Aerrow wasn't standing up for himself.

But Aerrow had his reasons. Finn didn't always think before he leaped. Aerrow didn't either, come to think of it, but at least he made educated guesses. Finn normally got into trouble. Besides, traits that all the Third Degree Burners had in common were that they were big, strong, had bad tempers, and had a love of good fights and bets. And Burner was the worst of them all. When he said "bet," he meant it.

Finn seemed to realize that last bit as well, but he wasn't approaching with caution. "Well, I'd be willing to bet anything on Aerrow," Finn declared as he pointed a thumb back at his Sky Knight.

Aerrow frowned. That wasn't always necessarily a good thing, especially in this situation. Besides, Finn was giving credit where credit wasn't due, in Aerrow's opinion. Sure he was good at some things, but certainly not always great. And _anything_ was pushing it. Big time.

But Burner was interested. "Really?" he said, leaning toward Finn. "Then how 'bout this? If your boy doesn't leave Saharr wearing the Crystal Amulet, you wash our carrier," he motioned toward the Third Degree Burner Airship, "for a year."

Finn cast Aerrow a confident grin, but Aerrow kept frowning and raised an eyebrow at him. Was Finn actually considering it? He hoped not. He didn't need his sharpshooter employed on another carrier working as a janitor for a year.

It was a pretty nice carrier, Aerrow noted. His eye was not quite as skilled as Stork's or Junko's at recognizing great vehicles, but his Sky Knight experiences and his own interest in good rides had given him a good idea of something somewhat worthwhile. The Third Degree Burner Airship was a massive two-tired ship, nearly twice as large as the _Condor_. She had four crystal jet turbine engines for extra bursts of speed, typical of something designed by the speed-loving Third Degree Burners. She had two separate tiers, the lower appearing to be the living quarters. Three legs kept her upright in her parked position. A good ship as far as Aerrow could tell, but her flame-painted side was dusty and grungy. Aerrow admitted to himself that a little cleaning would do her some good.

Piper walked onto the scene just in time to hear the bet proposed, and she stopped and looked at the carrier with her hands on her hips. "Hmm, a year of Finn doing all the cleaning?" she said as she turned around and placed her hand to her mouth in fake shock. She pointed a thumb back at the ship. "That's gonna be one dirty carrier."

The bettors frowned at her, almost as if they were angry at her for interrupting man talk. Finn even crossed his arms. However, he didn't respond to her comment. Instead he turned to Burner and held a finger to his face, saying, "You're on!" The two gave each other a high-five and bumped knuckles, substituting for a handshake. The deal was set.

Aerrow wasn't really happy about it, and Piper didn't look so certain, either. She put her hand to her cheek, giving Finn a concerned look. The sharpshooter just smiled at her as Burner walked away. "Relax," he insisted. "Aerrow's a Storm Hawks." He shrugged and beamed. "There's no way he can lose!"

* * *

Stork lifted up his protective mask as he finished his examination of Aerrow's Skimmer. "There's no way he can win," he stated from where he sat on the supply box with his tool kit next to him.

Finn and Piper stood behind him, and Aerrow was beyond them getting a box of supplies for Stork to work with. They were in the tent marked with the Storm Hawk's symbol, which they had set up close to where they had parked the _Condor_. Aerrow didn't like the sound of what Stork was saying, but he refuse to limit his mind's eye to his ride. But Finn was more openly concerned. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"It's a simple matter of gimbal rotation and gyroscopic procession," Stork answered.

"Um, once again," Finn asked, sounding confused this time, "what do you _mean_?"

"Aerrow's ride isn't fast enough," Piper defined for him as Stork went back to turning his wrench on one of the Vulcan's bolts.

Finn and Piper turned around and looked out the tent when they heard engines roaring. The Blizzarian Sky Knight was at the starting line, and the dark-skinned Sky Knight and the Buff Buzzard Sky Knight were gunning their engines, waiting to begin their practice run against each other. The Blizzarian lowered its arms, and the Sky Knights shot forward. Finn frowned. They had taken off at much faster speeds than Aerrow's Skimmer had ever dared to start, even though Aerrow was able to get every last ounce of energy and more out of his ride. "Oh!" Finn moaned as he shrugged.

Aerrow wasn't going to let his own hopes run too high, but he had to believe in chances and so did his squadron. "Hey," he encouraged Finn, stopping in front of him as he held Stork's next tool box. "It's the rider, not the ride. I'll be fine with what I got."

Just then, Stork drew away from the Vulcan, saying, "Whoa!" as she set off sparks, expressing her thoughts on Stork's vain attempts to adjust her speed. Aerrow grimaced, forgetting to hide his lack of confidence from his squadron. It didn't look as if there was much hope for him after all.

Finn turned to Aerrow with an air of despair. "Easy for you to say," he said as he pointed at him, referring to Aerrow's old saying. "If you lose, you'll just end up crashed somewhere in the desert. Me?" he added, putting his hands on his chest. "I'll be humiliated!"

_Yeah,_ Aerrow thought sarcastically. _I have it so much better. There's no hardship or humiliation when you're stranded in the middle of the desert._

They both turned as they heard Stork using some sort of drilling tool in a desperate effort. It only resulted in the right wing, the cockpit, and the front wheel falling off. The Skimmer fell over on its side, the wheel rolling away to crash in another pile of metal. Finn put his head in his hand. Aerrow didn't feel any better.

* * *

Finn was beginning to give his pride up for lost at the sight of Aerrow's Vulcan being a disaster, so he retreated to the one place where all the Sky Knight squadron members hung out when they were overly cheerful, overly despaired, or just wanting something better to do. He went to the tent hosting Tent City's bar.

It was more than just a bar, of course; otherwise the idea of letting a fourteen-year-old in would have been looked down upon. It also served as a restaurant, a sort of cafeteria for the racers and their squadrons. However, the food tasted suspiciously of sand, but Finn wasn't picky at the moment.

He listened to the bustle inside as he waited for his meal. The Sky Knight of the Buff Buzzards was happily draining a metal cup, and Finn had the feeling that it didn't contain water, and skoat's milk wasn't served here. Two Blizzarians entered the bar. Their Sky Knight was at the booth, clanking jugs with a Screaming Queen.

The Sky Knight of the Screaming Queens and the dark-skinned Sky Knight were in the corner, smiling shyly at each other. The dark-skinned Knight was leaning very close toward the Screaming Queen. Finn wondered if there was something going on over there with them. If so, then the queen of the Queens must have had more than a few drinks because the Screaming Queens had a thing about sex and love affairs . . . and men in general, really. The dark-skinned one certainly was a little tipsy, holding his jug in his hand. Yet they might be just having casual talk. If it was gossip they were discussing, Finn had the itching feeling that it was about the news of his Sky Knight's Skimmer and his chances in the race. It made Finn feel about as comfortable as the first thought did.

Although one of the lovely Screaming Queens was sitting only too seats away, Finn didn't care. He leaned forward on the table and rested his head on his hand as the waiter shoved his lunch in front of him. It was chicken, as always. Tent City was crawling with them. Alongside it were potatoes and some purple desert fruit that Finn did not recognize. It looked appetizing enough, though—almost like grapes. Maybe the fruit wouldn't taste like sand.

The dark-skinned Sky Knight whispered something in the Screaming Queen Sky Knight's ear, making her frown and turn and glare at him while he shrugged and smiled expectantly. The sound of punches in the background confirmed Finn's earlier suspicions about the two and also assured him that the Screaming Queen was now putting the dark-skinned Knight back in his place. Even then, with all this excitement, Finn didn't care. He was about to be a janitor for year. With that looming over his head, no amount of excitement could lift his mood.

Finn was about to begin to eat when suddenly Junko was there. He put his arm around Finn's shoulder and picked up his bowl. "Aw, cheer up, buddy!" he encouraged Finn before pouring the sharpshooter's lunch in his mouth. Finn frowned in annoyance as Junko set the bowl down again. The things you tolerate for friendship! Whether or not the food tasted like sand, he was hungry. He ignored Junko and held up a finger to call the waiter for another bowl.

"I'd save your money," a familiar voice said, "cuz you're gonna need it to buy yourself some soap and sponges when your boy loses!"

Finn's skin prickled with irritation. He and Junko turned around to see Burner and two other Third Degree Burners smirking at them and laughing. Finn hated the way they gloated and laughed and the way they kept calling Aerrow his "boy" rather than his "Sky Knight." Hopeless as it was, Finn wasn't going to look chicken if only to stand up to the big fellows. "Hah, hah," he mimicked them. "Laugh it up." He pointed to them. "You'll be singing a different tune when the race is over."

"Well," Burner retorted, "it might sound different because I'll singing it in my freshly-cleaned cruiser!" At that, the three of them walked away laughing.

Finn shrugged and sighed. Junko looked at him with concern. They were probably right, Finn thought to himself. It didn't look like Aerrow was going to win. Oh, if only he hadn't made that bet! He turned back to the counter and held up his finger again. "Better make the next one a double," he told the waiter.

A coin flew forward and spun around in front of him. "Allow me," a voice offered.

Finn looked up. A Sky Knight dressed in a purple uniform and sporting X-shaped shoulder plates and a helmet with an X-shaped symbol on its front stood before them. The helmet hid his face like a dark mask that only his blood-red eyes penetrated. It was the Sky Knight of Terra Xerxxes. He was a rather secretive Knight, so secretive that no one even knew his name or the name of his squadron. No one had ever seen his face. It was a miracle that he had even shown up at the Race all this year considering his reputation of never competing. He trusted no one but those in his squadron. And yet, he was talking to the Storm Hawks, the pups of the place. "I think you and I can," he leaned forward and stopped the spinning coin, looking straight at Finn, "help each other out."

Finn and Junko exchanged glances. Finn looked back up at the Knight of Xerxxes, who blinked at them expectantly. There was something about his voice that Finn didn't like, but he couldn't place it. For some reason, it reminded him of Aerrow in battle, but he didn't know why. Something in him was warning him off the purple Knight's offer, but just like he did with the bet, he ignored that voice. Anything to help Aerrow win the Race couldn't be that bad.

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh, Finn you are playing a dangerous game . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: I'll explain Stork's gadget talk. You know, the talk that Finn couldn't understand. "Gimbal rotation" refers to the revolving of an interconnected mechanism with independently moving parts. "Gyroscopic procession" is . . . well . . . I'll break this one down. A gyroscope is a mechanism that consists of a rotating heavy metal wheel that pivots inside a circular frame. This frame's movement doesn't affect the wheel's spinning unless it's touching the ground (which it should be). So "gyroscopic procession" is how efficiently the wheels turn and the number of times they spin in a certain unit of time.

Rather than have another trivia this one time, I would like to take this opportunity to credit Magus732 and Sakariwolfe for pointing out things that I didn't know or overlooked. Magus732 stated that, back in "Gale Force Winds," when Finn shouted, "Niner, niner!" he was probably referring to direction, "as in at his nine o'clock" as Magus732 said. Sakariwolfe reminded me that there is a city called Bogotá and that Terra Bogaton may possibly have been named after that, although I don't see any similarities between the two. Also she pointed out that scientists are thinking of switching dinosaurs from reptilian to avian.

Well, I got Aerrow back (yay!) and I also got to do some Finn toward the end. I was actually very surprised while watching this episode again to write about it. I didn't notice what was going on between the Sky Knight of the Screaming Queens and the dark-skinned Sky Knight at first, and when I did, I was shocked. I didn't think Storm Hawks had any hit themes bigger than its age group other than war and tyranny, but apparently it does, because it was apparent that the dark-skinned Knight wanted to do something with the Screaming Queen. Whether it was just a simple statement of, "Nice butt," or something as drastic as "getting down and dirty," I guess we'll never know. All we know is that the Screaming Queen did _not_ like it! Don't believe me? Well, next time you watch the episode, watch the two of them very carefully in the bar, and you'll see what I'm talking about!

Oh yes . . . and review. Reviews are always nice. They make me happy! What? Why are you looking at me like that's a bad thing? '**: /**


	38. Velocity: Trading

Chapter 2: Trading

Aerrow and Piper watched as Stork gave three turns of his wrench and stood up. "That's as fast as I can make it with what little we have on hand," he said as he folded the Skimmer's wing back into place. "Now, if I just had a power amp."

Suddenly Junko walked into the tent. Before Aerrow knew what he was doing, he passed by Stork, placing a power amplifier on the Vulcan. "Ah!" Stork exclaimed in delight. He hugged the power amp and rubbed it lovingly, closing his eyes and leaning his head against it, so great was his love for good machinery.

Aerrow placed his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side. He just couldn't believe it. Somehow, with what little money they had, Junko had managed to find a power amp.

Piper didn't look quite sure about it, either. She crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "How did you—?"

Suddenly Finn appeared between them, putting his arms around their shoulders. "Easy," he answered before Piper had finished asking. "Junko and I swapped our crystal converters for it."

As he said, Junko heaved at one of the crystal converters on his Skimmer and grunted as he pulled it off. Aerrow raised an eyebrow, and he saw Piper do the same. There was something not quite right about this.

Finn got in front of them. "Oh, I know that look," he said, holding up a finger. "You're about to tell me this is a bad idea." As he said that, Junko grunted and pulled the other converter off his Skimmer. Aerrow winced as one of the pieces of the Skimmer went flying and crashed into the supply crates as if to prove Aerrow's and Piper's point. But as Junko left the tent with a converter under each arm, Finn continued. "Without the crystal converters, our rides are less than useless." Then he got right up in front of them before they could say anything. "But don't worry," he insisted, pointing to Stork holding the power amp. "I got it covered!"

Finn rushed forward and grabbed the power amp out of Stork's hands, holding it up to show Aerrow and Piper while Stork tried to reach over him to get it back. "This amp will make Aerrow the faster racer out there," Finn pointed out, "so I'll get our converters back from that purple Knight of Xerxxes—and more—" he held up a finger, "when Aerrow wins."

Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances. This just kept getting worse. "You traded with the Knight of Xerxxes?" Piper repeated.

Finn giggled to himself. "Brilliant, huh?"

"It seems more like cheating," Aerrow answered. He saw Piper scowl at Finn in disapproval.

Finn cast Aerrow a look and crossed his arms confidently. Aerrow knew that keeping the power amp hinged on the Sky Knight's decision, and it looked like Finn was going to try to use that. "I know what'll make you feel better about this whole thing," he insisted. "A test drive!"

Aerrow gave it only a moment's thought. He really shouldn't be doing this but . . . oh, imagine the speed that power amplifier would give him! What a thrill that would be! And with it, he could very well win the race! Maybe just this once, they could give a little leeway. After all, they weren't really _cheating_; they were _bartering_. But he couldn't try it now, where the other Sky Knight squadrons would see. No, he'd do it early in the morning before the sun was up and then surprise the other competitors on race day.

* * *

"Woo-hoo!" Aerrow cried as he and Radarr drove off the top a dirt mound during their test drive. They were headed toward the great towers of stone at the Sands of Sibular. It was still early morning. Some stars were still visible, but the rising sun was already turning the horizon light blue. No one was up yet; no one but the Storm Hawks.

Aerrow couldn't believe the thrill of his velocity. He was pretty fast, he knew, although he wondered if his adrenaline-charged heart was beating faster. He looked down to check his gauges. The needle was past the last number! "We're already above max speed!" he told Radarr. He looked up, smiling. "Cool."

Radarr didn't seem to be enjoying it as much as Aerrow was. His teeth chattered together as they ran over the bumpy ground. Maybe a bit more speed would smooth out the ride, Aerrow thought. He hit the red button on the power amp, hooked up next to the cockpit. Radarr screeched as the Skimmer shot forward.

They could have been standing still just a moment ago compared to how fast they were going now! Aerrow leaned into the wind and squinted against it, enjoying every minute. "Now _this_ is fast!" he exclaimed.

Radarr screeched to him. He was finding it difficult to gulp air at the speed they were going and was thankful for his goggles. Aerrow looked down at him sympathetically. "Okay," he agreed. "Maybe a little too fast." He squeezed his handbrake.

But the Vulcan didn't slow. He grunted and squeezed again. Nothing. Aerrow stared ahead of him in horror, and he heard Radarr squawk. They had no brakes and they were headed for a large tower of rock!

Aerrow grunted as he tried to swerved, but as soon as he did, he realized they wouldn't make it. Straightening out the Skimmer again, he deployed the wings. "Whoa!" he cried as the Vulcan went up the vertical shaft, scraping its bottom hull against the rock face and sending off yellow sparks in the darkness. It had enough momentum to even reach the top, ascending vertically. Aerrow looped around and flew back they way they had come. Scary but _fun_!

Radarr had other ideas about it. He leaned over the side of the cockpit, throwing up. Aerrow turned to look at him and was surprised by his lack of enthusiasm. "Oh, come on," he said to him. "You gotta admit, that was pretty cool."

Radarr lifted his head and glanced at him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Whimpering pathetically, he wiped his mouth with his paw and took his handles again.

Finn was using the binoculars to see Aerrow and Radarr as they flew down toward them. He glanced at Piper standing next to him, and they exchanged frowns. They'd have to break the news when they got back.

Aerrow and Radarr landed in the middle of the street, coming to a sliding halt and sending up a dust cloud. "Hah!" Aerrow exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement as Piper and Finn walked up to him. "Did you see that?"

"Yep," Finn answered. He pointed. "And so did they."

Aerrow's eyes followed Finn's finger, and his shoulders sagged, his smile turning into a frown. The dark-skinned Sky Knight was putting a power amplifier on his skyride.

Stork walked up behind Aerrow. "Everyone in Tent City's amped their rides for speed," he said, motioning over toward another group of people.

Aerrow blinked. The Sky Knight of the Buff Buzzards was lifting two sturdy tires to put on his skyride, and one of his squad mates was giving the Sky Knight of the Screaming Queens a power amp.

Just to their right, Burner was turning a wrench, hooking up a power amp on Blister's Skimmer. Another Third Degree Burner turned the engine on, checking the amp's performance. When they saw the Storm Hawks eyeing them with disappointment, they smiled and one of them waved.

"So much for Finn's brilliant plan," Piper commented.

"Oh!" Finn groaned, rolling his eyes. "We'd have to trade everything we got just to keep up." He looked at Aerrow, seeming to expect a rebuke for more talk of cheating.

But Aerrow had a different opinion now. There was nothing like being in a Skimmer that cruises above its own top speed, and now he was willing to do anything to enjoy that again. He put his arm around Finn's shoulder. "Then we better get started," he answered.

Finn smiled. Yes! With his Sky Knight on board, there was no limit to what they would trade for now! The two started walking to their tent to look for trading items.

Behind them, the Sky Knight of Xerxxes walked out of his tent and crossed his arms. Under the shade of his helmet, his red eyes shone with hostility and white teeth flashed in a smirk. His plan had worked on the Storm Hawks, and with their help, every squadron in Tent City would be trading for parts. When this was all over, the Atmos would be lacking a few Sky Knight squadron members, and Aerrow of the Storm Hawks would be finished once and for all.

* * *

Finn started his trading rounds first thing that morning. The sun had not yet risen when he confronted the Sky Knight of the Buff Buzzards with two useless, rusty, old pipes from the _Condor_. It wasn't much to trade with, but Finn believed he could convince the Buff Buzzard to barter all the same. After all, if he could convince Aerrow to cheat, he could persuade anyone.

"Sure," Finn said to the Buff Buzzard, "trading in your brand-new engine for a couple of rusty pipes might seem like a bad idea, but let me tell you why you're wrong."

The Buff Buzzard tilted his head to the side as Finn began his persuasion magic.

* * *

Finn leaned against the Vulcan while Stork worked on it. The sharpshooter smiled as Junko brought in the engine. Perfect! Finn could get used to this.

Sparks flew as Stork began to add the engine to Aerrow's Skimmer. Finn went out for more.

* * *

Back in the bar, the Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes and a Screaming Queen sat next to each other just as they had before. The waiter brought a bowl of food and two drinks for them, and the two clanked them together in cheers.

But when the Absolute Zero turned around, Finn was standing there, leaning on a stack of tires. "Have I got a deal for you!" he said, holding up a finger.

Later, Junko came by the tent again and added a fresh, durable tire to the pile of items Stork was adding.

Next, two Absolute Zeroes hammered at their Sky Knight's skyride when Finn appeared in front of them, offering a small piece of metal.

Junko brought another piece of equipment and added it to the pile while Stork continued to work on the Vulcan, turning his wrench.

Finally, Finn appeared in front of a Buff Buzzard polishing his Sky Knight's ride. This time, the sharpshooter had a spatula.

Junko added another piece of equipment to the ever growing pile, which was now taller than the Wallop. Stork peered around it to see him and glanced at the pile again. With all this equipment, this was going to be his best work yet!

Finally, Stork lifted up his protective face mask and smiled and nodded at his work, putting a hand on his hip. It was finished.

* * *

Aerrow was eager to see how his Skimmer turned out on the morning of the race. Even before the sun was up, he burst into the tent to take a look. "Wow!"

The Vulcan had fins on every key point for the best steering, and two boosters were hooked on either side. In addition to the original engine, another huge engine with two boosters was sported on the Skimmer. Aerrow knew that now the weight of the Vulcan was on her stern, but he had a feeling that those boosters would give more boost than drag.

Piper walked forward. To Aerrow's surprise, she seemed skeptical. "Um, is this part of the _Condor_'s engine?" she asked, pointing to the huge engine on the back.

Finn came out from behind the Skimmer. "Of course not," he assured her with a dismissive wave of his hand. Then he smiled. "It's the whole thing!"

Aerrow came to stand beside Piper. "I bet that has some kick!" he commented. Piper only gaped at him as if he were crazy. And maybe he was. Aerrow contemplated whether he was sane every time he dared a stunt. But surely this wasn't craziness. With all of the gadgets and the _Condor_'s engine, he was sure to win the Great Race! Besides, it's not like they would use the _Condor_ between now and the end of the race.

Aerrow walked up to Finn as the sharpshooter tapped the _Condor_'s engine with delight. "This thing's so fast, we have no idea how fast it is!" he said. He pointed to Stork for the Merb to continue.

Stork held up a finger. "Only thing you have to worry about at these speeds: one mistake could be," his mask fell down and he lifted it up again with wide eyes, "_deadly_."

Aerrow couldn't help but smile at the thought of momentum he would have, the great velocity. All the same, deadly mistakes made for a humbling thought. He let his smile close, and he frowned. He would be quick, but he'd have to be careful. It was just like battle. One slipup meant disaster.

* * *

A rooster crowed, its voice echoing throughout Tent City and announcing the arrival of the sun. The Sky Knight of Xerxxes was quick to exit his tent, kicking and cursing at the flock of chickens that were marching past the entrance. One of them stopped and watched him. It was Wren's hen, the _Condor_'s stowaway. She clucked quietly as the purple Knight walked past her. Then her eyes narrowed, and she clucked forcefully after him. She knew that man, and she knew he spelled trouble.

* * *

A horn sounded throughout Tent City, alerting everyone that it was almost time for the Race. Piper was caring a box of tools that she thought Aerrow would need before he set off.

Radarr was following at her heels before he stopped and stared. One of the hens, slightly familiar, had her wing covering her face and another hen's face, and she was whispering to the other hen before looking around to see if anyone was listening. Radarr couldn't hear the whole thing, but he was able to figure out one thing. There would be trouble in the Race.

Of course, Radarr thought. The Race was dangerous. Both he and Aerrow knew that. Still, he was filled with unease by the chickens' gossip, and he scurried ahead of Piper to check on his boy. The two chickens followed behind.

Piper ignored him, thinking that he must be excited about the race. She could not run after him and balance the box at the same time, so she lagged behind.

As she pasted the tent belonging to the squadron of Xerxxes, she tripped, and one of the round metal pieces in the box fell and rolled into the tent. "Oh, man," Piper said. "That was the last one, and the race is about to start." As if to second that, the horn sounded again. Piper set her jaw. Much as she hated invading others' space, she'd have to reach into the tent to retrieve the piece of metal.

Getting down on one knee with a grunt, she reached inside and lifted up the item, smiling as she looked at it. Now she could be off to the race. Already she could see Aerrow wearing the Velocity Crystal Amulet. Or perhaps he would give it to her . . .

"Hey!" a voice yelled at her from within the tent, interrupting her thoughts. Piper looked up and gasped at what she saw.

Next instant, she was pulled inside the tent, unnoticed by anyone outside as the last racers lined up at the starting line.

* * *

The Sky Knights were rearing to go as they stared ahead of them beyond the starting line. Each was gunning their rides and lunging forward before pulling back, so eager were they. Aerrow and Radarr were at the left end, lined up next to the Sky Knight of Xerxxes. The young Sky Knight's heart beat so fast he thought it should burst. His skin twitched with pure excitement, and adrenaline rushed through his system at the highest speeds.

Burner paced in front of them patiently, adding tension before he finally stopped and made his speech. "All of you represent the best Sky Knights in the southern skies," he began in his Australian accent. On the sidelines, the squadrons cheered on their Sky Knights. Aerrow heard Junko's and Finn's voice among them and was surprised not to hear Piper cheering. He saw Radarr put his goggles on and smile in anticipation. Burner continued. "The first to grab the Crystal Amulet at the end wins," he stated, holding up a picture of the blue crystal on its gold chain. "No weapons," he lowered the sign, "no flying."

At that moment, despite the cheers in the background and the excitement of the race, Aerrow's feeling of exhilaration subsided, and he felt unease. It occurred to him that someone was watching him, and it wasn't his squadron he was thinking of. He glanced to his left to see the Knight of Xerxxes. His crimson eyes bore into him like knives. It wasn't a hostile look, but all the same, his eyes made the hair on Aerrow's skin stand on end. He'd seen them before. He turned away and decided to look for his squadron instead of letting the purple Knight psych him out simply by looking at him.

Among the crowd, he could see Junko and Finn cheering and Stork standing beside them, smiling. But one member was missing. "That's weird," Aerrow said to himself. "Wonder why Piper's not here." Piper was always there to support him. It was strange not seeing her at the start of his race. Maybe something was wrong.

Aerrow waved to his squadron. "Hey, Finn!" he shouted. "Finn!" When he saw he had his sharpshooter's attention, he cupped his hand around his mouth. "Finn, where's Piper?" he shouted. Just to be sure Finn heard, Aerrow shouted Piper's name again.

But Finn didn't hear him. He only raised his fist and shouted back, "I'm counting on you, buddy!" He gave his Sky Knight a thumbs up, and he and Junko continued shaking their fists in the air.

Aerrow saw no use in pushing the matter. It was only seconds before the race began. He ran his hand through his hair with uncertainty. "Guess she's okay," he tried to convince himself, but he couldn't help but worry.

Burner was finishing up his speech. "Now we're gonna see who's the best of the best of the best." He clenched his fist and added, "Of the best," as he walked away. Aerrow clutched his handlebars so hard, he was sure his knuckles were white under his gloves. Around him engines roared. The race was about to begin.

Burner held up the horn. "On your mark," he warned. Every skyride jumped forward a few inches. "Get set!" Burner shouted.

The Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes was absently chewing gum and blowing a bubble when suddenly the needles on the gauges went up to the highest number. The Ice Grinder had over heated. The Absolute Zero gasped as the Ice Grinder shot forward and took to the air without deploying the wings. It was obviously an unplanned flight. "Wha-hoo!" the Absolute Zero shouted in surprise.

Aerrow watched with a raised eyebrow. That was probably going to be the weirdest thing he would see all day. The other Absolute Zeroes stared openmouthed as their Sky Knight continued to shout and the Ice Grinder disappeared in the sky.

Burner turned back to the racers. "Okay," he said, with a confused look on his face. Then he got back to business. "Go!" he shouted. And with that, he pressed the button on top of the horn, and the sound rang throughout the terra. Aerrow smiled and gunned the engine for all it was worth. He and the other Sky Knights shot forward, leaving their cheering squadrons behind them. The Great Atmos Race had begun.

* * *

Author's Notes: This is the part where the horserace announcer says, "And there off!" which is the only thing he says that you can ever understand.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: Terra Saharr, as you may know, is based off the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. It stretches all across northern Africa, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: The term "velocity" actually does not simply refer to an object's speed. It is the speed an object is moving in a certain direction. Say that, hypothetically, Aerrow's Skimmer goes 200 mph southeast. As soon as he changes direction and goes south, he has changed his velocity. Now his velocity is 200 mph south. When he speeds up five miles, he has changed his velocity again. Now is velocity is 205 mph south.

You know, the more I write this fic, the more I can see where the Piper/Aerrow shippers get their reasoning. It would make sense. I'm not saying that they have sure-fire crushes on each other, I'm just repeating what I said before: They love each other, but it could just be a brother/sister love for all we know. However, if I were forced to pick one pairing to put into Storm Hawks that isn't already bluntly obvious, like Radarr/chicken—and I emphasis _forced_—then I would have to pick Piper/Aerrow. It's the one that I can actually see happening at the moment. But let's be clear: there are no intended pairings in this fic other than Radarr/chicken until I see evidence of one in a future episode. Yet Piper/Aerrow—conceivable.

And that is my rant for this chapter, because, as you know, I almost always have one. Reviews?


	39. Velocity: Desert Racers

Chapter 3: Desert Racers

The racers headed down the track set for them in between two sides of a dirt-made halfpipe. The Sky Knight of Xerxxes took the lead almost immediately. Aerrow smiled as a thrill rushed through him, and he felt his blood vessels would burst with the pure elation of racing! He gave all he had at the very beginning and took second, unlike some of the more experienced racers who decided to hang back. His adrenaline-charged system was noticing everything. The Screaming Queen dogged him, followed by the Buff Buzzard and Blister, then the dark-skinned Sky Knight and the Rebel Duck. Aerrow noticed the Screaming Queen check herself and pull back, and he prepped himself for her to take the lead suddenly in the end . . . if she didn't crash before then.

The Buff Buzzard then pulled up alongside Aerrow and Radarr and then passed them to take a stand against the Knight of Xerxxes. The purple Knight wouldn't stand for that. He took the lead again and Aerrow followed. He wasn't going to let the Buff Buzzard in ahead of him, and he _certainly_ wasn't going to let the Knight of Xerxxes out of his range. He sensed trouble from the purple Knight, and he was going to keep his eye on trouble.

He glanced at the Buff Buzzard as he past him. The Buff Buzzard glared back. That was his mistake. At that moment, the racers drove down a steep incline . . . except for the Buff Buzzard. "Wha!" he yelled as his skyride fell out from under him. His skyride tumbled down the hill, and he tumbled after it.

The Knight of Xerxxes and Aerrow shot past him. The dark-skinned Knight didn't make the leap on the incline quite right, and the Rebel Duck got the edge on him. Aerrow grinned as he heard the Rebel Duck inching toward his tailpipe. They were approaching a bunch of small sand dunes that made a natural obstacle course, and the Rebel Duck was coming in too fast to make the turns.

Sure enough, the Knight of Xerxxes spun around, and Aerrow followed his very tire marks. The Rebel Duck wasn't so lucky. "Wha-wha-whoa!" he shouted as he came around the turn. He swung too wide and his skyride turned up on its nose in the dirt, sending its driver's upper body into a sand dune.

Aerrow watched the purple Knight carefully. When he turned, Aerrow turned. When he took a jump, Aerrow took a jump. The Storm Hawk could see that this racer knew what he was doing, and Aerrow was willing to take any pointers.

The Knight of Xerxxes, however, didn't seem impressed. He turned around and cupped his hand around his mouth. "I thought all of you were supposed to be good!" he called back to them.

Aerrow gritted his teeth. A disrespectful, full-of-himself hotshot, huh? Well, he'd show him he had stuff! Aerrow and Radarr lunged forward with an irritated dark-skinned Knight dogging them.

The three of them leaped into a tunnel that wound around and downward like a natural rollercoaster . . . only rollercoasters didn't have stalagmites right in the middle of their tunnels, attaching the roof and floor. The first one caught Aerrow completely off guard, but he was able to avoid it. When the next one came up, he was ready. He was pleased to see the Knight of Xerxxes slow, and Aerrow sped forward to catch him.

Just when he was about to pull up alongside him, the purple Knight turned and asked, "You think you have what it takes?"

That was a challenge if Aerrow ever heard one. "Try me!" he dared the other Knight, irritated by his attitude.

Oh, the purple Knight tried him, alright! He sped forward and slanted to port so that his back wheel collided with Aerrow's front. "Whoa!" Aerrow cried in surprise as he lost steerage. Trying to straighten out his ride, he slowed, allowing the dark Knight to pull ahead of him. The dark Knight smiled as he took the lead, but as soon as he did, Aerrow knew the Knight was finished. And as soon as the other Knight looked ahead, he'd know why.

The dark Knight glanced forward just in time to see a huge, completed stalagmite in the middle of the tunnel. There was no time to dodge. "Oh!" he cried in pain as his skyride collided with it and burst to pieces.

Aerrow and the Screaming Queen behind him dodged with ease, but Aerrow couldn't help to check over his shoulder to see if the dark Knight was alright, wincing in sympathy. The dark Knight raised his head with his eyes rolling in their sockets. Then he dropped unconscious with a silly smile on his face. Good, Aerrow thought. At most he suffered nothing more than a concussion.

Back at Tent City, Stork was sitting on top of the speakers, watching the race with his binoculars as the racers came into sight. He could see the racers maneuvering through the rock towers of the Sands of Sibular—the final leg of the race. Aerrow had dropped back to fourth behind Blister. The Knight of Xerxxes still had first, and the Screaming Queen took second.

The speaker started announcing as soon as the racers were in sight. "_The_ _contestants who are still in this race are all moving closer to the Crystal Amulet,_" he announced, "_but it looks like the Sands of Sibular are making it a tough fight to the finish for these Sky Knights today._"

Stork couldn't tell whether what he was seeing and hearing was a good thing or a bad thing. He looked down at Finn and Junko and shrugged.

Finn smiled as he watched the race. He was confident. Aerrow's Skimmer was fast, and Aerrow was good. He'd make it first. He just knew it!

Junko was watching through a spyglass. He saw very clearly as the Knight of Xerxxes swerved around a stone tower, followed by Blister. The Screaming Queen didn't make the turn and plowed into the rock tower. Like the others before her, she was out of the race. To Junko's relief, Aerrow and Radarr made it through without a glitch.

Finn listened to the announcer before tapping Junko's chest. "Sounds like Aerrow's winning!" he said.

Was he? Junko couldn't tell. He lowered the spyglass. "Really?" he asked. "Sounds more like static to me."

But Finn was still overly confident in Aerrow's placement. "I'll wash your underwear for a month if Aerrow doesn't leave Saharr with the amulet," he told his Wallop friend.

"I'll take that bet," a voice behind them said. Finn and Junko turned around. Of course. Burner. He rubbed some grit off his fingers dismissively. "Unless, of course," he added, "you don't really think he's gonna win." He held out his hand to shake.

Finn looked down at his hand. He could see Stork standing next to him and crossing his arms in disapproval, but he ignored him. When did he ever listen to Stork, anyway? Besides, much as he liked to have backed down, he knew he couldn't now. He reached out and shook Burner's hand, rolling his eyes. As soon as he did, he looked around for one of his teammates to give him _more_ disapproval. "Okay, Piper, tell me how dumb that was . . ."

Finn and Stork glanced left and right. Finn blinked in surprise. She wasn't there. He turned to Stork. "Wait, where's Piper?" he asked.

Stork shrugged. How was he supposed to know?

* * *

Piper had found herself on her knees with her hands tied behind her back in Xerxxes' squadron's tent. She scowled at her three kidnappers with anger, trying to hide her own fear. Each of them wore a familiar green uniform, but their chest plate bore the X symbol. "I don't know what you have planned," she told them, "but there's no way you're gonna get that Crystal Amulet."

She glanced around nervously as the three kidnappers stepped toward her, surrounding her. "You think our racer can't win?" one retorted. "Why? Just because we're," he pulled off his X plate to reveal a red raven striking in attack, "Cyclonians?"

Piper scowled at them viciously, but her heart was beating a mile a minute. She wasn't sure what the Cyclonians had planned for her, but she knew it couldn't be good. And if their racer was who she thought he was, Aerrow was in grave danger.

* * *

Out on the Sands of Sibular, the racers were still weaving through the rock towers. Only three of them were left. Aerrow and Radarr still hung back, but slowly they were inching toward the others. Blister, however, put out everything, and he pulled up next to the Knight of Xerxxes with a grin.

But the purple Knight only grinned back, and Aerrow saw him reach for something. To his disbelief, the purple Knight drew forth a double-bladed, two-handed sword ignited in red crystal energy. "Ah!" Blister shouted as the purple Knight slashed off part of his Skimmer. Losing control, he collided with one of the rock towers. His crashed Skimmer sank at its base, and Blister was thrown free from the crash.

But the rock tower was unstable. At the collision, it started to shake and crumble. Aerrow zoomed past it, satisfied with the fact that it was falling in the opposite direction of where Blister had landed. It was only when Radarr squawked that he realized that meant the rocks were falling forward . . . toward them. Aerrow glanced behind him in time to see a large boulder heading his way, and he gave the Vulcan everything he had. At the sudden burst of speed, the Vulcan did a wheelie and shot forward, pulling up next to the Knight of Xerxxes.

Aerrow couldn't believe what the purple Knight had done! Burner had clearly stated, _No weapons._ How dare a Sky Knight cheat! Furthermore, he, Blister, and Radarr all could have been killed! He glared at the purple Knight with heated rage. "Guess you forgot," he said to him as they swerved away from each other to avoid a rock tower. Aerrow came toward him again. "Sky Knights don't cheat!" he reminded him.

The Knight of Xerxxes glanced his way before putting on the brakes with an earsplitting screech. _Great,_ Aerrow thought, _what trouble is he doing now?_

The purple Knight pulled up next to him again, this time on the other side. "Good for you, Aerrow," his cold, amused voice said. He took off his dark helmet. "But I'm not a Sky Knight!"

Aerrow gritted his teeth together. Jet black hair fell over blood-red eyes as a smirk stretched across the man's face. "The Dark Ace?"

The Dark Ace only smirked at him again and reached for his sword. Aerrow saw the movement and was ready when the glowing red blades came at him. He swerved out of the way. The Dark Ace only came and lashed at him again; again, Aerrow avoided him. Oh, if only he had his blades with him!

The Dark Ace sliced at a rock tower as it came between them, and the rocks tumbled forward on Aerrow and Radarr's tail. Their Skimmer skidded as one of the rocks bounced it up into the air, but Aerrow fought to keep it straight, and the wheels found traction again. Quickly they caught up to the Dark Ace once more.

The Dark Ace only cast Aerrow smirk as they pulled up. He sped ahead of them and held out his sword, slicing through another rock tower just in front of Aerrow and Radarr. Aerrow saw Radarr cover his eyes with his long ears as the rocks tumbled toward them. There was no time to think or even to be afraid. Aerrow swerved out of the way of the boulders and skidded to a halt beside the wreckage.

The Dark Ace was speeding away, but Aerrow wasn't going after him just yet. He needed a hold on the situation. "The Dark Ace must be after the Crystal Amulet," he told his copilot. "And we're the only ones who can stop him!"

Radarr narrowed his eyes, and Aerrow knew he was as determined as he was. The copilot reached over and pressed the big red button on the top of the power amplifier. Aerrow gunned the engines. They shot forward.

The two pulled up next to the Dark Ace again. In a desperate attempt to slow the Talon, Aerrow swerved inward and banged his Vulcan against the Dark Ace's disguised Switchblade, narrowly avoiding a rock tower that came between them. It did nothing but set both of them off balance for a moment. Aerrow would have to win purely with speed.

Yet there was hope. The two skyrides ran neck and neck, and up ahead, Aerrow could see something glowing at the top of a tall, pinnacle rock tower. It was a golden necklace with a glowing blue crystal hanging on it. "There it is!" he shouted to Radarr. The Velocity Crystal Amulet, holding the fastest, most powerful velocity crystal of them all!

But a red pulse flashing in front of his windshield brought him back to the trouble at hand. The Dark Ace was holding out his sword again. He shot another pulse at Aerrow. The Sky Knight swerved. He could feel the heat of the pulse as it narrowly missed his head. That blow could have been fatal.

The Dark Ace took advantage of Aerrow's need to fall back, and he jumped in front of him on the next mound of dirt. Aerrow and Radarr swerved and spun a three-sixty before they regained control and shot after the Talon again. That was it! Weapons or no weapons, Aerrow was going to meet the Dark Ace's attack!

Aerrow leapt to the bow of his Skimmer, balling his hands into fists. The Dark Ace glanced back and snarled at him in frustration, but that only made Aerrow all the more willing to fight. In a surge of rage he leapt with a grunt, his fist drawn back to hit. He landed on the back of the Switchblade, but the Dark Ace had jumped into the air to avoid the hit. The Talon didn't look inclined to take that. In mid-air, he drew back his own fist. Aerrow jumped up to meet him, and both threw forward their punches.

But neither hit. At that moment, Wren's hen clucked angrily, flying right up into the Dark Ace's face. The Dark Ace was thrown back into his Switchblade. Aerrow smiled as he heard the Talon grunt when he landed on top of him feet first, and he pushed off his back to jump onto his Vulcan again.

The Dark Ace glanced over in disbelief. It was the boy's stupid copilot! Wren's hen and her accomplice had hidden out in his cockpit. Radarr held the other hen in his paw, and he threw that hen at the Dark Ace, who leaned back to avoid the angry, clucking flurry of feathers.

Aerrow thanked the great heavens that he had Radarr as he pulled himself up into his seat, stealing a glance at his enemy as Radarr shook his fist at the Talon and stuck out his tongue. The Dark Ace looked fit to kill . . . no, he always looked fit for that. Now he looked fit to butcher. Aerrow sped ahead. He wasn't going to wait around for a sword to drive into his back.

But the Dark Ace wasn't letting him in the race that easily. He gunned his engine and took the lead.

Aerrow smiled cockily. Two could play that game. He pressed the red button on the power amplifier. He and Radarr came neck and neck with the Dark Ace once more just they drove off the jump that would catapult them to the top of the rock tower to grab the Velocity Crystal Amulet.

Aerrow and the Dark Ace reached outward as they approached. It was almost painful for Aerrow, the desperate way he stretched his arm out. He knew that the Dark Ace had a slight lead on him even in mid-air, and he wasn't going to let that stop him from winning. He was so focused on the amulet that he didn't see the Dark Ace smirking at him. Just a bit further . . .

Yes!

Aerrow and Radarr landed and skidded to a halt. "Nah hah!" Aerrow shouted, holding the Crystal Amulet high while Radarr squawked with glee. Aerrow kissed the amulet with gratitude and pride. The prize was his!

Then a rough, grating sound interrupted his celebration. It was the Dark Ace. But he wasn't growling or shouting. He was . . . laughing. "You thought that's what this is about?" he asked him smugly. "A little trinket?"

A little trinket? The velocity crystal on the amulet was the fastest and most powerful known! "Uh, yeah?" Aerrow answered in confusion. Wasn't it?

"Think," the Dark Ace said to him. "The racing skimmers have all crashed, and all the other fighters on Saharr have been cannibalized for parts."

Aerrow let that sink in. The others had no vehicles and hardly any weapons. "Which means we're all sitting ducks!" he realized aloud.

"Very good," the Dark Ace answered as if he were praising an idiot. He drew his sword, unignited. Aerrow swallowed. Something was coming, and he knew he was the target. "And as I bury you in the sand here," the Dark Ace said as he placed a green crystal in his handle and ignited his sword, "my Talons are doing the same to your friends at the camp."

Aerrow stared at him. The discovery took a moment to sink in. Talons were at Tent City; they were going to kill his squadron and all the other squadrons there. But what was this about "burying in the sand"?

Aerrow didn't have a good grasp on the situation before the Dark Ace lowered his sword and fired. Aerrow ducked to avoid it, covering his head with his hands. When it missed, he lifted himself up and studied his arms and hands, making sure they were still attached. Nothing wrong. So what was the danger? The Dark Ace would be firing multiple shots if . . .

Wind began to whistle in his ears, and his hair fluttered as the wind picked up speed. Sand began to dust his Vulcan. Radarr squawked with fear. Afraid of what he would see, Aerrow looked to his left.

The shot from the Dark Ace's sword powered by the green crystal had started a tornado colored brown with desert sand. Aerrow gulped. Not good.

"Hope you like the storm," the Dark Ace said as he removed the green crystal from his sword. He threw the crystal in the air and caught it. "A little present from Master Cyclonis." He smirked at the Sky Knight. "Goodbye, Aerrow."

Aerrow turned from him back to the storm as it approached. The Dark Ace's evil laughter reached his ears. Aerrow's heart thudded in his throat and against his chest. He'd looked death in the eye before and had come out without a scratch, but there didn't seem to be any way out of this one. This could be the end.

Aerrow was in too much shock at first to do anything, but the sound of the Dark Ace's laughter dying and his motor running and speeding him away woke the Sky Knight up to the fact that he should be fleeing, too. Without a second thought, he turned the Skimmer about and gunned it for all he was worth, racing once more, his heart about to explode in his wild panic.

But outrunning other skyrides and outrunning a twister were two very different things. Radarr turned around and squawked, letting Aerrow know that they weren't drawing away from it. It was catching up to them. Aerrow turned around and gasped when he felt the Vulcan start to leave the ground before coming back down again. The storm was on him; it was sucking him in. "Dah!" he cried as his Vulcan was lifted into the winds. He cried in helpless terror as he and Radarr were sucked in by the tornado.

The Dark Ace stopped and turned around with a smirk on his face when he heard the Sky Knight's cries. He could see nothing but great wall of swirling dust. He laughed to himself. Had he not told the Sky Knight that his time would come, that in their next encounter, he wouldn't be so lucky? He had given him a chance to learn his lesson, and the boy ignored it. Now he had paid for it. The Dark Ace had finished Aerrow once and for. But of course, Master Cyclonis deserved some credit; it was her orders to deal with the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks personally, having expected him to be a problem, and it was she who provided the Dark Ace with means of doing it.

The Dark Ace was in such high spirits, he almost forgot to flee from the tornado and nearly shared Aerrow's fate, but he reminded himself of his situation before then and drove away, holding on to the crystal that had created the storm just in case he needed it to control the storm. However, before he flew away, he flipped the top up on his right control handle and pushed the button it revealed. It was time to unleash the rest of Master Cyclonis' plan.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, scary . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: _Sabulum_ is Latin for "sand." This is perhaps why the named section of Saharr's desert is called the "Sands of Sibular."

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: You know how the residents of Terra Gale speak with French accents. Well, during the middle ages, the area that we now know of as France was ruled by Celts who called it "Gaul." Celts are also the speakers of the Gaelic language; however, the Celts who spoke it lived in the British Isles, not Gaul.

That _is_ slightly relevant to this episode seeing as the Rebel Ducks were competing in the Race.

Make me popular for once in my life! No seriously, it's only in cyberspace that I am considered anything above lame. So since cyberspace is my only hope, let's get lots of reviews telling me I'm "great" instead of "lame." Or "good" is satisfactory. Or even "okay." That works, too. Or give tips for improvement. I can't improve without knowing what to fix! So review!


	40. Velocity: The Best of the Best

Chapter 4: The Best of the Best

Back in the Cyclonians' tent in Tent City, Piper was still on her knees on the floor, but much to her luck, the Talons were ignoring her, getting ready for battle instead. Piper wiggled at her bonds and found them loose, but she couldn't escape with the Talons' eyes on her. She'd have to leave when they were distracted.

Suddenly a red light on one of the Switchblades began to flash, beeping loudly as it did so. Piper's eyes widened fearfully. That can't be good.

"That's our cue," she heard one of the Talons say, eyeing her with a warning glare before turning to the others. "Let's go!" They mounted their Switchblades and drove out the tent, leaving their fake X symbols to bear the Cyclonian raven into battle.

Piper could only imagine what kind of havoc they were planning on unleashing on Tent City. With haste bred by anxiety, she slipped out of the ropes that bound her hands.

The Talons turned out onto the street, taking to the air once they gained velocity. Stork hadn't noticed them at first until he saw Finn hide behind a pile of crates with his crossbow. Looking around, his heartbeat quickened to see two Talons flying in the air. But what was even more frightening was when he heard a deafening roar coming toward him from the other side. He turned to see a Talon Switchblade that was about to fly right into him! He jumped out of the way, landing face down beside Finn.

Piper ran out as quickly as she could. "It's the Cyclonians!" she announced to the others. "Get to your fighters!"

All of the crashed Sky Knights had made it back by now, and they and their squadrons began collecting weapons and parts of their vehicles while others ran around frantically. Stork lifted his head off the ground and gave Piper a blank look. "What fighters?" he asked.

Piper looked down at her feet in embarrassment and nervousness. "Oh, right," she answered. They had no fighters, only piles of metal that used to be their rides. The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering even faster now. Without their fighters and with little ammunition, they had few ways of defending themselves. And what of Aerrow, she wondered. She didn't see him among the others, only those who had crashed in the race. She was willing to bet that Aerrow had made it to the end of the race . . . and she knew that the Cyclonian racer would not have signaled for battle unless Aerrow was taken care of.

She ducked low as three Talons dived in. Luckily someone was ready for them. Finn came out from his hiding place and fired at them. The shots didn't hit, but it kept the Talons from attacking, and Finn ducked as they flew overhead to come in for another attack.

Acting on a quickness of thought that made Piper proud, Junko had grabbed the _Condor_'s energy cannon. Getting on top of a sturdy tent, he fired a birdie missile at the Talons and struck one of them down.

Junko seemed proud at first, smiling at his small victory, but he screwed up his face as he saw what was coming at them. Ten more Talons were flying their way. And leading them, just as Piper had guessed, was the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace had stripped his Switchblade of its purple and orange disguise and had changed into his Cyclonian uniform once more. He scowled as he looked down upon Tent City. Filled with fools was what it was, fools who could not see what the future held, fools who insisted on fighting against it. Well, no longer would they resist. "Time to put a dent in the Sky Knight population," he said with a smirk as he dove toward Tent City. His Talons followed him.

Piper gasped as they swooped down upon her. She didn't have time to react before a volley of shots was fired at her. Quickly as she could, she turned and headed for cover with red pulses hitting the ground just behind her feet. Seeing where Finn and Stork were hiding behind the pile of crates, she somersaulted away from the shots to land beside them, looking up nervously.

A unit of five Talons circled the camp like ravenous vultures, aiming their guns at the few Sky Knight squadron members who still needed to find cover. Shots were fired, and Piper was relieved to see that the person they were firing at, Burner, got away with the pulses hitting just behind his heels.

Then something even worse happened. The Talons fired a volley of shots at Junko. With a Wallop roar of surprise, Junko leapt off the tent top where the shots hit and dived to the ground below. He ended up headfirst in a stack of four tires that had stood beside the tent. "Whoa!" Junko cried as the stack toppled over. "Ooh! Ow!" Piper winced in sympathy for him as he hit the ground, the tire over his head bouncing off onto the ground. He was fine, of course, but now he was stuck in the tires. He smiled at them sheepishly with a nervous chuckle.

Piper looked around frantically. They needed a plan, and they needed one now. Their lives depended on it!

* * *

Poor Aerrow and Radarr were still caught in the twirling sand tornado. Aerrow fought the storm with all his might, urging his Skimmer away from it with everything he had, but it did no good. Sand bit into his eyes and mouth and scraped against his skin, rough and hard. He couldn't see, he couldn't breath. Slowly the sand in the swirling winds was suffocating him, burying him alive.

Radarr was only slightly better off. He was also having trouble breathing, but only some of the sand penetrated his fur to irritate his skin and his goggles protected his eyes . . . not that there was much to see. Even so, he dared a glance toward Aerrow to his see if his boy was holding out. Aerrow was hunkered down against the wind, still fighting hard, but his grip on the handlebars had loosened. They were running out of time, out of air, and out of strength. Radarr was beginning to wonder if it was best to give up.

But in looking Aerrow's direction, Radarr saw something beyond them swirling around in the storm. He couldn't believe it. Clucking in dismay were Wren's hen and the other hen. They swirled around in utter horror that awoken Radarr's senses. Wren's hen called to him desperately as she whirled by again, flapping her wings in frantic attempts to whirl out of it. And then suddenly . . . she and the other hen were flung free.

Radarr's will strengthened. If chickens could break free of the storm, why couldn't they? Setting his jaw determinedly, Radarr fought the wind to reach forward and press the red button on the power amplifier.

Aerrow had barely seen what Radarr had done. At the moment, most things resembled sand. But when he felt the engines roar to life, he knew what was happening, and he charged forward.

For a split second, there was hope. The Vulcan lurched forward, pulling out of the funnel. But before they were clear of the winds, the Skimmer stalled as something began to add to the drag. It was the sound of bending metal. Then SNAP! Aerrow glanced behind him, his jaw falling as he saw the _Condor_'s engine being torn off the Vulcan and sucked into the tornado. Aerrow still gunned the engine and found it stalling, but they had freed themselves of the funnel . . . for now.

But now free of the funnel's winds, Aerrow's vision had cleared enough for him to see the ongoings. He could very clearly see the dark shapes he knew to be the two parts of the _Condor_'s engine swirling around the funnel before being flung off to the side. He set his jaw and narrowed his eyes determinedly. That was what they had to do. And more than anything now, Aerrow had to rely on Radarr to help pull him out. "Radarr, don't fight it!" he yelled above the wind, his voice stifled with sand.

Radarr squawked in acknowledgement. He knew exactly what to do now. He reached over to the lever beside him and deployed the wings.

With the wings catching the winds, the Skimmer was lifted into the funnel once more, but this time, that is what Aerrow wanted. Closing his eyes and mouth against the sand, he held on tight. He heard Radarr squawk in terror as the storm spun them around faster than ever, and with each circle they made, he squawked louder. Finally, their fourth time around, Radarr let out a loud screech and Aerrow could feel the Vulcan straighten out. He opened his eyes. "Yeah!" he cheered. They had been flung free and now glided safely over the Sands of Sibular.

But there was little time to celebrate. Aerrow paused only briefly to cough up sand and dust some of it off before he headed to Tent City. There was not time for him to make a full recovery or to search for the _Condor_'s engine right that moment. The others were in trouble. With or without weapons, he would not allow the Talons to touch his friends as long as there was breath in his body!

* * *

Three of the tents in Tent City were already up in smoke as the Talons circled around looking for targets. Piper ignored them as best she could, picking up one of the two remaining birdie missiles and loading it into the _Condor_'s energy cannon and covering her ears. With a grunt, Junko fired at an oncoming Talon, and he was shot down. "Ha ha!" Junko shouted in success. "Ho ho!" But Piper was feeling less than cheerful about their progress. There was only one birdie missile left now, and there were still dozens of Talons.

Junko seemed to realize it, too. He looked over his shoulder at Finn, who stood beside him firing in the other direction. "I'm almost out, man," he told him. The sharpshooter frowned, and Piper had the sinking feeling that he was also running out of ammo.

They were all distracted by a voice saying, "Hey, I need that!"

They all looked over to see the dark-skinned Sky Knight fighting over a piece of metal with Blister. "So do I!" Blister retorted in his whiny voice.

Piper saw Finn roll his eyes, and she was surprised. She also felt the Sky Knights were being ridiculous, but she never would have guessed that _Finn_ would ever disapprove of another's lack of teamwork. It was rather hypocritical, actually.

Over to the side, the Sky Knight of the Screaming Queens (clearly avoiding the dark-skinned Sky Knight) was taking another piece of metal from those scraps strewn about. The Sky Knight of the Buff Buzzards was kneeling on the ground beside her, and he grabbed the other side of the metal sheet. "I need this to lead the counterattack!" he told her with all the authority he could put in his American Southern accented voice. He pulled it back toward him.

The Screaming Queen seemed insulted by this. "I can kick twice as much butt as you!" she retorted angrily, snatching it back again. The Buff Buzzard only snarled and reached for it again, and the two continued their fighting match.

Finn seemed to have enough of it. Piper saw him get up and head toward the two. "Guys? Guys!" he called desperately. "Bragging rights aren't gonna help us beat the Talons. If we don't but pride aside and help each other, we're toast!"

Piper couldn't believe what she was hearing. That was the wisest, the best, and the most amazing speech that had ever come from Finn's mouth. Moreover, it was a great idea.

But then the Buff Buzzard Sky Knight went and spoiled it. He and the Screaming Queen Sky Knight exchanged skeptical glances before turning back to Finn. "Hey," the Buff Buzzard said, pointing to him, "aren't you the guy who tricked me into trading my engine for some rusty pipes?"

Finn smiled sheepishly and shrugged with a nervous giggle. He didn't see that one coming.

But Finn's suggestion had made an impact on Piper, and her calculating brain had thought up another plan. "I have an idea," she said to the Sky Knights, "but I need your help." The two Sky Knights lowered their piece of metal, and Blister and the dark Sky Knight abandoned their fight and came up from behind, the dark Knight crossing his arms expectantly. Piper smiled at their willingness to listen. Maybe this would work after all.

As quickly as she could, Piper explained her plan, and the Sky Knight squadrons set to work clearing out the bar and collecting all the weapons and stray parts they could find.

Junko carried a large energy cannon from one of the airships into the bar. Finn had tried to help him by carrying the front end of it, but it was large, and Junko was so strong and so nervous that the Wallop ended up carrying both Finn _and_ the cannon.

The Talons continued to circle in confusion as the Sky Knight squadrons lined up in front of the tent like an assembly line. Any spare parts found by the searchers were handed to the nearest person in line. The Buff Buzzard Sky Knight stood next to the Screaming Queen Sky Knight, who stood next Burner, who stood next to the dark-skinned Sky Knight. And then there was another Buff Buzzard, then another Screaming Queen, followed by a Third Degree Burner and an Absolute Zero, another Third Degree Burner and another Absolute Zero. All were working together; none were fighting. It was an amazing feat.

The assembly line passed the parts all the way down the line until they were received by an Absolute Zero at the end. She showed the piece to Piper, who was monitoring the whole procedure. She nodded approvingly as the Absolute Zero carried it off to meet the other builders in the tent.

Piper smiled at their amazing progress. This was going to work. It had to. She reminded herself for only a split second that the other Sky Knights had reported that all but Aerrow had crashed. All of their lives all depended on this plan's success, and Aerrow's life may hang in the balance even as they worked. If they failed, it was all over.

At last, everything was almost ready when Stork saw the need for one minor adjustment. Because he did not trust the engineering judgment of the others, he stole out into the outdoors to bring in a crate of needed supplies despite the risks. Piper stood anxiously at the tent's entrance for his return.

He made it safely down the street, but once he held the box in his hand, Piper heard engines roar overhead and saw Stork stare openmouthed at the sky. Four Talons swooped down over the street and headed in his direction, led by a smirking Dark Ace. Stork took off running toward the tent, but Piper couldn't suppress the dreaded thought that he might not make it in time.

Suddenly there was a red and blue streak in the skies. It spun about, letting out a, "Wahoo!" as it did. Piper sighed in relief. The Dark Ace frowned as Aerrow and Radarr, alive and well, flew toward two oncoming Talons, using the wings of the Skimmer to swipe them right off their Switchblades onto a tent below them. Their Switchblades, now without drivers to guide them, began to dive and crash, and Stork ducked out of their way as they sailed over his head.

Aerrow flew over the camp, checking out everything and dreading what he might find. To his relief, there were no dead or wounded. There was only Stork running back to the bar tent where Piper poked her head out. Aerrow flew low over Stork and the tent, providing what cover he could. The tent flaps closed quickly as Stork entered, and Aerrow guessed the others were safe inside. Knowing Piper, she had a plan, and the others were probably inside helping her. The best he could do right now, weaponless as he was, was fight off who he could and create a distraction until they had finished. He turned the Vulcan around to pursue the Talons, flying up behind his rival.

The Dark Ace looked over his shoulder at him, his face full of shock and rage. "You?" he exclaimed. "But—"

"Next time you try to finish off a Storm Hawk," Aerrow suggested tartly, "might want to try something different than a storm!" Aerrow heard Radarr snarl at his foe as his eyes narrowed. This was suicide, they knew, facing an armed Dark Ace without weapons of their own. But both were too protective of their friends and in too much fury to worry about that now.

The Dark Ace snarled furiously, as if he should be angry at Aerrow for being alive. He pulled up the gears on his Switchblade and turned the wings sideways so that the Switchblade reversed and the secondary steel blades on the wings extended. He was planning on using those blades to tear Aerrow's Skimmer apart. But Aerrow and Radarr pulled the Vulcan under in time to avoid the Dark Ace's reverse.

Unfortunately this put them in a position to be pursued rather than be the pursuer. Aerrow glanced over his shoulder in time to see the Dark Ace lift his sword and fire at him. For only a split second Aerrow allowed fear to grip him, and he was paralyzed, but he woke to his senses just in time to avoid the volley of shots headed his way. One second more and he would have been crow food.

Yet luck was on his side. Another Talon was flying in to face him from the front and corner him . . . a perfect position in Aerrow's eyes. When he swerved the next of the Dark Ace's shots, the pulse struck the Talon's Switchblade instead. The Dark Ace turned abruptly to avoid the crashing Switchblade sending off black smoke, and the Talon jumped and deployed his parachute as his commander flew by.

The Dark Ace held his blade out. So, the boy had survived. It was an astounding discovery, but the Dark Ace didn't have time for astonishment. It was time to finish the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks once and for all! "Form up around me!" he ordered to his remaining Talons.

The Talons obeyed instantly, and Aerrow grit his teeth together as the Dark Ace smirked at him, followed by the Talons in a perfect fighting formation. Aerrow knew the strategy; it was an easy one to follow and worked well on a weaponless opponent. They were to either trap him and fire on him all at once or simply pursue him and fire on him all at once. Either way, he had to lose them or break them up somehow; otherwise this was his last mission. He sped away with the five Talons after him.

His first thought was to get Radarr out of harm's way. They were after him, not his copilot. He could not allow him get hurt for his expense. He flew low over the sage-dotted streets of Tent City, intending on dropping off Radarr, but the loyal creature would not leave.

Stork stuck his head out of the bar tent as Aerrow and the Talons passed by the entrance. The Talons were well distracted. It was the perfect time to unleash their plan. Stork turned around and smiled, giving a thumbs up. Now! An engine started as Stork slipped back inside, and the tent began to flutter and lift off the ground.

The Dark Ace wasn't paying any attention to what was behind him. His Talons were in the right formation, and every blaster was pointed Aerrow's way. The Dark Ace smirked. There was no way the Sky Knight could get out of this now. It time for the final blow.

Aerrow realized it, too. He kept his eyes firmly ahead of him, his mind working feverishly to think up some quick trick. Nothing. His pulse quickened when heard the Dark Ace begin with, "Any last . . ."

But he stopped, looking over his shoulder and snarling. Aerrow glanced back as well to see the flying tent, and he cocked a smile. Suddenly the tent flew off as the mysterious item underneath extended its nine wings, its five blaster protruding from the front. It was the most bizarre thing Aerrow had ever seen. Piper's mind at work, Aerrow guessed.

The Dark Ace just didn't seem to believe what he was seeing. "What is _that _thing?" he asked as it approached.

"I'd say it's the cavalry," Aerrow answered.

The dark-skinned Sky Knight, the Screaming Queen Sky Knight, the Buff Buzzard Sky Knight, Blister, and Junko stood in back of the cannons. A Screaming Queen and Piper were behind three of the blasters. Piper waved to them. "Hi!" she called. The Buff Buzzard ran forward to take a blaster. Then, Piper threw he hand forward with a grunt and pointed. It was time to start firing.

The Dark Ace sped away as the shots rang out. Not toward Aerrow, just away from the "ship" the Sky Knight squadrons had created. The Buff Buzzard shot down two Talons during firing, and the Talons began to get edgy. Aerrow was brimming with relief.

The Dark Ace seemed to see there was no way to win, and he pointed his bow to the sky to escape, spinning upward. But Piper's eyes were quicker. She fired, and Aerrow knew that shot would not miss.

The Dark Ace shouted in surprise as the Switchblade began to smoke, and he plummeted to the ground. Aerrow watched him fall through the clouds. There was no way anyone could survive that. The Dark Ace was gone. And yet, Aerrow couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't over.

But Piper was proud of herself, and she threw her hand in the air. Aerrow was proud of all of them. He turned around and gave them a thumbs up, and Radarr squawked and gave them _two_ thumbs up. It had been an excellent plan.

Defeated and having lost their commander, the Talons retreated while the Sky Knight squadrons cheered.

* * *

Everyone in Tent City was celebrating after their recent victory . . . and were doing a little prison watch while they were at it. The Screaming Queen Sky Knight, the Buff Buzzard Sky Knight, the Rebel Duck Sky Knight, the dark-skinned Sky Knight, Burner, Piper, and Finn all gathered around to watch as two Talons who were being herded by Blister and another Third Degree Burner with the Talons' own Cyclonian energy staffs. Aerrow kept a close eye on them as they passed, one of his energy blades held at the ready in case any tried anything. Those Talons were going to be locked up for a long time.

Yet Aerrow was uneasy. Only five of the six Talons shot down were taken prisoner. Although everyone had combed the nearby desert, there wasn't a trace of the Dark Ace to be found. He was alive, Aerrow knew. And he will be back.

No one else seemed worried about that. Everyone was cheering for their victory. Even Wren's hen and her friend clucked happily and bumped chests. "We did it!" Finn cheered, punching the guy next to him in the abs, only to find that person was Burner. Finn winced fearfully as Burner frowned at him.

"That's right," Aerrow said suddenly as he turned around to face the crowd. He held up the Velocity Crystal Amulet. "_We_ did."

Finn seemed delighted to see that after all that, Aerrow had won. "See?" he said to Burner as he pointed him. "My boy's the man!" He cocked his pistol fingers at Aerrow.

But that wasn't exactly what Aerrow had meant. He threw the amulet in the air. "He's the . . ." Finn began again, but then he realized what Aerrow was doing, and he stopped openmouthed. Aerrow lifted up his blade and fired at the amulet, shattering it to pieces. Finn grimaced.

As Aerrow put out his blade, the pieces landed at the feet of the others, and the dark Sky Knight and the Buff Buzzard Sky Knight each picked up a piece. They and the Screaming Queen Sky Knight smiled at him as they realized what he was doing. "No single Sky Knight won today's victory," Aerrow explained. He clenched his fist. "I say we're all the best of the best!"

Burner held up a finger. "Of the best," he added.

Everyone threw their fists in the air as they cheered. They cheered for the young Sky Knight and for his speech, and they cheered for themselves and the others around them. They had won together.

Aerrow hadn't noticed Piper approaching him from behind until she laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. Aerrow returned her smile gladly, his heart warming. She was proud of him and admired him. As he looked around him, he realized they were all admired him now. It was not something Aerrow could take pride in without feeling guilty. He considered himself worthy of their respect but not quite worthy of admiration. Yet guilty as he felt, he also was overjoyed. He couldn't ask for anything more.

But Finn could have. He would have liked Aerrow to make that speech _without_ shattering Velocity Crystal Amulet. The bet had been that Aerrow would leave Terra Saharr _with_ the amulet. He picked up the velocity crystal that had hung from the amulet. "Okay," he said to Burner, "so _technically_ he's not going to leave Saharr with the amulet, but . . ." He tapered off as he saw Burner smile at him with amusement. Finn sighed. "Okay, fine," he said. He pointed to Burner. "You better have your own soap!"

Burner only slapped him on the back good-naturally as the others laughed. Burner wasn't cruel enough to hold Finn to his word for a_ whole year_, but one cleaning job was not out of the question. Aerrow felt Radarr climb up on his shoulders as he laughed while Piper covered her mouth with her hands and giggled. Junko joined them, chuckling. "Yeah!" he cheered.

Aerrow knew it wasn't the joke Junko was cheering; it was the fact that after all their competition and pride, every Sky Knight squadron here was friends with the other.

Then he was struck with another thought. What had happened to the Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes after the incident in the beginning of the race?

The Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes was still shouting and flying about without wings thanks to an overheated Ice Grinder. On the plus, at least the Sky Knight was having fun.

* * *

Author's Notes: You know, Aerrow fans might argue that the title of this chapter, "The Best of the Best," is in reference to Aerrow, but most will say that it is in reference to what Aerrow had said of _all_ of the Sky Knight squadrons. So which is it? Completely up to the reader. I don't pick sides. However, if I _had_ to . . . but no, that might influence others' take on it.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: In this chapter, the Dark Ace, Piper, and Stork use the term "fighter" instead of "skimmer" or "skyride" to refer to a skyride. Normally thought of as a soldier or a tough person, a fighter in this context, as most of you must already know, refers to a fast, armored, military aircraft used specifically to attack enemy aircrafts.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Aerrow had mentioned that the others on their homemade airship were the "cavalry," and technically he would be right. The cavalry used to mean the part of the army on horseback, but in modern times it means the most mobile unit of the army, using armored vehicles and helicopters. Although if you're going to say that, you could say every Sky Knight squadron with a carrier is a cavalry unit in its own right.

Now review!


	41. Fire and Ice: The Festival

_**Part 10**_

_**Fire and Ice**_

_Fun runs unrestrained. Females take charge. New friends are made, and old enemies are confronted. A land of sand becomes a land of ice, and a land of ice becomes a land of fire._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Festival

Repton and his brothers were done with missions for awhile, especially after that whole incident with the Terradons and the Interceptor. So Repton had decided that the Raptor squadron should have a little vacation.

He was riding his Bone Wing again. The Interceptor had left it when she had come to retrieve her Slip-Wing Fighter Ultra.

Repton did not want to be spotted and have to engage in attack; therefore, he and his brothers had only taken two vehicles. Lugey rode with him while Hoerk drove the other one and Spitz copiloted.

Repton could sense Lugey's childlike anticipation even before the round Raptor asked him, "Uh, are we there yet, boss? A-are we there yet?"

"Would you quite bugging Repton?" Hoerk demanded of Lugey from the other Bone Wing. "We get there when we get there!"

"Owy!" Lugey shouted as Hoerk threw a food can at him.

"Leave him alone, boys," Repton hissed with amusement. The idea of the vacation had set him a good mood, and he didn't need squabbling brothers to spoil it. "Lugey's just excited," he told the others. "And so he should be!"

Hoerk and Spitz stared wide-eyed at their leader before exchanging glances. Did Repton just stick up for Lugey? He must _really_ like this place they were going to.

Lugey caught on quickly enough. "Tell us some stories, boss," he begged. "Uh, what's it like there? Tell us again!" He put his head in his hands and supported his elbows on the windshield in front of him, smiling expectantly.

Repton didn't mind at all describing his little heaven on Atmos. He smiled at the very thought of it and chuckled softly in his throat. "My little secret paradise!" Repton told his brothers. "We're talkin' desert, boys. Scorching sands as far as the eye can see!"

It's a good thing he didn't look to Hoerk and Spitz. Hoerk was smiling, closing his eyes and visualizing it, but Spitz only rested his head in his hand and rolled his eyes. It was the hundredth time Repton had described the place to them, and he was getting tired of it. He just wanted to see it, not hear about it.

But Repton was still caught up in his fantasy. "I'm taking you," he said to them, "to Lizard Paradise!"

And so they continued on, with Lugey daydreaming about their vacation and Repton, for once, thinking of good times.

* * *

Repton held his surfboard under his arm, snarling and glaring at the world around him. They had reached Lizard Paradise. Repton simply couldn't believe it. He stared around at the horror of it all. The miserable, slushy, wet, cold, blinding white of that horrible frozen substance. He would kill it if it lived; he would strangle it and poke his boomerang into it everywhere he could if he thought it would do any good. But it was not alive, and it everywhere, covering the hills and the ground and falling from the sky in small, soft flakes. It took his joy, and it took his energy. Its cold fingers were slowly seeping through his scales and cooling his body temperature, slowing his bodily functions. That only made his temper hot with rage. This was not here before, and it should not be here now. Not here. Not in Lizard Paradise.

But it was. It was snow.

Because of the certain new change in the terra's temperature, the Bone Wings stalled with cold, and the Raptors had been unable to transform to bike mode when they landed. The rides sat a few distance from the Raptors, their wings still deployed.

Repton's brothers stood around him, hugging themselves and wrapping their tails around their legs as they shivered in the cold. Repton could hear Lugey's teeth chattering. "Uh, I don't know," the large Raptor said to his boss. "I-I pictured somethin' . . . warmer."

Repton clutched his free fist as a new wave of rage swept through him. He'd come here for a nice, relaxing, _warm_ vacation, and what did they get? A winter wonderland! "Someone's gonna pay for this!" he declared. He threw his surfboard into the snow with a furious grunt before the cold overtook him, and he, too, hugged himself and wrapped his tail around his legs, shivering. Yes, he finalized, someone would pay. A terra didn't just suddenly change from a hot desert to a polar scene. Someone was behind this.

* * *

"Zeroes! Zeroes! Zeroes!" the crowd of Blizzarians cheered at the finish line of a snow-covered bike track. Two members of the Absolute Zeroes were driving on their Ice Grinders in bike mode, soaring off a jump and leaping over the crazy crowd. The one in the lead held up his hand in a "rock on" sign, long blue ears sticking out from under his snow cap. It was Billy Rex, the Absolute Zero who had invited the Storm Hawks to the celebration of the Blizzarians' new home after their Sky Knight had heard about their key role in Terra Saharr's defense against the Talon attack.

The Storm Hawks stood among the crowd on the sidelines. Piper knew the boys were all having a good time watching, except for Stork, who was crossing his arms and scowling. He didn't even flinch when the Absolute Zeroes landed in front of them, sending up a spray of snow. Piper held her hands up to block her face from the snow, and she shivered with cold as it sprayed her. Aerrow's hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back out of the way as another Ice Grinder came by, and she held onto his elbow for support. That was a little too close for comfort, she thought. This was all a little out of hand.

Yet everyone but she and Stork were having a great time. Radarr even leaped out into the middle of the track with a squawk, cheering as the racers sped away. Stork was the only one who scowled, shivering as he hugged himself. He was cold-blooded, Piper reminded herself. The temperatures here must be trying. At least it had stopped snowing.

The course split into two sections after that. There were the bump jumps to the racer's right, and the huge ice mogul to the left. Billy Rex went straight for the mogul. The third placer, a Blizzarian named Davey Digger who had blond ears and hair against his light-blue coat, took the right. The second placer, Bobby Bones, was first following Billy Rex, but he turned around and took the bump jumps instead.

At the end, the two sections met. The two leaders, Billy Rex and Davey Digger, both took to the air and banged the bottom of their rides together. They landed on the ground right side up, facing opposite directions, and sped away. The skyrides had suffered no damage. Although nothing but crude combustion-powered snowmobiles that transform into split-winged fighters, the engineers of old Terra Blizzaris and Terra Edmontonia built the vehicles to be very durable. As long as the temperature is about subzero, the rides just keep going on and on with almost no maintenance. However, as the Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes found out in the Great Atmos Race, they overheat very easily in any temperature above freezing. But in this snowy place, that wasn't a problem.

Piper held out her hands again and turned her face away as another racer sped by, throwing up snow behind him. She was starting to get a little worried about the Blizzarians' uncontrolled partying. "I know this is supposed to be a festival and all," she said to Aerrow, "but these guys are seriously out of control."

Aerrow slid up next to her. "I know," he said as he watched another racer speed away. He turned to her, his emerald eyes wild with excitement. "Isn't it great?"

Piper rolled her eyes. She would never understand why Aerrow was so thrilled with thrills.

Billy Rex was trying a new stunt now. He turned around in his seat and held his hands out wide, driving backwards without hands. Everyone cheered as he went by. Billy Rex let out a delighted howl as the Ice Grinder took a jump and launched into the air.

Then . . . he ran into an arch of ice. Billy Rex hit the back of his head, and the Ice Grinder kept going without him. Everyone gasped. Piper winced in sympathy, and Aerrow held up his hands. That had to have hurt.

Billy Rex just hung there for a moment before he slid off the arch and into the powdery snow below. He didn't appear to be conscious. Everyone stopped what they were doing, even Bobby Bones and Davey Digger. All stared at Billy Rex as his legs stuck straight up in the air where he fell. Piper's heart beat faster. Was he hurt?

But Billy Rex's legs fell down, and in the next instant, he was getting up, holding his hands in "rock on" signs and letting out a loud howl. It took more than a little ice to knock him out of the thrills! The other Absolute Zeroes joined his howl, followed by the rest of the Blizzarians. Everyone was throwing their fists in the air and cheering, including Junko. Radarr was going the extra mile, pumping his arms and screeching each time he raised an arm.

Piper just watched Radarr as he screeched, feeling like she was missing something. She didn't see why anyone would want to be part of such a din. It was hard for her to even hear herself think. She had moved away from Aerrow because she couldn't stand his excited yells and was now standing in the quietest place she could find. Next to Stork.

Although Piper normally spent her social time with Aerrow, the Sky Knight was now overcome with the typical behavior of an out-of-control teenage boy. Even he had to lapse sometimes. Piper preferred quiet activities, like reading or sketching, rather than performing life-threatening stunts inspired by the stupidity of a teenage boy. And when you speak five different languages, there's no limit to the amount of books you can read, and there never _was_ a limit to what you could draw, so she was almost always amused. Almost.

At the moment, Stork was the only one who seemed to share her understanding, and he hugged himself and glowered at the snow-covered world that slowed his bodily functions and made him sleepy and grumpy. He exchanged a glance with Piper before rolling his eyes and walking away. Piper couldn't have said it any better herself. This festival was loud and obnoxious, and they should leave. She followed Stork, soon taking the lead.

"_Okay,_" the speakers announced as Piper walked under them, noting the Canadian accent unique to Blizzarians. "_Beauty jump, eh? Let's give 'er up for Billy Rex!_"

A smile lit Piper's face, and it wasn't for the announcement. It was for what she saw ahead of her. "Stork, check it out!" she exclaimed.

In front of them, a Blizzarian dressed in heavy winter clothing was standing guard beside an ice stand. A purple glowing crystal with a heart of a heart of deeper blue, strangely resembling snow, was set atop it, covered by a glass case. The crystal was flat on most sides and vaguely rectangular-shaped.

"This is what I really wanted to see," Piper explained to Stork as she ran forward to get a closer look. "It's a blizzard crystal!" A crystal with the same power as an icer, only much more powerful and easier to control.

"Thanks to it, we's got a new home, eh?" the guard told them, gesturing around at the new snow-covered terra. Piper knew what they meant. The Cyclonians had chased the Blizzarians off of Terra Blizzaris, but thanks to the blizzard crystal's special powers, they had chilled this terra to its roots, making a new Terra Blizzaris.

"And I've got an extreme case of thermal paralysis," Stork said, referring to what the crystal had done for him. He held his right arm out with his left arm, using his hand to shake the cold arm limply. "Oh, yeah," he said, "already numb." He let it drop to his side and looked down sadly. "Only a matter of time before I lose the whole arm."

At that moment, Stork let out a sharp exhale as a snowball hit his face. He balled his fists and glared in the direction the ball had come from.

Junko's arm was still in the final position of his throw. Finn was facing Junko, just a couple yards in front of Stork, holding a snowball in his hand. "Uh . . ." Junko began as he realized he hit Stork. He covered his hand with his mouth. "Uh, sorry."

Stork blew a piece of his hair out of his face. It looked as if he had enough. He turned to Piper. "I'll be in the _Condor_," he said. And with that, he stalked away.

Piper was upset that he wasn't enjoying any of this, but she figured it would be better for him than staying out here. The _Condor_ had a heater. Cold-blooded creatures such as Merbs were not meant for these low temperatures. Maybe with a little heat and having the protection of his beloved _Condor_, he would perk up. Meanwhile, Piper was going to invest some time in her own love . . . crystals. She turned back to the blizzard crystal, eyeing it with fascination.

* * *

Unnoticed by anyone below, the Raptors were perched on a high ledge above the village, eyeing the newcomers. "Lookie, boss," Spitz lisped to Repton, pointing.

Repton growled as the chant, "_Zeroes! Zeroes! Zeroes!_" rose up to them. So these Blizzarians were the ones who had ruined Lizard Paradise? Repton wasn't about to let that stand.

Spitz looked confused by the Blizzarians' presence. "But I thought the Cyclonians took over Blizzaris?" he lisped to his leader.

"They did," Repton growled in response, turning to his brother. He glared back down at the village made up of ice buildings. "And it seems those mangy Blizzarians are scratching for a new home." His eyes narrowed. "Not for long." He addressed his brothers. "All of you, follow me!" Waving his hand for the others to follow, he marched away, his brothers trailing behind him.

* * *

Piper finally decided that the excitement was dying down and she could go and enjoy herself in the festival. She was just in time for the pie-eating contest, which she knew Junko was entering. She approached the stand beside Aerrow, studying the contestants.

One of the female Absolute Zeroes with pink ears and hair was at the end of the table, holding the hand of Davey Digger and wishing him good luck. The champion winner of the pie-eating contests so far, Billy Rex, sat next to Davey, and Junko was on the other side. "I don't mean to brag, but," Junko told Billy, rolling his eyes, "I've never been beaten at a _pie-eating_ contest."

"Oh, that a fact there, Junko?" Billy Rex answered.

At that moment, the female Absolute Zero blew the horn to start. Davey Digger and Billy Rex began stuffing their faces. Junko lifted his own pie and bit into it, but to Piper's surprise, she heard a clank and saw Junko stop. "Betcha didn't know," Billy said, "we here like 'em frozen!"

Piper put her hand to her mouth and saw Aerrow cross his arms as they saw Junko trying desperately to bite down into the pie to no avail. It looked as if he was about to lose a pie-eating contest for the first time in his life.

Junko glanced at Billy Rex, who busy chewing away at the pies with his pointed teeth, leaving all kinds of frozen crumbs. That's when Junko got an idea. He smashed his pie with his fist, scooped up the pieces, and stuck them in his mouth.

If Piper knew Junko right, this wasn't going to end well. A sly smile lighting Aerrow's lips told her he knew it, too. "I give him three seconds," he told her, holding up three fingers. After one second, Aerrow put down a finger. Junko was still holding the pieces in his mouth. Another second, and the same. Then, as Aerrow let down his last finger and formed a zero with his hand, Piper cringed to hear Junko yelp. Aerrow was crossing his arms with amusement. It was just as they thought.

Junko moaned and held his head as his face turned blue, and he fell over, knocking up frozen pies. Piper and Aerrow exchanged amused smiles. "Brain-freeze!" they said together.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Stork wasn't having nearly as much fun. He was inside the grate of the heater, banging his wrench against the heat coils. "Heat coils are meant to heat," he said in frustration, banging his wrench every two words. "Is that so hard to understand?" He smiled as the heat coils flickered and hummed but frowned again as they went out. Stork let out a shaky, frustrated breath. His beloved ship seemed to love the cold as much as he did, which was not at all.

"Oh, that's fine!" he said at last, shaking the wrench at the heater. "I'll just die." He pulled himself out of the heater and sat on the floor. He blamed this all on Aerrow and all the other Storm Hawks who had supported his decision to come. "It's the least I can do for such a _critical_ mission," he grumbled in sarcasm, hugging himself and shivering to try to fend off the cold. Gosh, he hated it here. He'd take a trip to Tropica any day over this. And besides the snow, he was convinced all the Blizzarians were mentally ill.

* * *

Back at the pie-eating contest, they had a winner. Billy Rex stood up on the table and cheered. "Done!" he told Junko. "Still pie-chomin' champ, eh?" He threw his fists in the air in triumph.

Junko had his elbows on the table, holding his head in his hands and grimacing. Piper was glad to see Finn had approached him to give him moral support. "Don't worry, Big J," Finn told the Wallop, putting his hands on his shoulders and holding him up.

Junko's teeth chattered. "T-the c-cold," he said.

"I'm sure you'll thaw," Finn assured him. He rolled his eyes and said under his breath, "Eventually."

Piper's attention was caught by Billy Rex. He was now standing by his Ice Grinder. Bobby Bones was already on his, looking on expectantly. It was obvious Billy had a high rank, probably as the Sky Knight. "Oh, I just got an idea, eh?" Billy Rex said to them. "How 'bout you Storm Hawks," he pointed to them, "and us Absolute Zeroes," he pointed thumbs at himself, "do some high-speed training in the backcountry?" He jogged in place as he said it and pointed out toward the trail. Piper could see he talked with his hands a lot.

Piper smiled at the thought of going to the backcountry. She walked past the two female Absolute Zeroes who were chatting and headed toward the Ice Grinders, holding her hands out. "That would be fantastic!" she told Billy Rex. "I could update my maps while we're at it—"

"No, no, no, no," Billy Rex interrupted, holding out his hands in a stopping gesture. He crossed his arms. "Ladies don't do the backcountry trainin', eh?" Piper blinked. What . . . ? "You's gotta stay here with them girls," he said, pointing to the female Absolute Zeroes. The two girls smiled at her, and the pink-eared one waved to her. Piper scowled. This was _totally_ unfair!

Billy Rex didn't notice her reaction. He leapt onto his Ice Grinder without a glance behind him. "Let's rock and roll, boys!" he called to Bobby Bones and Davey Digger, pointing toward the trail. He took off toward it with his male squad buddies trailing behind him.

Piper was left standing with her hands on her hips next to Aerrow, who was also frowning at Billy's behavior. Finn and Junko didn't seem to notice. They were busy mounting borrowed Ice Grinders. After all, their Skimmers didn't run very well on the snow.

Aerrow held up his hands to Piper dismissively. "Don't listen to him," he insisted. "You can ride with me." He pointed a thumb behind him at his own borrowed Ice Grinder.

But as much as Piper found it unfair, she wasn't going to burden Aerrow with having to explain her presence to Billy Rex. "Forget it," she told him. "I changed my mind." She turned and walked away toward the female Absolute Zeroes.

But Aerrow wasn't giving up. "A-are you sure?" he insisted. "Because—"

Piper stopped and turned around. "Aerrow," she insisted, "I said forget it."

Aerrow frowned at her as if he wasn't convinced she would "forget it," but he glanced over his shoulder longingly as Finn and Junko, both with their snow goggles on, headed off to follow the male Absolute Zeroes. Radarr was waiting expectantly on the Ice Grinder left over. Turning away from her, Aerrow mounted the Ice Grinder.

Smiling, Radarr slipped his goggles over his eyes, but Aerrow didn't look so thrilled. He glanced once more Piper. But she only urged him on. She'd hate to ruin his fun. Finally, Aerrow glanced away and gunned the engine. Radarr squawked with pleasure as they zoomed off after the others, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

The male Absolute Zeroes cheered as the group drove off over the snow-covered hill. Piper watched them with longing. Although she knew they would do some stunts she wouldn't approve of, she still knew she would have enjoyed some of the rumbles and certainly would have enjoyed the scenery. And yet, simply because she was a girl, she was stuck in the village.

"Those boys are a hoot, eh?" the pink-eared female Absolute Zero told her. She spit into the snow. "I like keeping my squadron trained up real good."

"Wait," Piper said. She turned around to face her. "I did I just hear you say 'your squadron'?"

"Oh, yeah," the pink-eared female answered. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and held out her hand to shake. "The name's Suzy Lu, Sky Knight of Blizzaris."

Piper smiled and took her hand as Suzy Lu blew a bubblegum bubble and it popped in her face. So the Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes was a female? So that denial of Piper training in the backcountry had nothing to do with her being inferior. It was because they thought she was _in_ _charge_. Her smile grew wider at the thought of ordering everyone around, including Aerrow. Piper was really starting to like this society. Maybe staying behind wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Author's Notes: No, I did _not_ make up Bobby Bones' and Davey Digger's names. Check out the credits at the end of Episode 10 "Fire and Ice." Those names are mentioned among those voiced. Luckily for me, they were voiced by two different people, and I was able to figure out which Absolute Zeroes they were by listening to their voices. Bobby Bones was voiced by Colin Murdock, who also does Junko and Hoerk in this episode. Davey Digger gets the voice talent of Scott McNeil, who also voiced Stork, Repton, and Lugey.

I'm afraid I only have on trivia today.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Terra Edmontonia, as most of you may know from Wikipedia, is mostly based on Edmonton, the capital city of Canada's province of Alberta. Edmonton is toward the middle of Alberta on the North Saskatchewan River. And if I'm correct, it gets pretty cold up there in the winter.

That's all I have to say except . . . review!


	42. Fire and Ice: Snowmelt

Chapter 2: Snowmelt

In the _Condor_, Stork was looking in one of the cabinets. "T-there's gotta be heat in here somewhere," he complained as he shivered. He looked around at all the useless items within it: books and an old camera. His eyes lit up as he noticed one of his old gadgets in the corner. Keeping his left arm wrapped around himself and still trembling from the cold, he picked up the tool, which had a handle with a gauge on one end. "Hmm," he said to himself with a smile. It was an old piece he had worked on simply for the reason that it might come in handy: a heat detector. Well, it looked like Stork would get his use out of it after all. He walked away with the heat detector in his hand, slamming the cabinet shut behind him.

Stork walked down the ramp off the _Condor_, shivering as a cold wind swept by him, making his teeth chatter. He held out the heat detector as it made a static sound. Stork knew it was probably a vain hope to find heat on this terra, but he was desperate. He had to find _something_ to warm his cold-blooded body.

Then at last, the heat detector cackled to indicate it had found something. Stork lowered it to see. "Steam!" he cheered. "Oh, that's good." Then he looked where it was coming, seeing the darkness ahead and the icicles handing above its entrance. "Ice cave," he noted. "Oh, that's bad."

Stork took one last look around. He shivered uncontrollably, looking up at the sky. To his despair, even _more_ snow was falling. As if they didn't have enough already. Stork didn't know how long he could hold out in this. Ice cave or no ice cave, he needed warmth. Grimacing at his stupidity as he made his decision, he headed for the steam and his imminent doom to follow.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the village, Piper watch Suzy Lu open up the blizzard crystal's glass case and stick it on her energy staff. The crystal began to glow brightly. Piper put her hands on her hips, smiling. It looked like Suzy Lu was going to show her how it worked!

Suzy Lu walked over to where the two other female Absolute Zeroes and Piper stood, carrying the staff over her shoulder. When she reached them, she returned Piper's smile. "Let's freeze it, girls!" she exclaimed, turning her back to them and pointing the staff out in front of her.

Piper watched in amazement as a dazzling, swirling light blue light proceeded from the crystal, and snow swirled around. Piper had to cover her eyes against the light's brilliance, and she could hear the slight popping, whirling sound of the crystal's power. She listened to it fade, and she opened her eyes to see.

She couldn't believe it! A tiny, two-story house, like all the others in the village, had appeared before them. A whole ice house produced by a tiny little crystal in a matter of seconds! "That is so awesome!" Piper exclaimed. She turned to the female Absolute Zeroes. "So you made this whole village?"

Suzy Lu blew another bubblegum bubble that popped in her face before she answered, slinging the staff to rest on her shoulder. "We did up this whole terra!" she answered.

Piper gazed around her. "Wow!" she exclaimed, turning back to Suzy. "It looks really organized." Why can't boys ever do that? It would be a lot easier living on the _Condor_ if they did.

Suzy Lu shrugged. "I try," she answered modestly. Then her eyes lit up. "Say, you want to give her a whirl?" she asked, holding the staff out to Piper.

"Really?" Piper squeaked as she grabbed hold of that staff. Would she ever!

Suzy Lu gestured forward, inviting Piper to start. Feeling completely giddy and smiling from ear to ear, Piper stepped forward, trying to think of what she wanted to create. Then she lowered the staff and began to form her ice structure. When she was done, she stepped back, and the Absolute Zeroes peered forward to see it.

It was a sculpture of the three female Absolute Zeroes. Suzy Lu stood in the middle, holding up the staff on which the blizzard crystal sat, and the other two girls were on either side of her in fighting positions.

"Woo!" Suzy Lu cheered as she laid a hand on Piper's arm in gratitude. "You are just a natural there!" The other Absolute Zeroes were obviously also pleased. They smiled as they stepped closer to it, one with her hand on her hip and the other crossing her arms.

"Well," Piper explained as she handed the staff back to Suzy, "if the girls to do all the work, they might as well get some recognition, right?"

"Yeah!" the girls cheered. Suzy Lu gave Piper a high five, and the other girls exchanged high fives between themselves.

Piper had always thought that the girl who did all the work should get some recognition, and the way it never was on the _Condor_. The best she could hope for was a compliment from Aerrow or a thank you from Stork every now and then. Among these Blizzarians, she felt appreciated, understood, like she had when she had met Lark . . . Piper stopped her thoughts there.

Suzy Lu held up a finger. "But that's not all, Piper," she said, putting her arm around Piper's shoulder and pulling her close. "When we're finished here, there's a couple of dusty old nothin' terras nearby we're gonna do up right!" she said, drawing away from Piper and spinning the staff. She stopped and threw it to her other hand, adding, "Just like this one here."

She began to walk away, leaving Piper a bit overwhelmed. They were going to freeze _more_ unfrozen terras? But wouldn't that hurt someone? She thought about it a moment. "Well," she said, putting her own hand on her opposite shoulder shyly, "I-I-I guess if nobody minds . . ."

Suzy Lu stopped and turned around, moving her gum to the side of her mouth. "Course not," she answered. "Who needs all that dirt and rock when you can have nice, cold snow, eh?"

Piper frowned, knowing that not _everyone_ liked the cold, but she didn't argue. She just followed after Suzy Lu.

Behind them, unnoticed by any of them, an ice cube about three times bigger than a brick was sitting at the bottom of the snow bank, covered in snow. A light wind blew, and the ice cube was uncovered, revealing a small, limbless, big eared, big eyed, furry, brown desert mammal trapped within it.

* * *

Meanwhile, the most of the boys were having a blast! Billy Rex was leading the way over the snow banks, with Bobby Bones and Davey Digger side-by-side behind him. Aerrow and Radarr followed them, leading the Storm Hawks. Finn and Junko were side-by-side in the rear.

As the group came over a snow bank, Aerrow saw Billy Rex throw his legs in the air when he jumped off the top, disappearing behind it. Bobby Bones and Davey Digger exchanged high fives in the air. Radarr was thrown completely out of his cockpit on the jump, hanging onto a handle bar with one paw and squawking in momentary fright. Finn and Junko both shouted as they came over.

But of all of them, Aerrow didn't react to that. His thoughts were not with the stunts and laughter and cheers and danger. They were with Piper, standing on the trail behind him, looking abandoned. She had insisted she was fine, but Aerrow didn't quite believe her, and he couldn't enjoy himself with a heavy conscience.

Billy was now leading the group into an ice tunnel. The others followed without hesitation.

Aerrow, who wasn't one for goggles, had been forced to wear them by the biting cold winds that had nearly blinded him. Through them the world was even clearer and sharper than if he was flying in warmer air without them. And looking at the tunnel, he had to admit that, even at high speeds, the place was quite beautiful; glittering icicles hung from the ceiling, and fallen ones made the floor a jagged obstacle course. Occasional holes in the icy ceiling let beautiful light beams light up the tunnel, making the ice sparkle. But it all consumed Aerrow with another wave of guilt; of all things, Piper would have enjoyed the scenery here, even if she didn't like their stunts.

But Billy Rex didn't seem to be looking at the scenery. "Check her out, eh?" he called to the others, turning his head around to address them. Then Aerrow saw him do something that even _he_ had more sense than to try. Howling with glee, Billy Rex pushed a fist out in front of him and gunned his engine with one hand, steering to the side and started up the rounded walls of the ice tunnel. He drove almost right up on the ceiling, cheering, before his ride fell, and Billy Rex grabbed onto a huge overhanging icicle to keep from falling to the ground. The Ice Grinder crashed to the ground below on its side and rolled right-side up, seemingly unharmed.

Aerrow just stared up at Billy Rex with one eyebrow cocked. He couldn't believe he was saying this to himself, but there did come a time when stunts went from reckless to just plain stupid. He would rather stick with the reckless ones.

Bobby Bones and Davey Digger, however, thought it was awesome. They threw their fists in the air and shouted, "Rock on! Give her!" Bobby Bones then simply lowered his hands and signaled the "rock on" sign, while Davey Digger played air guitar in the spur of the moment.

Billy Rex, with his arms and legs wrapped around the icicle to keep from falling, cheered in response to their enthusiasm and held out his arms, giving the "rock on" sign. However, that turned out to be a _very_ stupid thing to do. Since he was no longer holding on with his hands, he began to slide down the icicle until there was nothing to slide down on. "Woo!" he cheered as he fell down the icy floor below. Aerrow's and Radarr's heads followed him as he fell.

They all waited a moment. Knowing Billy Rex, he was probably alright; a slight concussion, but nothing to worry about. And sure enough, just a fear seconds later, Billy Rex lifted up his arm and gave the "rock on" sign, cheering. "Rock on!" Davey Digger and Bobby Bones yelled again, throwing their fists in the air. Then they knuckled each other, saying, "Sweet!"

Aerrow looked around at them without enthusiasm and feeling a bit clueless. In doing so, he felt he was spoiling the fun. So he tried a weak, "Uh huh," but it was barely spoken. He sighed. Piper was probably staring off into the mountains, wishing she was with them. And Stork was abandoned as well. Come to think of it, where was Stork? He hadn't seen him before he had left the village.

He shrugged it off and followed the Absolute Zeroes as Billy Rex got back on his Ice Grinder and drove off with Davey Digger and Bobby Bones behind him. They were probably fine. He just had to worry about not spoiling the others' fun and try to have some of his own while he could.

* * *

In a smaller ice cave, Stork was walking deeper inside, following the static of the heat detector and shivering, hugging himself with his free arm. It was awfully cold. Stork could not imagine why in the world he would find heat in here. But he trusted his heat detector, so he journeyed on, twitching nervously as he walked under an arch of icicles.

Then suddenly, he came upon someone in the cave. Yelping in fright, Stork was too weak with cold to run but he was spooked quite a bit. A second take almost made him feel shameful of his reaction; he was only looking at his reflection in the ice wall. He rubbed his finger against the wall to be sure. Yes, he confirmed, it was slick ice. But then, who could blame him for spooking? Who knew what kind of dangers one could face in ice caves. Still, that was a little ridiculous. Clearing his throat, he turned away from the wall and started off again.

There, up ahead! Stork couldn't believe it. A chamber with steam rising from its floor! _Steam!_ He walked forward and smiled in pleasure as the heat radiated to him, warming his blood and giving him energy once more. It was a wonderful sensation. "_Oh_, beautiful warm!" Stork said as he reached the entrance of the tunnel. He wiggled his fingers. "Hands love warm," he pointed to his feet, "feet love warm, lizards love wa—" Wait, what? He did a second take of the scene in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat. "Lizards?"

Repton and Spitz kneeled on either side of a pit in the center of the chamber, from which the steam rose. A wooden crate sat next to Repton, full of fire-colored crystals. Repton picked one out of the crate and dropped it into the pit, smiling as a plume of flame shot up from it. Stork clenched his teeth fearfully and wedged himself in a crevice just outside the doorway, ignoring the cold feel of the icy wall. What in the world were Repton and Spitz doing here? And if they were here, where were the rest of the Raptor squadron? Not that Stork wished for them to be here, but the Raptors normally came as a pack.

Spitz grabbed one of the crystals out of the crate. "This oughtta heat things up, eh, boss?" he lisped to Repton.

Repton grabbed the crystal out of his hand and held it up to study, tilting his head sideways in a very reptilian position to look at it more clearly. "Yesss," Repton hissed in agreement. "And when those Zeroes are stuck in the mud," he brought his head back up, "we'll pay them a visit, Raptor style." And with that, he dropped the fiery crystal into the pit of magma down below.

That's when Stork realized; this mountain was not just any mountain. It was a volcano! And the Raptors were going to use it to warm up the terra and attack the Blizzarians and their Sky Knight squadron! He had to warn Aerrow and the others . . . and more importantly, he had to get out of this cave alive.

But when Stork turned around, he yelped. Hoerk was in front of him, hanging upside-down from the ceiling and looking him in the eye. He looked at Stork with curiosity backed up with malice. But his words were only for Repton. "We got a visitor, boss."

Stork gulped. Not good. He turned to see Repton stand up straight and snarl. Stork only chuckled nervously behind a forced smile and saluted the Raptor leader. This was _definitely_ not good. Here Stork was sure to meet his doom.

Repton advanced toward Stork as he snarled, this time with pleasure rather than malice. When he stopped, he was less than a foot away from Stork, wearing a toothy grin with a hungry look behind it.

Between his fear and the heat in the room, Stork's heart was beating a mile a minute. He glanced at Hoerk, then back at Repton chuckling anxiously and forcing a smile. Then he was off, screaming, "Ah!" Although he knew he was doomed, he was going to at least _try_ to avoid doom.

As he started off, Lugey stepped out in front of him, but Stork fell to the ground and slid on his side under Lugey's legs feet first. Lugey cried in surprise, but that was all Stork knew before he was off again. Already he could hear the snarling of oncoming Repton as the lead Raptor leapt from wall to wall lizard-style, and he could hear Hoerk and Spitz following. Stork screamed again.

CLANK! CRACK! Stork slammed against something awfully cold and awfully hard, and he fell over backward. He glanced up again. He'd run straight into a dead end. The ice at the end had reflected the walls, making it look as if the tunnel continued on, but the huge shattering crack in the wall where Stork's head had collided with it indicated that it was solid.

Then Stork's sensitive ears heard the light, lizard-like footstep and a boot scuffing the floor. Turning around quickly, he saw Repton in front of him, with Spitz and Hoerk on either side. "If you give up," Repton said, "we promise to make it quick and painlessss."

But Stork only blinked and thought up a logical plan. Now that his panic attack was over, he could think up a few techniques that might work. "Oh, you'll never get me, man," he said. Then he lifted up his hands, saying, "Hwoy-ya!" He struck every Sky Fu pose he could think of, trying to discourage the Raptors. The Raptors only stared at him blankly, and Repton and Spitz exchanged glances. Stork could tell they weren't buying it. He ended his show with his arms outstretched and his leg lifted in the air, ready to kick.

But the Raptors only laughed at him, and Lugey caught up while they were doing so, looking over them to Stork and seeming perplexed. Now Stork was facing _four_ Raptors.

But Stork wasn't finished. "I'm warning you," he told the Raptors, "I have _just_ the thing for situations like this!"

"He's bluffing," Repton proclaimed.

"Or—" Stork began. He turned around and pulled a certain device off his heat detector ready and put shades over his eyes before he turned back around. "—am I?"

The camera's light flashed, its blinding light reflecting off the ice walls all around them. The Raptors yelped and snarled painfully as they were blinded by the light. Stork smiled at his own ingenious when he watched the Raptors swaying and staggering as they continued their complaints while his own eyes were protected by the shades. Oh yeah, he knew that a camera's light on his heat detector would come in handy!

"I can't see!" he heard Lugey exclaim as he took off his shades. The huge Raptor then began to cry like a hurt child. The next thing Stork knew, Lugey was staggering toward him and was about to land on top of him! Stork didn't stick around to be squashed. He was out of there as quickly as he could.

When he turned around, he was met with a comical sight. Lugey's long, lizard tongue had touched the ice wall and was now stuck to it. But Stork didn't have time to enjoy it. He had to leave, and he had to leave _now!_ He ran off down the tunnel as fast as he could without looking back.

Lugey pulled at his tongue. "Ow!" he complained, looking around a bit bewildered. He pulled again. "Ow, ow, ow." He pulled again. "Ow, alright," he said at last, his outward tongue messing up his speech as his tiny brain tried to find a solution to this problem. He looked over at his brothers desperately for help. Spitz and Hoerk were still staggering around blind. At last, Hoerk fell over and Spitz fell on top of him.

Repton rubbed his eyes to rid them of the blindness as he turned around and snarled in the direction Stork had escaped. That little amphibian-like thing was going to _pay_ for that, big time!

* * *

Meanwhile, the boys had decided to take a break on the mountain overlooking the village. Bobby Bones and Davey Digger sat next to each other, with little Radarr in between them; likewise, so did Finn and Junko. Aerrow sat next to Billy Rex, who stood on his feet making a snowball, soaking up the view. "Oh, yeah," he said. "This is the life, eh?"

Aerrow wasn't really watching it; he was dwelling on what Piper would think if she were here, the things they would talk about, the jokes and glances they would exchange. It was moments like this, enjoying the world around them, that Aerrow felt closer to Piper than anyone else, but she wasn't here to share the moment with them. "Look," he said to Billy Rex at last, "you probably didn't mean any harm, but Piper is as much a part of the Storm Hawks as any one of us. She should be here, too."

"But Sky Knights don't do the back country, eh?" Billy Rex answered. "That's just for us squaddies." And with that, he threw the snowball at Davey Digger, hitting him square in the face. Trying to look innocent afterward, he sat down next to Aerrow, holding his tongue out to catch falling snowflakes.

"Aw!" Finn gasped to Junko in amusement. He pointed to Billy Rex. "He thinks Piper's our _Sky Knight!_"

"Wait," Aerrow said to Billy. "You mean you're not . . . ?" He tapered off at the end in embarrassment.

Billy Rex brought his tongue back in his mouth. "Not what, there, chief?"

_Not the Sky Knight of the Absolute Zeroes?_ But Aerrow simply turned his head away. "Uh, never mind."

_Well,_ he thought, _this is plain embarrassing._

But Aerrow didn't have long to dwell on that before the ground began to tremble. Suddenly a large spout of hot water shot up from the ground a couple yards in front of them, and then another and another. "Lookie!" Davey Digger exclaimed, pointing. "She's gettin' all watery over there, eh?" At that moment, a spout of water shot up from under him. "Whoa!" Davey yelled as the spout sent him flying to the air and onto the ground on his back. The ground continued to tremble

Aerrow didn't like the way things looked. He was getting nervous. "Hey, guys!" he shouted as Billy Rex got up and walked past him. "Any chance we could get outta here?"

At that moment, a big ball of snow landed right on Junko's head, giving him a big afro made of snow. The Wallop turned around and glanced over his shoulder, and Aerrow did the same to see what was going.

Aerrow's heart stopped, even before Junko shouted, "Avalanche!" When it started again, Aerrow thought it was going fast enough of burst out of his chest. Forgetting about the rides, he and the others made a run for it but not before the oncoming snow had swallowed them.

* * *

Down in the village, things were also looking a bit watery. A warm spout had just shot up in the middle of town. Blowing a bubblegum bubble, Suzy Lu calmly used the blizzard crystal on the staff to freeze the spout, making a beautiful tower of ice.

Not seconds after she did so, however, Piper heard another crash of bursting water, and she, Suzy Lu, and another female Absolute Zero turned around to greet another water spout. "Aw, jeez," Suzy Lu said. "There goes another, eh?" It was the first time Piper had seen Suzy Lu even slightly worried, although she had only known her less than a day.

Approaching the water spout with her staff and blowing a bubble as she did so, Suzy Lu froze it. She turned back to Piper, putting her hand on her hip. "Used to be hot here, you know," she told her. "I guess we ain't quite tamed it yet." As she said it, another water spout burst out behind her, and she turned to freeze that as well.

Piper didn't like the way this looked. The place was warming up, that's for sure. This could be a big problem for the Blizzarians.

Then she saw something that made her gasp. Appearing out from behind one of the frozen water spouts, the limbless desert mammal showed itself. In the melting, the ice had set it free, but it had met with a cold world much unlike its own. Piper recognized the species. It was a desert dweller known as a leaper.

Piper ran forward to the pitiful creature as shook its fur to rid itself of the cold, powdery snow. It lifted its ears as Piper approached, fascinated and confused and cold, utterly cold. It stood erect just a few feet in front of Suzy Lu.

Piper's heart went out to the poor leaper. She ran up next to Suzy Lu and pushed her staff into an erect position, that two-sided staff and crystal that had given the Blizzarians a home but had ruined the lives of many leapers. "Didn't you check to see if anything lived here before you froze it?" she asked Suzy Lu with disbelief, gesturing toward the shivering leaper at their feet.

It was the first time Suzy Lu had seen the leaper, and when she did, her expression fell and her ears drooped. She shrugged. "We hollered real loud," she told Piper in her own defense, but to Piper it sounded like a pitiful argument. In her mind, it was not a good enough argument to make up for what they had done to the leapers. One thing was clear to her; the Blizzarians could not stay here if the native species were to survive. And one way or another, this terra was going to claim back its old climate, whether the Blizzarians liked it or not.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I'm not quite satisfied with this chapter, but it will do. Maybe part of the reason I don't like is that I had to write the thing in increments. Thanks to the Track Team; my Jimmy Carter research project; and Jetta, my horse, I don't have enough to just sit down and write down a half a chapter or a whole chapter. Not that I had a whole lot of time to begin with.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: I'm just going to say this for lack of anything better to say, but as all of you know, Blizzaris is based off of the word "blizzard." That just goes to show you how hard it was to think up a trivia for this episode.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Hey, I thought of something! Absolute zero is the lowest possible temperature that may be reached, the temperature at which all molecular movement stops. Of course, that info is hypothetical. We don't really know what would happen at absolute zero, seeing as we can't really observe what would happen. Anyone who tried would be dead. Period.

And I have nothing to rant about. Therefore, I have nothing more to say except . . . please review?


	43. Fire and Ice: Snow Fire

Chapter 3: Snow Fire

"Ow!" Lugey complained as Hoerk and Spitz tried to pull his tongue off the walls of the ice cave. They braced themselves against their brother and pushed as hard as they could. At last, the part of the ice stuck to Lugey's tongue broke off the wall. They toppled to the floor, and Lugey howled in pain.

"Oh, quite crying, you big baby," Hoerk retorted to Lugey as he and Spitz got up on their feet, glaring down at him.

"Can it, both of you!" Repton growled with his back to them. He was in a fit rage over the Merb's escape, and he didn't need his brothers' whining and squabbling. "Now, listen up," he told his brothers. "We'll just have to heat things up faster!"

He turned around to look at one of his brothers. "Lugey," he addressed him irritably. Lugey looked up at him innocently while his long, thin, forked tongue hung out of his mouth with a chunk of ice on the end of it. "You stay here and take care of it," Repton ordered. Then he growled, "Do you think you could possibly manage that?" Repton couldn't think of any way Lugey could mess that up, but if there was a way, Lugey would find it.

Lugey shrugged guiltily at Repton's tone. "Yes, boss," he answered.

Satisfied with Lugey's answer, Repton turned to his other two brothers. "Spitz and Hoerk, come with me," he commanded with a jerk of his head. He started walking toward the exit of the cave. Smiling at the idea of battle, his said brothers followed him, Hoerk drawing his sword as he did so. Repton looked over his shoulder and explained. "We're going to catch that little salamander and make him wish he'd never been born!"

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Stork knew they were coming. He just knew it. They were going to come and bring about his doom. And knowing the Raptors, they would probably use him to bring about the doom of the entire squadron. Unless he escaped now, they would all be doomed, except for maybe Aerrow and perhaps Piper. They might get away. And maybe Junko as well. Radarr could probably sneak away unnoticed. They stood a chance of escaping immediate doom . . . a slim chance. Finn, however, was sure to suffer Stork's fate once the Raptors had him. And Stork would suffer first. That was definite.

Needless to say Stork was going to do everything possible to escape. So he went to his safe zone: the _Condor_.

There was just one little problem: no matter how many times Stork gunned the engine at the helm, the engine wouldn't turn.

Stork groaned. "Just my luck," he said as he turned around. "A frozen starter spring will be the end of me. Although," he added as an afterthought to comfort himself, "it does beat bog fever."

* * *

On the side of the mountain, the avalanche had brought itself to stop. Davey Digger was the first to poke his head out, followed by Billy Rex, Junko, and Bobby Bones. "Ah, that was wicked, eh?" Davey Digger said to all of them, being the first to catch his breath.

Aerrow and Radarr surfaced after them, and Aerrow's lungs immediately thanked him. He could barely breathe under snow and was thankful this snow was light. He shook his head, trying to rid his ears of snow. He'd had enough of the cold, fluffy, white substance for one day.

No sooner did he do so that he heard Bobby Bones howl in delight of the "thrill" they had. Just as Finn poked his head out of the snow, Davey Digger echoed him, throwing his fist in the air. Then there was another sound of slush sliding, a thundering sound that shook the ground. They all looked up the mountain again, and Finn screamed. _Oh, shoot,_ Aerrow thought. _Not again!_

They were covered in another thin layer of snow from another, much smaller avalanche. "Great," Finn gasped sarcastically from within the layer of snow.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Raptors had found the _Condor_, just Stork knew they would. Repton was not surprised at all that the _Condor_ was here. It was just like the Storm Hawks to turn up at a place like this.

Finding every entrance sealed, Hoerk had to force the hatch of the hangar bay open to let them in. Spitz leapt in, wearing a smile of delight for the hunt. Repton was feeling the same sort of exhilaration, and he smirked to Hoerk before he followed Spitz. "He won't know what hit him!" he said with an evil laugh as he jumped inside. Hoerk smiled as he followed him and dropped the door to the hatch, slipping inside.

Up on the bridge, the alarms sounded like crazy, and red lights flashed. Stork put his hands to his face. "They found a way on board!" he cried. He dropped his head and closed his eyes, "Oh, this is really bad news," but then he smirked, put his hands together, and added, "for them!" Oh yes, Stork had been expecting them. Now he began to slip on the pieces of his "armor" such as he wore for the terrors of the Black Gorge.

Down on the hangar bay, the Raptors were creeping toward the bridge. Stork knew they would be, and he pulled a lever by the helm. The Raptors looked about them in confusion as some lights went out, then more, until they were in total darkness and ran into each other with a loud CRASH! "Ouch," Hoerk commented.

Stork, all dressed in his armor, put the intercom on his head, knowing he had just alerted the Raptors that he knew of their presence. "Um, hello?" he said into the intercom. "Is this thing on?" He tapped the microphone to be sure. "Yeah," he confirmed as it screeched back at him, and he continued his speech to the Raptors. "I think it's only fair to warn you that pain and misery is about to be inflicted."

"That's right, toad," Stork's sensitive ears heard Spitz yell in retort, "to you!"

Stork only smirked. He had much to teach Spitz.

"Spitz!" he heard Repton retort. "Quite yammering and find a light switch!"

"Uh, I got it!" he heard Spitz answer.

Perfect, Stork thought. Spitz went to the lever to operate the lights, and Stork heard the clank as he pulled it down. As he did so, Stork pushed a lever at the helm up.

The lights in the hangar bay came on, alright, but so did Spitz. "Yie, yie, yie, yie, yie, yie!" he screeched as bolts of electricity shot through him. Hoerk stared at him and trembled, horrified. Repton only lifted the top of his eye higher like a person lifting an eyebrow.

Finally Stork decided Spitz had enough—he hadn't held him at the charge for more than five seconds—and he let him be, and the lights went out again. Stork heard Spitz flipped the light switch up again. The Raptor's brothers were greeted with the sight of their greatly annoyed brother with dark burns all over him.

But none seemed deterred. Hoerk looked around him determinedly. "That the best you got?" he called out to Stork, drawing his Raptor sword as he did so.

"Oh, not really," Stork answered over the intercom. If that was the way the Raptors wanted to play, he'd have it in for them. He pulled another lever on the helm down.

On the hangar bay, metal objects all around the room began to rattle and shift toward Hoerk. Repton was the first to realize what was going on. "Hoerk, move!" he commanded franticly.

But it was too late. Hoerk's duel-ended sword was already being attracted to the floor, and since Hoerk wouldn't let go of it, it pulled his arm down with it. Metal objects from all over flew toward the little circular lift Hoerk was standing on, clinging to all sides of him. Finally, the box of tools above him was forced open and all the many tools used to fix the skyrides fell out and onto Hoerk with more force than simply gravity could give. Hoerk raised his head cautiously out of the pile of metal tools. "Ouch," he said simply.

"Idiot!" Repton shouted to him. He gestured toward him. "You're standing on a magnetic lift!"

He looked at his brothers skeptically, wondering how they could be so stupid. "What's gotten into you two?" he scolded them. Both of them shrugged guiltily. "For once," Repton continued angrily, "could you show a little stealth?"

No sooner did he say that when he stepped forward and tripped up a line stretched across the floor. Knowing what that meant, he turned upward. A pipe above him turned, turning a bucket on the pipe upside down and spilling purple goo all over Repton.

The Raptor leader just couldn't believe it. Not only had someone had the nerve to do this to him, but he'd been stupid enough to fall right into this trap. How could that little Merb . . . ? He let out a Raptor roar of frustration. When he found that little amphibian-like thing, he would make it forever regret the day he messed with Repton and his Raptors!

* * *

While that was going on, poor Lugey was left all alone throwing fiery crystals into the depths of the volcanoes mellow magma lake. He was lonely and felt he was missing something fun. The only good thing about this situation was that the steam rising from the hole had melted the chunk of ice off his tongue. However, that was over and done now, and Lugey was finding nothing else rewarding.

He threw another crystal in, and it hit the magma with a hiss. He sighed. "Why do I always get left behind?" he complained to himself as he pulled out another crystal, studying it. "It's not fair." He threw the crystal into the pit.

Oh, if only he could finish this job so he could go hunting with Repton and the others! But Repton had said he wanted things heated up fast, so all the crystals had to go first. As Lugey pulled out another one and looked at it, an idea came to his tiny little brain. "Hmm," he said. "I wonder . . ." With a smile at his new idea, he put the crystal back in the crate and picked it up. _This is perfect,_ he thought as he laughed to himself. _This is exactly what Repton wanted!_ Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he threw the whole crate into the magma pit.

His wonderful plan began with the crystals hitting the magma. There was a low boom, and suddenly the colors of the magma intensified and seemed to swell. Lugey's face fell as he realized what was happening. "Uh oh," he said.

Lugey was already up and out the entrance of the chamber when the magma burst up from the hole, melting the chamber itself. "Owy, owy, owy!" he complained as he felt the heat radiation scorch him. He was out of there as fast as his reptilian limbs could carry him—which considering the heat, was pretty fast for him.

* * *

Piper was feeling pretty nervous down in the village. The warm water spouts were shooting up uncontrollably by now, and more leapers had been set free from the ice. Two of the leapers were hopping around at Piper's feet.

No sooner had one water spout shot up from somewhere to the left then one shot up right in front of Piper with a loud rumble, startling her. But then when she saw the leapers pricked their ears toward something in the distance, she realized it wasn't the water spout that had rumbled. She turned around to see the mountain behind her where she knew the boys were probably doing their "training."

"Oh, boy," Suzy Lu said, turning back to Piper after examining the mountain's smoky top. She pointed a thumb behind her toward it. "Mountain's never done that before."

"That's because it's not a mountain," Piper explained as she backed away from it. She pointed. "It's a volcano!"

As if on cue, the volcano's smoky top burst into a huge spout of hot, molten lava. Piper's heart skipped a beat. This was not good. This was not good at all!

"Sound the alarm!" she heard Suzy Lu shout.

Sticking out of the front window on the second story of one of the ice houses was a large horn with a sentry standing behind it. At Suzy Lu's command, he took a big breath of air and blew into the horn.

Blizzarians all around, including Suzy Lu, put their hands to their ears as the extremely high-pitched, ear-slitting alarm sounded throughout the terra. But Piper didn't see this. "Is it broken?" she asked Suzy Lu. "I don't hear anything."

Suzy Lu turned around to look at her in surprise, stilling holding her hands to her ears. "You don't?"

* * *

Up on the side of the volcano, the boys had freed themselves of the avalanche and were working on uncovering the Ice Grinders. Aerrow and Radarr worked together to right their own borrowed Ice Grinder while the others did the same. Aerrow was not enjoying this one bit. Had he been the cynical type, he would hate snow by now.

Finn seemed to agree with him. He turned to Junko. "If I ever say yes to snow sports again," he told the Wallop, "promise to wallop me."

Just then, the ear-slitting whistle sounded over the mountain. It was too high-pitched for human or Wallop ears to hear it, but Billy Rex pricked up his long, rabbit-like ears immediately. As soon as he knew it was coming from the village, he let out a howl, echoed by Bobby Bones and Davey Digger.

Aerrow, who, like the others, had climbed onto his Ice Grinder, furrowed his brow. All day he had heard the male Absolute Zeroes' howls of joy and excitement. That was not the same howl they made now. Something was different, more urgent. "What is it?" he asked Billy Rex.

"Gotta get 'er back, eh?" Billy answered gravely as he pulled his Ice Grinder completely free of its snowy prison. "There's trouble." It was the first time Aerrow had ever heard him sound solemn.

Just then the ground began to rumble, and Aerrow's instincts immediately alerted him to something sneaking up on him. He turned around just in time to see a river of lava spew over the side of the mountain toward them!

The others saw it, too. "Yeah," Finn said in agreement with Billy's earlier statement. "No kidding!"

And like that, they were off again, Aerrow feeling like a wild-eyed rabbit trying to outrun a large cat. They seem to be running away from sliding rivers coming down the mountain a lot today. Only this time, instead of a river of ice, they were pursued by a river of fire!

* * *

Back in the _Condor_, the Raptors were hiding in a large pipe in the hangar bay when Repton heard a loud crack from Spitz. "Ouch!" Hoerk exclaimed. "That was my foot!"

But Repton's sensitive ears had picked up something else as well, and Hoerk was making it difficult to hear. "Quiet!" he demanded his two brothers sternly. He turned to the entrance of the pipe with a smirk on his face. "He's coming!" They all looked out to see a shadow fall across the floor and hear footsteps. "Now let _me_ show you how it's done!" Repton told the others.

With a loud growl, Repton leaped out of the hole, pinning the approaching figure to the ground. The figure exclaimed in surprise but looked up at Repton with curiosity and lack of fear once he was pinned. "H-how what's done?" he asked.

Repton could feel his nerves twitching with rage, but he tried to control his temper. Standing up, he asked calmly, "Lugey, why are you here?"

"I-I-I came to help, boss!" Lugey answered enthusiastically as he sat up.

"I already gave you a job," Repton reminded him sternly, still keeping his temper.

"Yep, yeah, finished!" Lugey told him proudly with a chuckle.

Repton raised the skin above his eye skeptically. Surely Lugey did not screw something up that was _so_ simple!

Probably seeing Repton's skepticism, Lugey explained himself. "You said we should heat things up fast," he said, "so I threw them all in!"

Repton's hands balled into fists. "You _what?_"

Then he cringed as the ship began to shake. Oh no. That wasn't the ship, Repton knew. Lugey really did it this time.

* * *

Back on the side of volcano, all the boys were shouting with excitement and terror as they went over a cliff face that had a short drop, trying to escape the oncoming lava. Aerrow kept his eyes faced firmly in front of him, refusing to look back to see if the lava was advancing. He had to keep going; he could not look back.

Poor Junko was in the back of the group, and when the lava was catching up to them, it reached Junko's Ice Grinder first. "Not good. Not good!" Junko shouted as the lava surrounded his Ice Grinder and began to melt it. Climbing onto the top of his bow, Junko escaped by making a mighty leap to the nearest Ice Grinder, Finn's. The two sped past Aerrow, shouting with fright as Finn lost control.

Aerrow didn't pay them any mind. They were front of him, the lava was behind him. That meant he was in more danger than they were. He went off to the side, not paying attention where he was going, only trying to keep ahead of the lava. Both he and Radarr gasped as they realized that Aerrow had picked a bad route. Up ahead the trail ended.

"Dah!" Aerrow shouted as he went off the edge of an ice-covered cliff. His Ice Grinder spun around in a loop in the air. Luckily the drop was not far. "Whoa!" Aerrow shouted as he landed right-side up on the trail again just ahead of the lava.

Aerrow caught his bearings again and tried to calm his breathing. He was alright, he reminded himself. They were all alright. They just had to make it down the mountain . . .

At that moment, one of the flecks of molten rock flew forward and took root in Radarr's tail. It took a moment for the little guy to realize his tail was in danger of burning, but as soon as he did, he screeched in pain and latched himself to the front of Aerrow's face.

Aerrow yelled again as Radarr took away his vision. Okay, going down a volcano blind being chased by a river of lava. This was very, very bad.

"Whoa!" the young Sky Knight yelled as he felt the Ice Grinder go up a sheet of ice like it was the side of half pipe. "Wha!" he yelled as he went off another, this time on the other side. His heart beat a mile a minute. Okay, Radarr needed to get off his face, _now!_

Billy Rex, on the other hand, saw Aerrow's stunts and didn't realize they were from lack of vision. "Beauty!" he exclaimed after seeing them. He turned to Bobby Bones, who drove beside him. "I think these hosers are gettin' the hang of it, eh?"

Then his sensitive ears picked up the sound of something sizzling behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. "Uh oh," he said when he saw his wheel being engulfed in lava. "Think I'm on fire, eh?" And with a howl, he made an escape by abandoning his ride and leaping onto the back of Bobby Bones' Ice Grinder.

Aerrow had finally peeled Radarr off his face and was able to see down the mountain. The village! They were halfway there! Just a bit further and they could find safety.

* * *

Down in the village, all the Blizzarians were fleeing and shouting in terror. Piper stood among them, pointing with one hand and motioning with the other for everyone to move in the opposite direction of the lava toward high ground. No one needed coaxing.

Piper approached Suzy Lu, who was using the staff and the blizzard crystal to create a gigantic wall of ice between the village and the oncoming lava. "You really think this will hold it?" Piper asked her, feeling anxious and doubtful.

Suzy Lu stopped to look at the wall and then up at the volcano that was constantly spewing lava and sulfur. "Gotta say there, probably not," she admitted. As she said it, the volcano thundered again, giving an extra burst of lava and sulfur. Piper looked upon it anxiously. She couldn't think of any way to save the villagers, Suzy Lu, and herself. Not only that, but somewhere up there the boys were on their own, probably right in the lava's wake.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, um, no one can resurface from an avalanche like that without help. Also, it's not just the lava that can kill you; the heat radiating off it is enough to kill you, and the sulfur would poison you if you breathed it in. In other words, in the real world, the boys would be goners either way. Just saying.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: "Fire and Ice" is actually a famous poem by Robert Frost, one of my favorite poets. And I have to say that "Fire and Ice" is one of my favorite poems. It's a rather lighthearted poem about a grim subject. It's rather short and begins with the words, "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice." I won't bore you with reciting the whole thing, but basically it's about what Robert Frost thinks the world will and should end in: fire or ice. And he jokes about it a little while he's at it.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: For lack of anything better to say, I'm just going to tell you about Piper's name. Yeah, yeah, not interesting, skip this if you wish. Anyway, like most characters in _Storm Hawks_, Piper gets her name from a bird: a sandpiper. Sandpipers are shorebirds that have long legs and long, skinny, pipe-like bills for digging insects, worms, and soft mollusks out of the sand and mud, as their name suggests.

And now for my favorite part—you're reviews!


	44. Fire and Ice: Ending in Ice

Chapter 4: Ending in Ice

The shaking volcano had caused eight icicles to fall from ceiling of the ice cave just outside the _Condor_, where the rumbling did not go unnoticed. The Raptors all pinned themselves against the wall of their hideout in the pipe as the rumbling shook the ship once more. "Uh, we should get outta here, boss," Hoerk suggested to Repton, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

Repton couldn't _believe_ Hoerk would suggest such a thing! He turned around and got right in his brother's face so that Hoerk had to lean away from him. "A _Raptor_ never abandons it prey!" he corrected him. With that, he looked over Hoerk's shoulder, addressing all of them. "We leave when we're finished!" Both Lugey and Spitz nodded fearfully at their master's tone.

Repton growled one last time in Hoerk's face to make his point, causing Hoerk to lean away and close his eyes anxiously, before the lead Raptor began to descend up the vertical passageway leading up to the vent system. He didn't use the ladder; he just leaped from wall to wall much like a lizard or a cat, and his brothers followed after him.

Stork waited patiently on the bridge for the Raptors to do something, whistling to himself to try to calm any nervousness he might have, when he heard a crashing and banging sound coming from the venting overhead. Up in the ceiling, a scaly foot knocked out a grate, and the four Raptors dropped out of the opening, one by one, smirking at Stork. The Merb watched fearfully as Spitz put his arm on Repton's shoulder. "End of the road, toad!" the runt of the nest growled to him.

Laughing, he and the others began to make their way toward Stork before stopping just a few feet in front of him. "Any last requests?" Repton asked.

Stork's fear melted away when he looked down and saw what they were standing on—the circular floor piece decorated with the Storm Hawks' symbol. "Um, yeah," he answered. "Get off my ship." And with that, he pulled down a lever at the helm.

The circular floor piece sank slightly. Stork heard Repton sigh and saw him roll his eyes. He seemed to know what was coming.

The next instant, all the Raptors shouted in fear and shock when the floor jutted upward on a giant spring and sent them flying out a hole in the roof that Stork had opened. The satisfied Merb watched them from the window. All of the Raptors landed in the snow on the mountainside beside the _Condor_ buried up to their necks, except for Spitz, whose light weight had made him spin in the air so that he landed head first, and only his feet were visible above the snow.

Stork chuckled to himself at the sight as he leaned on the helm. He sure showed them! And it was all thanks to the great _Condor_! Oh, what would he do without her?

No sooner had he thought that when another rumble shook the ship. With a gasp, Stork looked out the window to see the volcano's top spewing more sulfur and lava. The Raptors' doing, he guessed. That meant everyone in the village was in danger.

In a panic, Stork ran back to his starter spring with his wrench. Gasping in desperation, he beat at it once, twice, thrice. Nothing. In anger and desperation, he beat at for all it was worth. And would you believe it, it worked! The coils it up with red light and began to generate heat once more, which meant the _Condor_ was up and running. "Yes!" Stork exclaimed.

* * *

Back at the village, the lava was just approaching, and Suzy Lu was blowing her ice wall with her blizzard crystal for all she was worth. There were still many villagers trying to reach a point of safety, and Piper was trying to direct them. "Everyone, get up to the hill!" she shouted, pointing with her finger.

Just then, a shadow fell over the village, and Piper looked up to the skies to see the first sign of hope. Stork was bringing the _Condor_ round for a landing to try to load up the villagers and evacuate the terra. Piper smiled and saluted him, saying, "Nice timing, Stork." He always had a knack for flying in just as he was needed. Now they could believe that there was a chance of escape.

* * *

The last of the boys' Ice Grinders was disappearing in the river of lava. Aerrow watched it remorsefully, and Finn stared at it in dismay, seeing as it had been his. The boys were now stranded a rock that rested just above the lava. To Aerrow, the incinerating heat and the sulfur smell were sickening. And to make matters worse, they were completely stranded with no way out. "Okay," Finn said as his Ice Grinder completely disappeared, "now this is embarrassing."

Aerrow looked up the mountain toward where the lava was spewing from its top. He'd hate to admit to anyone who wasn't here that he had been unable to save himself on a volcano, but it wasn't _that_ embarrassing if the person who he was telling it to was there to see just how bad it was. Although Aerrow had no idea how they were going to get out of this mess to tell anyone _anything_.

Billy Rex took something out, stuck it on the end of a stick, and held it out over the lava river. He seemed to share Aerrow's thoughts. "Might be the end for us, eh," he said, "but youse gotta make the best of 'er." He turned around and held the stick up to Finn. "Hot dog?" he offered.

Finn glanced down with distaste at the hot dog at the end of the stick. "I'm good," he answered. There was no way he was eating something that was cooked over lava, especially not at a time like this.

* * *

Piper watched in dismay as the beautiful ice sculpture she had created was consumed by the lava as it entered the village. Luckily, all the Blizzarians and every leaper they had found had made it to the hill where Stork had landed the _Condor_. Piper was at the ramp, urging people inside, while Stork stood on the other side of the ramp.

Suddenly, Aerrow's panicked voice came over the radio signal. "_Aerrow to Stork, come in!_" he called. "_We sure could use a hand up here!_"

Stork put his hands to his speaker. "Take a number, man," he answered. "It's really . . . lava-y down here."

Piper glanced up to meet his eyes just for a moment before she was back to urging everyone inside. She knew they needed to help the Blizzarians and get them to safety, but she worried. Aerrow wasn't one to panic, but he sounded spooked, _really_ spooked. If her crude calculations were correct, then the other end of the radio was probably "lava-y," too. The boys needed their help, and fast. But then, so did everyone else.

* * *

Five leapers hopped up over the snow-covered hill where the Raptors were hiding, trying to escape the river of lava and taking no notice of the Raptors. Repton heard them but didn't pay attention. He was watching the lava river. His brothers, however, watched with interest, but they were all sitting on the snow except Hoerk. Hoerk was hungry, and he was watching live prey right in front of him. "Mmm," he said, licking his chops. "Leapers!" He started toward them with his hands held up.

But Repton had heard this as well, and he would have none of it. He whipped around and grabbed Hoerk's shoulder roughly. "You can have a snack later!" he snarled in his ear. "Right now, there's more _important_ things!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen Spitz get up and look over the lava river running below them. Now he called over his shoulder hesitantly. "Uh, boss?"

Repton gave Hoerk one last warning growl and shoved him to the ground before he approached Spitz. Now what?

Spitz gestured out over the lava river where the tire of a skyride was disappearing into it. "Isn't that your ride, boss?" Spitz asked innocently.

Repton furrowed his brow and clenched his teeth. Of course.

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, the Blizzarians were still loading up, with the ship nearly full and a mile-long line of people still left Piper watched Suzy Lu urging everyone in, holding her staff with the blizzard crystal in one hand and gesturing inside with the other hand. "Alrighty, then," she said. "Squash up in real close."

Piper looked back at the line and then into the crowd ship again. There was just no way. They couldn't escape. But there had to be something they would do! The Blizzarians needed to evacuate and boys were in trouble. And what about the leapers? Oh, there had to be something, something . . . !

Then Piper's eyes caught the blizzard crystal. That was it. There was just one problem; the blizzard crystal belonged to Suzy Lu. The only thing to do was to talk some sense into her.

She made her way through the crowd and grabbed the Sky Knight's arm, pulling her around to look at her. "Suzy Lu, we'll never be able to fit everyone."

Suzy Lu looked around wide-eye, blowing another bubblegum bubble and popping it, chewing furiously. She did that when she was thinking. But Piper couldn't help but get the feeling she was distracted from listening to her, and she touched her arm. "And what about the boys?" she continued in desperation, remembering Aerrow's panicked voice on the radio. "They need our help!"

Suzy Lu turned back to her. "Ah," she said dismissively, "my boys are tough, you know." She smiled at her, blowing another bubble.

"Against _lava_?" Piper asked in disbelief. She popped the bubble in Suzy Lu's face, covering her furry snout with bubblegum. Served her right, too, Piper thought. The Storm Hawk put her hands on her hips. "Nobody is that tough.

"And even if you were to get everyone on the _Condor_," she continued, pointing a thumb behind her into the ever-filling corridor, "what happens to the things that actually live here? Have you thought about that?"

Suzy Lu's stern glare at Piper turned into a frown, and she let her breath out, despaired. She glanced down at a family of leapers, father, mother, and three babies, who had sought the _Condor_ for refuge. They churred to her softly with large, soft, brown eyes gazing up at her, and Suzy Lu's frown deepened.

Piper could see she understood her points at last. She turned back to the Sky Knight. "Your blizzard crystal could put an end to this right now," she explained, "as soon as we drop it in there." She pointed to the top of the volcano.

Suzy Lu stared at the mountain with disbelief written on her face. "We can't just throw 'er away!" she exclaimed. She turned back to Piper, motioning toward the crystal on the end of her staff with her eyes. "This blizzard crystal is everything to us."

Piper stepped forward and put her hands on Suzy Lu's shoulders, shaking her. "You're a Sky Knight, Suzy Lu," she reminded her softly. "Think about it."

Suzy Lu's eyes wondered to the ceiling with thought and pride and resistance, but a second take brought Piper hope as the Blizzarian Sky Knight dropped her eyes and frowned at what she would be giving up . . . for she had chosen to give it up.

Once she had made her decision, Piper wasted no time. The Ice Grinders were gone, so they would have to take her Heliscooter. Piper got in with Suzy Lu behind her, holding the staff with the blizzard crystal in her hand, and they headed off toward the volcano.

As they flew over the boys, Aerrow was watching Finn, shaking his head. The sharpshooter had finally given in to the hot dog offer, and he was sitting at the edge of the ever-melting rock holding a stick with a hot dog on the end of it out over the lava when Aerrow noticed his eyes lift to the sky. "Yes!" he shouted.

In a moment, everyone but Billy Rex was on their feet, watching Piper and Suzy Lu approach. Aerrow couldn't help but smile, and Finn's cheer echoed his thoughts. "We're saved!" All together the boys let out a cheer for their rescuers, waving their hands in the air.

But the girls flew right over them.

A chorus of "Aw!" went up into the air, and the boys dropped their arms, staring in disbelief. Aerrow just couldn't believe it. Piper had passed right over them when they were in danger.

Finn was as upset as anybody, and he put his hands beside his face to carry sound. "Aw, hey!" he yelled. "Back here!"

But the girls did not turn around. Piper had seen them, and she had been so relieved that they were alright . . . for now. They were in dire straits, though. As much as Piper wanted to go back and help them, she knew the best way to save them was to continue with her plan.

They were nearing the mouth of the volcano when disaster struck. The blizzard crystal fell off the staff without Piper's notice. Suzy Lu gasped and tried to catch it, but it was too late. "I dropped it!" she shouted.

No! They couldn't have that! Only one thing to do. "Hang on!" Piper warned Suzy Lu. And with that, she dived.

Aerrow wasn't sure what they were doing when he first saw Piper dive. He had seen the crystal drop, so he guessed that's what they were after, but Piper was going way too fast. If they didn't pull up in time . . .

Radarr seemed to read his thoughts, and he squawked in alarm, jumping up and latching his arms around Aerrow's neck. He heard Finn gasp. Everyone held their breath.

Piper wasn't worried. Later this would frighten her, but now she had eyes only for the crystal. It was getting closer. Reaching out as far as her arm would go, she grabbed for it . . . Got it!

That's when she really focused on the lava. Immediately she pulled up, and swung the Heliscooter around to up the volcano, crying out as the ride's swerving took her by surprise.

Then they had reached the point they were at before, nearly brushing the mouth. "We're almost there!" Suzy Lu cried as she took the crystal from Piper.

"Whoa!" Piper said as a downdraft sucked her into the mouth. She pulled up just over the burning point, right where she wanted to be. With a grunt, Suzy Lu flung the blizzard crystal as far as she could. Piper didn't wait to see what would happen; they had to get out. Quickly as she could, she turned the Heliscooter about and escaped the mouth.

Behind them, the blizzard crystal hit the lava within the volcano and began to melt. As it did, its power was unleashed on the volcano's fluid, and the magma within it began to bubble, turning white. Piper heard the volcano make one last protest as they drove away spouting a huge new load of lava just behind them, threatening to crash on them from above.

The light was blinding, so much so that the boys watching were forced to cover their eyes. Aerrow hadn't seen much before he did so. The last he had seen was Piper and Suzy Lu being consumed by light. It was worry as much as curiosity that made him open his eyes.

The sight that greeted him was a delight! Here came Piper and Suzy Lu, and behind them, what remained of the lava spout was a tower of ice. Likewise, the lava rivers had frozen over as well, and the boys were once again on safe ground.

The boys let out a cheer that sang in Piper's ears as she flew overhead. It wasn't often she was appreciated. She and Suzy Lu waved proudly, and Piper beamed at the thought of being the hero of the day. Not that she didn't do something that helped the hero every day as it was, even if she wasn't recognized.

She acknowledged the boys, but she didn't stop. Aerrow watched them, smiling, as they drove away, until Finn turned to him and asked, "Where are they _going_?"

Aerrow frowned as he realized they had driven off with the only skyride. He shrugged. "Guess we're walking down."

As he said it, Radarr walked by him, only to trip on the ice with a squawk and land at his feet. Aerrow sighed as he looked down at him. They'd be walking on ice practically the whole way down. It was going to be a long walk.

* * *

After having radioed the situation, Piper was glad to get a satisfying answer. She walked out of the ship chomping on some bubblegum Suzy Lu had given her. She found Suzy Lu leaning on the side of the ship with her arms crossed with Billy Rex standing next to her. Bobby Bones, Davy Digger, and Radarr were up on a snow ledge looking down on them and enjoying the view. Aerrow was leaning on the side of the ship a distance off. The playfulness he'd exhibited this morning was gone; although he smiled, Piper could see his emerald eyes surveying them and the surrounding area, half his mind working on one thing while the other half worked on another, as it often is with a good leader. She felt that the news she had would be as much of a relief to him as it would be to Suzy Lu.

She walked up to the Blizzarian Sky Knight. "I just spoke with the Sky Knight of Terra Nord," she said. "He said you'd be welcome to live there," she shrugged, "if you wanna move."

"Mmm," Suzy Lu said as she considered it. She turned to Billy Rex in a sort of gesture for his opinion. "It is cold there," she said.

"Yeah," Billy Rex agreed doubtfully, "but those guys are hosers. Seriously," he added, glancing at Aerrow, before turning back to look at Suzy Lu. "I've had fleas that rock out better than them!"

Suzy Lu blew a bubblegum bubble calmly and popped it, chewing it back up. Piper hoped that meant her mind was made up; the Sky Knight would do what was right for her people. Sure enough, Suzy Lu put her arm around Billy Rex and told him, "Well, you boys is just gonna have to teach _them_ to rock out real good, eh?"

Billy Rex's face lit up when he considered this. "Spread the rock, eh?" he cheered, letting out a whoop and throwing his hands in the air. Bobby Bones and Davey Digger did the same, and Radarr cheered with them, putting his paws in the air. Radarr jumped up to give Davey Digger a high five, but in doing so, Davey Digger accidentally pushed Radarr over the edge of the icy ledge. Squawking in surprise, he landed with a loud thud on packed snow. Piper shook her head. Radarr seemed to fall a lot.

"Think of it as temporary," Aerrow told the Blizzarians, referring to their new home. "Cyclonia won't have your real home much longer." He crossed his arms determinedly. "Not if we have anything to do with it!"

Suzy Lu pointed a finger at him. "I like your thinkin'," she told him. Then she leaned over to Piper, who was blowing a bubblegum bubble. "I was wonderin' why this one was in charge."

Piper was so surprised by the comment that her bubble popped accidentally and stuck to her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spitz was busy trying to reassemble Repton's recovered Bone Wing and Hoerk was hugging himself and watching. It was almost put together, but just as Spitz was tying a rope around one of the pipes to hold it together, the whole thing fell apart again. Spitz slapped his face in annoyance.

Repton growled and shook his head. This was so ridiculous. All they wanted was a nice, warm vacation, and what did they get? A winter wonderland and a volcanic eruption. It figures.

And the only one having fun at all was the one who caused the most trouble.

Lugey was playing in the snow, sitting on the ground and building a little snowman, completely ignoring a mama and two baby leapers that passed by. "Aw," Lugey said, happily. "Can we come here again next year, boss?"

Repton growled again. Come again next year after _all this?_

The lead Raptor extended his claws and approached his biggest brother, and whining and sobbing was heard below the mountain.

* * *

Author's Notes: I don't believe this. I have no trivia left for this episode! I'll have to use something general. Hmm . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Okay, Aerrow's name is a portmanteau of "aero" and "arrow" . . . as if you didn't already know that. That was lame, wasn't it? Hmm . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Ah, of course. Coyotes. Blizzarians are meant to be the humanized version of these. These little wild canines are the smaller cousins of wolves. They tend to be fun-loving critters that are very adaptable. However, unlike the Blizzarians, they are not limited to cold climates; rather they can roam from snow-covered mountains to burning sand deserts, so long as there is food.

So, will you review, or will I have to set my coyote on you?

Hey, wait a minute! My coyote bit me! Why do all my review-threats bite _me_?


	45. King for a Day: A Legend Made Real

_**Part 11**_

_**King for a Day**_

_Myths come alive. Prophecies are fulfilled, and prophecies are changed. Power is gained, and power is abused. A boy talks like a hero before he acts like one. An unexpected hero comes to save the day._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: A Legend Made Real

The night was dark and eerie. Clouds blocked out most of the stars in the sky, and no moon shone light upon the _Condor_ as she made her way through the blackness uncertainly. Something was going to be discovered this night, something new and wonderful and sorrowful, but only one of the Storm Hawks seemed to sense the impending event.

Piper was not this Storm Hawk. She was concerned with other more immediate matters . . . such as the nagging question: Where in the world were they? It was a question that she knew not the answer to and would soon have to admit that to Aerrow and the others. And admitting she was wrong was no small matter to her. First, though, she wrote out her squadron log entry for the day, practicing what she would say to the others while doing so.

She wrote:

_Squadron Log,_

_Alright, I admit it; we're lost. So my directions were a little bit off. Not like it's a big disaster._

* * *

"This is a big disaster," said Stork as he steered the ship. He was the one who sensed the discovery that was coming. Then again, he _always_ sense impending doom, whether it was coming or not.

Piper had just told Aerrow that they were lost, and others had of course overheard, as they had made it a point not to keep it a secret. Finn found it kind of funny, actually. Piper was always saying she was right; now she was wrong, and he had something to tease her about.

Stork explained why this was a "big disaster". "Flying at night!" he said. "Way too many things can sneak up on you."

As he was speaking, Junko had gotten down on his hands and knees and had crawled up behind Stork, reaching out his hand toward the Merb's leg. Finn watched with interest. This was going to be good!

Junko grabbed Stork's leg suddenly. Stork screamed.

Then Finn and the others started laughing. When Stork heard them, he realized what had happened, and he turned around and glared down at Junko.

Junko just smiled at him innocently. "'Sup?"

Then Stork looked up at them, as if wondering _why_ they would think it was funny. But, oh, Finn didn't think it was funny. He thought it was hilarious! He pointed at Stork, laughing so hard he could feel tears welling in his eyes. Beside him, Aerrow was chuckling with a churring Radarr on his shoulder. On Aerrow's right, even Piper was laughing hard, trying to cover her mouth with her hands to stop.

Junko stood up in front of Stork and shrugged. "What's gonna sneak up on us in the middle of the night?"

And of course, Stork answered without hesitation. "Cyclonians, acid storms, Katerian dragon cats, clouds, ghosts, angry Ph'nean moths, vampires with glider wings or jet packs, a mountain . . ."

At that moment, he tapered off when he turned back to the helm and stared out the window with wide eyes. "A mountain!"

The pilot grabbed hold of the controls on the helm with a panicked, "Whoa!" and tried to steer the ship away from her collision coarse. Finn saw Aerrow clutch the railing with a determined look on his face, wondering how the Sky Knight couldn't be choking under wide-eyed Radarr's death-grip around his neck. Piper also grabbed the railing beside her leader, looking frightened, the same way Finn felt. But it never occurred to the sharpshooter or his Wallop friend that they should grab onto something, too.

Stork was able to prevent a head-on collision course but was unable to avoid hitting the mountain altogether. The ship tilted to the side as she turned, and her portside and part of her underside bounced off the mountain's wall, sending her into an even steeper list.

As Stork spun her around, Finn felt himself loose his footing, and he slid into the window on the starboard side, his backbone hitting the window frame and knocking the breath out of him. But he still had enough breath to make a simple, "Ah!" when he saw what was coming at him.

"Ah!" Junko echoed him when he found himself sliding toward Finn.

Now there is one thing that Finn will never forget, and that is getting smashed between a Wallop and an energy-proof window and its metal frame hurts. A lot.

With the sound of dying engines, the _Condor_ touched ground and bounced off it. Stork gasped when he felt it, and he straightened the helm to smooth the crash landing. The _Condor_ skidded along the ground before turning sideways, leaning heavily on one side and then landing with a heavy thud, like a snow skier skidding to a stop.

There was nothing else to do after that then go out and check on the damages, which is exactly what Aerrow had them do once he found everyone was alright. Now Finn would beg to differ that he was _not_ alright, after being squashed by a Wallop, but if Aerrow saw nothing wrong with him and Piper saw nothing wrong with him, then Aerrow proclaimed him well. No matter what Finn said.

Aerrow was the first one out, as usual, holding a flashlight with a blue crystal light bulb. Radarr and Piper were with him, and as their leader stood at the base of the ramp looking around fearlessly, the other two stood on either side of him, seeking comfort in his presence. Stork came out after them to check the damage, looking around nervously as he made it down the ramp. Finn followed, holding his crossbow out in front of him, his eyes scanning the area. Junko was last to come, marching down the ramp holding a flashlight just like Aerrow's.

Finn could see why the others were getting the creeps; he had to admit he was a little freaked himself. Strange, unseen creatures whooped and chirped softly in the dim light, and in the near-stillness a lonesome, far-off howl sounded in the air. It was a howl, definitely a howl, but it was strangely un-wolf-like, un-dog-like, and unlike any other howling animal an Earthling could think of. The sky still contained a few stars, but the midnight blue was still a lighter grayish blue on the horizon from the setting sun. In the dimness, Finn could make out a rocky landscape with steep incline in front of them. The place had a few scattered, ancient trees and little tuffs of grass.

Stork wasn't looking around like Finn, however. He was too nervous of his imagination to do that. Besides, his main concern was for his precious _Condor_. He laid a three-fingered hand on her scratched hull. Radarr got on the other side of him and watched him, having his own concerns for the ship as well, for reasons yet unknown.

Beside Stork, Aerrow was facing the other direction and scanning the horizon with his flashlight. Piper stood on the other side of him, trying to take in everything. Aerrow turned to his pilot. "Stork, any damage?"

"Uh, I can't tell," Stork answered. He pointed to the _Condor_ and squinted at her. "Need more light."

A sound rang in Finn's ears for a moment as soon as Stork said that, and he was blinded for a second by a red light. The light fell on the _Condor_. "That's better," said Stork.

Finn squinted against the light and saw Aerrow and Piper lift their hands up to block it from their eyes. The sight that slowly greeted them was not welcoming.

"Yeah," Stork said with a smile, "it looks like we're in pretty good shape." He turned around and looked at the others. "What?" he asked them. Then he turned to the light. "_Oh_."

Nine Greek-like warriors stood at the base of the incline, each holding a spear and an iron shield, and four of them had their red crystal-tipped spears lowered. What was even scarier, up above them, nine similar warriors had assembled in a line at the top of the bluff. These had iron bows and red crystal-tipped arrows, and each of their bows was loaded and pulled taunt . . . and aimed at the Storm Hawks.

Beside Finn, Junko was looking around nervously and questionably. Finn felt the same fear, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He tightened his grip on his crossbow and narrowed his eyes. This didn't look good, but all the same, he'd hold his ground.

The archers pulled their bows tighter.

"Wait! Stop!" Aerrow called to them. Piper was looking at him desperately, and Junko cocked an eyebrow. But Finn's eyes never moved from their onlookers. Aerrow leaned forward and put his hand over his heart. "We come in peace!"

But one of the archers simply shouted, "Fire!" and the bows were released.

Arrows flew at Aerrow first, probably because he had been the one who dared to speak and they figured he must be the leader . . . in which case they would be right. The Sky Knight ducked, and the crystal-tipped arrows stuck into the side of the ship behind him. Piper and Junko made a run for it and hid together behind one of the _Condor_'s huge tires, arrows sticking into the ground and one into the groove of the tire. Stork gasped, and he and Radarr flattened themselves against the ground, the Merb covering his head as the arrows flew over them, one landing dangerously close to Radarr.

Piper and Junko poked their heads out from behind the tire. "They're not listening!" Piper shouted to Aerrow.

_No duh!_ thought Finn. He had been lucky enough to be out of the line of fire. Only he and Aerrow were left facing off their attackers, being the only ones who hadn't run.

By this time, the archers had reloaded and now released another set of arrows. They came straight at the sharpshooter and his Sky Knight. But Aerrow simply brought his blades together and then spread them apart horizontally, sending a long energy pulse ahead of him that dissolved the arrows heading his way. Finn was forced to use more difficult tactics. He shot at the arrows one by one with his bolts, each hitting dead on.

Then Finn heard a yell. In a moment of surprise, he looked up to see the spear-wielding warriors running toward him, a bit caught off guard. Most of them had headed for Aerrow, but four were headed his way. But before he had time to even _think_ about the fact that he was being attacked, the four warriors halted suddenly, staring at him wide-eyed. Finn stared back, not quite sure whether this was a good thing or not. "It's . . ." the lead warrior said but had to start again. "It's him!"

Finn decided to take advantage of that. "Yeah," he told them, raising his crossbow again, "you better believe it's me!" Then he thought about it and realized they _might_ not mean that the way he thought they did. "Wait," he asked, "what have you heard?"

Murmurs rose up among the warriors. Something was going on here that the sharpshooter was not quite catching onto. Finn turned to Aerrow questionably, but his leader was cocking an eyebrow at their previous attackers, looking as confused as Finn was. Even Stork, still lying on the ground with his hands over his head, dared to open his eyes. Radarr, still lying beside him, did the same, narrowing one eye in confusion. Then all the warriors' eyes were on Finn.

Radarr raised his head and squawked in puzzlement at what happened next. It was something Finn was never to forget. One by one, each of the Greek-like warriors got down on one knee and bowed their heads to him. Finn squinted an eye at them with his mouth hanging ajar. What in the world . . . ?

Aerrow spoke his confusion perfectly. "First they attack us," he said, "then they surrender to Finn." He looked around questionably at the bowing warriors. "Anyone want to explain this one to me?" He turned to his wingman. "Finn?"

Finn shrugged. "Dude, I have no idea."

Six of the foot soldiers then organized themselves into a V shape, the narrow end being toward Finn. Down the aisle these soldiers made, an old monarch approached Finn, his white beard far longer than his balding hair and his simple crown sitting regally on his head. He had one hand on his hip where it must pain him thanks to the curse of old age, and he supported himself on a staff with a fiery-colored crystal on the top end of it.

Finn stared at him as he approached, waiting for the little old man to stop, but the withered king got right up in his face, even standing on his tiptoes to get an even closer look at Finn's face, although their faces were already less than a foot apart. Then the little man began mumbling to himself. Finn exchanged glances with Aerrow. What in the world was he supposed to do? Aerrow looked as clueless as he was, which helped none.

Finally the monarch seemed to finish his examination. "Oh, wonders!" he exclaimed. He took a few steps back to give Finn his space. "The prophecy has come true!" He gestured toward Finn. "The Great Domo!"

Finn cocked an eyebrow and gave the king a weird look. Did he just say "the Great Gomo"?

"You must forgive us," the old king said. "Since you came from the sky, we mistook you for our enemies. Visitors are few on Vapos."

Finn couldn't believe his ears. "Did he just say '_Vapos'_?" he asked Aerrow.

Aerrow cocked an eyebrow, but he was speechless.

Vapos, the legendary terra of the Atmos . . . a legend most don't believe in. A legend that speaks of a terra with the greatest of civilizations, filled with gold and fine culture and peace and prosperity and the fittest of warriors who have yet to take to the skies.

Piper, who, along with Junko, had been watching the whole thing from behind the _Condor_'s tire, came out from her hiding place. "But Vapos is a myth," she protested. "It doesn't really exist." She looked up hesitantly and her eyes met Aerrow's. "Does it?" She, Junko, Stork, and Radarr all got up to join Aerrow and Finn, they're curiosity getting the better of them.

But the monarch was to trample any doubt in the belief of the legend. He placed a hand on his chest. "I am King Agar," he said. "Welcome," he bowed and stretched out his hand, "to Terra Vapos."

Finn's and Aerrow's eyes widened. So it was true. They were on the terra of legend. And Finn, the proposed "Great Domo," had been expected.

Neither knew what an adventure was waiting for them here. And neither could even begin to guess what one of them would do and how he would be to the people of Vapos.

* * *

The Storm Hawks were walking with the Vaposian king and warriors through their city. The buildings were old and rundown, including the palace up ahead, and the street was a dirt road with a huge crack in the middle of it. "This can't be the same place in the old stories," Piper said. "They said that the streets of Vapos were paved with marble and gold."

Exclamations went out everywhere as the group suddenly gathered the attention of the civilian Vaposians, all looking sickly and pale. They all stared at Finn, smiling with relieved and awed grins, looking as if they thought the sharpshooter was a god who had dared to come into their presence. They cried out things like, "Oh, it's him!" "It's you!" "Domo!"

"Now it's just paved with creepy," Finn said as one of the people got into his personal space. He asked quietly, "Why are they hanging around me like this?"

"You appear to be our G-G-G-Great D-D-Do-Domo," the nearest spectator told him nervously, "the legendary s-s-s-s-savior of Vapos!" He smiled with admiration and clasped his hands to his whiskered face, clearly showing he believed it, too.

"Legendary?" Finn repeated. He smiled. "I like the sound of this." He turned to King Agar. "Tell me more."

"Long ago," the king explained, "the people of Vapos lived in peace and harmony, and our land was rich and abundant . . . until the great quake. A chasm opened up," he said, his eyes flickering to the crack in the ground along the middle of the road, "and the dark ages began. Since then, we've been attacked from the depths." The monarch grabbed his staff with a hopeful, faraway look in his eye. "But we believe that the Great Domo will fly to Vapos and usher in a new age of prosperity."

Piper looked a Finn skeptically, then back at King Agar. She gestured toward the sharpshooter. "You think Finn is gonna do that?" She chuckled. "You have the _wrong_ guy!"

But to Finn, this was something to consider. He put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, maybe I _am_ their Gomo."

"_Domo_," the other Storm Hawks and the crowd of Vaposians behind him corrected.

Finn turned around to face them. "Gomo, Domo, whatever," he insisted. "The point is," he gestured toward the other Storm Hawks, "are _you_ ushering in a new age of prosperity? Huh? Huh?"

The others only glared at him, even Aerrow, who went as far to cross his arms and raise an eyebrow. Junko was the only one who smiled sheepishly.

"Didn't think so," Finn told them with a grin.

King Agar pointed. "A golden ring hangs from that distant branch," he said. One of the guards beside him looked where he was pointing and then grabbed his shoulder and moved him about so that he _was_ actually pointing to said branch, giving Finn a clue of the accuracy of the monarch's eyesight. "Yes," King Agar said once he was corrected.

Finn looked to see where he was pointing. A tall, pinnacle cliff met his eyes, and standing at the top of it was a dead tree with an overhanging branch on which a golden ring glimmered in the fading light of dusk. "The prophecy says," said King Agar, "that the Domo will retrieve the ring. Many have tried; all have failed."

"It figures," Finn heard Aerrow say from somewhere behind him. "No way _anybody_ could climb _that_." Finn knew that if Aerrow said that, it was probably true.

But Finn turned around and grinned at him. "Who said anything about climb?" And with that, he lifted up his crossbow confidently, aimed, and fired at the branch.

The bolt shot through the air, and Finn was amused to see that everyone else's eyes followed its path anxiously. The bolt struck the branch, and the ring spun in the air. Finn heard a girl behind him gasp. Then the ring began to fall. That was his chance. "Duh, duh, duh!" Finn sang triumphantly as he spun around and opened up his hand. The ring fell right into his palm, just as he knew it would.

All the Vaposians cheered as Finn smiled and held up the ring proudly. Even King Agar applauded. Finn swelled up with pride. He was a hero to these people, a savior. They respected him and saw his true potential. Even Junko smiled for him. The other Storm Hawks, however, just frowned at him. But that was alright. Finn didn't need them to realize his greatness. They'd figure out soon enough. He was sure they would.

The king made his simple speech that was to change everything. "The Great Domo has arrived!"

The Vaposians cheered.

Piper rolled her eyes. "We're in trouble."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: The name "Vapos" may be derived from the word "vapor". The existence of the legendary terra was questioned, and though it was there, it seemed to be invisible and dispersed into the air, like vapor. Another meaning for the word "vapor" is something without material existence. Still another meaning is a fanciful idea, which is basically all the wealthy Terra Vapos would be to someone who has not seen it.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Domo is a strange name to have for a hero. There are a number of reason this name might be the name of the Vaposian savior. It could relate to a number of words, which may or may not add to the humor: "dominant," because Finn is an important hero; "doomsday," because Finn is supposed to stop that from happening—or perhaps he _is_ doomsday—; and "dominion," because he tried to rule over Vapos in a sense.

However, my honest opinion for the Nerd Corps producers' choice in the hero's title was that it sounded awfully similar to "dodo" and "dumb."

So will you review? Pretty please?


	46. King for a Day: The Verrocs

Chapter 2: The Verrocs

"Don't you think maybe you're taking advantage of these people a little?" Aerrow asked Finn, pinching his fingers when he said "little."

The Storm Hawks were in the throne room of the palace, where Finn stood in front of the throne being dressed in a Vaposian white robe and red cape by two Vaposian men. A golden crown sat on his head, much finer than anything King Agar was wearing. And Finn was enjoying every minute he wore it. He could get used to this!

"You guys are overreacting," he said to them as the men finished and drew away. "I'm their Domo! All I am doing is respecting their culture. Besides," he added with a chuckle, "check this out!" He turned around and pulled a rope hanging down behind him.

Immediately jazzy music began to play and a disco ball was lowered, bringing with a partying atmosphere that Finn absolutely loved. "Wahoo!" Finn cheered as he danced, pumping his arms horizontally. "Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!" He sidestepped back and forth, clapping with each step. The others just stared at him and the disco ball in amazement, but Junko was the only one who smiled, reminding Finn why he was his best friend.

Then, it all ended far too soon. The disco ball set off sparks and stopped spinning, and the music cut off. Finn stopped dancing and frowned. "Uh, could we get somebody to fix that, please?" he said indignantly. "Um, and I am going to need some more polish for this crown." He pointed to the crown on his head, glaring down at the men.

The two men who had dressed him kneeled at throne, nodding and smiling enthusiastically at the thought of helping their Domo. The others watched in amazement as they turned and ran out the door. Finn was glad he could give them such pleasure.

Just as they disappeared beyond the threshold, King Agar walked in with three girls behind him, each carrying a stack of robes. "Great Domo," the king greeted Finn.

"Yes," Finn called absentmindedly.

"Is everything to your liking?" King Agar asked.

"Oh, yeah," Finn assured him, pointing to him. He stood up tall. "I feel like a king."

The king and the girls stopped in front of him. "We have brought suitable clothes for your court."

"His _court_?" Piper repeated in disbelief, putting her hands on her hips.

Finn laughed sheepishly and gave them his trigger fingers. He sort of forgot to tell them that they were supposed to be his court.

The others had protested, but it was hopeless. The robes were placed over their uniforms and armor in a makeshift fashion. (Unlike Finn, they had not been willing to change out of their armor and uniforms.) They all looked ridiculous, with Radarr and Stork being the worst of them. Radarr was forced to wear a tall white hat that was half his height, and poor Stork was given the job of being a minstrel, which meant he had a joker's shoes and hat. Each toe on the shoes had bells on them, and so did the floppy points on the hat. What's worse, they gave him a small guitar-like banjo to play on, and Stork knew nothing about music.

"Nice hat!" Junko exclaimed to Stork, pointing to it. Stork only plucked a string on the banjo and cringed.

Aerrow looked around at the others. The only ones who were enjoying this, he could see, were Finn, and Junko to a degree. What's worse, Finn was taking advantage of all of them. As the Sky Knight, it was Aerrow's job to discipline him. "Okay," he said, "this has gone far enough. I'm putting a stop to this." He took a step toward Finn.

But Piper leaned toward him to stop him and covered one side of her mouth so that Finn wouldn't see her talk. "No, don't," she told Aerrow quietly. "Don't you see? Their entire culture is based on this prophecy." She looked around at the others. "We have to play along, at least for now."

Finn couldn't hear a word they were saying, not because they were really out of earshot, although they were being quiet, but because he wasn't really paying them any mind. He was enjoying himself, basking in the glow of his own heroism. He was feeling so good about his position, he decided to take control of the court; of course, all of the Storm Hawks were _his_ court, even Aerrow, so long as he was Domo. He turned to Stork. "Minstrel, how 'bout a song?"

Stork began plucking at the strings, sounding awfully off-tune. Piper shook her head, and Aerrow cringed. Finn, however, didn't mind it. It was a little twangy, but no more off-tune than his tuneless heavy metal music. He started swaying to the beat, smiling.

It was to this tuneless music that Stork began to sing along:

"_Robbed of all my dignity,_

_Forced to sing this song._

_What did I do to deserve this?_

_Where did it all go wrong?"_

Suddenly, the song was stopped by screams from outside. Finn wasn't sure what the screaming was about; he just knew it was annoying and it interrupted Stork's wonderful song. "Hey," he said, "who's interrupting my serenade?"

"The beasts!" King Agar exclaimed. "They return!" He started toward the door. With a worried yet determined look on his face, Aerrow followed almost on impulse. Piper watched him with concern and a glint of fear, the way she always did when the Sky Knight began to lead them off on a mission.

Finn watched them at first before he fell in step behind them. In the danger, he had forgotten that Aerrow was supposed to listen to _him_ now and had gone back to his old habits of following the Sky Knight's lead. His thoughts were too clouded right now to worry about little details like that. He was thinking: The beasts that had come from the depths, the beasts that had terrorized Terra Vapos for so long; they were here, and Finn was supposed to fight them and save the village, as he was destined. This was his time to shine, his first moment of full glory and heroism. He was bound to win this.

So why did he feel so afraid?

Outside, King Agar stood at the top of the steps, looking out over the city. He watched as Aerrow approached, the Sky Knight's eyes never leaving the approaching danger. Piper came to stand beside him, looking more worried than ever. Finn watched as well, fear tightening up his stomach.

A horde of bat-like creatures were flying toward them. Their bodies were humanoid, but they were covered in armor-like plating, and their arms and legs ended in talons. Their ears were tall and dog-like, and their eyes were strangely reptilian. Their foreheads and jaws were armored, and their jaws were short and stout, like that of a pit bull. Their teeth were large with vampire-like canines sticking up and down from either jaw. The very sight of the things sent a shiver down Finn's spine. He had no idea what they were at the time—none of them did—but they would later find out what these creatures were. Verrocs, they were called.

He glanced over at Aerrow to see what he was doing. Maybe he was listening to Piper, who had an ingenious plan. Or maybe he came up with a brilliant plan on his own; he did do that every now and then. Surely they would be able to do something other than fight the creatures.

But Aerrow simply narrowed his eyes and set his jaw in a determined snarl as he glared at the horde of Verrocs. Finn rolled his eyes and forced himself to toughen up. It was Aerrow's "we're going on a dangerous mission" look.

Down in the streets, the people were screaming and running around in terror. Some stopped to look back, only to scream again and keep running when they faced the incoming Verrocs. Some hid in escape ways that led into slanted tunnels and hideaways in the ground, with metal, grated doors that were meant to keep out unwanted invaders.

Aerrow grabbed his skyride, and the others followed his example, except for Stork, who had no skyride at this point. "We have to get airborne!" Aerrow shouted to them. "Stork," he ordered the minstrel, "stay here. Try and keep the people calm."

Stork cringed and plucked a string on his banjo. King Agar, who stood beside him, cringed at the sound. Something told Finn that Stork wasn't the best person to be told to "keep the people calm."

It was a time like this that Finn felt he, as the Gomo, should say something important to console the frightened monarch. He turned to King Agar and said, "Don't worry, King! We got it covered."

Well, of course, Finn couldn't very well ruin his wonderful crown before he went off into battle. Thinking again of the appearances of a Domo, he turned the other direction, took off his crown, and handed it to the girl who was standing there, a girl surprisingly close to his age. She batted her eyelashes at Finn, giving him new confidence. After all, how could this turn out badly? He was the Great Gomo. And more than that, he was Finn, the greatest marksman of all time, the wingman who was always there in the Sky Knight's time of need, the greatest warrior, a hot ladies' man . . .

Smiling to himself, he drove off the porch of the palace and took to the air, taking the lead position from Aerrow and Radarr, who followed behind with Junko on their tail and Piper taking up the rear.

King Agar watched Finn take off in admiration. "He's fearless!" he proclaimed in awe.

Stork frowned. That had to be one of the most ridiculous things he'd heard all day, and he'd heard many ridiculous things. "Yeah," he agreed sarcastically, rolling his eyes, "right."

The Storm Hawks and the Verrocs headed toward each other head-on, like two armies coming in to battle. All of Finn's fear was drained from him, and he pulled out a crystal confidently. "Let's see what this frost crystal can do!" he exclaimed. He placed it into his retractable crossbow, took aim, and let out three shots, and then another. With a terrified squawk, four Verrocs were frozen solid by the blows, and they fell to the street below.

Junko came around and charged another group, firing at them with his "little birdie" missiles. He hit two of them, and they fell to the ground below. One of them hit his back against a building, and a piece of its structure fell on its head. However, it recovered quickly. With a furious glint in its eye, it roared defiantly at those who had shot it down, picked up the brick that had hit its head, and threw it at Finn. It went a little to Finn's right instead of dead-on, and though his heart had a panic attack, he was able to pull out of its way easily. Aerrow and Radarr, however, were flying behind him, and the brick came at them dead-on. Aerrow had to spin his Skimmer in order to avoid it.

Finn saw Aerrow's avoidance, and his panicked heart calmed quickly with new cockiness. "Ha ha!" he shouted triumphantly at the fallen Verroc. "Is that all you got?"

He had been so busy taunting the one who was down, he hadn't noticed the other Verrocs approaching him. The next thing he knew, he was in the middle of the horde and dodging Verroc after Verroc. His palms grew sweaty as each one came close, snapping at his neck. This was not good. This was not good at all!

Down on the ground, standing next to the nearly deaf and partially blind king with a bunch of frightened spectators behind them, Stork was doing what he had been ordered . . . the Stork way. He plucked at his strings, creating a tuneless tune in which no note quite matched the other, like someone pressing random keys on an out-of-tune piano. And this is what he sang:

"_Our story is almost finished,_

_And the end is coming soon._

_I'm here to spoil the finish:_

_Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom!"_

Up over the city, Finn spun out of the way of a pack of Verrocs who had come at him only to whiz through another group, fearing he would be pounced on any minute now. Junko had his back. He fired on the creatures from behind just as they were about to spring. All the shots missed, but at least he got their attention. Piper flew up next to him, calling desperately, "Aim for the wings!" But Junko was forced up again with the Verrocs roaring after them.

Some of the people who dared to stay out to see the battle now could see that their side was loosing, and they headed inside for safety. But the Verrocs were right after them, one of them stopping to rip up one of the grated doors of one of the escape ways. Another one flew low and grabbed a brick in its back talons, collecting ammo to fight against the Storm Hawks.

Junko watched them coming, and Finn stayed within earshot of him, in case he needed the Wallop to have his back again. "These little guys are tough!" he heard Junko exclaim as he headed toward a group of Verrocs. Even so, he slammed his fists together and ignited his Knuckle Busters without hesitation, bringing back his fist as he charged. The Verrocs waited for him, their faces contorted in snarls. Finn held his breath. Then Junko brought his fist, and much to Finn's relief, nearly all of the Verrocs went flying. "Uh, but not _that_ tough," Junko said dismissively as he watched them fall over his shoulder.

Aerrow and Radarr, meanwhile, went for one that was holding a brick above his head, threatening to throw it at one of them. Aerrow flipped the Vulcan upside-down as he flew over it, holding out his blade to chop the brick in half. Half of the brick fell on the Verroc's head, knocking it out cold.

The fight was turning back in favor of the Storm Hawks, and Finn had gained his wits once more. Feeling the oncoming cockiness again, he charged the ever growing number of Verrocs and fired at them again, thrice. All hit their mark. He fired three more shots.

But the Verrocs stopped. Having seen its comrades drop like stones, the lead Verroc stared at Finn in horror at the idea that he would use such a weapon on it as well. It turned around fearfully and flew back as fast as it could, the others following its example, giving out terrified squeaks and screeches as they flew off into the night.

Finn smiled as he watched them go. Well, would you look at that! He had caused a whole horde of scary creatures to flee from his mighty power! Oh, yeah, who's the man? Who's the man? Who's the Gomo? He heard cheers from the crowd rise up from the ground, and he looked down to see that even Stork was smiling. "That's right!" he shouted to them, beating his chest. "Nobody tangles with the Great Gomo!"

"Domo!" Stork yelled out in correction.

"Whatever!" Finn replied.

The Great Domo came in for a landing with his Sky Knight behind him, followed by Junko and Piper. His tires screeched along the ground as he came to a stop, and the others drove past him to make a slower landing. He leaped out of his Skimmer and stuck a proud pose with his hands on his hips and a wide smile on his face, feeling overly proud and exhilarated. Then the ladies' man pointed and winked at a white-haired girl, clacking his tongue. The girl, a different girl than the one he had allowed to hold his crown, smiled and batted her eyelashes at him, putting her hands over her heart.

King Agar began to walk toward him with a big smile on his face. But instead of talking to Finn, he spoke to a young man standing next to him. "You have saved us," he said, "just as the prophecy foretold!" He was obviously confusing the young man with Finn thanks to his bad eyesight.

The young man raised finger to tell the king about his mistake, glancing from him to Finn and back to him. Finn took care of it himself. He pushed the young man out of the way, getting in front of King Agar. "Well," he said, greatly enjoying the praise, "you know . . ."

Piper rolled her eyes and exchanged a glance with a confused-looking Junko.

"As the prophecy commands," King Agar spoke to the crowd, "I declare a celebration in honor of the Great Domo!"

"_Su-weet!_" Finn exclaimed as quietly as he could. He liked the sound of that. Maybe he could charm a bunch of girls into hand-feeding him . . .

The crowd cheered at the idea of the celebration, throwing their fists in the air. Finn saluted them as he was led inside the palace by King Agar.

The others had yet to dismount. Aerrow watched Finn leave, feeling the annoyance he had felt earlier about Finn's attitude for all this. Apparently the feeling was mutual between him and Piper, because she said sarcastically, "While His Greatness is busy," gesturing toward him and putting a hand on her hip, "I'm gonna go fly some recon."

"Good idea," Aerrow answered. He gestured toward his copilot. "Radarr and I will scout the village." And of course, he couldn't forget their power-mad friend. He turned around to look at the other two members of the team. "Stork and Junko, you keep an eye on the Domo."

Both of them looked at him. Junko had a small, agreeable smile, but Stork just frowned. Then Finn's voice reached them. "Minstrel, I need music!" Stork cringed and frowned again. He slumped and dropped his arms, and the banjo fell at his side with a slight twang as he walked ever slowly and reluctantly, following Aerrow's orders, not Finn's. Junko crawled forward on his skyride to park it.

Seeing as everything was set here, Aerrow whipped his Skimmer around, and Piper did the same, both taking to the air as one and heading off in opposite directions.

* * *

Piper shared Aerrow's feelings for Finn's behavior, and she brooded on these feelings as she searched the terra for something interesting. He was being an immature, shallow snob, strutting around with that big head of his and taking advantage of people who were too ignorant of him to know any better. It was disgusting!

Besides, she thought, there was a possibility that the prophecy was real, but she was sure that Finn was not their Domo. Maybe they are confused between Finn and Aerrow. To her that seemed most likely. Or perhaps Junko. Even Stork could be the Domo if he had the _Condor_ with him. Or . . . well, if the prophecy wasn't specific about it being male, than maybe _she_ was the Domo. Or it was someone else entirely. Or there was always the most scientific case scenario, and Piper never left the scientific one out: The prophecy might not be true.

Then something caught her eye. The crack in the ground, which she had been following, suddenly opened up into a large pit, and a large, nearly cone-shaped rocky hill towered over it, a nearly flat side facing it. She flew lower and hovered over the pit. "This is where those things came from," she said to herself.

Suddenly she felt a huge gust of wind blow down her hair. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as her Heliscooter was pushed down into the pit. It took all of her strength to pull the Heliscooter back up again. With a feeling of relief, she felt the wind lessen, and she looked down into the hole to see two pieces of paper spin around and around within it until they were swallowed in darkness. She was just glad she wasn't with them. "Wow!" she exclaimed. "That's a serious downdraft!"

Then she noticed something on the cliff face out of the corner of her eye. "Huh?"

Before her was huge mural. It stunned her to say the least. It showed a biplane coming up out of the clouds with the sun behind it, driven by a boy with spiky hair. There was an inscription with it. "The Great Domo of Vapos," she read. She did a double take, but it didn't change. "I don't believe it!" she said, shaking her head. "The Domo actually _is_ Finn!" The very idea seemed absurd to her, but there was no doubting the face in the mural.

The mural continued on, she saw. It was a series of pictures, telling of the prophecy. With renewed interest, she slid her Heliscooter over to the next one, which portrayed Finn in his Skimmer holding up the golden ring. The next one showed Finn in his Skimmer again, this time holding up a shield to a bunch of attacking Verrocs. "This mural is pretty dead-on," she commented.

She slid over again and came to the next one. It was the most disgusting of all of them. It portrayed Finn sitting in a throne with his mouth open while hordes of pretty girls hand-fed him. Piper let out a sound of disgust and felt the annoyance growing again. That was probably pretty dead-on, too, unfortunately.

The next picture had Finn in the Skimmer again, and this time he was diving into the pit below the mural. "What happens after he goes into the pit?" Piper wondered aloud. And she moved over to the next one to find out . . . and gasped.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The name Verroc may have been thought up as a combination of two words. The second word is easy to decide, but the first word is hard. The first word may be "verruca," which is a type of wart found on the foot, usually the sole, often called a plantar wart. The plantar wart is similar to the Verroc in some ways. Both are annoyances and limit the work of those plagued by them. Both normally hit home at the sole (or soul). And both are really ugly. Now the second part of the name might be based on the roc, a mythical Arabian raptor bird said to be big enough to lift up an elephant in its talons. Many say it is black in color, and there are arguments around whether it is a helper of Man or a hunter of Man. Since it's mythical, I don't think it matters. Obviously in this case, it would be a hunter of Man.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: The plague of the Verrocs is very similar to other plagues I've heard of. In the Bible story of Moses, one of God's curses on Egypt was that their crops would be overwhelmed by locusts and that many frogs would come upon the land, getting into their food supplies and spreading disease among their livestock and people. There is also a very different story which lays resemblance to Terra Vapos' plight, and that is of the medieval tales of French cities sieged by wolves. Before the invention of guns, wolves and humans were on more equal levels of competition in a fight. It was not unlike a European wolf to prey upon a human, and in winter when there was famine, a large wolf pack may be hungry enough and brave enough to enter a human city and take livestock and human prey as a last resort . . . and over-excited wolves cause much damage to human structures, items, livestock, and humans themselves, even if they don't actually catch anything to eat, which was often the case.

No rants or rambles here. Just review, please!


	47. King for a Day: The Prophecy

Chapter 3: The Prophecy

In the palace, Finn was standing beside his throne with Junko sitting at the foot of the stand and Stork standing off to the side. "Come on, Stork!" Finn called impatiently. Both he and Junko were watching the Merb expectantly, waiting for Stork to play another song. Junko was smiling with glee, enjoying the tuneless twang, seeing as he was tune-deaf himself. Finn, however, thought it was getting a little old. Stork's songs were always sad.

This was song was no different. As Stork plucked his string and shook his head to ring the bells on his hat, he sang:

"_Doom, doom,_

_Suffering and gloom."_

"Does your music have to be so depressing?" Finn asked him at last, completely fed up.

Stork gave his banjo one last pluck, hit a bell on his hat to ring it, and then lifted up his foot and shook his belled toes to end his song before he answered. "Yes."

Junko burst out laughing, but Finn didn't see what was so funny about it.

"Finn."

Finn turned around. Aerrow and Radarr were standing at the door, looking anxious and concerned. "You need to see something," Aerrow said solemnly.

Aerrow's tone worried Finn, and it also warned him that it was better not to ask his leader what this was about. It was better to let him show him. He let Aerrow and Radarr lead him out so they could fly him wherever it is this problem was.

They flew to a part of the terra that Finn thought he should have known about but hadn't actually thought about. There were storage huts here, which made sense when you consider that Vaposians are lacking modern technology. Night was still upon them, but a lighter gray color was on the horizon, promising a sunrise in a few hours. The rundown huts looked very unfortunate in the gray light.

Aerrow and Radarr led him up to one of the storage huts, and Aerrow shoved the heavy metal door over to open it in front of him.

Finn scanned the area with his eyes. He couldn't see anything worth being concerned about in here. In fact, he couldn't see anything at all, nothing but the walls of the hut and a few tuffs of grass growing out of the ground, getting sunlight during the daytime from cracks in the roof. There was an empty barrel leaning against the wall and a few wooden boards lying around, but other than that, he could see nothing. He turned to Aerrow, gesturing toward the hut's interior. "I don't see anything," he said matter-of-factly.

"Exactly," Aerrow answered, looking deeply concerned. He gestured inside the hut. "This should be filled with grain." He pointed a thumb behind him. "Everything they have has been taken by the creatures." He pointed to Finn. "Now they're giving what little they have to you because they think you're the Domo."

Finn let the news sink in. He had been taking advantage of these people, taking their possessions when they themselves were poor and suffering. "You can't be serious," he whispered to Aerrow in disbelief.

The Sky Knight just nodded, hiding behind eyes cloudy with sorrow, filled with an empathy that Finn was only now just beginning to understand.

Finn slouched, feeling horrid. "I don't want these people to suffer," he told Aerrow, giving a reason that almost accounted for a lame excuse. "I just wanted to be treated like a hero."

"Look around, Finn," Aerrow told him, gesturing to either side of him. "They still need one."

Finn stared off toward a distant mountain that was colored a dark blue thanks to the grayish light. Then slowly, he reached up to his crown and took it off. His eyes narrowed. Aerrow was right. It was time to stop being so selfish. It was time to stop talking like a hero and start acting like one.

* * *

Back at the palace, tables were set up in the great hall, covered with white linen table clothes and having candles placed in the middle of them. The Vaposians had brought out all their food for the Domo, every little morsel they could find. One woman brought out all the bread they had in one basket—a few loathes. Although there was not much wine, they gave cheers and drank water, which only covered the bottom of their wineglasses. Even so, smiles were on everyone, even the guards, who stood rigid with their spears upright around the throne of Agar, and noisemakers went off around them. It was not like the people of Vapos to be sorrowful about their famine now. This feast was for their Domo; he would pay them back when he brought prosperity to the land.

King Agar was giving an empty wineglass to a serving maiden holding a round wooden tray when suddenly a cry rang out. "Cancel the celebration!"

It was Finn who called out. He walked down the aisle toward the throne, looking determined. He had changed back into his Storm Hawk uniform and armor. Aerrow and Radarr followed along behind him, keeping up with his furious pace. "Finn, what are you doing?" Aerrow asked hastily.

Finn glared at him determinedly from over his shoulder. "They need a hero, remember?" he reminded the Sky Knight quietly. Anyone who saw him would have thought he was angry; indeed he was angry, angry with himself. But no more would he do wrong to these people. He would bring the salvation they needed.

The three Storm Hawks stopped before the throne's stand, and Finn put his leg on the first step. "Your people need the food," he told King Agar, gesturing to him and then pointing a thumb to himself, "not me."

King Agar rose on shaky, old legs without the help of his staff. "Only the true Domo would be so humble," he said gratefully, "but the prophecy is clear!" He pointed to him. "You must feast before descending alone into the pit!"

But Finn would not have that. "Skip the meal!" he demanded. He slammed his hand into his fist. "I'm gonna stop these things once and for all!"

And with that, he marched out of the throne room, followed by the cheers of the people and the fluttering eyelashes of the white-haired girl. King Agar smiled the brightest smile the people had seen in a long time, and he clenched his fist with hope.

Only Aerrow and Radarr looked concerned. They were worried about the word _alone_.

Finn got out his Skimmer and mounted it as a crowd of people gathered around, and King Agar and the Storm Hawks, minus Piper, stood before him. Aerrow approached him, looking as troubled as ever. "Finn, we should do this together," he insisted.

A part of Finn wanted the assurance of his friends' presence, especially that of his Sky Knight and leader, Aerrow, and that of his best friend, Junko, but it was not to be, he knew. Besides, another part of him wanted to be a great hero on his own. "You heard the prophecy," he reminded Aerrow. "I have to go alone. Just me." He clenched his fist determinedly. "The Gomo!"

Stork rolled his eyes. "_Domo_," he corrected.

"Whatever," Finn mumbled, looking away with slight embarrassment. And with that, he started his engine and headed off the porch of the palace just as Pipe landed on it.

Piper reached out a hand as Finn went by. "Stop, Finn . . . !" she called desperately. But it was too late. Finn had not heard her, and he was headed off to the pit.

Aerrow's anxiety had not died down. It was times like this when he felt his greatest fear. He hated it when one of his friends was in danger, and he was expected to sit around and do nothing. It made him fretful and apprehensive. And the fact that Piper had tried to stop Finn and was walking up to him hurriedly did not help these feelings, nor did her words. "Aerrow," she said, "we have to stop him!"

Unfortunately, King Agar was standing right beside them, holding his staff in his hand as regally as he could. Though nearly deaf, he had heard Piper's exclamation. "The Domo must fulfill the prophecy," he told them sternly. His eyes narrowed as they glared at Piper. "We cannot allow you to interfere."

"Oh, yeah?" Piper responded, putting her hand on her hip, bringing out a bit of that attitude of hers. She pointed a finger at the old monarch. "What are you gonna do to stop us?"

* * *

An iron gate slammed closed in front of Piper's face, locking her and the rest of the Storm Hawks, minus Finn, in a prison cell. Three solemn guards walked away, their eyes filled with anger. They weren't kidding when they said that they didn't want anyone to interfere with their prophecy. Aerrow glared at the guards' backs; he knew they were desperate and understood where they were coming from, what with their starving city and all, but that didn't mean he liked being locked up.

Piper turned around to look at her leader sheepishly for having gotten them into this situation. "Okay," she admitted, holding up a hand. "Not what I was expecting."

But Aerrow didn't have time to scold Piper for her big mouth even if he had wished to. Her behavior was worrying him. She seemed more nervous than he was. After all, she was trying to keep Finn from his destiny. Something must be terribly wrong, something she must have seen on her recon mission. "Piper," he asked her with concern, "what did you find?"

"The prophecy of the Domo," Piper said. She said it as if the prophecy was some horrific monster that could strike at them anytime now. And then she explained. "Finn's going down into the pit."

"Right," Aerrow answered, following along as best he could. "He's going down to stop the creatures."

"No!" Piper exclaimed desperately. "That's not what the prophecy says! The Domo doesn't stop the creatures."

* * *

Meanwhile, the Domo had found the pit and the prophecy carved above. Well, what do you know, he thought when he saw the carvings. He hadn't known this was here. He glanced over the first three panels and his eyes fell on the fourth one, with the girls hand-feeding him grapes. He smiled to himself. Maybe he shouldn't have canceled the feast after all.

His smile fell when he saw the last panel. It showed a giant Verroc holding Finn in its claw above its open mouth. Finn's heart skipped a beat. "The Domo gets eaten?" He couldn't believe it! Here he was, thinking he was going to be this great hero by fighting off these creatures when really he was merely a sacrifice!

He hadn't even gotten a chance to get his breath back when suddenly a huge downdraft pulled his Skimmer to the side and started sucking him down toward the pit. "Hey!" Finn called in surprise, pulling up at the controls to bring it up again. "What's with the wind?" He pulled harder, but it was no use. The Skimmer was pushed again, and this time its bow came forward and it dived. Finn could do nothing but scream and hold on.

Eventually he was able to tilt the Skimmer a little further back, and he got control of his nervousness. The tunnel was narrowing, but Finn wasn't paying much attention to that. His fear had been channeled into anger. "I'm going down here to get eaten?" he exclaimed. "What a stupid prophecy!"

Then he saw something up ahead of him. "Whoa!" he shouted as he spun around to avoid a big root in the middle of the tunnel. He'd have to make a note of that for when he came back up again . . . if he came back up.

No sooner had he gone low to avoid the root, his Skimmer's bottom hull hit some jagged rocks on the floor of the now-level tunnel and sent his Skimmer spinning uncontrollably. Finn screamed again and leveled out his Skimmer desperately, looking around for the danger he knew would be here. It was harder waiting to be attacked than it was to be attacked.

But the wait was soon over. Finn's heart skipped a beat when he saw large yellow eyes peer out of the darkness at him. And then, the eyes leaped out at him, revealing the bodies of Verrocs as they entered the vicinity of the light of Finn's engines. Finn pulled out of their way as quickly as possible and headed down the tunnel. The Verrocs pursued him.

Finn thought about it for a moment. Why should he run? He had beaten these things before. He could beat them now, prophecy or no prophecy! He looked over his shoulder at them. "Alright," he said. "Wanna play it that way? Bring it!"

With newfound confidence, he brought out his retractable crossbow on his Skimmer's bow and turned the Skimmer about with a screech, charging at the Verrocs and shooting at them with his frost bolts. His two shots met their mark, and those Verrocs fell to the floor. Two more shots were successful. Before they could even meet Finn's Skimmer, each and every Verroc that had pursued him was frozen solid.

Finn turned his Skimmer about and looked down at the floor littered with frozen Verrocs with pride. "Chica-chow!" he congratulated himself, pointing a pistol finger at the Verrocs. Then he found that the floor of the tunnel was now flat, and he brought in his wings and made a rolling landing on the floor before coming to a stop and looking back the way he had come. No Verrocs. "Oh, yeah!" Finn cheered to himself, flexing is muscle. He pointed down the tunnel again. "Looks like Finn is off the menu!"

Then he heard a loud THUD behind him, and he whipped around, his heart beating a mile a minute. Standing before him was the biggest Verroc ever imagined! Finn had to say that it was at least twenty feet tall! Perhaps he had exaggerated but not by much. The giant beast glared down at the Domo and roared in his face. Finn cringed. "Oh, man!" he said. This was not good. This was not good at all!

So much for being "off the menu."

* * *

Back in Terra Vapos' prison, the others were watching Piper as she tugged at the bars of the gate, hyperventilating. She was frightened as could be at the thought of losing Finn, and because of that, Aerrow just didn't have the heart to remind her that pulling at iron bars will do no good. Piper seemed to realize that on her own, but she didn't know what else to do. "We don't have much time!" she exclaimed.

Thankfully, another one of Aerrow's squadron had a better idea. "Allow me," Junko offered calmly, pointing to one of the Knuckle Busters on his fist, which the Vaposians had foolishly forgotten to take away from him. With a mighty Wallop roar, Junko beat the Busters together to ignite them. Then with one fist, he punched out a hole in the side wall.

Aerrow wasted no time. He leapt out of the hole feet first, landing in a stealthy position in another room free of guards and prison cells. Radarr, as always, followed right after him, somersaulting his way out and landing on all fours beside his boy. Then Junko tried to leap out of the whole feet first . . . and got stuck halfway. "Uh, oh," he said as his head and arms hung in the prison cell and his legs hung out of it. "I think I'm stuck."

"Junko!" Aerrow heard Piper exclaim in irritation.

Aerrow's mind thought feverishly. They didn't have time for this. If he waited until Junko was free and the others could follow, it might be too late. He'd have to go alone to save Finn himself. "Radarr," he told his copilot. Radarr turned to him with a squawk. "Stay and help Junko," Aerrow instructed. He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "I'm goin' after Finn." And with that, he turned and ran for the exit as fast as he could.

Radarr turned back to Junko, taking off his hat and studying the situation determinedly. _Let's see what we can do here_, he thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn was doing his best to hold his own. He was driving along the floor of the cave with the Verroc running after him, trying to step on his Skimmer. Finn drove from side to side as a foot kept coming down next to him. His heart beat a mile a minute. There had to be a way out of this, he told himself. There had to be. But his sweat palms and beating heart told him otherwise.

Suddenly, the Verroc leapt into the air, landing in front of Finn to cut him off. Finn quickly tried to turn, his tires skidding against the rock floor with a loud screech. He just barely made a right turn before the Verroc's claw came down right behind him.

He glanced over his shoulder again in time to see the Verroc coming after him, its claws swiping at him. Finn ducked the blows. Then the Verroc snapped at him, and Finn swerved from side to side to avoid its mouth.

His eyes narrowed as he stared ahead. There was a ledge coming up that led into a big chamber. He'd have the advantage. Twisting his right handlebar, he put on the throttle and headed up the incline, off the ledge, and into the air.

A roar behind him warned him of the oncoming Verroc. He glanced behind him just in time to see it flying up behind. With calculated timing, he spun out of the Verroc's way just as it lunged for him.

Finn stared at the creature, his face contorted in a determinedly snarl as it flew on past him and turned around a natural pillar in the middle of the chamber. He was not going to let the creature win. He was going to take this thing down once and for all! Quickly he formed a plan. "Last frost bolt," he reminded himself. He brought out his retractable crossbow and took aim at the roaring Verroc.

Finn wasn't sure if the Verroc knew what he was doing, but it roared at him twice rather than charging him. After the second roar, Finn stopped hesitating. He let his bolt fly.

The bolt struck the Verroc near the heart, freezing up the right side of its face, upper chest, and right shoulder. But it didn't hold. Roaring in pain and anger, the Verroc broke free of the ice.

Seeing that his plan failed, Finn stopped his charge and turned his Skimmer about with a screech, but he wasn't quick enough in getting away. The Verroc swiped with its claw, and the Skimmer was swept aside in two pieces. "Ah ha ha!" Finn shouted as his smoking Skimmer dove in a crash landing.

But Finn kept some of his wits about him, and he leaped free of the Skimmer just before it crashed, somersaulting with a scream and a grunt.

Finn clenched his teeth and stared wide-eyed as the Verroc landed in front of him and roared in his face. He was out of ideas.

* * *

When Aerrow, on his Vulcan, had at last reached the pit, he didn't waste time studying the mural. He simply circled around the pit like a vulture would before it descended, and then he dove, his teeth clenched determinedly, going as fast as he could without running into anything and hoping he wasn't too late.

He gasped when he at last saw Finn and the giant Verroc.

The Verroc was picking Finn up in its Talon by the back of his shirt, slowly raising him up so he hung above his mouth. "Hey, watch the threads!" Finn shouted at it as it pinched his shirt. The Verroc held him in front of its face as he spoke, studying him with interest. Finn took one chance, hoping against hope that the Verroc spoke his language. "Okay, I warn you," he said, "I don't taste very good!" It was a lame try, but it was something. But the Verroc only roared in Finn's face, making Finn's hair wave by the hot gust. Finn couldn't help thinking the thing had horrible breath.

The next thing he knew, the claw was moving him closer to the mouth, which was opening wider. Finn screamed.

Aerrow's eyes widened, but he didn't have time to be frightened. He gunned his engine for all it was worth and drove toward Finn.

The Verroc dropped the screaming Finn in his mouth and slammed its jaws shut just as Aerrow flew by with his outstretched hand. "Finn!" he shouted in despair. He was too late!

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah! It ate Finn! Oh no! We're all going to die (eventually)!

Now, let's thank Magus732 for bring up a fact about "Domo" that I didn't know! "Domo," he says, is a shortening of the Japanese words for "thank you."

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: A minstrel, such as the Vaposians wanted Stork to be, was a medieval singer, musician, and/or poet who gave performances. And like Stork, they traveled, but unlike Stork, they traveled to perform and get money.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: The Verrocs bare some resemblance to some of descriptions of a creature known as the chupacabra, although we can't say this for sure, seeing as we don't actually know what it looks like. This creature is said to live in Mexico and on the island of Porto Rico. It is also said to hunt in the U.S., where it is called the Jersey Devil. It makes its living by tormenting livestock herders by attacking their livestock, leaving the corpses complete and drained of blood. This means less food and profit for the herders, much like our Vaposians when the Verrocs torment them.

You better review, or I might just change the episode so that Finn never came out again . . .

I knew that would scare you!


	48. King for a Day: An Unexpected Save

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Save

Finn wasn't done yet. He fell down the esophagus of the creature, screaming as he went, until he landed on something soft, swishy, and slimy. He got up and looked around. It was pitch-black; he couldn't see a thing. But he could smell, and it smelled horrible! In fact, it smelled so strongly he could taste it! It was hot and sticky, and he had slime on him. "Okay," he said, huffing as he got over his panic attack, "this prophecy just went from stupid to just plain gross!"

He lit a flare and held it up to see where he was. Yup. He was definitely in the creature's stomach. Well, if he had to go, this sure was a strange way for it to end.

Slowly the smoke and fumes of the flare rose up the esophagus.

The Verroc was busy picking at its teeth contently when its eyes widened as it felt the gas coming up. Its face contorted and twitched until it couldn't help it anymore. It belched.

And out came Finn. "Whoa!" Finn called as he began to fall.

But Aerrow's hand caught his. In one swift movement, the Sky Knight threw Finn onto Radarr's cockpit. The Verroc roared at them from behind, angry to have lost its dinner.

Aerrow turned to Finn, giving him a queer look. "What is it with you and getting eaten?" he asked, thinking back at all the times the Black Gorge monsters had tried to eat Finn.

But Finn didn't pay much attention to the question. He just told Aerrow exactly what he was thinking. "You know, I really don't wanna be Domo anymore!"

The Verroc's roar interrupted their conversation. Finn turned around to see it flying after them . . . and gaining. Aerrow must have seen it, too, because suddenly the Vulcan vaulted forward even faster.

As it roared again, Finn noticed something in the cockpit. He pulled out a rod-like weapon with a blue crystal on its end. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew how to use it, and it gave him an idea. "Hey! I have an idea!" he told Aerrow. "Let it get as close as you can!"

Aerrow lifted an eyebrow at him in disbelief. "You going back for seconds?"

But there was no time to explain. Luckily Aerrow trusted Finn enough to slow the Skimmer for him. Finn watched the Verroc warily as it came closer, swiping at the Vulcan with his Talons. When at last it was close enough, he turned around and fired at it with the energy from the crystal on the rod.

The pulse was like a little bead as it hit the Verroc's mouth, sticking the front of its two jaws together. For a moment, the Verroc was cross-eyed, looking at it. Then the light dissipated into smoke that fogged up the Verroc's head, leaving it with no way of seeing where it was going. It tried to flap its wings in its face to clear the smoke, but it was in vain. The blind creature hit a humongous stalactite face first and fell to the ground unconscious.

Finn smiled in his triumph and found Aerrow smiling at him as well. But their celebration was short-lived.

A screech from up ahead alerted them both to the oncoming horde of average-sized Verrocs just ahead. They had melted free of the ice Finn had imprisoned them in, and now they were back to finish what they started.

Finn felt Aerrow swerve, turning the Skimmer about, and not a moment too soon. The Verrocs were right on their tail. Taking advantage of the stalactite the giant Verroc had hit, Aerrow spun around it like a barrel racer, pointing the Vulcan back toward the escape route. But the Verrocs didn't give an inch. Finn gasped and cringed as he watched them get closer. As if it wasn't bad enough the first time around. "Don't these things ever give up?" he exclaimed.

There had to be something to thwart them! Finn began digging through Radarr's cockpit. After all, that's where he'd gotten his first idea.

Wren's hen? No. He threw the clucking stowaway over his shoulder. Metal cup? No. He threw that over the _other_ shoulder. Metal rod? No. He threw that over with the chicken. Yes! A bolt. He held it up, smiling. "Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. "Now we're talking!"

Aerrow glance over and saw the bolt. "A thunderbolt!"

Finn picked up his crossbow. "One left," he told the Sky Knight solemnly.

Aerrow's face was strained. "Make it count, Finn."

"You bet I will," Finn assured him as he loaded the crossbow with the thunderbolt. Then he happened to glance ahead. "Big root!" he warned the driver, pointing.

"Huh?" Aerrow glanced ahead in time to see the root Finn had ducked under earlier. But rather than using Finn's earlier technique, he instead drew one of his blades and took a shot at the root, blasting it to bits and flying through safely. That was the Aerrow-way of getting around it.

Finn's eyes narrowed as he glanced over his shoulders at the oncoming Verrocs, who screeched at them angrily. The exit was in sight now, and Finn could see the pinnacle cliff from here. That was it! Finn raised his crossbow and took aim at the cliff, waiting for the moment to strike.

The world seemed to slow. The Verrocs kept screeching and kept gaining. Aerrow's frightened face glanced back at Finn, and the Verrocs as they came ever closer. But Finn tuned them all out. He had eyes only for the cliff. His eyes narrowed as his finger tightened on the trigger. Hold it . . . Now!

Finn pulled the trigger, and the thunderbolt was released. It spun through the air and struck the middle of the peak. The tower of rock began to crumble, then began to break. Dust fell over the Domo mural, then rocks, and all headed toward the pit.

Aerrow's Skimmer just barely missed the falling debris. The Verrocs were not so lucky.

The two Storm Hawks stopped and looked back on the scene. The cliff was still standing. It was no longer tall and no longer pinnacle, but it still had its mural. The pit was nothing more than a pile of rocks under which the Verrocs were buried.

The two boys smiled. It was done. The creatures where defeated, and Vapos was saved. And it was all thanks to Finn! The sharpshooter pointed a pistol finger at the rock-pile in the pit. "Chica-cha!"

And with that, Aerrow flew the Domo back toward the king's palace.

* * *

Back in the prison, Junko was still stuck in the wall just as he'd been when Aerrow left. Piper was at the window, watching the sky and worrying. Stork was stood beside Junko, plucking out an out-of-tune song on his banjo. And he sang:

"_We'll never see Finn again,_

_And that part is sad enough,_

_But now that Aerrow is history, too,_

_I get to have all their stuff!"_

He smirked at the ending.

Piper was annoyed with the song and Stork's own uncaring words at the moment. She was worried, and a dread had crept into her heart. What if Aerrow didn't make it in time and they lost Finn? Or worse: What if they both were done for? Oh, she just couldn't stand not knowing!

But then she gasped. She clutched at the window and a smile spread across her face as a red and blue Skimmer flew by, with Aerrow driving and Finn sitting on top of Radarr's cockpit. She whipped around. "They made it!" she exclaimed happily.

* * *

Finn and Aerrow walked side by side up to the door of the palace. Aerrow placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Come on, Domo," he said playfully. "Vapos wants to hear about how you saved the day."

Finn smiled. This was going to be fun! The girls would be all over him, everyone would be cheering, the king would be smiling . . .

Huh? Finn looked around as he entered the throne room. All evidence of the feast was gone. The room was as it was before, with a red carpet leading toward the stand where the throne stood. But the people . . . They stood on either side of the carpet, some crossing their arms, some muttering to each other, all scowling at Finn. Even King Agar looked angry. "Don't everybody thank us at once," Finn commented sarcastically, confused by their anger.

Halfway down the aisle, King Agar's voice stopped the Storm Hawks. The king rose from his chair, leaning on his staff as he spoke. "The prophecy says that a new age of prosperity will begin only after the Domo is eaten!" He beat his staff on the floor angrily.

Finn couldn't believe this! And after all he'd been through for them, too! "Hey," he argued angrily, "I was inside that thing's stomach. I _was_ eaten! And now without them taking your food and wrecking your town, I guarantee you good times ahead, okay?"

At first, King Agar looked away thoughtfully, letting the news sink in. The Vaposians all turned to each other, muttering and gesturing to Finn. The Domo held his breath, unsure what their verdict would be.

At last, with a laugh, King Agar raised his fist in the air and cheered. The Vaposians did the same. Finn let out his breath and felt a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back to see Aerrow smiling at him. Everyone was happy. _And it is all thanks to me!_ Finn thought.

King Agar started walking toward the Storm Hawks. "Then," he said, "we are grateful to you, Finn." The partially blind man didn't seem to notice he was addressing Aerrow, not Finn. The boys exchanged glances, and quickly Aerrow grabbed Finn by the shoulders and pulled him in front of him, and not a moment too soon as King Agar put his hand out to shake. "You were a most . . . unexpected Domo," the old monarch said as he shook Finn's hand.

The crowd cheered again, and Finn looked around at all of them, grinning with pride, and for once in his life, he felt humble. They were cheering for him because they thought he was a great hero. And for once, they were right; he had been a hero, just as he should have been before.

* * *

Now with everything resolved, the other Storm Hawks were released from prison (and Junko freed from the wall). The Sky Knight squadron was quick to get on the _Condor_ as soon as she was fit and make their departure. It was sooner than Finn had hoped, but Aerrow, urged by Piper, was insistent.

And so as the _Condor_ started up, Stork was at the wheel, as always. Finn stood by the round meeting table with Aerrow and Piper on either side. Junko stood on the other side of Piper. Radarr sat on Aerrow's shoulder.

At they flew away from the terra and up into the skies, Finn looked out the window at the city. Half the population was helping to rebuild while others were tending to the neglected fields. Down in the city people were carrying building pieces and tools, planning to rebuild. Some, especially the women and girls, stopped to wave to the Storm Hawks as they flew overhead. Slowly the scene blurred as they drew away. Finn was already missing it.

"Hey, Finn," Piper said, distracting the sharpshooter. "Did they tell you they changed the mural?"

"Do I still get eaten?" Finn asked.

"Yes," Piper answered sympathetically, "but they made a change to make it a little more, uh, accurate."

Finn rubbed his nails on his shirt to clean them, trying to look cool. "I bet they retouched my winning smile," he said, grinning. "Huh? Am I right?"

Piper had to think about how to respond to _that_. "Uh, yeah, Finn," she said with a grin. She smiled with amusement as she looked away, putting her hands on her hips. "That's exactly what they did."

And the ship flew over the rock-filled pit and the mural that stood above it. And on the picture showing Finn's descent into the pit, his face was now twisted in a wide-eyed, terrified scream.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The culture of Vapos seems to be based off the culture of the Ancient Greeks—and when I say ancient, I mean nearly anywhere between 1500 BC-AD 500. They had similar clothing, weapons (without the crystals), architecture, bas-relief sculptures, and lifestyle (meaning that even the city folk farm).

_Storm Hawks_ related Trivia #2: Before we mentioned that the Verroc resembles the most widely known figure of the chupacabra. Well, the chupacabra that the media describes is a lot like a gargoyle. These are grotesquely carved figures of animals (especially humans) and often have ugly faces with large, pointed ears and wings. These carved figures are often seen on European churches and are used as a spout or gutter for the roof and are believed by some to ward off evil spirits. These carvings have inspired the mythical gargoyle, a beast that comes alive at night and turns to stone in the daylight. They are said to behave in a way similar to that of Verrocs. Some claim that the mythical gargoyle is a type of dragon.

Up next: Aerrow's point of view in "Terra Deep"!

This is the part where you say, "_Ooooo!_" and press the review button.


	49. Terra Deep: The Wreckage

_**Part 12**_

_**Terra Deep**_

_A new evil is found. Enemies are made. Greed drives the hunter, and fear drives the hunted. Horrors and heroism appear out of the shadows. The hunter becomes the hunted. A leader pushes the limits._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Wreckage

The night was dark and windy. Shadows from moving clouds could plunge someone into near blackness on a night like this. A storm rumbled nearly overhead, lighting up the sky with its lightning. And through this night, the _Condor_ soared, speeding through the sky like a terrified rabbit. Shadows danced across the floor from her windows as she flew in, out, over, under, and around clouds, and lightning lit the bridge. Her crew was nervous as well; after all, her flight was due to pursuit by her crews' enemies.

Aerrow stood behind Stork, who was driving as usual, while Junko was looking back at the enemy through one of the periscopes. The boys on the ship were clad in armor and had their weapons on hand, ready for battle if need be. The Sky Knight's heart was thudding against his chest. He was not normally one to run from a fight; he liked to meet them head-on. But he knew when he was bound to be a on the losing side of a battle; any good warrior knows when it was time to retreat. Now was one of those times. They would not, could not be caught.

Aerrow was nervous, something he could not afford to reveal to his team, especially in a crucial situation like this. His manner was a little sterner than intended due to his cover-up. "Can't this thing go any faster?" he demanded of Stork.

Stork pulled up on the helm to check the ship, gritting his teeth with effort from the driving and irritation from Aerrow's tone and ignorance. "Not unless you want the engines to melt into the hull," he grumbled in reply.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. "I'll take that chance," Aerrow decided without hesitation. "Full speed!"

Nervous Stork's eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, and his eyes twitched, but it was only half a second's hesitation before he twisted the handles on the helm, putting on the throttle and propelling the _Condor_ forward. Even so, the enemy, who had been steadily gaining, was right on their tail.

The _Condor _was being followed by a group of Talons on their Switchblades. Behind them were three Cyclonian Destroyers. They dwarfed the _Condor_ nearly ten times over, coming at her like three giant spear points. They had first sighted the Storm Hawks not long after the Storm Hawks had left Terra Vapos and had been pursuing them since sundown. It was far too large a force for even the Storm Hawks to battle; they had been forced to flee.

As the first Destroyer neared the _Condor_'s stern, it took to firing at her with its large energy cannons. Using Junko's warnings, Stork did his best to dodge the shots. Lightning lit up the sky as the shots flashed around them, lighting up Aerrow's face. The Sky Knight leaned on the rail beside the helm, his face twisted in a scowl as he stared at the window and thought. Most would have thought he was angry and concentrating hard—that's even what most of his crew thought—but while his mind was working feverishly, he was trying to keep himself calm as his great fear tried to make him panic, which is where his so-called "anger" came from.

To portside he noticed something: swirling visible winds. Winds were only visible through clouds, and these clouds were low, probably terra-level. A fog. Cyclonians were not good trackers or brave souls as a general rule, and the commander chasing them was no more than a common commander. A fog just might throw the Talons off their track. Aerrow pointed to the fog. "We'll lose 'em in there!" he said.

"Are ya sure?" Stork asked nervously.

Another shot shook the ship, and another flash of lightning lit the bridge as more thunder rumbled and a missed shot went over them. Aerrow turned around to Stork. "I'm thinkin', yeah."

Aerrow and the others weren't prepared when Stork swung the _Condor_ over hard to port. They called out in surprise as they slide into the portside wall.

The Talons on their Switchblades abandoned the chase as the _Condor_ disappeared into the fog. The Destroyers pulled up behind them.

The commanding Talon surveyed the situation. He was an experienced soldier near to passing the prime of his life. He wore a uniform similar to that of his lower Talons, even going so far as to wear a metal helmet like them. The absence of goggles, however, revealed a scar which ran from his right eyebrow across his nose and another scar on the right side of his chin. He stood on the bridge of the first ship with his hands behind his back, smirking at the window. "We'll wait for them here," he told his crew, "_if_ they come back out at all."

* * *

In the fog, the _Condor_ was cruising through the clouds. Aerrow stood staring ahead at the windshield, his brow furrowed. Finn looked back with the periscope before turning around with a relieved smile. "They're not following," he reported.

Aerrow, however, was not relieved. And nor was Piper, who stood behind him. "Cyclonians don't stop for fog," Aerrow heard her say with a tone of suspicion.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed. She was right.

Just then, Stork let out a small, "Eep!" He glanced over his shoulder at them. "Um," he said, "most likely they stopped for," he turned back to the windshield and pointed, "_this_."

Aerrow's eyes quickly examined the shadow ahead of them that gradually took shape as they cleared the fog. It was not pretty.

It was an airship, probably only slightly smaller than the Cyclonian Destroyers that had been chasing them. But even though it must have been a fine airship once upon a time, it wasn't now. The thing was an absolute wreck. It was run up against jagged rocks, one of the pinnacle rocks stuck straight through its middle. Pieces of the hull were missing, including most of the crystal stores of its engine, and it was completely torn apart, with pieces of loose, fallen moss hanging off it. It apparently hadn't been there long enough to have moss of its own growing on it, though.

A howl from outside echoed the mood as the Storm Hawks all walked up to stand in front of the windshield. Aerrow put his hands on his hips. "Who did this?" he wondered aloud with amazed horror.

"Better question," Piper suggested from behind him, "_what_ did this?"

Aerrow set his jaw. Whatever it was, it was bad.

Junko stared at the wreckage with his mouth hanging open. He hugged his stomach, saying, "I don't feel so good."

As they neared it, Aerrow decided they _had_ to find out what this was and see if there were any survivors who needed rescuing. He had Stork land the _Condor_ on top of the huge wreckage. For his search party, he decided to bring Finn and Junko (and Radarr, of course). Stork had to stay with the _Condor_, as usual. Aerrow also had a perfectly good reason for leaving Piper out of the search party. He had given her another job: to look through her charts and find out where in the world they were.

So, holding a humungous flashlight by its handle in his right hand, Aerrow led Junko and Finn through the wrecked ship, stepping carefully in case the floor was unstable. Radarr scuttled and scurried along beside them over the pile of debris on the floor, stopping every now and then and sniffing the air much like a squirrel would do.

"Anybody in here?" Aerrow called out in the stillness, searching for survivors. "Hello?" Radarr squawked as well.

Nothing answered them but the wind and the echo of their own voices.

That's when Finn noticed a huge hunk of metal that had fallen in from the roof. It was perfect to hide behind. With a queer smile on his face, he disappeared behind it.

Aerrow studied every piece of metal, every opening, and every stain of blood, oil, and paint with an eye trained for the signs of combat. "_What's it look like in there?_" Piper asked him over their radio.

Aerrow peered out one of the holes in the ship's hull. The landscape was unusual, filled with craggy, treacherous rock formations and deep, distant caverns. "A lot of battle damage," he reported, noting the hole again. He walked over to a piece of the hull that had broken off and pushed into the ship. He felt its bloodstained edges. Still sharp, still wet. "And fresh," he added in his report. He glanced around. Junko and Radarr were sniffing at more evidence. "This wreck hasn't been here very long," he concluded.

"_The same Cyclonians that were after us?_" Piper asked over the radio.

"No," Aerrow answered quietly as he felt himself growing fearful. He glanced around him again, while Junko and Radarr searched about. "This ship looks more like it was torn apart," he told Piper, "by hand." Junko and Radarr glanced at him with worried expressions, which made Aerrow think of something else critical. "Stay sharp," he ordered Piper and Stork over the radio. "Whatever did this might still be around."

He, Radarr, and Junko continued deeper into the ship. Aerrow flashed his flashlight about, looking for signs of survivors and clues to what did this. "Guys," he heard Junko say from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at the Wallop. "Really," Junko said, rubbing his forehead, "I am not feeling so good." He raised his head, and Aerrow was surprised to see that his eyes and the skin around his eyes were pink and irritated.

Then Junko breathed in deeply and drew back his head. He sneezed a sneeze so powerful that it about shook the ship and echoed throughout the wreckage. Not only that, but it sent Radarr flying into the far wall. Aerrow winced in sympathy for him when he heard the little guy collide with it. The stunned copilot slid off the wall on his back.

Junko sniffled and gestured toward Radarr. "Sorry," he said.

Radarr just glared at the Wallop, and his eye twitched irritation.

Aerrow watched, feeling somewhat sympathetic and somewhat amused, when he noticed that he was alone in observing the situation. He glanced around. "Where's Finn?"

Junko's eyes widened fearfully, and he and Radarr looked around anxiously. Aerrow let his flashlight scan the area. They couldn't have lost Finn to whatever did this, could they? Aerrow tried not to consider that possibility.

Then, as his light fell over one of the hunks of metal with a huge hole in the middle of it, they heard a loud "Boo!" Finn suddenly appeared in the hole, his arms outstretched.

Junko screamed.

Aerrow wasn't nearly so startled. He didn't scare very easily at things like that. Haunted house attractions always had bored him unless they were very good. However, he had to admit that his heart stopped for a moment when Finn appeared out of nowhere.

Finn smiled smugly and pointed a pistol finger at Junko, who looked like a scared rabbit. "Gotcha, dude!"

Junko growled, breathing heavily to slow his heartbeat. Aerrow shook his head disapprovingly. Radarr stood up on two legs, crossed his arms over his chest, and tapped his foot on the ground reproachfully.

Finn walked up to them, laughing. "Should of seen your face!" he told Junko.

Aerrow gestured to the sharpshooter. "Not funny, Finn," he scolded him.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked. "'Cause it sure looked pretty funny from here!" He laughed some more.

Suddenly, there was a crash in the distance. Setting his jaw and tightening up with nervousness, Aerrow looked around warily, the others doing the same. The Sky Knight could feel his heart beating against his chest as he sensed another presence. He pulled his blades from their sheaths on his back and lit them, and Finn did the same with his crossbow, arming it with a bolt. Junko swung his Knuckle Busters over his fists and slammed them together, activating them. As one, they all located the movement and shot in its direction.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper and Stork cringed as they heard the weapons go off. Something must be wrong. The boys had to have been in danger in order to have pulled out their weapons.

* * *

Back in the wrecked ship, however, the boys suddenly got a good look at their intruder, and they lowered their weapons. A frightened rat stood frozen against a wall littered with marks from the blows of the boys' shots. With a frightened squeal, it leaped away.

Well, that made Aerrow feel really stupid. He had just pulled his weapons on a rat because it scared him.

Piper's nervous voice came over the radio. "_You guys okay?_"

The boys looked around, and Aerrow knew they all felt the same way he did; none of them wanted to admit they had been scared of a rat. Finn whistled dismissively, his eyes glancing around nervously. Aerrow came up with an excuse. "Slight, uh, weapons malfunction," he explained to Piper. He put his blades away. "No, uh, big deal." The others glanced at him gratefully.

With that over, the boys continued deeper into the wreck until they came to a large opening in the ship. Aerrow, with Radarr beside him, glanced around in surprise and awed horror. "Wow," he said. This is where the power unit should have been, but here there was nothing. "Looks like their entire crystal power unit was ripped out," he told Piper over the radio, "whole!" Junko hung back nervously, but Finn walked up beside him. "Whatever hit them," Aerrow continued, "it was hard and fast. Probably had no chance to defend themselves."

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper was at the round table, pouring over her charts. Stork was at the helm, as usual. As soon as Aerrow said his last sentence, Piper saw Stork tense. Normally she'd shrug it off as typical Stork behavior, but Aerrow's statement made her nervous, too.

Piper unrolled another chart. She was getting frustrated and despaired. "I know this is where we are," she said to Stork, "only all the charts say nothing is here."

Stork glanced back at her. "Um," he said, "_all_ the charts?"

Piper shrugged. As far as she knew, yes.

Stork went to own of his chests filled with scrolls. After searching around a little, he smiled triumphantly and took out a scroll, setting it on the table in front of Piper on top of her already open chart. "Try this one," he said.

Piper unrolled it. "Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed. "It's, like, two hundred years old!"

Stork lifted an eyebrow and smiled confidently, urging her on.

Piper decided to study it just to satisfy the Merb when she noticed something. She gasped and pulled the chart closer, narrowing her eyes to exam it. "Wait a minute . . ."

* * *

Meanwhile, the boys were walking through the wreck, tiptoeing as they went, when Aerrow spotted something in the beam of his flashlight. "I wonder what this means," he said as he saw a skull with a sword going through one eye painted in dripping white paint.

Pink-eyed Junko stepped forward toward it. Finn put his hand one his chin thoughtfully. "Welcome?" he suggested to Aerrow playfully. Aerrow wasn't buying it.

Junko rubbed his finger over the painted sword, leaving a pale streak mark. He pulled back his hand and rubbed his fingers together. "Hmm," he said as the white paint stained his fingers. "Not even dry yet." He sniffed the air as something seemed to irritate his nose. Then, strangely enough, Aerrow saw him sniff the paint.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Piper had pulled out the blue book with the Storm Hawks symbol on it again. She dropped it on the table on top of the chart, opened it up, and started flipping through it until she found what she was looking for. Then, she gasped. Oh, no. She had to warn them.

Holding the book in her hands and clutching it nervously, she said over the radio as calmly as she could, "Guys, listen to me very carefully. I need you to get back to the ship, quietly. I know who did this!"

* * *

The boys were still looking at the marking. Aerrow was studying it, trying to figure it out, while Finn looked around with an interested smile, and Junko continued his examination of the paint.

As soon as Piper said she knew who did this, Junko began to huff and puff as if he was going to sneeze. "So . . . do . . . I!" he wheezed between each breath. Both Aerrow and Finn gestured for him to stop, but it was no use. As soon as they realized this, they both jumped out of the way in opposite directions. "Ah-choo!" Junko sneezed, causing the wall with the mark in front of him to crumble and fall apart. "Murk Raiders!" the Wallop exclaimed.

Both Aerrow and Finn stood up at the same time. Aerrow's heart leapt into his throat. "Murk Raiders?" he and Finn exclaimed together.

"_He's right!_" Piper's frightened voice came over the radio. "_We need to go!_"

Junko was about to turn to run when Finn put his hand in front of his chest to stop him and turn him around to talk to him face to face. "Wait," he said, pointing to him. "You know this because . . . ?"

"Oh, I'm allergic to 'em," Junko said with a shrug and a smile. And with that, he turned to run after Aerrow and Radarr, who were already on their way. Finn cocked an eyebrow, then glancing behind him, he ran after them.

Aerrow's heart beat wildly as he thought of what both Junko and Piper had said. Murk Raiders, the pirates of the Atmos. They were feared thieves and looters who answered to no one but their elected captains, often drunk on grog. Their reputation was not undeserved. Comparable to the pirates of the high seas of Earth, they fight well, some with skill, some with sheer numbers. And they were good at whatever technique they used; it was their way of life. And normally, if a crew didn't behave or was too difficult to manage alive, there was no mercy. Aerrow knew they had to get out of there before they were found.

* * *

Author's Notes: What, you don't believe someone can't scare easily from someone jumping at them and can be bored with haunted houses? I was just projecting my feelings onto Aerrow! Someone can jump out from behind the door in front of _me_, and the worst I'll do is freeze and blink. Only one haunted house has ever really scared me in the past seven years, and I go to one at least once a year. I figured Aerrow was the same way, especially since his reaction to Finn's prank wasn't recorded.

But I know what you're saying . . . Who cares about that?

I know what you want!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The skull with a sword through the eye is a lot like the skull and crossbones that was often used by pirates of the Earth seas once upon a time. In fact, I think some modern pirates still use it, although with modern technology it's a little less practical. (Yes, there are still pirates out there. You'll find them mostly in eastern Asian seas.) However, the skull and crossbones isn't the only flag pirates have used. Their have been many different black-and-white flags with different skeletal parts on them used by various different ships and captains. The most famous alternative to the skull and crossbones was Blackbeard's flag, displaying a skeleton holding a spear point to a red heart in the bottom right corner. These black-and-white skeletal flags were some of the first and most well-known tools of psychological warfare.

Apparently, symbols work for psychological warfare in the Atmos as well.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Unlike the Murk Raiders, pirates of the high seas normally didn't, and don't, sink the ships they attack. First off, the modern pirates do not attack with cannons, so it's nearly impossible for them to even attempt to sink a ship. Long ago pirates did attack with cannons, but they were often too small to have large, ship-sinking cannon balls. This was to reduce weight to keep their ships fast. Besides, the ship was half the booty. Once you captured a ship and repair it, you could use it. Murk Raiders apparently don't need that. However, what the two types of pirates share is that, when they do sink a ship, they always try to get the treasure stock: the money, and sometimes in Atmos, the crystals. Obtaining such is literally what pirates live for. The word "piracy" even means, "robbery." The problem is that, on the seas, you have to get the loot before it sinks down to Davy Jones' Locker.

I've gotten very few reviewers lately. So, I hope that more of you are reading than are reviewing. I also hope that more of you who are reading will review. The review can be one word or even four pages long. I don't care. Just please review!


	50. Terra Deep: Pirate Prowl

Chapter 2: Pirate Prowl

Stork was looking out the periscope when he saw a light coming toward them through the gloom. He turned to Piper. "I've got something nearby closing in!" he warned her.

Piper clutched her book in one hand and balled the other in a fist. She was nervous as could be. "Guys," she said desperately into the radio, "hurry up!"

* * *

In the wreckage, the boys were running as fast as they could back toward the _Condor_, with Aerrow in the lead, Radarr running on all fours behind him, Junko following, and Finn taking up the rear. "You're allergic to Murk Raiders," Aerrow heard Finn say to Junko, "and you're just remembering this now?"

"_Sorry!_" Junko yelled over his shoulder.

At that moment, Aerrow drew up suddenly. They had reached a place where the floor had fallen through. Aerrow looked down, shining his flashlight downward toward it. Surprisingly, there was no volcanic wasteland, like one would expect when looking down at the ground on Atmos, but there was also no solid ground that Aerrow could see. There was only a long fall to the jagged rocks below. But there was no time to go around. Leaning back to spring forward, Aerrow leaped across the hole effortlessly, stopping to wait for the others on the other side.

While Radarr went across, Junko had turned back to Finn. "It's not like you get to run into 'em every day!" he continued the argument with a dismissive smile. As soon as he said that, he started across, jumping from an outstretched remaining rafter to the other side of the hole.

Finn called across to him, putting his hands to the side of his mouth to project his voice. "That's 'cause when you run into Murk Raiders," he reminded him, "you don't usually walk away!" And with that, he started across the same way Junko had, but when he jumped onto the rafter, he began to lose his balance, threatening to fall over backward. "Whoa!" he said nervously. Aerrow held his breath. Junko reached back and grabbed Finn by the front of his shirt, pulling him across, much to Aerrow's relief.

They continued running until Junko slid to a stop. "Wow," he said as he sniffed. "I feel a big one comin'." He sniffed the air. "I bet they're really close," he said matter-of-factly.

Meanwhile, just outside the wreck, another ship just as big and fully intact was drifting by, a skull and three crossbones painted in white on its rudder at the stern.

* * *

Just beyond it, on the _Condor_, Piper had her head in her hand, worrying. Then Aerrow's anxious voice came over the speaker. "_Piper,_" he asked, "_where exactly are we?_"

Piper lifted up the book in her hand and flipped the page back. "'Terra Deep,'" she read, "'favorite hiding place of the Murk Raiders. This is where they drag airships to steal their crystal supplies and their crews!'"

* * *

In the wreck, the boys had stopped to listen to Piper's transmission. Finn and Junko cringed as Piper finished, and Finn clutched Junko's shoulder. "Huh? They steal crews?" he repeated nervously.

Aerrow knew he was leaving something out in his earlier review of their description. Yes, they stole crews to try to get them to become a Murk Raider as well, or to work under them as slaves. If that didn't work, then they kept the crew members for ransom. If no ransom could be acquired, then the crew members were disposed of.

Aerrow could feel himself being inclined to panic, but he had fought that emotion all his life, and he kept himself visibly calm, even though inside he was in turmoil. He knew he had to keep the others calm as well. He turned around to face them. "Let's stay cool," he told them. "As soon as we get back to the _Condor_, we're outta here." Finn and Junko nodded anxiously.

"_Quietly,_" Stork's voice urged over the radio in a whisper. "_Their sound-tracking devices are extremely sensitive._"

Suddenly, Aerrow heard a loud pinging sound as a nearly visible wave swept over them. He and the others cringed.

"_That would be the sound tracker,_" Stork radioed.

Then a searchlight started over the wreck. Unfortunately, the Storm Hawks' search party was under a huge hole in the roof of the ship. With a huge grunt, Aerrow turned around and jumped over the hunk of metal behind him, hiding behind it. The others, minus Radarr, followed suit. After the light had already fallen on him, Radarr leapt into a shadowed area only to have the light fall on him again. Seeing it was no use trying to hide, he held still with his hands held in the air and his ears flopping down, breathing heavily.

The Storm Hawks waited as silently as possible as the light passed over them, shining only on their heads. Apparently the Murk Raiders saw nothing because they passed right over them. Aerrow and Junko stood up as soon as it had passed, looking back up at it. Finn just peered at the opening in the roof from behind the hunk of metal.

The sonic finder was bound to notice the hum of the _Condor_'s engine, Aerrow knew. "Stork," he ordered over the radio, "play dead."

* * *

As soon as Stork heard Aerrow's order, he pulled down a lever at the helm. The power immediately went out on the _Condor_, leaving them in darkness as the shadow of the Murk Raider's ship fell over them. It was a huge ship, Piper could tell. It had to be nearly the same size as the Cyclonian Destroyers.

Then Piper heard a pinging sound and saw a wave pass through them. A sound detector. She clasped her hands together nervously. Hopefully they heard nothing.

* * *

As the boys were running back toward the _Condor_, pink-eyed Junko suddenly stopped again and sniffed. "Ah," he said, sniffling. "Oh, no!" He sniffled. "Oh, no!"

_Oh, no!_ Aerrow's thoughts screamed.

Luckily Finn was there to stick a finger under Junko's nose and curb the sneeze. The sharpshooter put a finger in front of his own mouth and shushed the Wallop.

When Finn took his finger away from Junko's nose, the Wallop sniffled and took a breath, only to reel back his head and threaten to let it out. As soon as he saw this, Finn covered his mouth, and Radarr jumped up on Junko's shoulder and put his bare paw over Finn's hand to reinforce it. Junko sucked in his mucus, making Aerrow and Radarr cringe in disgust, but Radarr and Finn did not remove their hand or paw for fear of what would happen if they did.

"I think I'm okay," Junko's muffled voice said as soon as he had sucked it all in. In relief, Radarr and Finn took their hand and paw away. No sooner did they do that when Junko screamed, "Ah-choo!" sending Radarr off his shoulder, flying through the air, and into a pile of scrap metal with a loud CRASH!

Everything happened quickly after that, as far as Aerrow could tell. Having detected the sounds, the Murk Raiders' searchlight fell over them and saw them plain as day. And then the massive ship turned and headed toward them!

It was quite a ship they had. The _Blood Crow_, they would later know her as. Already she had proven herself almost silent in stealth mode, masking her own energy trail from detection by ordinary methods, while her own sonic finder picked up the smallest sounds. She had a thin yet long design with a skull and three crossbones painted on her rudder at the stern. Her most frightening aspect, however, was on the bow; there at the front of the ship was a skull that had a huge mouth with gigantic teeth. To make it even more frightening, three metal rods stuck out on either side of the skull so that the bow of the ship resembled the symbol on the rudder. The very sight of it made Aerrow's blood run cold.

None of the search party members needed to be told twice. All of them high-tailed it back to the _Condor_ as fast as they could, Aerrow leading the way. No sooner had they made it back to the top of the wreck and headed toward the _Condor_ when the ramp came down to let them in. Aerrow ran up it as fast as his legs could carry him, his whole body in fight or flight mode. Junko, Finn, and Radarr followed close behind. Aerrow wasn't even all the way up the ramp yet when he shouted, "Stork, get us outta here!"

Radarr had just gotten his tail inside when the ramp came up, and the _Condor_ lifted herself off the wreck, taking off into the fog with the _Blood Crow_'s glowing yellow eyes in her skull-shaped bow glaring after her. The _Blood Crow_ then opened up her large jaws and emitted a sound not unlike a roar. She was after her prey.

On the _Blood Crow_'s bridge, the dreaded Captain Scabulous sat in the captain's seat on a stand in the middle of the bridge. This figure was quite a piece of work, a scaly, three-toed, three-fingered creature with black hair hanging down to the height of his chin. A huge red scar ran across his face and blinded his eye, not concealed by an eye patch which most would consider fit for a one-eyed pirate. His missing left arm was replaced by a mechanical limb, and like any Atmosian warrior, he wore plates of armor on various parts of his body. He was a legendary figure, feared throughout the Atmos, much as Blackbeard was on Earth. A strange smile spread across his one-eyed face as he saw the _Condor_ fly away in front of them. "Gear up, boys!" he ordered his crew. He stood up from his seat. "We've got ourselves a live one!"

The captain's first mate, Eyeball, stood at the helm. He was the same type of creature as his captain—most of the Murk Raiders were—only he was awfully obese. Two rings hung off on either side of his vest, and one ring hung from either shoulder plate of his armor, for he wore armor as well. A mechanical limb stood in the place of his missing left leg. This enthusiastic crewman, hearing his captain's order, put his trumpet to his mouth and blew.

Every hand on the ship knew that sound; they were going after some loot!

Immediately every free hand on the ship went into action. Cannons were run out of the _Blood Crow_'s side and loaded. The Murk Raiders laughed as they drew their dual-edged energy cutlasses fueled by purple yarr crystals.

Up on the bridge, every part of Captain Scabulous' being was focused on the _Condor_. "Full power ahead," he ordered quietly.

The _Blood Crow_ shot forward after the retreating _Condor_.

And on board the _Condor_, Aerrow's mind was working furiously. When he was really stressed, he might pace or move around a bit, but he hadn't reached his limit. The danger hadn't quite closed in on them up. He was still able to think clearly without revealing his fear to his team. He stood still behind Stork, who was at the helm. Aerrow's hand was on his chin as he pondered.

Finn wasn't quite so good at concealing his fear. He looked out the window anxiously. "Murk Raiders in here," he said nervously, putting his hand to the window, "Cyclonians waiting out there!" He clutched his fists fearfully. "We're trapped!"

That jogged Aerrow's brain. "Not if they can't find us," he said. He thought about what would be the closest thing in which they could not be found. "Stork," he ordered, leaning forward to add force to his voice, "head for the fog!"

Stork turned around at him with a queer, paranoid smile and said, "And right into zero visibility, bottomless caverns, and mangly pillars of razor-sharp rocks?"

"Exactly," Aerrow answered. The humor in it forced a lighthearted smile out of him. "I don't even wanna see what these guys look like," he answered.

"Right," Stork said. He turned back to the helm, and the _Condor_ made a tight turn to portside, straight into the fog.

The _Blood Crow_, the eyes on her skull-shaped bow glowing yellow and the ends of the six long appendages coming off of it glowing purple, like some deformed demon, turned about as the _Condor_ did so, following right in her tracks.

On the _Blood Crow_'s bridge, Captain Scabulous watched carefully, smiling to himself with enthusiasm. "They want a chase, do they?" he said with excitement. He rose from his chair and clenched his fist. "We'll give them a chase!"

The bridge of the _Blood Crow_ was filled with his evil laugh.

* * *

In the ever-thickening clouds of the fog, the _Condor_ cruised as fast as visibility would allow. Aerrow took a moment to check on his team. Everyone seemed fine, not that he expected otherwise. It was only a routine check, and he just needed to see if he should up their mood. Everyone was alright considering the situation. Only one member caused him concern. "Junko," he asked the pink-eyed Wallop over the intercom, "how ya holdin' up?"

How was he holding up? If he had been willing to answer, he would have admitted he wasn't so good. His eyes itched like crazy, he was so stuffed up he could hardly breath, and he couldn't seem to stop sneezing.

The Wallop was in his room. He stuck a sock in each nostril to try to curb the sneezing. But it didn't work. When he felt another one coming, he reached for the pillow on his bed next to his giant teddy bear. Putting the pillow to his face, he let out his sneeze. Feathers exploded everywhere and all over him as the pillow burst. He sniffled, the socks still stuck in his nose.

This was torture.

* * *

On the bridge, everything seemed to be going well. But then Aerrow nearly jumped out of his skin. The pinging sound was there again, and so were the visible sensory waves passing through them. Aerrow and Stork turned on the spot. The _Blood Crow_ was tracking them.

* * *

On the _Blood Crow_, Eyeball was watching the results from the sonic finder on the bridge. The tracker sensed sound waves and then transmitted them back to a pen that vibrated with the shape of the wave over a piece of long printing paper, making patterns on the paper that showed the sound waves in the shape of transverse waves. The louder the sound, the farther the pen moved. The more high-pitched the sound, the faster the pen moved.

There was a reason Eyeball was the one checking the results. This was one job he could do without messing up. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, nor the best shot in battle. His only real skills were being mean, bossing people around, listening to his captain, and snatching other peoples' wallets—something nearly all good pirates are good at. Checking the results on the sound tracker was easy. Besides, he _was_ the first officer; he had a right to monitor it.

"Hoo, hoo!" he laughed gleefully as he saw waves showing up on the paper from the sound of the _Condor_. "I got 'em, Captain!" he told Captain Scabulous, who stood behind him. "Just ahead!"

"Stay on them, Eyeball!" Scabulous ordered with a smirk, raising his mechanical hand. "Let's reel 'em in!"

The chase began. The _Blood Crow_ groaned as she moved forward after the little _Condor_, dwarfed by comparison. Another sonic finder signal was admitted, with more results, most of them produced by the _Condor_'s engine.

Captain Scabulous smiled as he saw the results on the paper. The pen was moving farther, making bigger strokes. The sounds were louder . . . which meant they were getting closer. "So close," Scabulous said, "I can taste it!" He brought his mechanical blade-like fingers together, his best attempt at a fist with his metal appendage.

* * *

On the _Condor_, a very different commander was trying to keep his wits about him. They were being tracked by a sound detector. Naturally, the best way to be hidden was to emit as little sound as possible. "Okay, everyone," Aerrow said, "on my mark, we go silent. Now!"

Stork cut off the _Condor_'s engines and the ship made a whirling sound as everything went black. Then Stork pulled her over to the starboard side as she hung on the wind currents and the density of the clouds, letting her slip silently into the gloom and away from the _Blood Crow_'s charge.

* * *

The steady beeping sound that had been emitted by the sonic finder as it picked up sounds suddenly began to speed in frequency and then stopped beeping altogether and started making a continuous ringing sound, like a heartbeat monitor losing a heartbeat. The pen stopped moving, and the line on the paper came out straight.

Eyeball stopped and stared down at the paper in astonishment. "Wait a minute," he said, lifting up the paper as it came out the machine. He spoke quietly for fear of how his captain would react. "I think we lost 'em."

Just as Eyeball had predicted, Captain Scabulous didn't take it well. "What do you mean we lost 'em?" he shouted in his face, lifting up his mechanical hand and hooking his blade-like fingers threateningly.

Eyeball didn't know how else to respond. The _Condor_ was off the radar.

* * *

On the _Condor_, while Finn kept lookout through the periscope, Aerrow and Piper were looking at the 200-year-old chart Stork had given them, trying to get a layout of the pillars of jagged rocks with their limited visibility. Piper pointed to a spot. "Here," she whispered, turning to Aerrow. That was where they needed to turn.

Aerrow turned to his pilot. "Stork!" he ordered in a stage whisper, his urgency making his tone harder than it needed to be. "Hard left. Now!"

"Hard left?" Stork repeated in a whisper just to be sure. But before Aerrow had a chance to confirm, Stork pulled the _Condor_ over to portside.

Aerrow went to the front view window, aware of Piper following him and taking a place by his side. He kept his fists clenched; he was as nervous as the others, and clenching his fists masked that. He couldn't let his team know he was anything but determined and fearless.

The _Condor_ steered silently around the rock pillars. Because the engine was off, Stork had to make exaggerated movements in order to turn her.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw Radarr move to the window on all fours and stand up on his hind legs to look straight ahead of them, churring softly as the rocks got closer and closer together, boxing them in. Piper, too, watched with her mouth slightly open to the side, looking concerned as two rocks ahead of them made a very narrow opening. Stork winced as they passed by it, the _Condor_'s side missing the jagged rock by inches. The gap ahead of them was even narrower. Aerrow knew they were worried that the _Condor_ couldn't get through. The thought had crossed his mind as well. But he had to believe she could make it. At a time like this, he couldn't afford _not_ to take chances.

Just then, he heard the sound he dreaded to hear; the _Condor_'s giant starboard engine scraping against the point of a rock along its bottom. Finn's head snapped up, with his teeth clenched fearfully. His fear was contagious, especially to one already vulnerable, and Aerrow tightened his fists, if that was possible. The sound lasted for only a little longer than a second, but he knew that, even so, the _Blood Crow_ must have picked it up.

* * *

Indeed, on the bridge of the _Blood Crow_, Eyeball smiled to hear the sonic finder admitting a beeping sound and seeing the pen move, making waves on the paper. But just when he had opened his mouth and made a sound to speak, the beeping turned into a ringing again, the pen stopped moving, a straight line was drawn across the paper, and the sound was lost. Eyeball frowned in irritation.

* * *

Stork's eye twitched and a drop of sweat had formed on his forehead as he clenched his teeth, concentrating on the _Condor_'s handicapped steerage in this hazardous area. Aerrow could see he was working hard and wished to relieve him, but right now, he needed the Merb's skills.

Both of them saw the gap up ahead of them in the rocks. "Um," Stork said nervously, "we're never gonna fit through here . . ."

Aerrow studied the gap. Maybe he should . . . But no. He spoke no order. The _Condor_ slowly neared the rocks.

Piper turned to her Sky Knight anxiously. "Aerrow, we gotta turn!"

"We'll make it," he assured her. They had to. He turned back to the windshield, frowning at it determinedly. This had to work.

But luck didn't stay with them. Still in his room and still having a sock stuck in either nostril, Junko began to suck in a breath as he felt the urge to sneeze again. He tried to stop, tried to stifle it, but it was no use. "Ah-choo!"

* * *

The sneeze was exactly what Eyeball was looking for. The first mate smiled as the sound tracker beeped again and began to make waves on the paper. A smirk spread across Captain Scabulous' face when he heard the sound. Now they had a bearing on the _Condor_'s location; the _Blood Crow_ veered to portside.

* * *

The little _Condor_ didn't even notice the _Blood Crow_ crawl up behind her, but Aerrow heard the pinging of the sonic finder and felt its wave sweep through him, and he knew the Murk Raiders had spotted them. Time for plan B—and yes, he actually had a plan B. Taking one last look at the jagged rocks to estimate their stability, he turned around to Stork and pointed to him. "Full speed!" he ordered.

Stork surely must have thought he was crazy, but he didn't hesitate. Applying the throttle, he brought the _Condor_ back to life, and she charged forward. And of course, just as expected, she had a few bumps. The first rock hit her on the starboard side. Aerrow grabbed the railing just before he nearly fell backward while Piper was thrown forward onto the railing. A second collision to the bow broke apart some of the pillars of rock. Stork heaved the _Condor_ over, keeping her out of the way of the falling rocks. The movement made Piper scream and sent Finn sliding across the ship. "Whoa, whoa!" he shouted, before having his back collide with the starboard side of the window.

As they made more collisions and made more rocks fall, Stork forced the _Condor_ upward. Aerrow leaned forward on the railing to keep himself upright. Hearing Piper grunt, he saw her doing the same at his side.

The flight through the falling rocks only lasted for another second and then . . . they were clear. Aerrow let the tension ease out of him, not realizing he had been hunching his shoulders. Stork and Piper did the same, Piper letting out a loud sigh of relief. Aerrow stared ahead for awhile, catching his bearings.

Piper recovered just a second before he did. She turned around to Stork. "Nice move," she congratulated him. Aerrow turned around and smiled. She'd beaten him to the punch.

All the same, they weren't clear of danger yet. Aerrow turned back to the window. "Well," he said, "let's hope it bought us some distance."

* * *

But even as the _Condor_ sped away, the _Blood Crow_ was nearing the rock pile they had created. Captain Scabulous was at her helm, and he smirked at the joy of the hunt. He did not slow when he saw the blockade. Instead, he just operated one of the _Blood Crow_'s many powerful energy cannons that stretched across her length, causing it to open up out of the ship and fire with yarr crystal energy at the rock pile. It only took one blow and the path was cleared. The _Blood Crow_ continued after the _Condor_.

The chase was far from over.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Stealing crews is not as unusual as some might think. It was, or is, actually a pretty standard behavior for pirates. When having captured a ship, most modern pirates just hold the crew hostage, but some do what most oldie pirates did: give them a choice. The choice is either death or to join their crew. Not everyone was willing to die when they had the chance to live, even if it meant becoming a pirate. Many pirates of the 18th century, although not majority of pirates, actually started out as captives. In fact, the famous Captain Jack (_not_ Jack Sparrow) actually started out as a captive and was elected captain by the crew when the captain before him was killed. He later became one of the most dreaded pirates of the Atlantic, second only after Blackbeard. Of course, many pirates who started out as captives, including Jack, slaved away under their captor pirates before they were trusted.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Hollywood has often taken the missing limbs of the pirates of the 18th century a little too far, but they weren't entirely unrealistic. Pirating, in Atmos or on Earth, is a dangerous business. It was not uncommon to see pirates with missing limbs. Often it was because they received battle wounds that were healed by amputation. After all, back in those days, with the risk of gangrene and other festering, a man had 1 out of 10 chances of surviving without amputation; he had 6 out of 10 chances of surviving if the injured limb was amputated. With the lack of medical care for Murk Raiders, perhaps it is the same for them. In fact, so often did you loose body parts as a pirate that, in order to keep people in their crews, pirates (who were quiet democratic) developed a system in which you were paid a certain number of pieces of eight for each lost limb. The amount depended on the limb that was amputated or shot off. However, pirates of the earlier centuries on Earth did not have mechanical replacements for their limbs. Therefore, captains were normally voted out of command if they had missing limbs. Remember, if you had a missing limb, you were handicapped, even with a hook or wooden leg to replace it.

Now, I happen to know some pirates, so if you don't review, they just might come and find you! He, he! Oh, I mean, um . . . Arg!


	51. Terra Deep: Dive Deep

Chapter 3: Dive Deep

Aerrow remained as still as possible, his ears straining to hear some sign of the _Blood Crow_. He heard Stork whimper quietly in front of him, driving at the helm as always.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw Junko looking around nervously. The Wallop's eyes were still frighteningly pink, nearly red, and he still had a sock in either nostril. However, Aerrow noticed with relief that he wasn't sneezing.

Junko noticed it, too. "Hey, guys," he whispered over the radio, "I think those Raiders might be gone."

Just then Aerrow heard a pinging sound that made his spine stiffen, and the sensory wave washed over them.

Junko scratched his head. "Uh, never mind."

Just then, Finn, who was looking through one of the periscopes on the bridge, saw something that made him visibly nervous. The _Blood Crow _was descending upon them! He pulled away from the periscope. "Topside, six o'clock!" he warned, pointing to the ceiling in the _Blood Crow_'s general direction.

Topside! They had to get down! "Stork, dive!" Aerrow ordered immediately. He hadn't really thought that through. He just knew it was the only direction _away _from the _Blood Crow_ and her Murk Raiders.

Stork obeyed as soon Aerrow gave the order.

There wasn't much time to really know the situation. Aerrow knew that they were going down into a cavern—there were caverns all over the place around here—and he hoped that Piper knew their bearings and could tell them which one. Piper had already gone to the round table to look at the chart she had lain out upon it. Aerrow stepped up beside her. "Piper," he asked, "how far down does this tavern go?"

"So deep it's not even on the map," Piper answered anxiously. She slid the map over to him to see. Sure enough, Aerrow could see no depth reading. That can't be good.

Piper added to the bad news. "Aerrow," she told him, her voice almost shaking, "those aren't just any clouds down there!"

Stork took up for her, turning around to address them. "Deeper we go," he began holding up a hand, "the denser they get. Until finally . . . crunch!"

Aerrow was nervous now, but he had to go through with it. They could use this to their advantage, he thought suddenly. "W-what's the _Condor_'s limit?" he asked Stork hesitantly.

"Fifteen hundred," Stork answered. "Give or take."

Aerrow put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I hope it's deeper than theirs," he thought aloud.

* * *

Standing on the bridge of the _Blood Crow_, Captain Scabulous watched as the _Condor_ disappeared into the cavern while Eyeball drove. "Big mistake," the captain said. "We were made for those clouds!

"Boys," he announced with a smirk, "prepare for running the Deeps!"

Everyone on the bridge smirked at this, and a one-eyed crew member with an eye patch over his missing eye disappeared down the hatch to join the rest of the crew in getting prepared.

The crew was busy going to work. The ties on the cannons were tightened, the bolts on the machinery were tightened, and more crates of yarr crystals had to be brought in. And while they worked, the Murk Raiders sang a highly off-tune song, their voices making a low, grating, and forbidding sound. One of them, a one-armed Merb with a mechanical arm with a skull-shaped hand on the end of it and a crystal-studded chest, sang a low solo for the final line. They sang:

"_Deeps, Deeps,_

_They'll crush your tiny hulls!_

_Deeps, Deeps!"_

Solo:

"_Leave nothing but your skulls!"_

In the end, the one-armed Merb clanked the jaws of his skull-shaped hand together to emphasis the last line.

They were ready to run the deeps.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Piper monitored their depth, using a small tracker in her palm and using the chart on the round table. "Crossing fifteen hundred," she announced.

Aerrow's face was set in a hard line, trying to avoid any fearful reaction that might escape from him. He stood behind Stork, who was, as always, at the helm. The Merb shivered. "I bet at two thousand," he said, "we'll be flat as a flapjack!"

As if in answer to him, the _Condor_ let off a shifting crack.

"Two thousand!" Piper read out, her voice jumping a couple octaves.

From somewhere inside the ship, a pipe blew a bolt. Both Aerrow and Stork flinched. Stork was wide-eyed, his teeth clenched. Aerrow could feel himself wanting to react the same way, but he couldn't do that. Not now. And more than anything, he needed his pilot to keep control, too. "Come on, Stork," he scolded jokingly. "Where's your sense of adventure?" That came out bad, Aerrow noticed. His voice was a little high and a little more frantic than he had wanted to betray, and his smile had been weak. He hoped the others hadn't picked up on it.

"Twenty-five hundred," Piper announced.

Amazingly, Stork still took Aerrow seriously despite the fact that it had been a bad cover-up. Now the Merb was annoyed as well as afraid. "This is the most fun I've ever had," he grumbled sarcastically.

Just then, Aerrow was nearly thrown forward and Stork was forced to hug the helm when something else broke and the _Condor_ gave a sudden jolt. Around them, gauges stopped when their glass coverings cracked. Pipes all around them began to blow steam. Finn grunted as he began to turn the wheel to seal the pipes, working frantically. But more pipes continued to fall apart due to the pressure the ship was under. Aerrow didn't even want to think about what it was like in the engine room right now . . .

The engine room! They needed to keep that together. He needed someone to cover that. And there was only one person not doing anything. "Junko," he ordered the Wallop over the intercom, "forget your allergies! I need you in the engine room to help hold the ship together."

Well, Junko took the socks out of his nostrils and went to work without complaint. After all, when he was already feeling this miserable, he didn't think Aerrow would make him do anything unless he absolutely needed him.

Surprisingly enough, Radarr joined him. Having picked up on Aerrow's frightened mood, seemingly invisible to everyone else, the little creature had been made frightened by it as well . . . the very reason Aerrow had been trying to hide it in the first place. So Radarr had gotten away as soon as another job presented itself.

As the ship descended lower, Junko grunted as he hooked together a pipe in the engine room, one that had burst at the seams. No sooner had he done that when a pipe off to his right did the same thing.

As more pipes began letting off steam, Junko went to turn the wheel to seal them up, letting out a loud Wallop grunt as he did so.

Meanwhile, Radarr was trying to stop-up a hole in another steam pipe. But the pressure built up, and the copilot squawked as he was shot backward. Junko immediately went to another wheel to close that one up, too.

Radarr went to fix another leak in another pipe, putting his front paw over it to stop it up. No sooner did he do that when he squawked with alarm as another leak startled him. And of course, this one had to be just out of reach. Radarr reached over and stopped it up with his opposite hind paw. Then one right in front of his face flew. He leaned forward against the steam with a low growling sound, the hot steam penetrating his fur and stinging his face. He tried to stop up the whole with his mouth, but his eyes widened as the unbearable heat went up through him and out his ears with a loud, painful whistle.

Maybe he should have stayed on the bridge with Aerrow after all.

But luckily, he wouldn't have to deal with it for long. Up on the bridge, Aerrow could finally see that the _Condor_ had reached her limit. "All stop!" he ordered.

Stork pulled a lever down on the helm, and the _Condor_ emitted a whirling noise and went black as her power was cut. She leveled out and let the dense clouds wash over her from the high wind currents. They whistled, creating an eerie sound that made Aerrow suppress a shiver.

Finn was back at the periscope he had been looking through. Apparently he didn't see the _Blood Crow_, because he pulled back from the scope and whispered, "Do you think we lost 'em?"

Aerrow's eyes narrowed. He hoped he'd lost them, but he wouldn't bet on it.

* * *

Sure enough, luck was not on their side. Captain Scabulous was looking down on them from the _Blood Crow_'s bridge. "Right on them, boys!" he announced with a smirk and a small chuckle. "Drop the charges!" And with that, he broke out in hysterics at the thought of what would happen when the charges were dropped.

Smirking with his captain, Eyeball, who was at the helm, let loose the Murk Raider depth charges from trapdoors in the bowels of the _Blood Crow_. Each was a giant mine studded with explosive crystals. They had skulls painted on them and three rods coming out on either side so that they were shaped like the Murk Raiders' symbol. It was these rods that had the crystals.

The Storm Hawks were in for it now.

* * *

A roll of thunder rumbled overhead as the Storm Hawks waited in silence. Aerrow was tense as ever, but surprisingly his heart rate was under control. He was rather proud of himself; so long as he thought only in a strategic manner, it seemed he could escape fear in the conscious mind.

Piper was looking at the ceiling fearfully, waiting for something to come down on them. As the seconds dragged on, Aerrow, too, felt uneasy about the stillness, and his temporary escape from fear was breached. He watched the ceiling, his ears tuned to the softest sounds. Stork, too, was on alert, his eye twitching nervously.

Then . . . BOOM!

"Whoa!" Aerrow yelled as he was thrown forward. From somewhere behind him, he heard Piper scream. They'd been hit.

Three more crashes slammed against the _Condor_, which was already unstable due to the pressure she was under. It was Finn who first figured out what was wrong. He slid across the floor on his feet into the starboard side of the window, slamming his face into it. "Proximity charges!" he shouted. He gasped as another one struck them.

Stork was forced onto his knees at the last blow, and he slid across the floor of the _Condor_ toward the helm. As he stood up and took control of the helm, he said, "I give us three more of these near-misses before," he smirked, "_crunch!_"

Another blow crashed against the _Condor_'s stern. Aerrow's ears rang with the sound of a busted pipe singing. Finn squealed and turned around to him frantically when the window under the sharpshooter's hands began to crack.

"Okay," Stork corrected. "One more near-miss."

Piper clutched the round table desperately while Aerrow grasped the railing behind the helm. The Sky Knight could see this was doing them no good. Besides, he was tired of this whole mess and had forced his fear into indifference. "Change of plan," he announced. "It's time to take these guys head-on! Stork," he ordered, "take us up."

Surprisingly, Stork smirked. With skilled hands, he turned the _Condor_ about and pointed her upward as depth charges went off around them.

* * *

Eyeball looked down upon the _Condor_ from the _Blood Crow_'s periscope as the smaller ship headed toward them with depth charges going off around her. "Here they come!" he cheered to Captain Scabulous, who stood beside him with his hands on his hips.

"Eyeball!" Scabulous addressed his first mate. Eyeball turned around expectantly, holding his hands together and smiling. "Prepare a boarding party," the captain ordered. Eyeball rubbed his hands together at the thought of the prospect. "We're about to replenish our supplies!" Captain Scabulous finished. And with that, he let out an evil laugh.

* * *

Stork's eyes narrowed as he aimed the _Condor_ toward the _Blood Crow_, with depth charges still going off around them. Aerrow's hands were sweaty under his gloves and his heart fluttered with excitement, but he did not dwell on what he was feeling, only thinking strategically, and therefore was unaware of any fear within him. "All hands, battle stations!" he shouted to the others.

Both Junko and Finn got on one of the energy cannon turrets on either side of the _Condor_, pulling out of the gun ports in the _Condor_'s hull to shoot. Stork had his finger on the blasters. Everyone was ready for Aerrow's next orders.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the _Blood Crow_ as they approached her. _Wait,_ he thought to himself. _Wait . . ._

Now. "Open fire!"

The _Condor_ zoomed by the _Blood Crow_. She was on the _Condor_'s starboard side, where Junko was stationed, and he and Stork threw everything they had at it. The Murk Raiders were caught off guard during this first charge, and their cannons, run out along the ship's hull, gave very few shots back, and all missed. But although most Junko's and Stork's shots hit, the _Blood Crow_ was hardly affected, getting away with little more than a few scratches on her ugly sides.

As the _Blood Crow_ recovered, their cannons began to blast mighty shots, some frighteningly near-accurate. Stork pulled the _Condor_ nearly up on her port side to avoid some shots while Junko kept blasting and Aerrow held onto the railing for all he was worth. He caught only a glimpse of the window, and saw a one-eyed, one-armed, scaly creature block the light of the _Condor_'s shots from his eyes. The captain, he guessed.

The next thing he knew, the _Condor_ was free of fire and heading for open, murky skies. They'd made it past the _Blood Crow_.

But what he didn't know was that the _Blood Crow_ was turning about and ascending, chasing them once again.

Aerrow didn't let his guard down just yet, but his relief was real, and he could see it in the others. Finn and Junko were unbelievingly optimistic about losing the Murk Raiders for good. Finn turned around to Junko. "Nice shootin' there, sneeze-o!"

No sooner did he say this when suddenly, the jaws of the growling _Blood Crow_'s bow suddenly appeared in front of them. Aerrow's heart missed a beat as Stork turned the _Condor_ up on her side to avoid a collision, a collision that the _Blood Crow_ would certainly have withstood, smashing the _Condor_ to pieces in the process.

Soon as they were clear of disaster, Stork spun the _Condor_ around a pinnacle tower of rock to fire at the _Blood Crow_ once again. Finn was firing his heart out, shooting left and right and always hitting his mark. Mostly he aimed for the bow. Eyeball was blinded a second by the lights of the exploding crystal pulses, but other than that, the only damage were a few scratches, and bow was hardly scathed. Stork did his best to avoid shots on them, tilting the _Condor_ this way and that.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to avoid all of them. Aerrow felt the floor lurch under his feet as a cannon blast from the _Blood Crow_ blew a hole in the _Condor_'s hull on portside. "Whoa!" he cried as he felt himself thrown to the side with the impact, and he grabbed the railing for support. The _Condor_ was listing to starboard, falling. Piper screamed and her hand met his on the railing, and Aerrow found it a strange comfort.

But the Murk Raiders would not let them fall. After all, what was the point of conquering their quarry if they didn't get the prize? No, they shot out two grapnels that gripped the _Condor_ on either side of the now-gaping hole in her side. As soon as they were secure, the Murk Raiders working the ropes began to reel them in!

Aerrow braced himself with a grunt as he felt the _Condor_ lurched in the opposite direction she had been falling. Slowly he lifted his eyes to see what was happening, fearing what he would find.

The _Blood Crow_ was reeling them into her, pulling them up toward her skull-shaped bow. Finn, who was on the side toward the skull, gawked at it a moment before he collected himself and began firing at the bow. It did not faze the _Blood Crow_ at all.

Then, as Aerrow watched with a horror, he was shaken to see something he had never expected. The jaws of the _Blood Crow_ began to open. The "mouth" widened and widened until it looked like the _Blood Crow_ was going to swallow the _Condor_ whole, like some giant, ship-eating monster. Aerrow heard Piper cringe and saw her turn her head away. Meanwhile, his own stomach was churning. He'd never seen anything like this . . .

Just when their portside, pontoon-like engine was in the mouth, the jaws closed again, this time trapping the _Condor_ in between the two jaws. Finn tried a few more desperate shots, but it was useless. They were trapped.

On board the ship of their captors, Captain Scabulous covered his eyes from the light of the cannon shots from the _Condor_. But it was a smirk he wore on his face as he let his hand down. "Lower the slider, boys!" he ordered. "We're going aboard!"

This caused great excitement among the Murk Raiders. Eyeball smirked, and the one-armed Merb next to him let out a battle cry. Other Murk Raiders laughed in their hoarse tones and drew their cutlasses from the sheaths on their belts, igniting the cutlasses. Then the captain let out his own evil laugh and drew his energy saber, a duel-ended cutlass powered by a deadly purple fathom crystal. It was intended to stick through the heart of any crew members who would not cooperate. They would tear apart the ship and steal any money and crystals they could find . . . and take the crew and give them their choice.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Captain Scabulous may have gotten his name from a couple words. Firstly, he had a scab over his unseeing left eye. "Sabulous" also was a possibility for an origin word, a word that describes something with a gritty texture, perhaps describing his skin and/or personality. "Sedulous" means to work with great zeal and persistence, perhaps describing the way Captain Scabulous hunts down his victims.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: Diving down into the cavern where cabin pressure increases is very similar to what it is like to dive deep into the ocean. The deeper you go, the more water pressure you're under. The pressure about five miles down below the surface of the ocean is so great that it can swash a car like it was a soda can. Imagine what the pressure would be like in the Marianna Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. That's about seven miles under the surface of the ocean!

Anyone want to review? Yes? No? *greeted with silence* Ah, come on! What do I got to do? Stand on my head and sing, "Mary had a Little Lamb"? Hey, no I was being sarcastic. That's _not_ going to happen. Nope, no begging.

Fine. You guys are cruel. "Mary had a Little Lamb, blah, blah, blah." Hey, this is actually kinda hard. The blood's rushing to my head! Can't sing!

Okay, now will you review?


	52. Terra Deep: Battle in the Deeps

Chapter 4: Battle in the Deeps

Aerrow ran to the cabin where the hole in the ship was located, staring at the giant opening in the Murk Raider's ship. All he could see was what looked like a closed hatch. Piper was soon at his side, ready with her energy staff. Finn and Junko were still getting up from the energy cannons, ready to follow Aerrow's orders for their next plan.

At first, Aerrow didn't know what to do. He only knew that if the Murk Raiders tried anything, he would fight to his last breath to keep from letting his team be overcome. He glared at the hole, waiting.

Just as he thought, the hatch in the jaws of the _Blood Crow_ opened, and a ramp was lowered down to the hole in the _Condor_. Murk Raiders charged down the ramp at them with raised cutlasses, shouting out their battle cries. One of them stopped in the opening, looking around for enemies, while the others filed in.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed. There was nothing left to do but fight. "Let's blast these scavengers back to the fog!" he shouted to his team. He drew his blades, and beside him, Piper spun her staff. It was time for battle.

The Murk Raiders were coming in a river now. Junko met them head on. With a Wallop roar, he drew back his Knuckle Buster-powered fists and sent one of the Murk Raiders flying into the wall behind him.

Piper had been distracted in watching him. She was soon charged by three of the Murk Raiders. The first one met her with his cutlass slashing out at her, but she deflected it with her staff. The Murk Raider growled at her, but she only smiled cockily. She spun her staff around, grunting with each movement, and struck the Murk Raider right in the head. The Murk Raider groaned as stars danced around his head, and he collapsed. Feeling good about herself, Piper looked around to see what the others were doing.

Finn stood on top of a stack of supply crates with his crossbow hanging off his back and a rope in his hand. He smiled at Piper and laughed tauntingly at a group of Murk Raiders standing on a much smaller stack of crates, raising their cutlasses to them him in vain. Piper had a feeling what Finn was trying to do, and she couldn't help but feel that it would not end well for the sharpshooter.

Sure enough, Finn jumped off the stack of crates, swinging on the rope like a jungle man with his leg extended toward his enemies. But he miss-judged his distance, and he cried out in fear as soon as he realized that. Piper cringed as he slammed into the crates _underneath_ the Murk Raiders and fell to the floor unconscious. Luckily the Murk Raiders didn't pay him much attention after that.

Radarr, meanwhile, had somehow made his way up on top of the _Condor_. One Murk Raider spotted him and had climbed up after him. Radarr growled menacingly at the Murk Raider, but the pirate only smirked back and pulled himself up onto his feet. But that was alright with Radarr. He was prepared. He took a tiny blue crystal out of the pack on his back, smiling and chirping with amusement as he thought about what would happen next. Then he threw the crystal toward the Murk Raider. The pirate watched it warily as it bounced to his feet . . . and exploded.

The Murk Raider cried out in fear as he lost his footing and began to fall down into the Deeps. Luckily for him, his parachute stopped his fall.

Radarr watched him with narrowed eyes and a satisfied smile, proud of the success of his plan, when he cocked an ear. Someone was charging him, crying out in a deep, harsh voice. Another Murk Raider jumped down right behind him and slashed out at the furry copilot. Luckily Radarr had heard him in time, and he leapt out of the way. _Well, this isn't good,_ he thought.

Back down in the cabin of the _Condor_, Junko was face to face with a Murk Raider. The mighty Wallop, normally such a docile creature, was in full battle mode. Instinct to fight as Wallops had done for centuries had taken over his placidity. He stomped on the ground angrily, letting out a Wallop roar and re-igniting his Knuckle Busters. The Murk Raider returned the yell, raising his cutlass. But Junko made quick work of him, punching him as hard as he could with his Buster.

No sooner had he gotten rid of that Murk Raider when another one jumped him from behind. He punched that one away. Then one came from the other direction, trying to stab his cutlass into the Wallop's back. Junko turned around and met his charge with his arm, swiping him back. The Murk Raider flew across the room, hit another Murk Raider, and the two fell out of the hole and ended up parachuting to the bottom of Terra Deep.

Piper hadn't been watching this time. She was too busy deflecting another Murk Raider who was charging her, meeting his charge with her staff and knocking him to the side. Just then, the one-armed Merb landed in front of her, laughing tauntingly, egging her on.

Piper was more than willing, but their fight was interrupted when Radarr scurried in between them on all fours, being chased by a laughing Murk Raider with a raised cutlass. _Well, that was random, _Piper thought. Not thinking twice about it, she got back in her warrior stance to face the one-armed Merb.

The Merb had a secret weapon. He lowered his mechanical arm, opened his jaw-like fist, and fired shots from within the "mouth" of his skull-shaped arm. Piper easily deflected the first two shots, and when the third one came her way. She got an idea. When she deflected it, she sent it toward the tool safe hanging above the Merb. The safe opened, and the Merb shouted in dismay as a couple pounds of metal tools were dumped on top of his head. The pile of tools engulfed him and made a slight movement as he lifted his head. "Ouch," he groaned.

That took care of him. Piper looked around for Radarr, wondering if he had gotten away.

To her dismay, Radarr had run himself right into a dead end. He turned around as his ears flicked toward the sound of the Murk Raider's boots behind him, and he flattened himself against the wall, eyes widened in terror and hyperventilating. The Murk Raider smirked at him. Then, to Piper's surprise, Radarr plucked up his courage. A _lot_ of courage. His eyes narrowed and he growled viciously at the Murk Raider. "Huh?" the pirate said in surprise. The next thing Piper knew, Radarr was growling like a rabid beast and chasing the Murk Raider, who was wailing in terror.

Radarr chased the Murk Raider right past another Murk Raider who was painting his symbol on the wall of the _Condor_ as if she had already been conquered. Junko was the first to see him, and the act made his blood run even hotter. He took a threatening step toward the Murk Raider holding the brush and bucket of white paint, his face twisted in a snarl. The Murk Raider must have heard him, because he turned around and winced to see the Wallop glaring at him.

But before Junko had a chance to "Wallop" him, his eye twitched as he felt a sneeze coming. "Ah-choo!" he sneezed at the Murk Raider. The pirate went flying across the room, dropping the brush and bucket of paint, which spilled all over the floor. _What do you know?_ Junko thought to himself. His allergies had come in handy.

He was still feeling miserable from his allergies and still feeling stuffed up when he heard to Murk Raiders charging him from behind with raised cutlasses. He turned around. No sooner did he do so when he sneezed them and their cutlasses right out of the ship. _That's better,_ he thought as he felt some of the mucus clear.

Aerrow was too busy fighting off the main swarm of Murk Raiders to really pay attention to what the others were doing. No sooner had he fought off another pack when more started charging at him. With a grunt, he launched himself into the air and flipped, landing in the middle of the pack just as he had intended. The Murk Raiders all felt this was to their advantage, seeing as they had him surrounded, and they raised their cutlasses to come down on him at once. But Aerrow spun his blades around with a cry and sent them all flying off in different directions.

He glanced around uneasily, waiting more that he knew were sure to come, when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention. A one-armed, one-eyed Murk Raider had just stepped into the opening of the _Condor_, looking rather casual in his movements. Aerrow's eyes narrowed and his face twisted in a cold smirk. The creature was scaly, much like the person he had seen on the bridge of the _Blood Crow_ during their cannon exchange. He had an air of confidence and supremacy about him that made Aerrow's blood run cold. The captain. And not just any captain from the looks of it, but the dreaded, infamous Captain Scabulous.

Captain Scabulous ran his eye over the boy who stood in his way, a smirk playing on his lips. "Permission to come aboard?" he asked tauntingly as he waved his mechanical hand, laughing at his own joke.

Aerrow ground his teeth together. "Permission denied!" he shouted. He charged toward the captain. With his running start, he leapt into the air just over Scabulous, his blades raised high to come down upon him. But Scabulous only smirked at him again and shoved him back with his saber. Aerrow brought his blade forward again, but a block from the captain forced both blades and saber to the ground. This time it was Scabulous' turn to attack, and Aerrow's blade kept the saber from entering his head.

Their blades clashed again, and the captain hissed, taking a step toward the Sky Knight. Aerrow was forced backward with each blow, unable to make an offensive move. Finally, he held his ground, pressing his blade against the saber. But Scabulous kicked Aerrow in the stomach, sending the boy backward nearly two yards.

The kick knocked the wind out of Aerrow, but he was used to fights like this. He landed on his feet in a crouching position, stopping to catch his breath but ready for anything.

As Scabulous smirked at him again, Aerrow felt his blood run hot with rage. Fear had been abandoned for anger and adrenaline, and he rushed at the captain again, striking at him, only to be deflected again. The three blades met, each commander trying to subdue the other as they pressed their weapons against the blade of the other. But even though Aerrow had two blades holding back one, he grunted and gasped with effort as he felt himself being forced back. He was quick, but he was not strong. And if Captain Scabulous pinned him to the floor, Aerrow knew there would be little he could do.

The _Condor_ rocked under their feet as Stork tried to pull her away from the _Blood Crow_'s jaw-like trap. None of the Murk Raiders had invaded the bridge yet, and Stork was doing the best he could to help out by trying to make sure no other Murk Raiders could enter. But pull as he might on the helm, the _Condor_ could only break away inch by inch.

A sound from behind him distracted the Merb. A Murk Raider leapt in behind him in a crouched position with his cutlass in his mouth. Once set, he took his cutlass from his mouth and ignited it, letting out a battle cry. But Stork only smirked at him. The Murk Raider was standing in the perfect spot. Stork pulled down a lever at the helm.

At first, the Murk Raider only shrugged and cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering what that was all about. Then a rumbling from the vent beside him warned him something bad was coming. Suddenly, a metal fist burst out of the vent and punched the Murk Raider in the head. With a loud cry, the pirate was sent flying across the room, his cutlass clattering on the floor where he had stood.

Stork smiled at his success and remembered what the others had said when he had first installed this metal puncher. They hadn't been so supportive. The Merb waved dismissively. "'You're wasting your time, Stork,'" he mimicked one of them. "'That'll never work, Stork,'" he mimicked another, holding his hand up and moving it like a puppet. He finished with a satisfied grin on his face. "Hmm! I was right. The rest were wrong."

Back in the cabin, Aerrow had been able to escape his and Scabulous' lock by jumping backward, but Scabulous only came at him again and forced him back into it. "You're about to find out why Murk Raiders are feared across the Atmos!" he growled to Aerrow as he forced him back. He shoved Aerrow to the ground, and the boy rolled out of the way just as the Murk Raider slashed at where his shoulder had been only moments before.

Aerrow was up on his feet as soon as he could stand, and he spun his blades around and charged the captain again. Their blades glanced off each others, and Scabulous moved swiftly to the side, slashing out at Aerrow before the boy had time to block. He was still able to avoid the blow by sucking in his belly as it came by. Another strike from Scabulous was aimed for Aerrow's head, and he ducked to avoid it.

The Murk Raider captain was upon him again, forcing him to lock blades once more. But this time, Aerrow had a plan. As the Murk Raider growled at him, Aerrow was able to extend his arm to gain leverage over the captain. "You're about to find out why _I'm_ a Sky Knight!" he retorted with a smile.

With a shove, he was able to gain air between the blades. That was just what he needed. He launched himself into the air straight up, and his foot came down upon Scabulous' shoulder. The captain was too solid to knock down in this way, but he was stunned long enough for Aerrow to avoid his saber when the captain tried to drive it into his stomach. The blade stuck into the wall of the ship, and Scabulous growled in frustration when he found he could not pull it out.

In fury, the Murk Raider captain turned about and charged Aerrow weaponless, relying on his skill and mechanical hand to fight the Sky Knight now. Aerrow narrowed his eyes as he came at him. Wait for it . . . Now! The captain launched his spear-like mechanical arm at Aerrow, but the Sky Knight leapt out of the way, and the arm stuck into the floor of the _Condor_. Scabulous looked up in surprise in time to hear Aerrow's one cry and see his foot coming toward his face.

The kick sent Scabulous flying across the room before sliding on his back. The heavy thud rang throughout the ship, and Murk Raiders all around turned to see what had happened, staring in disbelief. Did their undefeatable captain just get beat?

With pained effort, Captain Scabulous straightened out his neck and lifted his head, his eyes locking in glare at Aerrow. If he had his saber, he would have leapt to his feet and cut off the Sky Knight's head there and then. But he did not have his saber, he was sore, and he was on the ground.

The scared Murk Raiders retreated back to the _Blood Crow_, crying out in terror. Even the Murk Raider who had his cutlass locked with Piper's staff turned about to see the others fleeing, and, turning back with a sheepish smile at Piper's snarl, he fled after them. Piper smiled with pride as she saw they had them on the run.

Finn, who was still unconscious on the floor, was awakened when one of the Murk Raiders stepped on his hand on the way out. Aerrow heard him screaming as he awoke, staring wide-eyed at his throbbing red hand.

Captain Scabulous watched furiously as his men ran past him, and he sat up, sending a silent threat at Aerrow and growling in fury. But Piper and Junko were at Aerrow's side in a second in case Scabulous tried anything.

Seeing the Sky Knight with his squadron and watching his own crew leave him, Captain Scabulous was nearly shaking with anger. "Cowards!" he called to his crew. "I didn't call for retreat!"

"Huh," Aerrow said with smile of triumph. "Then I will." He turned to his mechanic. "Junko—"

Junko got the hint. He growled at the Murk Raider, taking a threatening step toward him. Scabulous gasped as he guessed what was happening. Taking a big breath of air to get a nose-full of the Murk Raiders' scent, Junko let out a sneeze that echoed through the ship and sent the captain flying back to his ship.

Aerrow couldn't believe it! They'd fought off a whole crew of Murk Raiders. And not just any Murk Raiders, but _Captain Scabulous'_ Murk Raiders! He clenched his fist triumphantly. "Yes!"

At the last minute, Finn came swinging in on a rope, landing behind them with his crossbow in his hand. "Is that the last of 'em?" he cried, raising his crossbow to his shoulder. "Come on, give me some more!"

Aerrow, Junko, and Piper turned around skeptically, and Piper even tilted her head with an exasperated expression. Aerrow wasn't sure he really wanted any more Murk Raiders to fight; he was rather sore from his struggle with Scabulous. Besides, Finn hadn't been much help anyway. Oh well, what do you do with hotshots?

With the Murk Raiders off the ship, Stork was struggling more than ever to free the _Condor_. The engines groaned as she fought the jaws of her captors until finally she pulled free with a loud groan. The _Blood Crow_'s jaw-like trap slammed shut, and the grapnels were pulled loose one at a time. The _Condor_ was free! Quick as she could, she made a break for it.

The captain and his first mate of the ship left behind were left staring after her, snarling. "They're gettin' away!" Eyeball said from his position at the helm.

At first, all Captain Scabulous could do was snarl at the window, but a loud, low sound from outside attracted his attention. As he recognized the sound, he smirked. "Friends are coming, boys," he assured his crew, his evil laugh filling the bridge.

As he said it, two humongous ships appeared out of the gloom, flying up beside the _Blood Crow_. It was time to try again. No one messed with Captain Scabulous and got away with it.

* * *

On the _Condor_, everyone but Stork stood at the hole in the side of the ship, making sure they were not followed. Then Junko sucked in a breath, and Aerrow and Finn turned to him in horror; after all, they were in the line of fire. But Junko only sniffled. "Oh," he said. "I think I just ran out of sneeze."

At that moment, Finn looked out the hole and back into the gloom, his eyes widening in terror. "Dude," he said to Aerrow, "they've got really _big_ reinforcements." He pointed out the hole behind them.

Aerrow leaned out to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, the _Blood Crow_ had been joined by two more ships. They were similar in build, but they lacked the bow-mouth, which was replaced by similar-looking masks. What was scary about them was the way they dwarfed the _Blood Crow_, which was a decent-sized ship. They were more than twice her size! They would probably dwarf the Cyclonian Destroyers by half!

Cyclonian Destroyers . . . That was it! If the Murk Raiders have reinforcements . . . "Then we're gonna need some reinforcements of our own!" he thought aloud. "Stork," he radioed the pilot, "take us out of here the way we came in, fast as you can!"

Stork, driving at the helm, narrowed an eye at the strange suggestion, but he did not hesitate to put on the throttle. The _Condor_ shot forward the way she had come.

At the hole, Piper seemed to be weighing the idea. Only she could guess what Aerrow's plan was. "That's a pretty risky move, Aerrow," she said. But then she wavered in a saucy movement in front of him, bringing a smile to Aerrow's face when she said, "But I like it!"

Stork was being carefully as he drove the _Condor_ through the spear-like towers of rock with the Murk Raiders on her tail. A drop of sweat had formed on his forehead. He avoided the rocky towers with great skill, but the Murk Raiders saved time by simply blasting through them. All the Storm Hawks made it back to the bridge, and each watched the window, tense.

On the _Blood Crow_, Captain Scabulous was smirking at them. He had taken control of the helm, and slowly, he was gaining on them. It wouldn't be long now, he thought. The _Blood Crow _shot through another tower that the _Condor_ had swiftly avoided, getting closer.

Stork still stared ahead, his face twisted in a strained grimace. Finn looked out back at the Murk Raiders using the periscope. "They're gaining!" he announced, panicked.

"We'll make it," Aerrow assured him. They had to.

At last, the stormy fog was ahead of them. Lightning flash threateningly as the _Condor_ entered the fog. It wouldn't be long now . . .

In the next instant, the _Condor_ broke through to the other side where the Cyclonians were still waiting patiently. The scar-faced commander to the Cyclonian fleet narrowed his eyes at the Storm Hawks' ship when he saw her. "I knew they wouldn't last long in there," he said to himself. "Prepare to fire!" he ordered the driver, who smiled at the thought of action.

But then . . . the _Blood Crow_ and her companions appeared. The Cyclonian commander's face fell.

"But, sir," his driver said uneasily, "those are Murk Raiders."

The _Condor_ flew closer to the Cyclonian Destroyers, but now no eyes were on her. Not even the Murk Raiders'. As soon as they saw the destroyers, the _Blood Crow_'s crew members' eyes lit up. "I bet they have lots of crew!" Eyeball said to his captain with a smile.

Captain Scabulous smirked. "Right you are, Eyeball!" he congratulated him. He looked about at the rest of the crew and radioed to the other ships at the same time he gave the command. "Move those cannons, boys!" he ordered. "We've got a new catch!"

The Murk Raider ships all turned their cannons to point at the Destroyers. The first shot fired right at the bow of the front ship, where the commander was stationed.

The Cyclonian commander braced himself as the shot shook the ship. "Don't just stand there!" he rebuked his helmsman. "Blast them!"

Immediately, the helmsman and the rest of the crew did as they were told. Three shots were fired at the Murk Raider ships and returned. Then the airspace between them became a field of volleys, a no man's land.

And it was through this field of volleys that the forgotten _Condor_ was forced to fly. Stork pulled her to starboard, then portside, upward, downward, avoiding shot after shot and all the little Talon Switchblades that were still out in the open, getting shot down by the dozens.

At last they looped around the rudder of the last Destroyer and made their escape into clear night skies. Aerrow was encouraged to see them ignored and see their enemies firing upon each other. "Now that's what I call reinforcements!" he cheered.

And the _Condor_ flew off into the rising sun.

Once everyone had a chance to relax, they all began to recuperate. Stork continued driving, enjoying the fact that he didn't have to dodge anything. Piper relaxed on the couch at the round table, writing the next entry in her squadron log, the log she kept of all their adventures. Finn leaned on the couch beside her, looking over her shoulder at her writing. Junko started stuffing the feathers he had sneezed out of his pillow back _into_ his pillow. And Radarr sat on the railing, watching Aerrow pace back and forth to check on everyone and everything, as was his custom and responsibility, a responsibility that he was so used to that it had almost become an impulse.

Everything seemed in order. Aerrow took one last look out the window, not expecting to see anything, but just making sure. You never know after a sleepless night like they just had.

No trouble. Everything was calm and right. Maybe they could finally relax and get some sleep. Aerrow turned around to the others smiling. "Great job, guys!" he praised them.

As Piper tapped her pencil, wondering what to write, Finn offered his own suggestion. "Here's your entry," he said. He held up his hand dramatically. "'Finn (dot-dot-dot) versus Murk Raiders of Doom.'"

Piper cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling at his immaturity and ego, and Aerrow knew that she wouldn't think twice about throwing away _that_ idea.

Looking at Junko, he thought of an idea of his own. "Well, how 'bout, 'Revenge of the Sneeze Machine'?"

"Nah, it's not timely," Piper answered, tapping her eraser on the table. "He's not sneezing anymore."

Aerrow watched Junko, who now had all the feathers in his pillow except one. He held up the feather and then let it go, trying in vain to catch it as it fluttered to the floor as a sort of game. He did seem to be feeling better, and for Junko's sake, that was a good thing. "Junko," Aerrow asked, "how ya feelin'?"

"Uh," Junko said. Then suddenly, Aerrow cringed as he sucked in a breath, but there was no time to dodge. The Wallop's sneeze sent Aerrow flying into the window, flipping him about so he hit face first. _Now I know how Finn feels,_ he thought. That hurt! He groaned as he slid to the floor.

Finn looked around frantically. "More Murk Raiders?" he asked in a panicked tone.

Stork ran to the periscope and looked out, turning it about to see in all directions. "Um, nothing on the scopes," he reported.

Piper ran to Junko frantically as the Wallop went to Aerrow to help him to his feet apologetically. "Don't tell me you're allergic to something else!" she cried.

Aerrow sighed in relief as Junko picked him up by his shoulders and set him down on his feet. He had been too stunned by even _more_ bruises to really understand why the team was panicking over a sneeze, but the idea dawned on him as soon as Junko answered Piper's question. "Um, not really," the Wallop said, scratching his chin. He shrugged. "Well, just sky sharks."

Out of the corner of Aerrow's eye, he saw a dark figure glide past the window. Oh.

The realization dawned on Junko just seconds later. Without even taking a look out the window, he shouted, "SKY SHARKS!"

Aerrow went to the window to look out. Sure enough, a whole feeding frenzy of starving sky sharks were circling around and above the _Condor_. Their blue, scaly bodies were striped with black, and their fins were extra long to beat for flight. A secondary pair of fins behind these which were much smaller provided further lift. The long sail, which dwarfed that of any Earth shark, was used for balancing, and the club-like, large, diamond-shaped tail tip acted as a rudder. They weren't much alone, nothing but a nuisance and a hazard, but they were downright life-threatening as a swarm.

Aerrow sighed, and flexed his weary muscle, wondering if he would get a migraine soon from all this planning, thinking, fighting, and stress. So much for getting some sleep.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: Boarding ships was what most pirates did to win a fight in the old days, and it's pretty much the _only _way modern pirates operate. When you board a ship, you can go and get whatever goods you can off the ship, and you can also keep the ship itself. It's much more worth it than sinking it is. However, when you board a ship and take it over, you still have to deal with the hassle of holding hostages. That was the only downside.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Sharks, like the sky sharks, normally travel alone, but a group may appear if they all are attracted to the same prey. Normally this happens because the prey is bleeding or looks hurt and distressed (which does raise a question as to why a bunch of sky sharks singled out the _Condor_). Sharks will hear the distressed sounds from prey, smell their blood, which can be detected over a mile away, or they will use their sixth sense to locate the prey based on the electric pulses of their prey's nervous system.

And now, you review and I go on to "Storm Warning" with Piper! *Piper fans cheer*


	53. Storm Warning: Jungle Trouble

_**Part 13**_

_**Storm Warning**_

_Power is drained, and power is gained. Old enemies are confronted. A friend leaves, and a friend returns, and friendship and loyalty are put to the test._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Jungle Trouble

The Storm Hawks had finally managed to get away from the sky sharks unharmed, and afterward Aerrow had suggested everyone get some sleep. Piper hadn't known she was so tired until he suggested it, and the Sky Knight himself looked more than worn and weary. They'd taken time to relax

But now, well-rested and ready for action, the Storm Hawks had spotted something on Terra Amazonia. This was a terra that was far from flat and was covered in rainforest. Very few people lived there, and the few that did lived in isolated villages perched in the canopy. They had to. Anything built on the ground would be overgrown too quickly. It only took a month or two for trees to grow there.

Well, with their discovery made, Piper spent hours making a plan for the boys. Now the boys and Radarr were carrying it out while the _Condor_ circled over the terra. Piper sat down in one of the chairs on the bridge, sitting cross-legged, and began to write in her squadron log.

_Squadron log,_

_We spotted some Cyclonians on the remote Terra Amazonia. Aerrow, Radarr, Junko, and Finn have gone in for a little recon. With my brilliant strategy and Stork's new x-ray peepers, we'll find out what their up to and be gone in a wink. Assuming we stick to plan._

At that last part, "Assuming we stick to the plan," Piper leaned her head on her fist and shook her head. Then she finished off the entry with:

_Somehow I get the feeling that's not going to happen._

* * *

Just beyond one of one of Terra Amazonia's many spectacular waterfalls, there was a little grassy clearing in the trees where beautiful wildflowers grew. Unfortunately, the beauty was broken when a Talon boot crushed one of the flowers. He and his two companions were there on alert with their Cyclonian staffs in their hands.

Aerrow watched them carefully from the bushes a good distance away with Radarr at his side. He raised Stork's x-ray peepers to his eyes to get a closer look. The x-ray peeper was Stork's newest invention. They could see through most anything and worked well as binoculars but more powerful. The Merb designed them to detect brain tumors and "mindworms," but Aerrow and Piper had decided that it was much more useful to them in this way. At least it was far more useful than that anti-falling meter he invented for Piper's daily deck jogs.

Now, with the peepers to his eyes, Aerrow could see the Talons surrounding a little wooden crate as if guarding it, their Talon Switchblades parked nearby. Perfect! They were right where they wanted them. He lowered his binoculars and nodded and smiled to Radarr, who returned his grin and rubbed his paws together evilly. "Okay," Aerrow whispered to Junko and Finn. "Now!"

As soon as he said the word, each Talon was hit with a glob of goo coming from a fallen log behind their Switchblades. "Hey!" one of the Talons shouted angrily in that direction. But the only response was a yellow crystal that was thrown into their mists, bounced once, and then burst, unleashing a flurry of feathers that stuck to the goo-covered Talons.

It was Finn and Junko, Aerrow knew, who, while hiding behind the moss-covered fallen tree, had sling-shot the goo and crystal. Junko thought it so hilarious that Aerrow saw him stand up, point a finger at the Talons, and start to burst out laughing. Finn jumped up and covered his mouth before he could, pulling him back down before the Wallop gave away their position.

Aerrow had to hold his own breath to keep from breaking in hysterics. There was nothing like playing a prank on a good-for-nothing Talon!

The Talons apparently couldn't see anything under their new coat of feathers. One of them tripped over backwards on the crate they were guarding. The crate fell over on its side and the Talon flipped onto his stomach while the others still wandered around clueless. Junko's laugh rang out. Amusing as it was, Aerrow saw that it was time to leave. Once the Talons recovered from their shock, they wouldn't be so happy. The Sky Knight and his copilot made their way back to their Skimmer.

Junko stood up when he saw Aerrow and Radarr leave. "Uh, maybe we should go, Finn," he said to his friend, pointing after their leader.

Finn nodded and stood up. He was about to follow when Junko walked off when something caught his eye. The _crate_. Now tipped over on its side, the lid had opened slightly, and Finn could see it was full of purple crystals. He put his hands on the log and leaned in to get a closer look. Now what good was it to leave a whole crate of weapons-grade crystal for a bunch of Talons? "I'll be right back," he told Junko before leaping over the log.

Finn made his way closer, jumping behind a tree as another Talon approached the fallen one and fell over him. Then, seeing that the one still standing did not see him, he tiptoed to the crate and picked it up just as the third Talon tripped on the others and joined the heap.

Finn smiled at Junko cockily. The Talons hadn't even noticed he had taken their crate right in front of them . . .

The top Talon lifted his head, his face now clear of feathers. "Hey, you!" he shouted.

Finn jumped in surprised as a gasping, frightened Junko ran past him, and he saw the Talon glaring right at him. "Get 'em!" the Talon shouted. Finn took off after Junko as fast as he could, not waiting for the Talons to grab their staffs. So much for not even noticing.

Aerrow and Radarr were just sitting on the Vulcan, waiting for the other two, when Junko ran up in a panic. With a yell, he leaped into his Skimmer's seat and drove off before Aerrow even had a chance to acknowledge him. Aerrow stared after him in surprise. That can't be good . . .

Then suddenly, there was Finn. He ran up beside Aerrow and shoved a crate into his arms before Aerrow had a chance to comprehend what was happening. "Check out what I found," Finn said in a rush as he leaped into the seat of his own Skimmer. "See you on the _Condor_!" And he began to drive off in a cloud of dust.

"Hey!" Aerrow called after him as his mind began to catch up with the action. He held out the crate. "These are . . ."

He turned around when he heard a whirling sound. "Uh, oh."

Three Talon Switchblades appeared on the bank above him, jumping it with ease and starting after him. With his heart racing, Aerrow shoved the crate into Radarr's arms, who squawked in surprise, and drove off with the Talons on their tail.

Just ahead of him, Finn and Junko were racing side by side when they made a sharp turn. Finn made a wide berth around a tree, but Junko's turn didn't manage to go around or clear it, and he thumped against it as he passed it, gaining a lead on Finn. Aerrow followed close behind, still not sure whether to be mad at them or not for their little unordered stunt.

He saw Finn swerve in toward Junko. "Might not wanna mention this part to Piper," he heard him say to the Wallop.

Aerrow drove past them and took the lead. Yeah, he agreed silently. Piper definitely would not be happy if she heard about this.

Up ahead, the jungle broke open to one of the terra's many cliffs. It was long, bear, and ended in a point. It gave Aerrow an idea. "Okay," he said. "New plan. Follow me!" he shouted to his teammates.

Giving his Skimmer everything he had, Aerrow drove off the edge without deploying his wings. Junko followed behind, and then Finn, and both mimicked him. Amazed, the lead Talon's jaw dropped, and he lifted an eyebrow. As he neared the edge, he pulled his Switchblade to the side, and it came to a screeching stop just by the edge. The Talons behind him stopped as well, and they all stared down the cliff. What in the world . . . ?

Then suddenly, with all of them whooping and hollering, Aerrow led the Storm Hawks back toward the skies, going straight up and leveling out once they were well clear of the cliff and the Talons. Aerrow glanced behind him, grinning. He knew those Talons would be too chicken to follow! After all, they were only Talons.

Finn glanced back and saluted them. "So long, chumps!" he shouted to them. "Thank you for the loot!"

Junko was now the one holding the x-ray peepers, and he lifted them. Aerrow wished he had them now. He wondered what expression of shock must be on those Cyclonian faces.

But Junko saw something very different than that. The Talon he focused on crossed his arms and . . . Wait, what? "Why are they smiling?" Junko asked aloud. "They should not be smiling."

Aerrow glanced back again and strained his eyes to see the Talons. Had he heard Junko correctly? They were _smiling?_

It was Radarr who first figured out why. He turned back to look where they were going with a small churr. Aerrow glanced his way as the copilot let out a loud squeak of fear. Aerrow turned to look, too, and his blood ran cold.

Junko gasped and put the peepers back to his face to see. Five Talon Switchblades were flying toward them. And leading them all on her souped-up Talon Switchblade Elite was a petite little, purple-haired figure with a face as pretty as an angel and mean as a junkyard dog.

But Aerrow didn't need peepers to know who was after them now. It was all too clear with the violin music playing in the distance. The Sky Knight snarled. "Ravess," he hissed.

Finn winced fearfully. "Guess she'll be wanting her crystal back," he said, probably trying to sound lighthearted but only succeeding in sounding nervous.

Aerrow could have strangled Finn then and tossed the stupid crate he'd stolen right in his face! But they had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Ravess lifted her hand high in the air, glaring down upon them. Then she let it drop, pointing toward the Storm Hawks, and her Bluster Chapter Talons descended upon them.

Aerrow knew this was going to call for some rough flying. "Radarr, hang on!" he instructed his copilot. Squawking with intimidation, Radarr cringed and clutched his handles for all he was worth. Then Aerrow flew off to port, Finn to starboard, and Junko dove as the Talons charged the place they had been hovering before. Aerrow saw one Talon go after each of his teammates before one of the Talons came after him and Radarr. They dove and flew over the cliff, where the feathered Talons had already fled from. And then the Talon released his volley of blasts.

Aerrow swerved back and forth, grunting as one came at him too quickly. They leveled out over the jungle, and Aerrow had enough of being shot at. Pulling his blades from their sheaths on his back, he leapt from his seat, whipped around in the air, and landed with one foot on his port wing and the other on his bow, facing the Talon. Letting his battle-rage get the better of him, he concentrated as hard as he could and felt the power from the blades well up inside him. Then he rose in a blue aura, stretched out his crystal-power wings, and performed his Lightning Claw, sending the shot right toward the Talon.

The Talon stared in shock and said, "Oh, no."

Much to Aerrow's satisfaction, the pulse shot off the two wings on the Switchblade's starboard side, and the Talon was forced to deploy his parachute as the ride listed to port and fell out from under him.

As the Sky Knight landed back in his seat, he saw Junko swerve toward him and then pull off to the side, grunting fearfully and looking panic-stricken as another Talon pursued. But before Aerrow and Radarr could jump in and help him, another Talon made them his target, and they were forced to flee.

Junko gasped and dodged and barrel-rolled as the Talon after him shot blast after blast. Then Junko's eyes widened as he glanced ahead. Another Talon was coming his way, charging him! Gasping and thinking quickly, Junko pulled up on his controls, barely missing the charging Talon, who dove just below him. Unfortunately, this allowed the Talon following the Wallop to catch up to him and ram his Switchblade against his Skimmer. "Whoa!" Junko exclaimed as the skyrides collided.

He turned to meet an angry, scowling face glaring at him through deep red goggles. "You're toast, sky hog!" the Talon growled.

But Junko wasn't fazed at all. He knew just what to do in a situation like this! Igniting his Knuckle Busters, he laughed and slammed his fist into the Talons controls. The Switchblade broke in half, and its pieces and the Talon fell away in a cloud of smoke.

"Sky hog!" Junko laughed as he felt the tension ease. "That's a good one."

But then, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned about and gasped in terror.

Ravess was charging right at him, smiling her usual sweet smile. Fleet, fast, and elegant as a cheetah, she whipped by Junko, sending him into a spin that had the Wallop yelling with surprise.

Finn didn't notice any of this. He had spotted Aerrow in danger and had gone in to help. Smiling cockily to himself, thinking about what a great hero he would be for saving his Sky Knight's life, he brought out his retractable crossbow in the Skimmer's bow and took aim, putting up each magnifying scope as he put Aerrow in perspective and then let the Talon fly into his aim. Perfect! Time to blast . . .

Huh?

Ravess' face appeared in his magnified view, her bow taut with an arrow aimed at him. Finn reeled back from his crossbow. "Whoa!"

He had barely gotten over the shock when Ravess let lose her arrow. But Finn was prepared. Smiling as he saw Ravess' one miss-calculation, he fired his bolt from his crossbow and then spun out of the way. The arrow and bolt collided head-on and destroyed each other. But as both sharpshooters leveled out their skyrides again, Finn was surprised to see Ravess speed right past him.

She was going after the real prize: the Sky Knight.

Before Aerrow even knew he had another pursuer, Ravess cut off the Talon that was already after him and Radarr and shot an arrow at their Skimmer. Aerrow saw it just in time to spin upside-down to avoid it. The move sent Radarr out of his seat with a loud squawk, and he hung on by grasping one handle bar. And then the loot, the crate of crystals that had been the cause of this whole commotion, began to fall! But Radarr hooked his tail on one of its side handles just in time, and its lid stayed firm, keeping the crystals within it. Aerrow heard Radarr squawk again as he flipped the Vulcan back over right-side-up, and Radarr got back in his seat with the crate.

Aerrow hadn't been looking behind him; he was too busy concentrating on looking where he was going. Luckily, Radarr saw Ravess shoot another arrow aimed at Aerrow's back. With a squeal of warning, the furry copilot grabbed his boys shoulder and pulled him over. "Duh!" Aerrow exclaimed in surprise, and instinctively he pulled the whole Skimmer over just as the arrow whizzed past them and burst._ Note to self,_ Aerrow thought. _Give Radarr reward for saving my butt . . . again._

But then, as Ravess fit another arrow on her bow, Radarr got an idea looking down toward the crate. The lid was cracked, and he could see the glowing purple crystals within it. He picked one of the crystals up and studied it. It could work. He leaped up onto the back of his cockpit, facing Ravess, and, with a short growl, tossed the crystal at her bow.

Ravess gasped as her bow was knocked to the side just as she released her arrow. The arrow soared toward the Talon flying with her, and he yelled in fear and shock as the crystal sent his engine in smoke and had him spiraling toward the terra below. Ravess caught the purple crystal Radarr had thrown in her hands and glared at the little copilot, who was shaking a fist at her and growling.

Well, Ravess wasn't going to have that. She fit three arrows on her bow at once and aimed. Radarr squealed in alarm when he realized what she was doing and ducked low as the three crystal-tipped arrows shot over him, passing right through the spot where his head had been just moments before.

Aerrow wasn't quite sure what was going on back there, but he hadn't liked Radarr's squeal. He glanced over his shoulder at Ravess, who was now fitting _five_ arrows on her bow at once. He needed a plan, some sort of way he could get close to her. If he could do that, he could fight. But the more distance there was between them, then the more she would be able to shoot and he would be able to do nothing. And eventually, she would hit her mark.

And then, like music to his ears, the horn of the _Condor_ sounded. He watched with smug satisfaction as Ravess lowered her bow and stared, gaping at the great ship as its shadow fell over her. Immediately, Aerrow and Radarr made a break for it, not willing to give Ravess another chance to put an arrow through their backs. With relief, Aerrow saw Finn and Junko fly in from either side, both safe and sound.

Ravess snarled at the ship as the boys escaped. "What is this?" she asked angrily.

Smiling at how brilliantly her idea had worked, Piper flew up beside the Talon commander. "It's called backup," she explained smugly.

The two lesser Talons remaining flew away with a loud yell as the _Condor_ shot it with her blaster. That left only one more Talon. Time to ground this perfectionist! Piper pulled out her staff, still in a rod. She extended it to its full length, spun it around just for fun, and then slammed its end against Ravess' engine. The Talon commander gasped as her Switchblade fell to starboard with its engine sparking and smoking.

Piper saluted her as she fell and flew off toward the _Condor_. Ha, she had done what even Aerrow couldn't do. _Never send a boy to do a girl's job,_ she thought smugly.

Ravess glared after the Storm Hawks as they disappeared into the _Condor_. One of her few Talons still airborne flew up beside her, awaiting orders. "Let them go," Ravess instructed.

"But," the Talon gasped, holding out his hand "they have the entire delivery!" He clenched his fist and raised an eyebrow. "A whole crate of leechers!"

"And by the time they realize what they took," Ravess explained, "the Storm Hawks will be finished!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, I'm running out of ideas for trivia. I've also been told they can be a little tedious to read, and doubtless are a little tedious to _write_. So now I'm only going to do one every chapter. I might do two if I have a short one.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The armor that the Atmosian warriors wore is not all that different from the armor of knights in the Dark Ages. After all, the chain mail and full body armor did not come about until after the Crusades. Before that, knights wore different sheets of armor on various parts of their body. Each plate of armor had a name. Helmets wear worn, just like the Cyclonains wear (and if you ask me, the Cyclonains are more advanced in this way). Ailettes were pieces of armor covering the shoulders. Brassarts covered the arms. Roundels protected the elbows. Pectorals covered the breast; many Sky Knights and some members of their squadron have half of these, normally located over the heart; Aerrow is an excellent example. A cuirass covered the torso, something which many Cyclonians have, even the Dark Ace. Cuisses were coverings for thighs, which I noticed are not common in Atmos, but Aerrow has one covering his right thigh. Demi-greaves protected the front of the leg. (Closed greaves would cover the whole leg, but I haven't seen many closed greaves in Atmos.) And finally, if you ever looked down at an Atmosian warrior's feet, you would see plates on their shoes. These were small parts of a piece of armor called a solleret. For the Middle Age knights, all these plates were sown onto padded leather and/or quilted jackets, suits that resemble that of our warriors of Atmos. And, like the knights of the Middle Ages, members of Sky Knight squadrons wear their coat-of-arms (their squadron symbol) on their ailettes.

However, I've never seen a medieval knight wear his coat-of-arms on his back the way Sky Knight squadrons do.

Now, I like reviews. Some people don't like reviewing. They make me sad. You don't like me sad, do you?


	54. Storm Warning: Quitting

Chapter 2: Quitting

The _Condor_ hove to under one of the many cliffs on Terra Atmosia and shot out six hooks that were the ships anchors. The anchors gripped the bottom of the cliff, keeping her engines running so as not to put too much stress on the anchors while letting the cliff bear some of her weight.

Piper stood back beside the round table with Junko and Finn, watching as Aerrow stared ahead with a serious expression while Stork finished letting the _Condor_ rest. The Sky Knight looked so serious that it was easy to forget how stupid he had been just moments before.

When the ship was finally set, Aerrow turned to his pilot. "Well, Stork," he said, "what's our status?"

"Well," Stork answered, "we're nearly out of crystal fuel, our bulkhead is torn, and . . ." he started scratching at his leg, "and I have this strange rash."

"I mean the Cyclonians," Aerrow said. Piper rolled her eyes. Typical. "Did we lose them?" Aerrow asked Stork.

"No sign," Stork answered. Looking out the window, he added eerily, "For now."

As soon as the danger was past, Finn and Junko burst out laughing, walking up toward the helm, Finn with his hand on Junko's shoulder. Aerrow turned to them and smiled. "That. Was. Awesome!" he exclaimed.

Piper frowned. She didn't see what was so "awesome" about it. The boys had nearly gotten killed, they still didn't know what the Talons were up to, and they had completely ignored her plan!

Finn and Junko were still laughing when Finn said, "Mission accomplished!"

Junko laughed some more before he agreed, "Yeah!" He and Junko exchanged high-fives.

_Mission?_ Piper thought irritable. She put her hand on her hips. "What mission?" she asked. She walked up to them, getting in between them, counting the highlights of her plan on her fingers. "I had a perfectly reasonable plan with a precise timetable, tactical objectives, and if strategically prudent, a small preemptive strike." She walked past them angrily, slamming her fist in her hand to emphasis her point.

"So, we just got to the part where we lobbed the goo bomb!" Finn exclaimed excitedly, ignoring everything Piper had just said, much to her annoyance.

Junko laughed. "_That_ was cool!" He and Finn high-fived again.

Piper still couldn't believe it. The plan had been flawless! Why did they have to go changing it and then saying that it was _cool_ to change it?

Aerrow must have noticed she was upset. "Okay," he said, "we didn't follow your plan exactly, Piper." He put his arm around her shoulder and gestured outward the crate sitting just a few feet away. "Uh, but look! We got a whole crate of weapons-grade crystals out of it." He smiled at her, his emerald eyes almost begging for some approval.

Piper still a little skeptical of the whole thing, and she _certainly_ didn't think that the boys deserved any approval, especially the one that led them into it. "Well, that was just lucky," she insisted.

However, Aerrow seemed to have a calming affect on her. And of course, it was hard for her to stay angry when crystals were involved. Forgetting about the ignored plan for the moment, Piper walked toward the crate of crystals, studying them with her chin resting on her knuckle. "Considering where they came from I-I should check them out first, just in case."

"Smart," Stork said, lifting up a finger. "Although it's probably too late for us already," he added, "especially if those are Gila crystals. Turns your blood to poison." He twitched his fingers to emphasis his point. "No cure," he added at the end, drawing back in a wince as his eye twitched.

Junko put as hand to his throat and swallowed uncomfortably.

Piper had just decided it was no use worrying about Stork's paranoia when Finn suddenly scooted up next to the crate on the table with its open lid lying beside it. Piper backed away in surprise at Finn's sudden appearance. The sharpshooter rubbed his hands together. "Well," he said cheerfully, "there's only one way to find out." He picked up one of the purple, translucent crystals in his hand. The crystal made a slight ringing sound at his touch. Finn held it up. "Let's see what these babies'll do!"

Oh, yeah. Piper could see disaster with that idea.

Luckily, Aerrow intervened. He walked up behind Finn and snatched the crystal out of his hands. "Easy, Finn," he said, setting the crystal back down in the crate. "Let Piper figure out what they are first."

"Fine," Finn answered disappointedly as Aerrow walked away. "Fine, fine, fine."

A short glance told Finn that no one was watching. Perfect time! He reached down and grabbed the crystal again, holding it close to him to keep it secret. "Just in case," he told himself as he walked away, smiling at his own stealth.

* * *

Piper couldn't wait to begin searching for the crystals' identity, but first she stopped to write:

_Squadron log,_

_Identifying and stabilizing crystal is a delicate procedure. One false move and . . . Well, let's just say I don't need any distractions._

She didn't do a long entry, however. She was too excited about the idea of working with crystals! She quickly set up a table in the hangar bay, where she could be out of the way of the boys. Plus, the hangar bay made the perfect darkroom for nurturing the crystals.

As soon as everything was set, she took one of the crystals and set it on a stand, testing its stability, density, and reactivity with different tools. Sometimes sparks flew, and Piper was forced to use protective goggles.

When she had done a careful examination and investigation, she lifted her goggles to get a closer look. She had eliminated some crystal that this one could possibly be, but she was still nowhere close to figuring it out. This could take awhile . . .

Suddenly, a red, blue, brown, and yellow blur fell down the huge pipe beside the desk, shaking the whole hangar bay. Piper watched, panicky, as the crystal bounced into the air. She tried to grab it in her hands before it shattered on the floor, but it slipped from her fingers. She tried again and again with the same result. Finally, with much relief, she caught the crystal in both hands. Not even a scratch! That was lucky.

She looked back and frowned, rolling her eyes as the blur got up off the ground. It was Aerrow and Finn. The two were play-fighting with Aerrow's two fake blades, Aerrow with one and Finn with the other, and both were clad in armor. Surprisingly, Finn forced Aerrow back, but more than likely Aerrow was giving ground to keep Finn interested in the game. It made no sense to Piper. She never understood what was so _fun_ about play-fighting. It was sweaty and exhausting, unprofessional and unproductive. And it wasn't even proper training.

By the time Junko, also clad in armor, landed in front of her with Radarr bounding off the Wallop's chest and somersaulting in the air, Piper had decided that teenage boys will be teenage boys.

As Junko sat up, Piper's annoyance found a chance to escape. "Do you mind?" she asked distastefully to the Wallop.

"Eh," Junko said, looking at her apologetically. He shrugged. "Eh, sorry." But no sooner had he said that when he got up on his feet and faced off with Radarr again, striking a fake Sky Fu pose and a fake Sky Fu battle cry, lightly walking forward to meet his "opponent."

No sooner had _he_ moved out of the way when Aerrow and Finn where at it in front of her again, still fighting with the blades. Finn saw his chance at last to take down the Sky Knight (which never happened), and he tripped him up. But no sooner did Aerrow lose his footing when Finn found that his move had set him off balance. Piper winced as the two fell in a heap on the floor, a heap which Radarr quickly joined, fighting on Aerrow's side (naturally).

This was childish and very interrupting! Didn't they realize how dangerous it was for them to interrupt her while she was working on her crystal? Piper had to hold her breath to keep from shouting angrily. Getting control of herself, she said as calmly as she could, "I'm sure you're having fun with . . . whatever it is you're doing, but I'm trying to work here!" She was unable to avoid the edge on her voice. She took off her goggles and set them on the table and then placed the crystal safely back in the crate. "These could be dangerous," she added, hoping that point would get through their thick skulls.

But of course, it didn't. Not even Aerrow's. Piper lifted the box to safety just as Aerrow's hand would have come down on it as the Sky Knight used the table to stand himself up, flashing her a goofy, lighthearted smile. Piper ignored him and walked past him with the crate in her arms, Aerrow backing up to let her pass. "It's combat training," he insisted as she walked past him. He turned and reached out a hand to Finn to help him up as he said, "Aren't you always telling us to be prepared?"

He talks about preparing! Piper glanced back to see Finn standing with his help. The sharpshooter's other hand was holding Radarr's tail, and Finn glanced back to see the copilot growling and biting the seat of his pants. They call that _preparing!_ Now they'd gone too far!

She whipped around with the crate under her arm. "That isn't preparing," she told them. She held out her hand angrily as Aerrow approached, this time looking a bit concerned. "Preparing," Piper defined in her own terms, "is spending six hours coming up with the perfect reconnaissance mission, a plan all of you," she gestured to Aerrow, "decided to ignore!"

Aerrow's smile was weak and warm, and Piper didn't dare look at him. If he thought he was going to soften her up, he was wrong. Unless he apologized for his behavior and promised it wouldn't happen again, which she doubted would happen.

Still, he tried soften her up. Without apologizing. Figures.

"I know you worked hard on that," he said with a shrug, "but sometimes you, um . . ." Piper could tell he was trying to put her down kindly, but it only fueled her anger watching him. She could have punched him then, an urge that was very rarely ever directed at him. (Most of the time, she reserved that urge for Finn.)

Aerrow tried again. "Look, details are good." He put his hands to his chest. "I like details. But when you have _too_ many details . . ." And here he faltered again and shrugged.

Finn walked past them, rolling his eyes at the Sky Knight's obvious struggle at politeness. "What he's trying to say is," Finn said as he turned around back to Piper, smirking at her, "your plan was kinda lame."

"How do you know _that_?" Piper challenged as he turned his back to her and continued walking. "You didn't even follow it! Look, your stealth capes are right where I left them."

Finn stopped by the stealth capes, which were hanging on their lockers. One was a pig cape, another was a bear cape, and another a dog cape. Finn picked up his own and showed it to her skeptically. He held up his rabbit cape.

Well, of course the costumes were ridiculous, Piper thought. It was a reconnaissance mission. In recon, you just collect info. They had to remain hidden to collect information. And those capes would have done it. She turned around and smiled at the others, hoping that some of them might get it. If she could just get Aerrow to see the sense in it, then she could win them all over.

But Junko and Radarr only stared at her with their face twisted in disbelief, quickly exchanging glances with each other. Aerrow was of no help. He was obviously trying to hide back his own skepticism and offering no defense for her. The nerve! And after all she does for him! After all she does for all of them!

Finn walked up behind her, still holding his cape. His cocky, mean-spirited smile told her he was close to reading her thoughts. "If you hate the way we do things so much," he said, "why don't you make a new plan and leave?" He waved at her playfully. "Bye-bye!"

Piper grinded her teeth together. Leave, huh? Yeah, and how long would this group of rag-tag teenage boys go without _her_? She turned around, glaring at him. "You wouldn't last one day without me," she stated testily.

But Finn never flinched, and his mean-spirited smile still spread across his face as he leaned forward with a cocked eyebrow and said, "Wanna bet?"

A bet, was it? Piper turned away from him and stalked off the hangar bay with her hands clenched in fists. Two could play that game.

Aerrow watched her with concern as she stalked past him. Finn had really set her off this time. He better calm her. "Come on, Piper, don't be so sensitive," he said, shrugging and walking after her with his arm outstretched to touch her shoulder soothingly. "Finn was only—"

But he was distracted when Junko suddenly walked up with a wooden basket of purple fruit in one arm and one of the fruits in his hand, declaring, "Target practice, anyone?"

Aerrow turned around excitedly at the thought of target practice just as Junko popped one of the fruits in his mouth. Oh, he was always ready for target practice!

So while the boys went to have their fun, Piper was abandoned to her own brooding plan of revenge.

* * *

The boys were soon set up for target practice with their game of Berry Blitz. They were out on the landing strip of the _Condor_, throwing the purple fruits at a hand-draw elementary picture of the Dark Ace, which was taped poorly on a side of a crate, which was stacked upon another crate. The first three throws were completely off the mark, not hitting the Dark Ace in any place, but a fourth one by Finn hit him straight in the eye, while Aerrow's claimed his elbow.

Finn and Junko laughed as they hurled more fruits at the hand-drawn picture of the Dark Ace. Radarr was jumping around at their feet, cheering the throwers on, before he discovered how tasty the fruits were. Aerrow picked up another fruit from the basket beside him and bounced it in his hand, studying the picture to take his aim. This was one of his favorite sports, not only because of the game itself, but because of the target. There was nothing like throwing fruit at the Dark Ace, especially when he couldn't hit back. This was a major plus in Aerrow's opinion after the many scratches and bruises he had suffered in battle. This way, he got to beat up on the big Cyclonian loser in a fun way without injuries.

"That's one!" Finn laughed as his fruit hit perfectly square in the Dark Ace's face. "One forty-five!" he cheered. "New high score!" Even as he said it, he didn't pause in his throwing, and Junko and Aerrow didn't, either, desperate to keep Finn from keeping his "new high score."

Aerrow picked up another fruit when he saw Piper come in with a pack on her back. A smile lit his face. After all, the more the merrier! "Hey, Piper, wanna play?" he asked her as she walked past and behind him. He offered his fruit for her to throw.

"No thanks," Piper said without pausing in her stride as she headed toward the skyrides. "I'm quitting."

Huh?

Finn stopped in mid-throw, and Junko dropped his fruit, turning around to look at Piper. Aerrow slid forward, his eyes and mouth wide in disbelief. Did she just say she was . . . quitting?

For some odd reason, Finn and Junko seemed to think the whole thing was a joke. Aerrow stared at them as they took it lightly; not only did they take it lightly, but they were in hysterics. Finn about doubled over laughing. "I got a side ache!" he exclaimed after his laugh-attack, clasping his side.

Aerrow watched with anxious eyes as Piper walked past them. They all stared after her at first; then Finn and Junko continued laughing. This time, Finn _really_ did fall. He sent two fruits up into the air as he collapsed over backward, holding his stomach.

Aerrow didn't see what was so funny. He felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach.

His hopes were raised a little when Piper stopped her Heliscooter before she was in the air and turned around to address them. But all she said was, "And by the way, Finn," she held up a finger, "my top score is a hundred and sixty-eight." She clenched her fist triumphantly. "Still champion."

And with that, she turned her back on them, gunned her engine, and drop off, grinning at her trick. This would show them a thing or two!

The boys stared after her. "Hey," Junko said, the first to voice their thoughts, "I think she's really leaving."

Aerrow's hopes plummeted as she drove away. But she couldn't really mean it. Piper couldn't quit. He put his fist to his hip and cast Junko a small, doubtful smile. Doubtful because he didn't believe it. Piper was just having a fit, he told himself. She'd come back when she calmed down.

All the boys turned around when they heard Radarr's contented growl. Having raided the fruit basket, Radarr turned around to them with a churr with his face stained in purple juice and holding one of the fruits in his paw, waiting for them to continue the game. He hadn't heard a thing while he was raiding the fruit basket, so he saw no reason for the game to stop. When he saw the serious, surprised, grim faces, he frowned and looked at each of them. Did he miss something here?

_Yeah,_ Aerrow thought. _But I hope it wasn't much._ He watched as Piper's Heliscooter drove away from the _Condor_ and landed on a piece of ground on Terra Amazonia covered in purple flowers before disappearing from sight in the forests shadowed by the dark gray clouds gathering overhead. She was gone.

Aerrow stood staring after her with his mouth open in indecision and shock. Finn's words earlier must have upset her. No, they all must have done something wrong in order for her to leave. Perhaps he should go after her, he thought. Maybe he could apologize for . . . whatever he did wrong. But then, maybe she just needed some time and going after her might make it worse.

He had to believe she was just calming down. He couldn't wrap his mind around the thought of her leaving.

Stork sidled up next to Aerrow. "Only one explanation for Piper leaving," he said softly in his ear. Aerrow blinked, waiting for his opinion and hoping it would help. Stork put his hand beside his mouth as he whispered into Aerrow's ear. "She's infected with Thoraxian mindworms," he whispered. The Merb put his hand on his heart nervously. "We should all be tested." And with that, he slunk away.

Oh. So much for considering Stork's opinion.

"She's just blowing off some steam," Aerrow insisted to the others. "Piper wouldn't really leave us." But the thought seemed to eat at him as soon as he said it. Aerrow lifted an eyebrow and looked up at the grey sky. "Would she?"

Stork slide up next to him again. "I'm telling you," he insisted. He cringed as he said, "Mindworms."

Aerrow put his hands on his hips, rolling his eyes and frowning. Yeah. Right.

Then thunder rang out and lightning flashed from the dark skies above. Aerrow watched in utter amazement as Stork yelped in surprise and leapt so high that he hit the ceiling, clinging to it for deal life. The Merb was so jumpy. He must really believe his mindworm theory, Aerrow thought.

* * *

Piper hadn't gone far. She had only driven just out of sight when she stopped and set up a place behind some bushes and a fallen tree, hiding her Heliscooter there. Once set up, she took out Stork's x-ray peepers and set her sights on the _Condor_.

After awhile, she took out her squadron log and wrote a short, brief statement, eager to get back to work.

_Squadron log supplemental,_

_Experiment exceeding expectations._

She took up the peepers again and peered out at the _Condor_ from behind the fallen log. The boys were sitting around, doing nothing but waiting for her to come back, except for Stork, who was apparently doing . . . Stork things. Finn was sitting on the roof, watching for her. He looked disinterested, but he was _watching_, Piper noted. Junko had pulled out a beach chair to lounge in the hangar bay. Aerrow hadn't even left the door of the hangar bay yet! He just stood there leaning on the doorframe, looking around as if expecting her to show up any minute.

Piper sighed with satisfaction. This was just so amusing! Soon enough, they'd be begging for her to come back. She set down the peepers and put her elbow on the log, supporting her head on her fist. "I think I'll just let them squirm for a little while," she decided.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Aerrow was still where Piper had seen him, having spoiled the fun for Junko and Finn. They and Radarr could all see that Aerrow was on edge about this whole thing. (Stork was still holding strong to his mindworm theory.)

Junko was lounging on a lawn chair behind Aerrow. His legs were crossed, and he was reading a book . . . or at least, he appeared to be. The book was upside down. "You want me to go look for her?" he asked Aerrow at last. "I got eyes like a hawk." He lowered the book and smiled. His eyes blinked behind glasses.

Yeah, Aerrow thought, he had eyes like a hawk . . . a _farsighted_ hawk.

Suddenly, Stork's head was next to Aerrow. The Merb was hanging upside from above, his reptile-like feet keeping their grip on the roof. "Don't be alarmed," he first said, and Aerrow braced himself to either _be_ alarmed or to hear more unwarranted paranoia. "But," Stork said, "I think there's a thief aboard. My peepers are, uh, missing."

Finn was leaning back on the roof next to Stork's feet. "Huh," he said, "maybe Piper took them."

Stork raised himself right-side up again on his knees and held out a hand. "And why would she did that, man?" he asked Finn. "I mean, she knows how long it took me to make . . ." Aerrow's ears caught his falter. "Unless . . ." the Merb began but didn't finish.

Aerrow turned around to see Stork leaping over the railing onto the _Condor_'s deck in front of the bridge's window. Well, that was weird. "You mind telling us what you're doing?" Aerrow asked.

Stork pulled out the telescope and set it on the stand. "I'm on to her little scheme," he simply answered. Then he put his eye to the telescope and started swiveling it around. Aerrow still wasn't quite catching on to the idea, but Finn seemed to understand. He got up and jumped the railing as well, walking up to Stork. "Ah," Stork said at last as he settled his sights on what he expected to see. Smiling at his discovery, he stepped back and cleared his throat at Finn, gesturing toward the telescope and inviting him to see.

Finn took a look. The adjustment was a little blurry to his eye, which was not as keen as a Merb's eye, but once it was adjusted, the sharp image showed Piper standing behind a fallen tree, looking around with her squadron log in hand, her Heliscooter half hidden behind her. Finn pulled away from the telescope. This whole thing was just a joke now, he saw. He smiled. "Aw," he said, "she's good." But not good enough, he thought as he cocked an eyebrow. Now the joke would be on her!

* * *

As night fell, Piper sat with her back leaning against the fallen log, looking over her squadron log after who knows-how-many times of doing so. She groaned and set the book down. She was so bored!

Then she eyed the crystal-powered x-ray peepers sitting next to her, and a smile lift her face. She wouldn't be bored for long! She picked up the peepers and turned around. "Let's see how much they missed me!" she thought aloud with a smile. She put the peepers to her eyes.

But what she saw didn't amuse her. "Huh?"

The boys had pulled out the rectangular table and covered it with their cheap, patched-up, white tablecloth. They had also gotten into the fine dishes, including the wineglasses, and had set those on the table. Aerrow sat on one side of the table with Stork on his left—Piper's spot. Finn sat beside Stork. Radarr took the end of the table by Aerrow. Junko stood on the other side of the table, lighting the three long, white candles that were set in the middle. It was as close to fancy as the Storm Hawks could possibly get with what little they had.

Piper just couldn't believe it. She pulled back the peepers. "They're supposed to be suffering!" She put the peepers to her eyes again and put down the magnifier on the right eye to be sure she wasn't mistaken.

Nope. She wasn't. The boys were having a fancy dinner without her.

Piper was gone, Stork was on edge, the ship was damaged and low on power, and now Amazonia was going to remind them that they were in a rainforest with one of its tropical storms. Well, wasn't this day going just brilliantly?

* * *

Author's Notes: I don't think this is going the way Aerrow thought it would. To be honest, though, I was cheering Piper on. Those boys deserve a lesson!

*gasp* This is the first episode where Stork mentions mindworms! Who knew he didn't talk about them until the 13th episode?

I'm doing two trivia in this one because these two go together.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Terra Amazonia, as you all may know, is based off a rainforest jungle in South America known as the Amazon, named after the widest and second longest river on Earth, which runs through it. Most of the jungle is located in Brazil, and it is home to more species of life than any other biome on Earth.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #2: The name "Amazon" actually comes from Greek myth. The Amazons were a group of warrior woman who lived in Scythia and other northern areas and fought on Troy's side of the Trojan War. Because of this legend, "Amazon" has come to describe a tall, physically strong, strong-willed woman. Male admirers applied these characteristics and this name to the Amazon River.

Now, shall I ask again for your lovely reviews?


	55. Storm Warning: A Storm Hawk No More

Chapter 3: A Storm Hawk No More

"You guys are gonna be so glad that you let me cook," Junko told the other Storm Hawk boys, pointing to them as they sat around the table on the _Condor_. And with that, he turned around and rolled in a cart with a covered pot.

Knowing the way Wallops eat, Aerrow had a bad feeling about this.

Apparently he wasn't the only one. Stork scooted a piece of paper over to Finn. "My will," he moaned softly.

Junko lifted the lid, and Aerrow felt his stomach turn. The dinner had _tentacles_. And they were _moving!_ Aerrow felt his stomach clench. Junko expected them to eat raw _sky squid_!

Aerrow felt his face contort in disgust, but he quickly controlled himself, remembering how Finn and Stork had told him Piper was watching them. He wasn't about to let her win this little game of hers.

Finn and Stork, however, were less controlled. They both stared agape in utter horror, and Finn cocked an eyebrow.

Junko just smiled at his work. "Well," he said, "what are you waiting for? Dig in!"

Finn put two fingers over his mouth, trying to keep from puking. He and Stork rose to leave the table, eager to skip dinner tonight.

But Aerrow grabbed Stork's arm just in time to stop them. "Remember, she's watching," he reminded them, glancing out toward the door and nodding slightly with his head in indication. The next few words came out even softer, half through his teeth, so Junko wouldn't hear: "You've gotta act like ya love it."

Seeing there was no way out of this, Stork and Finn sat back down. Stork's expression didn't change, but Finn put on an act just for Piper's show, smiling and closing his eyes contentedly, rubbing his stomach hungrily as he sat down. But of course, he had to get back at Aerrow for reminding them they had to do this. "Oh, you first," he said, gesturing toward the Sky Knight. "I insist."

Both Finn and Stork cringed as Junko scooped out one of the sky squids with his fork, placing it on Aerrow's plate. It was one of the most disgusting things ever placed before him! The squid was like a flimsy starfish, only it had three tentacles instead of arms, and it was as slimy as a slug.

Even so, this was just one of those things where you had to put on your brave face. Sucking in a breath and bracing himself for the worst, Aerrow lifted up his fork in his left hand (he could have used his right, but being ambidextrous, it didn't really matter to him), and put his fork down toward his "dinner" to get it over with.

But then, the sky squid stood up on its tentacles and moved out of his way. The fork clanked against the plate. Blinking in surprise, Aerrow came at it again. It moved again. The next time, he brought his fork down with the same swiftness he would use with his energy blades on an enemy . . . to no avail.

Okay, that was it! This thing was going to get stuck on the fork whether either of them liked it or not! Aerrow pounded on the dish with his fork, trying to stab the thing in frustration. Finally, the squid leapt off Aerrow's plate and attached itself to Radarr's head.

Radarr stared in utter shock, too surprised to be disgusted, as the squid stuck to the side of his face and wrapped its three tentacles around the rest of his head. Junko soon came to his rescue, trying to tug it off him, and Radarr squealed in pain as the thing plastered its tentacles to his fur and refused to let go as Junko pulled. At last, the sky squid lost its grip and snapped back into Junko's hands. Radarr rubbed his cheek and whimpered as some of his fur was dragged off with it. Aerrow winced, glad that the thing hadn't decided to land on _his_ head.

His sympathy turned into disgust when he watched Junko stick the thing in his mouth and gulp it down, slurping up its protruding tentacle like spaghetti. All of the others stared wide-eyed and grimaced.

But Junko wasn't fazed at all. He smiled blithely as his stomach gave a contented gurgle. He laughed and warned the others, "Watch it!" He held up a finger. "Those tasty little slimers are quick!"

Aerrow just stared at him and felt his stomach turn again. Luckily, he'd had practice bracing himself for the worst. Otherwise his weak stomach would have taken over by now.

* * *

Piper set down the x-ray peepers in utter disappointment. She couldn't see what was being served or what exactly was going on, but it was clear to her that the others were enjoying their dinner and having a good time. Well, if that's the way they were going to be, then the heck with that, she decided. She turned around. "I don't need fancy dinners," she told herself. She'd be just as happy with her travel kit food.

She sat down and pulled out _her_ dinner. It was sealed in a little rectangular container. Peeling back the lid, she got out her spoon and sat up, preparing herself for her own decent meal _without_ the others. But the moment she stuck some of that green goop into her mouth, she stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Yuck." And they call this stuff food?

She set the box aside. _Well,_ she thought, _this can't get any worse._

Not ten seconds later, more thunder rumbled, lightning flashed overhead, and at last the tropical storm was emptying its buckets down on her. She slumped in disbelief, staring at the rain in dismay as her hair flattened down and her best set of clothes was penetrated by rain.

She learned something important that day. Never say things can't get worse. You just might jinx yourself.

* * *

As they finished up their horrendous dinner, Aerrow, Finn, and Radarr were still struggling to keep playing. Junko was heartily enjoying himself. Stork had collapsed on the table, moaning, his eyes rolled back inside his head. He would have no more.

Aerrow glanced out the window when he heard the loud thunder and saw the flash. Terra Amazonia had finally decided to show them one of its famous tropical storms. No way Piper was holding out in that . . . or, more importantly, watching them to see how _they_ were holding out. It was over. The boys had won the game. He turned to the others and smiled. "Congratulations, guys," he said. "I think we did it."

"Hey," Junko asked him as sort of an afterthought, "you don't think this was too mean, do ya?" He put his finger in his mouth, trying to suck off the last of the dinner he had.

"Are you kidding?" Finn answered him. "This plan was flawless!" He crossed his arms. "Piper would be proud of us."

Junko stood up and clasped his hands. "Hey, anyone for seconds."

Aerrow's head snapped up. Seconds? Of _that?_

Finn looked nervous, Stork looked ready to pass out, and Radarr squawked in alarm.

As Junko turned to pull out the next dish, everyone else was begging to get away. Aerrow and Finn were out of there faster than you can say "Jiminy Cricket." Stork fainted, falling down underneath the table. Radarr hopped onto the table, looking around frighteningly until he found his escape, leaping off the table with a loud squeal of desperation and making his getaway after Aerrow.

Junko lifted up his platter and uncovered it, revealing a purple pie-shaped thing with green worm-like objects wiggling in it. "What about dessert?" he yelled after them.

He was answered by a closing door. No matter how much Aerrow hated hurting someone's feelings, he was still not generous enough for more of Junko's "food."

* * *

Piper decided that it was time to make camp. Going back to the _Condor_ right now would mean all the others would see her when they had just proven they didn't need her. She didn't feel like making that scene. So curling up under the rabbit cape that she'd grabbed off the _Condor_'s lockers before she left, she set out a lamp on the fallen log, lit by a blue crystal, and slept beside the log to get some shelter from the rain, which the log offered little of. The purple crystal she'd taken from the crates on the ship was sticking out of her pack in front of her as she drifted off to a fretful sleep.

The purple crystal pulsed, and the lamp light went out as it sucked away the power of its crystal. As the purple crystal absorbed the power, its ringing pulse grew louder, steadier, and it grew lighter and brighter.

* * *

The one crystal from the crate that Radarr had thrown at Ravess during their fight was now safely sealed in a glass case on a stand in one of the chamber with _the_ perfect backdrop for Ravess' violin playing on her flagship. A handsome rug lined with upright Cyclonian staffs on either side led up to a stage where she was playing in front of huge, wide-seeing windows.

Ravess' flagship was smaller than the average Cyclonian Destroyer. It was shaped more like the beak of a hawk then anything else, and it was sleek, silent, and feared throughout the Atmos. Of course, unlike most battleships, it was built for an orchestra as well.

But right now, all of the Bluster Chapter Talons were having a break from their instruments while Ravess practiced alone, her eerie, beautiful music filling the chamber as she followed the notes of her piece from the book on the music stand in front of her, shaping each note handsomely. The thunder and lightning just outside the large windows in front of her made the perfect harmony, seeming to go off at just the right moments. It was one of Ravess' better pieces for storms like this, and she played a moderate tempo with quick movements.

It was during this wonderful performance that one of the Bluster Chapter Talons entered, the same Talon who had spoken earlier with Ravess after the Storm Hawks took their loot. Safe on the flagship, he had removed his helmet, revealing his golden blonde hair. "The storm is at its peak, Commander," he told Ravess. The commander stopped her playing to listen to what else he had to say. "Now would be the perfect time to attack," the lower Talon added.

Ravess' eyes narrowed as she glanced back at him. Who did this Talon think he was, reminding her of such petty details that she surely must have already considered, and during one of her practices? But she'd show him, of course.

The blonde Talon let out a surprised cry when Ravess flicked her violin's bow from over her shoulder without even turning around. The bow flew as straight as one of her arrows and barely missed the Bluster Talon as he dodged. The bow stuck into the wall behind him, making cracks around the hole it created.

Raves studied her violin to make sure she hadn't scratched her precious in the process. "You're giving me tactical advice?" she asked the lesser Talon in disbelief, glancing back to glare at him. She turned around to face him, never wavering in her glare. "We'll attack when I give the order," she stated simply, but her eyes narrowed and her face was drawn up in a snarl. A flash of lightning and thunder from outside emphasized her point, and the blonde Talon drew away, feeling frightened.

Ravess walked over to the purple crystal, or the "lecher," as she had called it before, her high-heels clicking on the floor as she walked. The blonde Talon stared at her, jumpy now and waiting for another attack on her part.

"Our missing property is about to pay off," Ravess explained to the blonde. She lifted the glass cover off the floating leecher when she got it, and immediately the leecher soaked up the energy of the three surrounding Firebolt crystals on the Cyclonian staffs around it as if it was a sponge soaking up water. Ravess caught the floating leecher in her hand as it began to glow brighter and its color lightened from a purple to a pink color. She was going to make her point now. As soon as she felt the crystal's painful heat and heard the whirling sound it always made when it got to this point, she threw the crystal at the blonde Talon.

The lesser Talon gasped as he caught the hot crystal in his hands, now turning from pink to white, and he ran to the open window just to his left, juggling the crystal like it was a hot potato to keep from burning himself on it. At the last minute, just when Ravess was worried she would need to send another Talon in for a clean-up job, the blonde tossed the leecher out the window, where it exploded. Ravess was amused to see the blonde Talon turn to her, his teeth clenched and his eyebrows raised in a horrified expression, fearing for his life but wanting an explanation.

"And never interrupt me when I'm practicing," Ravess answered simply. A flash of lightning and a roll of thunder backed up the threat when Ravess' casual voice didn't.

* * *

On the _Condor_, the boys were finally starting to feel the affects of the leechers and Piper's absence. "W-what happened to all the f-furnace crystals?" Junko asked as he walked about the bridge hugging himself and shivering, approaching the round table. The crate of leechers sat innocent-looking on the floor at his feet. "It's f-freezing in here!"

Aerrow was tired of their complaining, but he didn't scold them as he felt the goose bumps working their way up his own arms. He was at the round table with Piper's crystal converter, which had a red furnace crystal stuck in it, trying to get it to radiate its characteristic heat that is comparable to a campfire. Finn stood next to him, shivering and hugging himself as he watched Aerrow tinker with the crystal and the converter, sending off sparks in vain, trying to get to set off its warming infrared waves. "I'm working on it, Junko," the Sky Knight responded to the Wallop's complaints as Junko approached on the other side of him. "This isn't as easy as it looks." Piper could do this in a wink, Aerrow reminded himself. Why was he having so much trouble?

At last, he stepped back and smiled as the furnace crystal began to radiate warm red and infrared light, but not a second later, the thing burst and went up in red smoke. Aerrow shrugged and glared at the thing in frustration.

Finn turned away, scowling. "You know," he said, "she could've stocked us up before abandoning ship."

Stork walked up to a white pottery jar behind him, rubbing his hands to create friction to keep them warm. Amazingly, the Merb was one of the more cheerful of all of them at the moment. All Finn and Junko seemed to be doing was complaining, much to Aerrow's annoyance. Aerrow was worrying about Piper and frustrated that he, the leader and Sky Knight, could not keep things in order. And Radarr . . . Well, actually, Aerrow hadn't seen Radarr in awhile.

"Well," Stork said, still cheerful as he took the lid off the vase-like jar, "at least we have plenty of Piper's sand-cakes left. A day without those is like a day without . . . bat repellant."

Up to that point, Aerrow hadn't even been aware there was such a thing as "bat repellant." Knowing Stork, though, he took his word for it.

But then the Merb's mood swung wide. He reached into the jar and then reached further. When he felt nothing, he peered inside the jar . . . and let out a loud gasp. With a twitching eye that Aerrow was so used to seeing on the Merb's face, Stork turned and growled, glaring at the floor.

Aerrow looked over to see what he was putting his anger out on. Radarr lay on his back on the floor, his belly bulging. He lifted his head and let out a small hiccup, which triggered a little fart. So that's where all the sand-cakes went.

Aerrow turned away, thinking of the way Piper would be running around trying to fix things now. Everyone would be comfortable and happy like they normally were. He thought with more frustration of his own current failures and of the little ways she would be comforting him. A little comment, a passing glance, a slight touch on his arm or shoulder. She had a way keeping him strong. She was his closest friend, after all, besides Radarr. More than anything, he wished she was here now.

Junko seemed to have similar thoughts. "I miss Piper," he whined. He turned to Aerrow with puppy eyes, like a pouting child. "Can't we just go get her?"

Aerrow gave him a small smile. He saw no reason not to. Yeah, they should go get her and admit she was right. Aerrow would go get her alone, in fact. And with none of the guys watching, if she didn't come back, Aerrow could even beg her on his knees . . .

"Guys!" Finn interrupted his thoughts. "Snap out of it, okay?" He held up a finger. "This is exactly what she wants you to think." He tapped his forehead with his finger, watching it cross-eyed as he did so. "It's a mind game," he reminded them, clenching his fists, "and we're gonna win!"

All of them were so miserable, or at least, so focused on _not_ being miserable that none of them noticed a little Heliscooter as it approached the _Condor_ through the rain and landed on the landing strip. Piper stepped off her ride and headed into the hangar bay, trying to be as quiet as possible. Quickly she packed up her things and then sat down to write in her squadron log once again.

_Squadron log,_

_The experiment is a complete success—for them. Hard to believe all this time I was just holding the Storm Hawks back. This'll be my final entry. Piper out._

Quietly she brought everything in her Heliscooter and then came back with her squadron log and Stork's x-ray peepers in her hand. She stopped in the middle of the hangar bay.

So many memories were here on this ship. It was on the _Condor_ that the Storm Hawks had truly begun, where they had met Stork and where Aerrow had given her an invitation that would change her life forever. It was before the poor, humble whirlwind of a boy had become a cocky, successful whirlwind of a Sky Knight, but she had jumped at the idea as soon as Aerrow had proclaimed it, despite the impossibility of it all.

Piper had traveled far and wide before she had joined Aerrow, Radarr, and Finn. She frowned as she realized it was time to take that road again. The Storm Hawks had given her much, but she was never able to give enough. They didn't need her. They'd keep on with their mission even in her absence. Aerrow would succeed in . . . whatever it is those guardians he had talked about had decided he was supposed to do. She had no doubt of that. He had the true heart of a hero. Still, she felt remorse at not being a part of his story anymore. His life, all their lives, had become so entwined with hers. But they were no longer.

Carefully she set down the x-ray peepers, as they were not hers. And underneath them, she set down her squadron log. Then, without looking back, she turned and walked out of the hangar bay toward her Heliscooter. The squadron log was no use to her now. That part of her life was over. She was a Storm Hawk no more.

Lightning flashed overhead and thunder boomed as Piper got onto her Heliscooter and drove off into the rain away from the _Condor_, still unnoticed by anyone. Suddenly, the whirling sound of her engine died down, and her helicopter blades stopped spinning. "What's going on?" Piper wondered aloud, not even having the time to panic. "I just refueled!"

But the Heliscooter's engine didn't seem to notice. The Heliscooter headed bow first toward the ground, and Piper could see it was about to collide with the edge of a cliff. She grimaced. This was not going to be pretty.

Piper let out a yell of terror as the Heliscooter's bow was bashed inward on impact, sending up yellow sparks and throwing Piper forward over the cliff. Luckily, the cliff led off into a canyon, and vines stretched from one side to the other. Piper found herself sliding along one on her belly, falling and landing on another one face down, and then with a grunt, she bounced back and was caught by a couple of vines that made almost a hammock to stop her fall.

At first, Piper thought this was a fabulous stroke of luck. Then her heart jumped into her throat as she looked up and gasped, deciding she wasn't so lucky. The Heliscooter loomed above her, straining on the three vines that kept it from falling and crushing her. Then, with a snap, the Heliscooter fell, and Piper put her arm up to cover her face, waiting for it to collide with her and crush her.

But when she opened her eyes, she found herself still alive and well. Luck was still on her side. The two vines still holding onto the Heliscooter had stopped it just inches from colliding with her. As she stared up at the skyride in amazement, her pack dropped from the creaking metal, and Piper gasped and scrunched up her face as it headed toward her head. At the last minute, the strap caught on the Heliscooter, and the bag dangled harmlessly above her.

Piper stared at the bag in amazement as she listened to a small, crystalline pulse coming from within it and saw a bright pink light coming from within the front pocket. She reached out and pulled out the stolen crystal she had kept, its satisfyingly warm heat tingling her bare fingers and penetrating her glove. Realization swept over her as she stared at it. "It's a leech crystal!" she said to herself.

A leech crystal. Very few crystals were so useless, so much of a pain, or so dangerous. They absorb energy out of all crystals within their immediate vicinity, growing lighter, brighter, and warmer with each small bit of power they soaked in. Worst yet, they could only reach a certain capacity, and when that capacity is reached, they turn piping hot and bright white before violently exploding.

"Ah, this is bad," Piper said to herself, clutching the warm crystal in her hand. "And they have a whole crate on the _Condor_!" She couldn't bare the thought of the great ship, her former home, falling out of the sky from engine failure and then exploding to pieces. And she couldn't even _begin_ to imagine the idea of her dearest friends going down with the ship. "I've gotta warn them!"

No sooner had she made up her mind to go back when she heard the groaning of a group of engines. When she looked down, she realized she was only a few yards off the ground. And just below, three Talons on their Switchblades in bike mode drove up under the vines, completely unaware of her presence. They stopped underneath her, their eyes focused on the _Condor_ and their faces twisted in smirks. The first one laughed in a throaty voice. "I love sneak attacks!" he said.

Piper looked down at him, clutching the leech crystal tighter in her fear. _Sneak attacks?_ She followed his gaze out to the _Condor_. Oh no!

* * *

The crate containing the rest of the leech crystals still sat on the floor of the bridge, completely ignored by the others. Aerrow had almost forgotten about them now. His thoughts were for Piper alone. He didn't like her being out there by herself, and even though the others were finally starting to get comfortable (except for infuriated Stork), Aerrow was only getting more edgy. He couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing a supply pack and slinging it over his shoulder, he started off toward the hangar bay.

He walked past the round table, where Finn, Junko, and Radarr were playing Splonk, an Atmosian game that involved an octagonal board with holes in it, pegs owned by different players, and disks used in the same manner as playing cards. With them getting along fine, there was no way Aerrow was going to admit that he'd caved. He'd just make his excuse to leave and then say he ran into Piper on coincidence when he brought her back. "I'm going out on patrol," he told them as he passed them by.

Junko and Finn watched him as he headed for the door, and Radarr took the opportunity to see what discs Junko held in his hand. Finn just smiled disapprovingly in a knowing manner. "You mean you're going to look for Piper," he corrected.

_Darn!_ Aerrow thought. Were his feelings _that_ noticeable? He gritted his teeth, thinking to watch his emotions next time he felt them strongly. He couldn't have his squadron, or anyone else, thinking him anything but invincible.

But it hadn't even been a fraction of a second after these quick thoughts when the ship jolted, nearly sending Aerrow off his feet. Finn was thrown forward with a gasp. Aerrow caught himself and looked around anxiously with clenched fists as he heard the _Condor_'s whirling engine die and saw the lights go out. This wasn't good.

Stork clutched the railing, his face stricken in panic. "It's a-a-a power drain!" he exclaimed. "We're goin' down!"

Now that the engines were no longer running, the stress on the six anchors was too much. Aerrow felt the ship start to list as the first anchor on the port side gave way and fell loose. "Whoa!" the Sky Knight shouted as another anchor on portside gave way and the ship tilted even further. He grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling. Radarr squawked as he fell into his stacks of Splonk discs, scattering them. Junko and Finn fell to the floor.

Just when they thought _that_ wasn't enough, the alarms started going off. Stork, still clutching the railing for dear life, pulled down a periscope to see what had triggered it. "Now what?" Finn asked him in annoyance.

"Proximity alert," Stork answered hastily as he turned the periscope about. "Something's comin'!"

"Piper?" Aerrow asked hopefully.

"No," Stork answered, pulling away from the periscope to look at him. "No, she wouldn't trigger a . . ." He turned back to the periscope. "Wait, I've got something."

The boys leaned forward, all waiting anxiously. Aerrow cocked an eyebrow, his mind working a mile a minute to come up with a plan before he even knew what he was facing. He had a feeling about who it was, and he didn't like it. _Please, let me be wrong,_ he thought

Stork turned back to him, looking frightened. "Cyclonians," he said softly with wide eyes.

Aerrow turned to the ceiling, his jaw clenched. He was always right when he wished he was wrong.

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh no! Piper quit the Storm Hawks! It's the end of the world! *clears throat and takes deep breaths* Okay, I'm alright now.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Leeches are blooding-sucking worms found in freshwater areas. In fact, one species of leech has been used by doctors for centuries to bleed patients or eat putrid flesh. However, the name for the leech crystal may actually come from a verb meaning for the word "leech." "Leech" can mean to drain off the supply of something, which is exactly what leech crystals do.

And now, this is the part where you review. Hey, don't shake your head at me! I'm just asking a quick thirty seconds. Please? _Pretty _please?


	56. Storm Warning: Luck and a Girl

Chapter 4: Luck and a Girl

Above the _Condor_, Ravess' flagship loomed. Ravess flew before with four of her Bluster Chapter Talons trailing in her wake, descending down upon the _Condor_.

"Time for a little surprise," Ravess said as she and her Talons leveled out. She spoke into her radio. "Talons, launch!"

* * *

Piper heard Ravess' message come in over the radio of the three Talons below her, and she held in a gasp. They were after the others now!

The lead Talon, the one who had spoken before, revved his engine. "Those Storm Hawks won't see what hit them!" he exclaimed.

Piper didn't even have time to start thinking up a plan when she heard a crack and felt the vines jolt underneath her. Uh oh. With a cry, she broke through and landed in front of the Talons.

Piper glanced over her shoulder at them as she sat on the ground with her back to them. "Um . . ." she began, laughing nervously. She smiled at them timidly and greeted them in a small voice. "Hi." Well, this didn't go as planned.

"Well, well," the lead Talon taunted her as she got to her feet and turned around. "The little birdie fell out of her nest." All the Talons laughed at his joke.

Piper could see they didn't view her as much of a threat. It was kind of insulting, really. Her anger helped her to think. Feeling the warmth of the leech crystal under her fingers, she held it up and looked at it, smiling. Perfect!

With a smirk on her face, she threw the leech crystal toward the lead Talon. The crystal bounced a couple times on the hood before landing in the crystal converter.

The Talons' laughter was cut off, and their stared at her in fearful shock.

Piper just smiled at her own joke. "Ya might wanna think about jumping ship," she advised them, pointing her thumb behind her. And with that, she turned and ran for cover.

At first, the Talons hadn't quite registered what was going on. Then the lead Talon's crystal converter began to glow a bright pinkish-white as the leech crystal sucked more power than it could hold. With terrified yells, all the Talons leapt to the side of their Switchblades away from the one that was about to blow and covered their heads with their hands.

The explosion shook the whole place, and Piper felt herself blown forward by its force. And where she was headed was over a cliff. Luckily, she was able to catch herself just in time.

The sound of wind let her know something big was falling toward her. She looked up with surprise to see that the explosion had shaken her Heliscooter loose from the vines and that it was going to fall over the cliff. Things couldn't have been set up more perfectly for Piper than if she had planned them.

As the Heliscooter nosedived past her, she launched herself toward it with a grunt and got back into the seat. Now, without the leech crystal, the engines had no problem starting. Piper ascended just as she dropped below the canopy and came up again, turning her Heliscooter about to head back to the ship. "I gotta get to the _Condor_ before it's too late!" The very thought of her being too late made her set her pace even faster. Storm Hawk or not, she could not let anything happen to her friends.

* * *

There wasn't much time for Aerrow to come up with any fantastic plan. His idea was simple. "Stork, find the cause of the energy drain." The only indication Stork gave Aerrow that let him know he heard was a simple grimace. That was enough. Aerrow turned to the others. "The rest of you," he pointed a thumb to himself, "with me!"

As soon as they could, they were off, Aerrow giving his Skimmer full throttle as he and Radarr headed down the landing strip with Finn and Junko trailing behind. Once they reached the edge, they deployed their wings and took to the air, ready to meet the Talons head-on.

At her signal, one of Ravess' Talons started playing the violin despite the rain. "Nothing like a little mood music," the Bluster Chapter commander said to herself as she fitted her bow with three arrows.

Aerrow saw her coming. So it was Ravess again, after her precious crystals. Aerrow pulled out his blades and ignited them, preparing for what he knew was coming. As soon as Ravess released her arrows, Aerrow swung his blades, deflecting all that came at him.

Radarr had an even better weapon. Digging into his cockpit, he pulled out one of the sky squids he had saved from "dinner." With an angry half-squawk, half-growl, he flung the squid at Ravess, who let out a cry in surprise and dodged it. The squid struck the violinist in the face, knocking him and his instrument right off the Switchblade with the creature clinging to his head.

While Aerrow and Radarr were busy facing Ravess, Aerrow saw Finn fly past them with another Talon after him. The sharpshooter watched warily over his shoulder as he tried his best to lose the Talon.

Then, just when he needed them most, the engines gave out! Finn looked back at his gauges to see all the needles dropping. What the . . . ? "Whoa!" he cried as the Skimmer started to fall out of the sky. The Talon barrel-rolled and dove after him.

"Whoa!" Finn shouted again as he leveled his Skimmer out, his wings gliding on air. Unfortunately, the unplanned fall had allowed the Talon to catch up, and now he was within shooting distance. Finn gasped as he saw two red energy pulses fly past him. This was not good. This was not good at all!

Finn led the Talon into a less condensed area of the jungle, gliding in and out among the trees as his engine kept giving out on him. He fought desperately at the throttle until he heard the engines ignite again. "Yes!" he exclaimed. That was a close one! He sped away, his confidence restored despite the fact that the Talon was still after him.

But the Talon wouldn't be for long. Junko saw Finn coming with the Talon behind him, and, changing his Skimmer to bike mode, he had hidden among the trees, pulling back one of the broad limbs. When Finn flew by, he pulled it back even harder, waiting for the right movement. Now! Junko released the limb, and it struck the incoming Switchblade. The Switchblade let off yellow sparks as it collided and tipped up on its nose, sending the yelling Talon crashing to the ground.

Junko winced in sympathy for him, but his sympathy was short-lived. Smiling at his success, he drove on out of the trees and took to the air. The Talon lifted himself out of the bush and stared after him. He hadn't even known what hit him.

Finn gave Junko a high five as the Wallop flew up next to him. Now _that_ was awesome!

On the _Condor_, things weren't going so well. Stork looked around frantically for the unknown source of the power drain. He searched under the miniature tree's pot. He peered into the _Condor_'s energy cannon. "Where are you?" He dug through one of his supply crates, throwing items he found in it out on the floor. "Where are you?" He searched under the railing. "Where are you?"

There was another crack, and Stork froze, pricking his ears. _That can't be good,_ he thought.

It wasn't. The _Condor_'s stern fell as the last back anchor gave out. Stork was thrown flat against the window of the bridge as the _Condor_ hung vertically on her one remaining anchor, keeping her starboard side of the bow up. _Yeah,_ he thought. _This is definitely not good._

Piper gasped as she saw the _Condor_ fall and then caught her breath as the last anchor stopped it. She didn't have much time. With a Talon on her tail, she headed full throttle toward the ship.

Stork was desperately clinging to what _used_ to be the floor when he heard a familiar voice shout, "Hey!" as a certain Heliscooter flew by the window. Stork pricked his ears and turned his head in time to see the pursuing Talon fly by. _Piper!_ With frightened gasps, he scrambled up the "floor" to the next open window.

And there he hung, clutching at the window desperately. To his luck, Piper was hovering in front of it, waiting for him. "The ship's losing power!" he shouted to her.

"It's the crystals we took!" she yelled back. "They're leechers!" Piper saw Stork's eyes widen, and she knew she didn't have to tell him what that meant. "Get rid of them, _now!_" she warned. And with that, she flew off to help the others.

"Huh?" Stork said, turning away from the window. He saw the crate of crystals resting between the wall and floor, pulsing louder and brighter than ever. "The crystals!"

But even with this problem Piper flew away from the ship confident that Stork would handle it. She looked around at the battle. Finn and Junko seemed to be holding their own with only a few Talons after them. The majority of them were worrying about more important things . . . like the Sky Knight.

She flew in just in time to see two Talons slam their Switchblades into Aerrow and Radarr's Vulcan on either side, locking wings and pinning them between them. Aerrow gasped and struggled against them, but there was no getting away. Piper's stomach rolled as she recognized their strategy. Aerrow! She sped toward them in a desperate attempt to stop it.

Aerrow was struggling, but the Talons weren't giving way. Piper's eyes widened as she saw Ravess fly up in front of them with an arrow fitted on her bow, lining up the shot. _Aerrow!_ Piper's mind was screaming. She sped ever faster toward them.

She was it all as if it were slow motion. She saw the arrow release, saw it getting closer and closer to Aerrow, going straight for his head. She saw Aerrow's eyes widen in terror as he realized what this meant.

Then, at the last minute, just when Piper thought she would be too late, she made it. With a grunt, she rammed her Heliscooter against one of the Switchblades. The Vulcan and the other Switchblade scooted over in a domino affect, and the Talon she hit shouted in shock as the arrow struck his Switchblade and sent him crashing to the terra below. Piper let out a sigh of relief and looked up toward her best friend and leader, who flashed her a quick smile. Never in her life had she been happier to see him alive and well.

Now with the other Talon off them, Aerrow and Radarr turned to the other Talon, smirking at him. The two of them seemed to be of one mind. Grinning viciously and glancing down at his controls, Radarr leaned forward with a squawk and pulled up on one of the Talon's handles. Aerrow pulled the Vulcan away just as the Switchblade went into bike mode. "Whoa!" the Talon yelled as his ride fell out from under him. Piper watched with amusement to see them land safely in a pond below them.

Ravess looked down at them and growled. Piper couldn't help but smile at her frustration. Surely her plan had been to get rid of the Storm Hawks. But now, with the Storm Hawks winning and her main target, the Sky Knight, safe from her arrows, the tables were turned.

But Ravess' eyes narrowed at the _Condor_, hanging on, quite literally, by a cable. She smiled. She was still right; she only needed one blow to finish off the Storm Hawks. But she had been going for the wrong target. A Sky Knight squadron without a Sky Knight was nothing, but what was a Sky Knight squadron without a ship and home? She pulled out an arrow from the holder on her back, fitted it into her bow, and took aim. "All I need is one shot!"

Piper hadn't even noticed what she was doing, still trying to convince herself that she hadn't lost Aerrow, when she saw Finn reach out desperately toward Ravess in vain. "No!" he cried.

But it was too late.

Ravess let the arrow fly. It soared around in circles and headed right for the cable of the last anchor. And then . . . snap.

Aerrow and Junko gaped and gasped. Radarr popped up over Aerrow's shoulder with his ears drooping, letting out a half-squawk, half-whimper of dismay.

The _Condor_, and Stork, seemed to fall in slow motion. Together they disappeared below the clouds.

Piper couldn't help herself. She thought of the _Condor_, her home for so long now, being destroyed as it crashed into the Wastelands. She thought of Stork, brave, paranoid, lovable Stork, going down with his beloved ship. The lump in her throat that had fought to be released when she thought she would lose Aerrow was now released for a different loss. Piper screamed as the last shadow of the _Condor_ disappeared from sight. Somewhere far off she heard Ravess' laugh and was aware of the boys gaping, horrified faces that must mimic her own, but it was all so distant. Nothing seemed to matter now. The _Condor_ was gone, taking Stork with it. Everything they had fought for, and their friend's whole life, would all be in vain. It was over.

But then . . . there was the sound of starting engine, a blue flashing light from the clouds below. With the loud bellow of a freight ship's horn, the _Condor_ rose up out of the clouds in a magnificent entrance, majestic as ever.

Piper couldn't have been more relieved had someone just rescued her from the depths of a Cyclonian dungeon. She cheered happily, throwing a fist in the air in her joy. The others joined in with her cheer. "Yeah!" Junko exclaimed at the end, clutching his fist in triumph.

But Ravess was not amused at all. "That's not right," she said as she frowned at the approaching ship. "Those leechers should be absorbing power!"

But they were no longer. The _Condor_ turned about to face her enemies and fired two shots at them, and then another. The two Talons being fired at scattered from the volley of shots. "No!" Ravess shouted to them and the _Condor_ in disbelief and frustration.

Stork only smiled from where he stood at the helm, driving her forward. "Oh, yeah!" he answered with a smirk. He let loose another volley of shots, eager to get the Talons on the run.

Piper fell back a bit to let Stork have his fun. Suddenly, another skyride whipped up alongside hers. "Piper!" She glanced over in surprise. It was Aerrow, his eyes shining with relief and joy at her presence. And to think he had no idea what it meant for her to see him after what had almost happened.

But just when Piper thought they could be on old terms again, Aerrow caught himself giving in to her game. He averted his eyes, suddenly seeming to take great interest in the gauges on his dashboard. "I mean," he said, his tone changing to one of indifference, "hey."

Oh, so that was the way it was going to be? After she just saved his life, too! Two could play that game. Piper didn't need to be here anyway. She was going to make that clear to him. Yet now, playing that way felt wrong, but she did it anyway. "Well," she said, stuttering a little, "I-I just came back for some stuff, and, uh . . ." Just then, she caught something approaching them. She gasped. Oh no. Not again! "Look out!"

She and Aerrow swerved away from each other as Ravess charged them head-on, flying through the gap they made. As soon as she was past them, Piper saw Aerrow turn his and Radarr's Skimmer about and head off after her. Piper followed close behind. She was as inclined as he was to let Ravess get away; besides, Ravess had made it clear who her target was, and Piper wasn't going to let Aerrow go into this alone with the weight resting on his shoulders . . . no matter how much he might deserve it at this point.

Ravess glanced back and scowled as Aerrow and Radarr drew closer. She transformed to bike mode and landed in the mud in a clearing, turning the Switchblade about and sending up a wave of wet mud. Aerrow and Radarr were quick to follow suit. Piper stayed in the air, watching from above.

The two weaved through the trees and came to a waterfall that had a flattened area between the two sections of the falls. They drove over this, Aerrow and Radarr still hot on Ravess' heels. So long as they were pursuing and not the pursued, Ravess could not get a shot at them.

Ravess seemed to know this, too. At the top of the hill, she slid sideways to a brief stop before continuing on. _Oh, Aerrow, slow down!_ Piper thought, but it was too late. All too eager to catch Ravess, Aerrow and Radarr reached the top of the hill full throttle and were launched into the air. Radarr looked around as he realized they had jumped, and the little copilot gulped, closing his eyes and holding on tighter. They landed just a few yards in front of Ravess.

Aerrow seemed to realize the danger now. He glanced back to see Ravess after him, and he turned back with clenched teeth. He was now starting to see what acting without thinking did, something which, Piper reminded herself smugly, his _navigator_ _and_ _strategist_ had been doing all along.

At that point, Piper had fallen back, and Finn had taken up Aerrow's cover. He smiled as he flew nearly right over Ravess. Piper guessed he was probably thinking about blasting her to the next terra with his crossbow. Certainly at this distance, even at these speeds, he would have a perfect shot. Suddenly, he cried out, "Whoa!" as his engine gave out. Piper rolled her eyes. Of course. Aerrow was depending on them, and here Finn's insistence on doing things _his_ way was going to be the death of him.

Finn didn't catch on so quickly to his problem. "Why do I keep losing power?" he asked aloud in frustration. He watched his gauges as the engine failed and started again. This was getting plain annoying!

Suddenly, Finn heard a loud pulsing and felt something burning into him. Digging into his pocket, he pulled out the crystal he had taken from the stolen crate. It was piping hot, and Finn tossed it up and down in his hand to keep from burning it, gasping at its heat each time he felt it touch his skin. Piper's eyes narrowed when she saw it. Hah! She had been right!

Thinking only of getting rid of the crystal, Finn grabbed his crossbow in his free hand and tossed the crystal into. The rain pelting down on him helped to cool the hand that had touched the crystal.

Piper couldn't believe his nerve at taking a crystal when both she _and_ Aerrow had told him to wait until she knew what it was! She snarled at the memory of the sharpshooter telling her she wasn't needed. It was about time she gave him a piece of her mind.

She whipped up next to him just as he aimed his crossbow. The crossbow went tumbling out of Finn's hands. "You just won't let it go, will you?" Piper scolded him angrily.

"Aw," Finn said, shrugging as he watched his crossbow fall. He turned back to Piper with equal anger, gesturing toward the falling weapon. "Look what you just made me do!"

Ravess, on the other hand, was not so unhappy about it. She looked down in surprise when she saw something fall in front of her face and heard it land on her Switchblade with a clank. When she saw it was a crossbow, her face spread into a smirk. "I guess it's my lucky day," she said, holding up the crossbow.

Aerrow glanced back and saw, to his surprise, Ravess holding a crossbow—Finn's crossbow. How in the . . . ? _Never mind,_ Aerrow thought to himself. With Piper back, he wasn't sure he wanted to know how that happened. The important thing now was that Ravess had the crossbow, which was even more accurate than a bow and arrow, and she had a shot on him. He sped away as fast as he could, swerving as much as the jungle would allow.

Even with this effort, Ravess lifted up the crossbow and peered through the viewfinder, having no trouble aiming it. At last, she would finish the Sky Knight, bringing the Storm Hawks down with him. She narrowed her open eye and pulled the trigger.

But when a bolt was not released, she knew something was wrong. And then the crossbow began to glow brighter. Ravess looked inside it. What the . . . ? She spotted the leech crystal, pulsing with a bright pinkish-white light. Oh no.

Aerrow glanced back in time to see the leech crystal blow up the front of the Switchblade. Ravess shouted as she was thrown backward into the air, where she was caught by one of her Talons. "Nice shot," Aerrow commented. One of her better ones, in his opinion.

He looked ahead to see the jungle ending, and Piper saw him come to a sliding halt at the very edge of the cliff where this had all begun. Ravess and her remaining Talon flew overhead so close that they were only inches over Aerrow's head and they pulled the Skimmer over to lean toward the other side.

Ravess looked absolutely furious as she turned around and shook a fist at the Sky Knight. "Next time, Storm Hawks," she warned them, "you won't be so lucky!"

Aerrow cupped a hand around his mouth, and Piper could see the bright, cocky, arrogant side of him that had been showing itself lately. "Luck has nothing to do with it, Ravess!" he shouted. Radarr pricked his ears up at Aerrow and nodded approvingly.

What? Nothing to do with it? Piper couldn't believe his arrogant words. Wasn't it luck that Piper had found out what those crystals were in time to warn them? Wasn't it luck that she had been able to get back to them at all? Wasn't luck the reason Aerrow was still here to even tell about it? Piper flew down to the two of them, shaking her head at them disapprovingly. They had luck. Luck and a girl.

Radarr turned to her and gave her a sheepish smile as soon as he realized his mistake. Aerrow didn't meet her eyes. He smiled sheepishly as well, his eyes downcast. "Okay," he admitted quietly so only she could hear, "maybe a little."

Piper realized that was probably as much credit as she was going to get. But right now, they were all alive and the _Condor_ was whole. That was good enough for her.

So, with the fight over, everyone headed back to the ship, soaked to the bone from the rain. The _Condor_ flew off toward the sun as the storm ended and the clouds parted for their passing.

Once everyone was in and set, they all went to the bridge like they usually did. But now it was a little . . . awkward. Piper didn't know what to say, and the others didn't say much to her. Aerrow kept getting close, looking as if he wanted to say something, but he never did. It seemed obvious from the other boys' reactions, though, that they expected him to be their spokesperson. Something told Piper that the Sky Knight had not actually agreed to that.

The two of them stood in front of the frontal window, Aerrow running a hand through the back of his unruly hair the way he did whenever he felt awkward and didn't know what to do. Piper rubbed her arm, trying to start this off. After all, the last thing she wanted to do was leave, especially now that she knew she was a true asset to the team. But they didn't know that. "Well . . ." she said, not sure how to begin, trying to play hard-to-get.

Aerrow finally turned to her. "You know, Piper," he said, "you could always stick around." He shrugged. "I mean, someone has to make sure Finn doesn't break your Berry Blitz record."

Piper couldn't help but feel warmed by the suggestion. It _proved_ he wanted her to stay. After all, it was one of the lamest excuses. He might as well have just begged her on his knees. But boys are weird in that they never wanted to admit when they are wrong. Piper decided to go along with it, still acting like she wasn't interested. She held up a hand. "You'd never hear the end of it if he did," she said in agreement.

"It'd be, like, doing us a favor," Aerrow added hopefully, his emerald eyes just begging her to stay. Behind him, Junko suddenly poked his head over and smiled, giving Piper the same hopeful look.

But Piper let them linger a bit, looking around and acting like she was thinking about it. Aerrow's goofy, lopsided smile turned up slightly at one corner in a worried crease. Piper met his gaze, her affection for him and Junko, who was still begging in the background, unable to let them suffer anymore. "Okay," she said, holding up her hands as if it were a little decision. "I'll stay."

Suddenly, Junko was between Aerrow and Piper, laughing happily. "I love you guys!" he exclaimed, pulling them into a big hug in which neither of them could breathe.

When he set them down, Piper caught her breath and then decided it was time to compliment them. "I've gotta say, not only did we kick some Cyclonian tail," she said, clenching her fist, "but you guys really showed some smarts." She placed her hand on her hip, smiling at the three teenage boys in front of her.

"We did?" they all said in unison. Radarr's head popped up in front of them with a questionable churr, his equivalent of the question.

"Duh," Piper answered, thinking it was bluntly obvious. She gestured to them. "You took care of those Cyclonians." She turned to their older member, Stork, just off to her right. "And Stork, you tossed those leechers overboard just in time!"

Stork chuckled a little nervously after she said this, sliding up next to her and holding up a finger. "Uh, overboard," he repeated questionably. He cleared his throat and held out his hands. "No, I put 'em in that crystal shielder thingy in your room."

Piper stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

BANG!

Piper frowned. She had a feeling _that_ would be her room. Fearing what she might find, she started off down the hall, Aerrow trailing her with a guilty look on his face even though it wasn't _technically_ his fault.

When they at last came to her room and entered, Piper frowned as she stared in irritation at the humongous mess in her room and the huge gaping hole in the side where the bed had been. Things were strewn about all over the place. It would take forever to clean up and repair.

Piper saw Aerrow grimacing a little as he surveyed the mess himself. When he noticed her glancing at him, he smiled sheepishly, his face softening guiltily, as if waiting for an angry outburst. But Piper didn't have it in her to be mad anymore. Besides, they'd all been through enough today. So she just looked for the bright side. "Well," she said with a slight chuckle, "I did always say I wanted a better view."

With the back wall blown out, a better view was definitely guaranteed.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The weapons seen in _Storm Hawks_ are also based off of the Medieval Era, some dating back to the Dark Ages, and others only dating back to the Middle Ages. The idea of carrying your sword in a sheath on your back the way the Atmosian warriors do was used in the Dark Ages until it became popular to fight on horseback as knights. (Sitting on a horse and carrying your sword on your back at the same time didn't work so well.) Bows and arrows were more like the longbows; Ravess' bow and arrow seem to model after that of Native Americans. The crossbow was invented later, during the Middle Ages. The arrows shot from it were called bolts. The crossbow had twice the range of a bow and arrow; the problem was that the early versions were so hard to load that you would only fire two bolts a minute, while longbows could fire as much as thirty arrows a minute. Luckily, Finn has a newer version. However, the differences in the accuracy of the weapon lead me to believe that Ravess is a much better sniper than Finn. It takes a lot more skill to aim a bow and arrow with deadly accuracy than it does to aim a crossbow.

And now, on to Junko in "A Little Trouble"! And I think "little" is an understatement.


	57. A Little Trouble: Kid of Chaos

_**Part 14**_

_**A Little Trouble**_

_Honor is tested. Family is seen as the greatest value. Power is sought, and power is destroyed. Old enemies are confronted. The smallest things make the biggest changes of all._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Kid of Chaos

Junko stood in front of the other Storm Hawks on the bridge of the _Condor_, looking at their horrified faces. He reminded himself he hadn't really gotten permission to do this, not even from Aerrow. He had meant to, but the whole reconnaissance mission on Terra Amazonia, and then the trouble with Piper and the battle with Ravess, had kind of put it out of his mind until it was time to agree and go to Terra Wallop. But it was something he _had_ to do. Surely the others would be okay with it.

They didn't seem to be.

"We're talkin' major problem," Finn insisted.

Piper gestured toward Junko with her hands, looking frightened. "There's no way we can deal with this!" she exclaimed.

Aerrow turned, standing up tall like he always did when he was trying feed the others confidence. "We've been through worst," he insisted.

"Hmm," Stork said, narrowing his eyes at Aerrow skeptically.

"Well," Aerrow admitted, turning back to Junko, "maybe not."

The Sky Knight glanced down when he heard something. Junko heard it, too, and he looked down at Aerrow's feet. Radarr was peering out from behind the Sky Knight's leg, growling suspiciously.

Stork looked around at the rest of them. "I think we'll be using the words 'terror,' 'disaster,' and 'ruin' very soon," he prophesized in the face of Junko's commitment.

Junko could see they weren't at all happy with this. "But, guys," he insisted pleadingly, "it's only for a few hours. Really." He looked down at the bundle in his arms, rocking it gently back in forth. "Come on," he insisted, smiling warmly at it. "A little baby Wallop." He chuckled. "How bad can that be?"

Tynki, the baby Wallop, had been sleeping soundlessly in Junko's arms with nothing on but a cloth diaper. At Junko's movement, he opened his cute, big, teal eyes and giggled, kicking his feet and reaching out his hands toward the others, his little tuff of dark gray hair waving slightly and the little horn his nose twitching. Junko thought it was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen!

Aerrow and Piper exchanged nervous glances, and then looked back at Tynki. They didn't seem to think this was so cute. Junko was worried. One word from either of them, and the baby would have to go. Not that he thought Aerrow and Piper were coldhearted enough to actually kick Tynki off the ship, but Junko felt he had to explain. "My second nephew's third uncle's first cousin needed my help," he explained. He looked down at giggling Tynki. "And when a Wallop asks you to look after their young, it's a mark of real honor and trust." He closed his hand in a fist to stress his point, holding Tynki in the other arm.

Finn, who stood beside him with his arms crossed, rolled his eyes. "Also known as, 'Can't find a real babysitter,'" he said.

Junko ignored that.

The mechanic set the little baby on the floor. "Tynki's too little to cause trouble," he continued, trying to beg for permission from Aerrow with his eyes.

Aerrow didn't quite seem to know how to respond. "Junko," he said, hesitating a little, "it's cool that you want to help your second cousin's uncle's neighbor's," he rubbed the back of his neck, "whatever—"

"—but while you were out collecting babies," Piper finished for him, "we collected a mission."

Junko pricked his ears. Piper had completely gotten over her anger with the boys earlier, and now her devotion to them, and her bond with Aerrow, seemed stronger than ever. The mission must be an important because Aerrow and Piper were finishing each other's sentences again. They did that a lot when a plan was crucial, following the phrase, "Great minds think alike."

Piper gestured to a nearly perfect blueprint of an airship. From the looks of it, Junko guessed it right off to be some sort of Cyclonian Destroyer. Wallop culture and vehicles were the only things he really knew, but he was an expert on them. He could see right off that this battleship would be huge, and that it would have more blasters than can possibly be imagined. If a ship like that wasn't too heavy to get off the ground, it would be nearly impossible to stop.

"Snipe's nearly finished building this battle airship," Aerrow explained, "and once it's operational, he'll totally dominate the quadrant."

Piper picked it up from here. "So," she said, "we've got a find it and not let that happen."

Junko nodded. It sounded simple enough.

He could tell the others thought Tynki would be a problem in all of this. "Don't worry," he assured. "A baby Wallop almost takes care of itself." He held up Tynki's metal bottle and hit it to show it to Piper before reaching down to Tynki, who sat on the floor. He gave the baby his bottle. "Tynki's so quiet," Junko said as he stood up, "you won't even know he's here."

Piper just watched Tynki drain his bottle happily, looking skeptical.

Once he was done chugging, Tynki took the bottle away from his mouth and smiled, letting out a small sound of satisfaction. But then a loud rumbling rose up within him, and before Junko even had time to worry, Tynki burped so loud that he blew himself backward onto the top of the cart under the blueprint on the wall, knocking the tools to the ground. Delighted with his trick, the baby Wallop grabbed his toys and giggled as he fell over on his side on the cart.

Junko turned back to Piper and laughed nervously. Piper cocked an eyebrow at him. So much for being quiet.

Junko was just about to go grab the baby when suddenly, the middle bottom part of the blueprint disappeared. Junko winced when he saw it. Piper's eyes widened when she heard it, and she whipped around. He hands flew to either side of her face as Tynki began chewing. "He just ate five sections of the battleship!" she exclaimed.

Oh, yeah. This wasn't going the way Junko had planned.

Piper looked furious at first, grinding her teeth together and growling at the baby. Junko heard Finn chuckle the way he always did when "perfect Piper's" plan or experiment was messed up.

Junko didn't see anything very unusual about it, just a little unlucky. He chuckled to try and lighten the mood. "Baby Wallops do have strong appetites," he told them.

Tynki finished chewing and swallowed, smiling and giggling all over again, looking as cute as ever. That seemed to trigger Piper's maternal instincts. "Aw," she said as he face softened into a smile. "How can you get made at a face like that?"

"Radarr," Aerrow said to his copilot, "help Junko find something more nutritional for this kid to eat."

Radarr nodded briskly, churred, and looked around before picking up his trusty bent wrench off the ground. He gestured toward it and churred again. Junko smiled. Radarr honestly thought _that_ was something more nutritional? He knelt down behind Radarr, reached over him, and took the wrench out of his hand, shaking his head in disapproval. Radarr only frowned at him bitterly as he ushered him toward the kitchen.

Once Junko, Radarr, and Tynki were in the kitchen, Junko went to the blender and put in three different fruits. Radarr watched him as he began blending them together in a fruit juice for Tynki. The little copilot glanced back at the baby, who sat on the floor of the kitchen beating two blocks together and then pounding them against the floor. He didn't like the kid one bit, and the sooner he got away from him, the better. He would rather help Aerrow with his chores than help Junko take care of a baby Wallop.

"A baby Wallop will eat just about anything," Junko explained to Radarr as he worked, "but it never cries for food. It giggles." He giggled to demonstrate.

Radarr, who had turned back to Junko, then cocked one ear behind him when he heard what had just become a very important sound. Tynki's giggle. He turned around and churred fearfully. Tynki was coming right at him . . . _giggling!_ Junko's words rang in his ears: _A baby Wallop will eat just about anything._ Did anything include _him?_

Radarr didn't wait to find out. With a loud squawk of terror, he ran on two legs away from the monster baby. He ran straight into a nook in the wall in front of a grate. Seeing there was nowhere to run, he turned around and flattened himself against the wall, eyeing Tynki with panic, whimpering, his heart beating a mile a minute. Tynki got closer and closer.

With a hopeless caw equal to a scream, Radarr felt himself being embraced by the monster. The hug was so strong that Radarr couldn't breathe. The air wheezed out of him, and his face turned deep red. The next instant, he was flung forward on the ground. He squawked in terror as he felt himself being dragged back again, and he tried to get a grip on the slick floor, but his fingers only screeched against it. This was it, he knew. He was done for!

Junko was completely unaware of any of this. He finished Tynki's juice, poured it in his bottle, and then put the lid on it. "Chow time, Tynki!" he announced, turning around and holding up the bottle and shaking it. He found Tynki hugging Radarr close to him. _How nice!_ Junko thought. _They like each other!_

He walked toward them and held out the bottle to Tynki. Tynki giggled when he saw it, and he let go of Radarr in order to reach for the bottle. As soon as his hands were free of him, Radarr zipped away, scurrying squirrel-like to hide behind Junko. From there he peered around the older Wallop, growling a warning to the younger one, who was taking his bottle in his little hands and sucking down the juice.

Once he had some juice, however, he let out a little sound of dissatisfaction, as if to say simply drinking it was no fun. He put his mouth to the sucker and blew in. The bottom of the bottle exploded, and the cream from the smoothie-like juice was blown right into Junko's and Radarr's faces. Tynki giggled in delight, and Junko smiled. Tynki was just so cute and joyful and wonderful!

With a disapproving churr, Radarr glared at Junko out of the corners of his eyes without even bothering to wipe off the juice. He, for one, had a different opinion about this plague Junko had brought upon them.

Later, Junko and Radarr got Tynki ready for a bath. They filled the bathtub with water and bubbles, and then Junko picked Tynki off the floor. "Hey," he said to him, "bath time, Tynki."

Tynki giggled as he was set into the bubbly water with a little ducky floating in it. Junko watched as he hit the ducky and watched it disappear under the water. He giggled in delight when the ducky came up again. Junko couldn't stop smiling. There was something about a baby that was just so wonderful!

Then Tynki held his breath and fell over backwards into the water. Thinking the baby was drowning, Radarr let out a loud, fearful squawk and ran to the edge of the tub, gripping and looking around in the water with frightened half-whimpers, half-squawks. Then Tynki burst out of the water beside him, giggly and playful as ever. Radarr jumped back when Tynki did that, feeling like he was about to have a heart attack. It was the most amusing thing Junko had ever seen! "Baby Wallops," he told Radarr happily, "are known for their playful curiosity." He laughed to himself.

Then Tynki did something else playful. He grabbed the nozzle of the tub and pulled it slightly forward, shaking the whole ship and its pipe system. Radarr whimpered and flattened his ears.

"And healthy grip," Junko added. He winced as Tynki pulled harder.

Just below them, down on the bridge, everyone looked up as they heard a creaking sound within the pipe system. Stork cringed a little from where he stood with the helm. Aerrow, Piper, and Finn were at the round table, looking at a model of Snipe's mega-battle airship.

Finn didn't like the sound of that, but it didn't really mean anything to him. Something was always creaking on that banged-up old ship. More than once he'd talked about getting a new one, but Aerrow and Piper had always remained loyal to the ship and didn't really ever stop to consider replacing it. Stork always looked at Finn like he was crazy at the mere _mention_ of replacement.

Speaking of ships, Piper directed their attention back to the model, gesturing toward it. "My diorama of Snipe's airship clearly shows an area of weakness at the engine room," she said.

"Sweet!" Finn said with slight chuckle. Weaknesses were good. He looked down at the diorama again. It looked a bit like a toy. He reached down to touch the dry dock.

Piper gasped and slapped his hand. "Don't touch the dry dock!" she scolded. "It's still wet!"

Finn glared at her has he held his hand gingerly. It's a _dry dock_, for crying out loud! It's not supposed to be _wet!_ Besides, that was no reason to slap him!

Another creaking rang through the ship, and they turned to the ceiling. That didn't sound like the _Condor_'s normal creaking. Sure enough, the pipe above them burst, sprinkling water down upon them. _Humph, _Finn thought. Now the _whole_ model was wet!

They all shrugged as their hair flattened out. Finn's and Piper's, which was put up with hair gel, was completely ruined due to the water. In fact, Finn was annoyed to know his hair now looked like a spiky animal. The only one who had any improvement was Aerrow, whose unruly hair was untamable _unless_ it was wet.

The next moment, the door to the bridge opened, and Radarr came scampering in on all fours with Junko behind him, the baby in his arms. The big Wallop stopped just outside the doorway and held up his hand, laughing nervously when he saw the others' irritated faces. "Uh, just a little trouble with bath time," he told them. "No biggie!"

Looking up at the sprinkling pipe, he realized he had to help fix the problem, since it was kind of his fault and it was his job, but as he glanced down at Tynki, he knew he couldn't do it with the baby in his arm. He glanced around, trying to find a way to get rid of him. Smiling guiltily, he walked over to Finn, holding out the baby to him. "Here," he said as he shoved the little Wallop into Finn's arms, "hold Tynki."

Finn gasped and let out a sound of disbelief as the baby was dumped into his arms. He'd never held a baby before. What if he dropped it? What if he hurt it? What if it hurt _him_?

He looked down at the baby suspiciously, expecting at any moment for it to strike. But Tynki's big teal eyes just gazed up at him with curiosity, and Finn's face softened. He was actually kind of cute. Balancing Tynki in one arm, Finn lifted his other hand and twiddled his fingers in his face, playing with him. Tynki reached up and grabbed his trigger finger, and Finn was forced to hold still in his grasp. "Hey!" he said good-naturally, still under the baby cuteness spell. "This little guy's got a grip!"

Then Tynki tightened his grip and giggled.

From Finn's finger there was a loud crack. "Ow!" Finn cried out in pain as his finger swelled up and turned red, throbbing like crazy. He pulled it away and looked at it, grimacing and gasping in pain. "My trigger finger!" he wheezed. Tynki had broken it! He set Tynki down the table and went with Aerrow to wrap up his finger. Stupid baby!

Meanwhile, Junko helped Stork fix the pipes. While Junko was hammering in a nail with Stork beside him directing, Tynki decided to study the model airship. Like Finn, he thought it looked a lot like a toy. He started playing with it.

Junko stopped hammering when he heard a crash.

Piper, who had been looking out the front window, turned around and gasped at the wreck at her feet. The model ship was intact, but the dry dock it stood on was wrecked. "My model!" Piper cried. Just as she said it, the model ship broke in half. She groaned as she reached down to pick up the pieces.

Tynki, meanwhile, had made his way to the floor, and he giggled at the fun he had just had. He crawled across the floor away from the table. And that's when he spotted it. Glancing up with round, curious eyes, he saw the _Condor_'s abandoned helm. He giggled as the thing glimmered in the sunlight, and he reached up to grab it, wondering what fun it would be.

During this, Junko had gone to see what the crash had been. Piper picked up the remaining pieces of her model and set them on the table in a heap. When Junko approached, she shoved the heap in front of him. Junko stared at it. That wasn't good. He looked over at Piper and laughed nervously, wondering what she would say. Piper just folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow disapprovingly.

Then next thing Junko knew, the _Condor_ was listing to portside. He and the others cried out in surprise as they all went sliding into the portside wall, and _Condor_ went spinning, sending the Storm Hawks into a heap, one on top of the other.

The first thing Junko remembered after that was hearing Finn groan. Then he heard Piper and Aerrow moan after him. After that, he realized what had happened. He was crushing poor Finn, who was at the bottom of the heap, and Radarr, who was atop the sharpshooter. Piper had been lucky enough to be thrown off to the side. And knocking the breath out of Junko was Aerrow, who was pinned down by Stork.

Junko and the others glanced up just in time to see the shutters on the windows all coming down with a clank and saw Tynki smiling and hanging contentedly off one of the handles of the helm. The team was then left in blackness as the last shutter closed.

"Terror, destruction, and ruin," Junko heard Stork grumble. The Wallop noticed Aerrow's green eyes and Piper's orange eyes glaring in the Merb's direction.

The light came in as the window shutters opened again, and Stork, Aerrow, and Piper stood up. Junko looked toward the helm at Tynki when he heard him giggle. The baby Wallop was still hanging off one handle. The Wallop's eyes widened in fright. "Whoa!" he shouted as he pushed himself off of Radarr and Finn. Tynki was about to hurt himself! And worse, he was about to fly them right into the face of a mountain!

With a mighty leap similar to that of a pouncing bear, Junko lunged forward and grabbed Tynki off the helm, landing on his back with Tynki's in his arms. This saved Tynki but not the ship. Piper acted next. With a gasp of fear, she ran forward to the helm and veered the _Condor_ away from the face of the odd-looking mountain.

Piper kept driving as they leveled out, staring at the window in disbelief. "That baby Wallop nearly ran us right into Snipe's battle airship!" she exclaimed.

Junko stood up with Tynki cradled in one arm. The others walked up beside him, and Stork pressed his hands to the glass. "Whoa!" Finn said. And that's exactly how they all felt. The ship was unbelievable! Junko had seen the blueprint, and he had known the mechanics—maybe not the proper terms for the mechanics, but he knew the mechanics—but it was another thing altogether to see the nearly impossible, unstoppable ship in person on a full-sized scale. The thing was _huge_, nearly as big as the biggest of the Murk Raider ships! As the _Condor_ flew by it, the Storm Hawks' great ship looked like a little flea next to the lumbering dog of a Cyclonian Destroyer. And there were more blasters than Junko could count! How in the world was the thing even supposed to get off the ground?

His spellbound amazement for the ship was broken, however, when Tynki slid down his arm and started tugging at Radarr.

"Time to gear up, guys," Junko heard Aerrow announce. The Sky Knight was ready to take them on the mission he and Piper had been planning for.

The mission! Junko smiled. First, of course, he'd have to take care of Tynki. "As soon as I put the little fella to bed, I'm ready to go!" he told Aerrow. He pulled harder at Tynki, trying to get him to let go of Radarr's neck. Aerrow's furry copilot was clutching the helm's stand for all he was worth and squawking in pain as the baby Wallop gripped his neck. The others winced as Junko pulled Tynki off of him at last, and Radarr slammed against the stand with a loud squeal.

Finn glanced at Aerrow. Aerrow glanced at Piper. Piper glanced at Aerrow. They all grimaced.

Aerrow turned back to the Wallops. "Change of plans, Junko," he said to his mechanic.

"Huh?" Junko asked.

Aerrow gestured to him. "Your part of the mission is to stay here and watch Tynki," he instructed.

Junko glanced down at Tynki. He could probably do that.

Radarr squawked and felt the back of his neck, where a patch of his fur was missing and his skin shown pink. Tynki giggled and showed Junko the patch of fur he had ripped off Radarr's neck. Radarr whimpered and growled at the baby. Junko glanced down apologetically. Yeah, Aerrow was right, he decided. Someone had to stay here and watch Tynki.

Finn glanced down at his broke trigger finger, now wrapped in gauze. "Not sure which mission is more dangerous," he muttered.

Author's Notes: I'm not the only one who notices that Aerrow and Piper finish each other's sentences a lot, am I? I still will not proclaim a pairing between those two, but I swear, if they don't have a crush on each other, than they must love each other as siblings. They sure understand each other. I think Piper understands Aerrow better than Aerrow understands Piper, though. I think that's the case with most boy/girl friendships. Boys can be so clueless sometimes.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Junko's name is a combination of two words: "junk" (probably due to the stuff he eats) and "junco". It's a play on words, really. A junco is a _small_ North American finch. It has gray plumage that matches Junko's hair.

The idea of Junko being a _small_ birdie is really amusing!

Still working a little bit to get into character with Junko, but I'm working on it. I think I'm getting better. What do you think?


	58. A Little Trouble: Kidnapped Kid

Chapter 2: Kidnapped Kid

Junko brought Tynki to his room, where the two of them laid down the bed. Junko pulled out a music box and opened it up. Two Air Skimmers, one red and one blue, circled around each other as the music played a simple tune, much like bells. "This was my music box when I was a baby Wallop," Junko told Tynki, laying a hand on the baby's back. "Guaranteed to send little ones off to dreamland."

Tynki watched the Skimmers as they went around and around. He thought they looked like a fun toy. He was about to reach out and touch the Skimmers when suddenly he heard a loud grunt. He turned his head. Junko was snoring beside him, sound asleep.

Tynki giggled as he looked out toward the door. He was bored, and there was so much to explore. He rolled off the bed and crawled toward the door, giggling, looking for new adventure.

As Tynki made his way further down the _Condor_, Stork drove the ship closer to Snipe's mega-battle airship, which was still attached to the dry dock on the mountain. Aerrow and Piper stood behind the helm, each dressed in their disguises. Aerrow was in a janitor's suit and Piper was in a Talon's suit. They were the same disguises they had used to free the Galians.

Aerrow's excitement grew with each inch the _Condor_ gained on the Cyclonian Destroyer. Beside him, he could sense Piper brimming with eagerness, and even Stork let out a tentative smirk. "We're in a blind spot behind them," Piper said, her voice dropping to an excited whisper. "They still don't see us!"

Aerrow slammed his fist into his hand. "It's go time!" he answered back with the same quiet eagerness. As one, he and Piper turned on the spot to go fetch Radarr and Finn, who was changing into his janitor's suit, and head off toward the dry dock.

* * *

On the dry dock of the battle airship, things weren't going so well. Snipe's yell rang throughout the mountainside: "I WANT MORE BLASTERS!"

The Nimbus Chapter Talon commander slammed his fist against the railing of the dry dock while holding his sandwich in his other hand. He was yelling at the operator, who had on his Talon uniform and engineering helmet, was holding his clipboard, and was the only lower Talon there who wasn't wearing goggles. "But, sir," the project commander argue, gesturing toward the battleship, "we have so many now, if we add more, the ship will be too heavy to fly."

Snipe was about to take a second bite out of his sandwich when he heard those words, and he stopped with the sandwich halfway toward his mouth. Did his own Talon just _argue_ against his order? Too heavy, huh? "Then I'll lighten the load," Snipe growled. "Starting with you!"

The project commander held his clipboard up in front of him defensively, looking scared. "More blasters, sir," he assured Snipe, bowing his head toward him. "Coming right up, sir." And with that, he was gone as fast as his legs could carry him.

Snipe smirked as the man scampered away like a scared rabbit. The Talon commander's eyes were on the battleship. He turned away, dreaming of driving it. "Nobody else has a cool Super Battle Airship like this!" he gestured toward the ship with the hand holding his sandwich, laughing to himself. "Now they'll all take me seriously, or else!"

He clutched his fists, only to see mustard sprayed on his empty hand. Blinking at it, he turned to his hand holding the sandwich and saw he had crushed his lunch when had clenched his fists. "Oh," he said as he saw his tomato falling out of it. Looks like he needed a new sandwich.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr, Piper, and Finn made their way toward the battleship. Aerrow and Radarr let Piper take the lead, since she was the one who had the best understanding of the plan, and they fell back a bit on her portside. Finn fell back even further on her starboard wing.

"Okay," Piper said as they flew, "so we don't have half the blueprint, we don't have Junko, and we don't have Finn's trigger finger." Finn smiled sheepishly and waved his finger at them. It was unbelievably swollen under his janitor's glove.

Aerrow frowned. He hoped Piper was going somewhere with this because this wasn't encouraging.

"But," Piper continued, sounding determined, "we can still do this." She paused and added quietly, "As long as nothing else goes wrong."

Aerrow kept frowning. Knowing their luck this day, something else was _bound_ to go wrong. But as always, he kept his chin up. He would never let his team see doubt in him.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Junko was still soundly asleep in his room. Softly, the music box came to a stop, and Junko came to with a snort. "Huh?" Had he been sleeping? He looked around.

Oh no.

"Tynki?" Junko sat up. "Where are ya, little guy?"

* * *

Finn took the lead from Piper as they and Aerrow and Radarr flew closer to the battleship. Aerrow and Radarr took up the rear, unaware that deep within Radarr's cockpit, Tynki had fallen asleep with his thumb in his mouth.

* * *

"Tynki!" Junko called as he got up and through the automatic doorway and into the hallway. He looked around. No Tynki. "Now, where'd that little rascal go?" Junko asked himself. He looked back and forth. "Hmm." He started walking toward the bridge. "He couldn't've gone far."

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr, Piper, and Finn rolled to a stop on the graving dock. "No security," Piper said smugly. "I knew the dry dock was the best place to land."

Finn shook his head, smiling. "Not that your bragging or anything," he said, folding his arms across his chest as she dismounted.

The strategist took a moment to collect her thoughts, talking with her hands as much as her voice. "Next we gotta find a way onto the airship without being seen, then get to the engine room, put it out of action, then stealthily make our way back here, and then return to the _Condor_."

Finn rolled his eyes as she talked. When she had a plan, she could ramble on forever explaining it. And she called him smug and egotistical. Now who's smug and egotistical! Actually, Finn didn't quite know what "egotistical" meant, but he knew it was probably similar to smug.

Aerrow, however, didn't seem at all irritated by Piper's rambling. He seemed to have actually been _listening_. He stepped up next to Piper, leaning in toward her shoulder. "Sounds simple enough," he said, meeting her eyes and exchanging her smile with his. He turned to the airship. "Let's do it!" He and Piper took off running.

Finn jumped off his Skimmer before he was left behind. _Oh, yeah, just ignore your wingman because you think your strategist is so perfect!_ Finn thought grudgingly, glaring into Aerrow's back.

He hadn't even bothered to wait for Radarr, who was left to scamper after them on all fours.

Meanwhile, Tynki crawled out of Radarr's cockpit, unseen by them. He giggled as he crawled away from the Skimmers in a different direction than the Storm Hawks.

* * *

"Tynki?" Junko called throughout the _Condor_. He and Stork were searching for the little guy through the supply crates. Junko lifted up one and looked underneath it. Nothing. He walked in another direction, cupping his hand to his mouth. "Tynki?" He peered over another stack of crates. "Hey, hide and seek time's over, little buddy."

He turned around to Stork, who was doing nothing but standing there and watching him. "A baby Wallop can't be that hard to find," he said with a shrug, walking off to look somewhere else.

Stork tilted his head to the side with a delighted smile on his face as ideas popped into his head. "Maybe he was snatched by owl flies," he suggested.

Junko stopped, his eye twitching. Owl flies?

"Or accidentally dumped out of the garbage shoot," Stork added.

The Wallop cringed. Garbage shoot?

"Or," Stork added as a finale alternative, "caught in a wormhole and happily destroying a _Condor_ in an alternate universe." He smiled at the last one. For whatever strange reason that Junko could not fathom, the Merb seemed to like that case scenario.

Junko bit his lip. Oh, poor Tynki! And it was all his fault!

* * *

On the dry dock area, the Talons and Cyclonian workers were moving faster than ever, trying to beat the growing darkness in finishing the ship's construction. One of the cranes lowered another blaster, a Sail Slasher precisely, down to a Talon who was supposed to adjust it. The project commander walked by and saw this. With a smile, he marked on his clipboard.

Finn saw all of this going on from behind a support beam for the dry dock. How _boring!_

Radarr, then Aerrow, then Piper peered out from behind the support beam, looking around suspiciously. Finn didn't see why they had to hide. They were in Cyclonian clothing, weren't they? He and Aerrow had fake Cyclonian ID. He walked out from behind the support beam like it was nothing. "Finn," Piper scolded him, reaching out to stop him, "slow down and keep low!"

Finn glanced over his shoulder at them. "Relax," he assured them. "You're talking to the expert on stealth tactics."

No sooner did he say that when he stepped on the head of a Talon working on a deck below him. "Hey," the Talon said.

Finn turned around and cringed. Piper and Aerrow did the same. Radarr whimpered. This couldn't be good.

But the Talon only pointed toward a red toolbox on the floor beside his head. "Hey," he said to Finn, "give me a nelson wrench out of the toolbox, will ya?" he asked.

Finn shrugged and cocked an eyebrow at him but did as he asked, fishing out the nelson wrench and placing it in the Talons hand. The Talon then proceeded to tighten up the viewfinder on the Sail Slasher.

Finn cocked an eyebrow and groaned as he watched the Talon tighten it up. It tortured him to see such an aim! What kind of blasters did these Cyclonians make? "Wait," he said to the Talon, "you can't align a Sail Slasher with that kind of torque."

The Talon looked at the wrench and grimaced. He didn't seem to know what he was doing wrong. It looked like Finn would have to get in with this. "Here," he said, motioning for the Talon to scoot over, "let me show ya." He jumped down beside the Talon in front of the Sail Slasher.

"Huh?" Aerrow and Piper said in unison when they saw this. Radarr let out a squawk at the same time which was the equivalent. They couldn't believe what Finn was doing!

Finn adjusted the viewfinder where it should be and tightened up the screws when it was pointed dead ahead. The Talon studied what he was doing.

When Finn was done, he examined his work with a smile. Man, was he good. He handed the wrench back to the Talon. "Now that blaster's aim is dead-on perfect," he said, turning to leave. The Talon smiled gratefully as he took back the wrench.

Finn headed back to the other Storm Hawks, humming to himself. He was just the greatest aimer ever! Such alignment could not be matched!

But to his surprised, the others were looking at him in disapproval. Piper had her hands on her hips, and Aerrow and Radarr crossed their arms. Aerrow's glare was so cold and critical that Finn was taken aback. Piper grimaced and shook her head at Finn. "What?" Finn asked innocently.

Then it hit him. How stupid he had been! He had just helped the enemy aim their weapon! Finn hoped Aerrow would forget about _that_ mistake later. Piper may get on to him about a lot of things and may be mad a lot, but Aerrow's temper was harder to trigger and _much worse_ when it was triggered. And if there's one thing that could set him off, it was helping the enemy. Already his glare seemed to be boring into Finn.

"What are you doing here?" a voice suddenly asked irritably.

The Storm Hawks all glanced up fearfully at the project commander, who was pointing a finger at them from the floor above them. Radarr put his hand over his head. Finn grimaced. This is it. They'd been recognized.

But it was not so. Like everyone else, the project commander was fooled by the disguises. "This ship isn't going to build itself," he scolded. "Quit standing around and get back to work!" He pointed to the ship irritably with his clipboard.

Quickly the boys and Piper saluted, hoping to get away. With a squawk, Radarr glanced back at what they were doing. Quickly he corrected himself, taking his arms off his head and saluting the project commander as well, giving him a friendly churr.

* * *

"Tynki!" Junko called desperately, looking in Stork's chest in the bridge by the helm. "Where are you?" He was really getting worried now. Tynki didn't seem to be anywhere. He threw out everything in the chest that wasn't Tynki. He threw out Stork's heat detector, one of his books, and a power amp.

Stork, who was standing behind him, watched each item as it clattered on the floor. He put his hands on his head. "Oh, not the important stuff!" he groaned. "Can't you look for him in the toaster?"

But Tynki wasn't in the chest. Tynki didn't seem to be anywhere! He was probably alone somewhere on here, scared and lonely, maybe even hurt! Junko stood and turned around, putting his hands on his head. "I'm a terrible babysitter!" he exclaimed to Stork.

Stork lowered his own hands and frowned, looking uncomfortable.

"I can't even take care of a harmless, innocent child!" Junko continued, opening his clutched hands. He couldn't believe what he done! He'd let down his second nephew's third uncle's first cousin. And he'd let down Tynki.

* * *

Meanwhile, the harmless, innocent child had found his way into the driver's seat of one of the cranes on the construction sight. He giggled at his new discovery, looking around with wide eyes at the dashboard. So many pretty buttons to push! He started pushing the buttons, laughing at the way they lit up.

The heavy hook at the end of the crane's pulley swung around in answer to the buttons' commands, and it crashed into one of the structures on the dry dock.

Unaware, Tynki kept giggling and pressed more buttons. Then he saw something even cooler: a lever! He pushed it forward, delighted by it.

In response to this new command, the crane completely dropped its hook. It landed on the end of a board that was laid on a cement rock like a lever. The other end had already been weighed down by a bucket full of bright yellow, hot coals, which had come from the grate furnace in front of it. When the hook hit the board, it slung the bucket of coals like a catapult. The bucket landed about ten yards away, and some of its red-hot coals spilled and fell down a large pipe.

The pipe ran down right by a stack of supply crates close to the ship. It was just by these supply crates that the project commander was forcing Aerrow, Piper, Radarr, and Finn to paint the battleship. The Talon had laid his clipboard on a dry part on the ship as he watched the Storm Hawks skeptically doing the work. "Hmm," the project commander said to Finn. He pointed. "You missed a spot."

Finn glared behind his shoulder. Aerrow felt sorry for him. After all, there had only been enough paint rollers for three. Finn had been forced to use a brush, and his work was sloppier thanks to that.

Aerrow also felt the same resentment toward the Talon. His insistence on them doing work, thinking of them as lazy workers, was keeping them from continuing the mission. And besides that, Aerrow thought with a frown, the work was just plain boring. They were painting the side of a battleship. And to make it even more tedious, the section they painted was all one color: battleship gray.

Piper seemed to have the same frustration. She worked close at his side, almost touching, so it was easy for her to whisper to him, "We gotta find a way outta this!"

No sooner had she said it when the pipe began to shake as the coals fell down it. A crack in the pipe allowed the live coals to escape and fall onto the lid of one of the supply crates. To their luck, it was the same supply crate on which the project commander decided to have a seat . . . without looking to see if he should.

The first thing the Talon noticed when he sat down was a crackling sound. Then he felt really hot. "Huh?" he said. And then he felt the pain.

With a holler fit for a stampeding buffalo, the project commander leaped to his feet. The Storm Hawks turned around to see him running back and forth in front of them, charred coals, clothing, and flesh flaking off his behind. After two rounds of this, he ran off, desperate to find something to put out the accumulating flames.

Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances. This was it! They could now continue with the mission. They started off in step, Finn and Radarr seeing them leave and trailing behind.

Just above them, Snipe was having a fun time in his new ship. He sat in the driver's seat, pretending he was flying his ship into battle. He made motorcycle sounds as he held his hands up like he was gripping a wheel. As he made loud booming sound like shots from blasters, real slams came from outside.

Just outside the door, Talons ran from the crane as it spun around, destroying floor upon floor of the dry dock. Tynki happily made his way onto the neck of the crane, which was colliding with everything, and crawled across unfazed, laughing at the fun he was having. As he reached the end of it, he crawled onto a horizontal metal pillar, which extended out to him, as the crane's neck swung by it. He got off just in time. The crane's neck then was busy ramming itself into another floor of the dry dock.

Snipe was still unaware of this. He spun around in his chair as he held up his fists and made motorcycle noises, never facing toward the open door. Just when he was really getting animated, he stopped and listened, thinking he heard a loud crash. It was probably nothing. It could be a crash on the construction site. Snipe, however, thought he was only hearing it in his head as part of his imagined game. He went back to "flying" his ship, making a big booming sound just as the entire structure of the dry dock collapsed.

Aerrow saw the structure collapsing, and he warned Piper. Quickly the Storm Hawks flattened themselves against a wall just beyond the destruction and made their way toward an opening in the ship. Piper led the way with Aerrow close behind. Finn and Radarr followed after them.

Piper smiled as she peered around the wall at a ramp which led into one of the battleship's open doorways. All clear. She turned to the others. "Next stop, battle airship!" she said.

Aerrow smiled at first, as eager as she was to get on the ship, but something else caught his eye. He grabbed Piper's shoulder just as she was about to go out toward the ship. She glanced at him, and he nodded in the direction ahead of them.

Grunting and huffing in pain and holding his burning rear, the project commander suddenly appeared, running up the ramp and into the ship. The Storm Hawks all peered around the wall to watch him. Once inside, he jumped backward into a bucket by the doorway. Apparently the bucket had water, which put out the coals on his rear, sending up steam in a hiss.

Aerrow frowned. There's no way they could sneak in with the Talon there, and he would probably be there awhile trying to sooth the pain of the burn. "We've gotta find another way on board," he told the others.

Just then, Finn glanced off to their right, in the one direction where they were not hidden, and then slunk backward, flattening himself against the wall again and crouching behind a barrel. Aerrow looked up to see what was wrong.

Talons, two of them! They were guards, too, each of them holding Cyclonian staffs. They had been walking in their direction, and they stood in plain sight before them, talking to one another. The only thing separating them from the Storm Hawks was a bunch of supply crates. Aerrow knew it was only a matter of time before they would stop their conversation and walk their way. As soon as they looked in this direction, they would see them.

Aerrow thought quickly. They couldn't move back, they couldn't shift, and they couldn't go forward. The only thing to do was to hold tight silently and hope that something would draw their attention away.

* * *

Tynki, meanwhile, was having a great time. He was on the one of the decks of the dry dock, stacking three bolts he had pulled out of the grated floor. Clapping his hands with delight at his creation, he pulled out a forth bolt, and the whole floor creaked from lack of security. He started to put it on top of his stack.

It was at that moment that two Talon guards appeared just two floor sections away. They stared in surprise at Tynki, who was too mesmerized by his game to pay them any mind. "Is that a . . . baby?" the bigger one asked in disbelief, gesturing toward Tynki.

It sure was, and the way the other Talon looked at it, a baby meant someone else must have brought it here. He leveled out his staff and furrowed his brow menacingly. "Grab him!" he ordered the other, who followed his lead.

They approached the unsuspecting baby Wallop slowly with their staffs pointed toward him. Tynki then decided he wanted another toy to add to his stack. He found a fifth bolt and pulled it out with a hard yank.

Immediately, the floor jolted and dipped as the Talons stepped onto it, having no support. "Whoa!" the Talons yelled. They slammed into the railing, and bigger Talon lost his spear. He and his comrade watched it fall and clatter to the next floor ten feet below them.

As the floor began to dip even more, threatening to give way, the Talons glanced at each other. They weren't sticking around for this! Hurriedly, they ran back the way they came, and two sections of the floor fell through behind them.

The crash echoed throughout the mountainside. Aerrow's head shot up when he heard it, and he glanced around, unsure whether or not the cause of the crash posed them any threat. The project commander, still sitting in the water bucket, cringed when he heard it and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling doubtfully. The Talon guards just a few ways off from the Storm Hawks cringed as well before running off in the opposite direction.

Finn stood up from behind the barrel when he saw the Talon guards leave. "What was that?" he wondered aloud.

Aerrow peered around the wall in time to see the project commander running toward the sound as well. Yes! "A lucky break," he answered Finn with a smile. He motioned toward the ship. "Let's move!"

They approached the ship carefully . . . well, Radarr, Piper, and Aerrow did. Finn strutted ahead of them as if he hadn't a care in the world. Radarr tiptoed on two legs behind him, and Piper followed, looking around suspiciously for any trouble. Aerrow brought up the rear, and for good reason. If anyone should attack them from behind, he wanted to be a barrier between them and his friends.

The whirling of an incoming engine drew his attention away from the ship. It was not the low, loud groan of a Heli-Blade, like most of the Nimbus Chapter Talons would be flying, but it was not the quiet hum of a stealthy Air Skimmer or other Sky Knight vehicle. Aerrow turned toward the skies.

Just as he thought. A Talon Switchblade. A Talon Switchblade _Elite_, in fact. But it was the driver, not the vehicle, that sent a shiver down Aerrow's spine. He raised an eyebrow, unease rising in his stomach. "Dark Ace?" He knew it! He knew it all along! Even after the speculation of his death in the battle on Terra Saharr, Aerrow had known the Dark Ace had survived and would be back. And here was, looking stout and fit to kill as ever.

On hearing him, Piper turned around and followed his gaze. "We definitely didn't plan for that," she said with a shrug, her voice mixed with disappointment, exasperation, and anxiety.

Finn turned to see it, too, but then his eyes flickered in another direction. "Or that!" he added, pointing up toward another level of the dry dock. Aerrow's gaze followed his finger.

Up above them, two Talon guards were walking along determinedly. The one on the right held little Tynki under his right arm. Tynki was facing backward, being held by his stomach, and he had a forlorn look on his face from being held in an uncomfortable position by a stranger. He wiped his nose unhappily. The next moment, however, he sniffed up mucus in his nose, and large, green bubble appeared out of one nostril. Tynki giggled and let out a little squeal of delight at this new discovery, and he popped the snot bubble with his finger. Yet despite his fun, the Talon only looked angrier.

Piper put a hand to her mouth worriedly, and Aerrow frowned. Now, on top of everything else, they would have to rescue poor little Tynki from Cyclonian capture.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Tynki may have gotten his name from the word "tinker". One informal meaning for "tinker" is a "mischievous or naughty child."

The only thing I would argue about this fact is that Tynki is not naughty—you have to try to be bad to be naughty. He's just . . . destructive. But he's innocent, too. He never _tries_ to cause trouble.

Hardly anyone's reviewing. Why aren't there more people reviewing? Am I that boring?


	59. A Little Trouble: The Launch

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for reviewing, everyone! I feel so loved!

I'd also like to give a special thank you to Anonymous for pointing out my error. I like it when people do that; it gives me a chance to correct them.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Launch

One bad thing about starting a mission close to sunset: if something goes wrong, it could be a sleepless night.

Stars glittered in the sky above the mountain of the great battleship. Aerrow, Piper, and Finn had taken refuge in a secluded area surrounded by supply crates, looking down upon the Talons. Aerrow set to work trying to contact Junko to tell him where they'd now found Tynki. He gave Piper the job of using Stork's x-ray peepers to see what they were doing with Tynki and try to think up a plan. Finn and Radarr got to sit around and watch them.

Aerrow thought his job would only take him a minute. Then he could help Piper try to think up a rescue plan. But every time he tried to contact the _Condor_, all he got was static. He pressed the radio to his ear in frustration.

Piper searched the area below them. The Talons were keeping Tynki in a little guardhouse shaped like a teepee, waiting for someone—like the Storm Hawks—to come rescue him and reveal their presence. One guard stood at attention outside the door with his staff grasped tightly in his hand. Two other armed Talons patrolled the area.

A third armed guard approached the guardhouse. The guard let him in, and still another guard was inside with Tynki. The Talon and the baby sat on stools facing each other. Tynki seemed to be playful, kicking his feet. When he saw the Talon who was entering, he smiled at him. Piper was much relieved to see that he was being treated well, but her anxiety grew again when the door slammed shut and her view of Tynki was cut off.

"It won't be easy rescuing him," she told the others, putting down the peepers and glancing back at them. "He's in a guardhouse under a heavy security watch."

Finn leaned against a stack of supply crates, looking stumped. "Someone tell me how he got here in the first place?" he said, gesturing out toward the guardhouse and raising an eyebrow.

Aerrow about had it with the radio! He still had no response. "Someone tell me why can't get hold of his babysitter!" he said in aggravation.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Condor_, Stork winced as Junko went about his work opening up the radio with a screw driver to find Tynki. The radio sparked as it was torn open. Junko stared at it in defeat, wondering what to do next.

"He's not inside the radio," Stork said with a sarcastic tone. "Imagine that."

Junko was running out of options. His heart beat painfully in his chest. Where could Tynki possibly be? He ran off in a desperate search in other places.

Stork cringed as he heard a crash and scowled in Junko's direction. What was it with Wallops and destruction?

* * *

Meanwhile, a very different conversation was happening on the bridge of Snipe's battleship. A few of Snipe's Talons were present, including the project commander, while Snipe invited the Dark Ace into his new stronghold.

The Dark Ace looked around skeptically with his hands behind his back, seeming unimpressed. "So this is the ultimate weapon I've been hearing so much about," he said.

"Oh, yeah!" Snipe answered proudly, stretching his arms outward in awe of the ship. "When this bad boy is up and runnin'," he said with a laugh, "I'm gonna rock the quadrant!"

He glanced over his shoulder at his project commander. He _was_ going to "rock the quadrant," right? The project commander gave him thumbs up. _Good,_ Snipe thought, turning back to the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace kept his back to Snipe as he spoke, his voice icy cold. "Nice of you to invite the Storm Hawks on board to witness your crowning achievement."

Snipe was taken aback. "The Storm Hawks?" he said incredulously. "Wha . . ." He looked around frantically. "Here?"

"That's right," the Dark Ace answered calmly. "You probably can't see the _Condor_ in that enormous blind spot behind your _bloated ship!_" He whipped around at the end of his sentence, his eyes glaring angrily at Snipe.

But Snipe didn't see this as a bad thing at all, and he was unfazed by the Dark Ace's criticism, which he never cared for, anyway. "Wait a minute," he thought aloud. "That's perfect!"

But the Dark Ace was already walking toward the door. Snipe called after him to tell him the plan he had just thought up . . . well, boasting, rather. The Dark Ace stopped and glanced back at him in disinterest as he spoke. "When my super battleship blows the Storm Hawks and their _Condor_ to pieces," Snipe boasted, "then everyone will know who's the baddest dude of them all!" He clenched his fist and laughed evilly. "Me!" His evil laughter filled the bridge.

But the Dark Ace didn't seem impressed. "You've got your way," he said softly and coldly. Then in one swift movement, he removed his double-bladed sword from the sheath on his back. "I've got mine." And with those words, he calmly walked off the bridge.

But Snipe was too excited to worry about anything the Dark Ace had to say. He turned to his men. "Launch the ship!" he ordered. "Set course for the _Condor_ and charge all blasters!" With excitement building, he turned to the frontal window, awaiting his moment of glory.

The project commander exchanged a glance with the Talon beside him. Launch the ship? "But, sir," the project commander told Snipe, "the ship isn't ready." He gestured out the window. "It's still attached to the dry dock."

Snipe lifted an eyebrow at him. Did his own Talon just refuse to carry out his orders? He walked up to the Talon with a scowl on his face. Both the project commander and the Talon beside him straightened to attention, fear showing on their features. Snipe narrowed his eyes. He'd warned the project commander before; now he would pay.

He reached toward the Talon's chest and pulled down the tab on his parachute. The Talon's eyes narrowed in a sorrowful frown as the parachute opened, begging for mercy with his eyes. But Snipe only smirked and waved to him as his parachute caught in the wind from the open window, and he was sucked outside and blown away. "Whoa!" he yelled as he sailed away, knowing full well no one would be sent to his rescue.

Snipe turned to the other Talon threateningly, his eyes glancing around at all the Talons in his presence. He spoke slowly so that these _morons_ would listen closely. "Anyone else think the ship's not ready?"

The Talon in front of him only shook his head fearfully. Snipe smiled in pleasure when he saw the fat Talon run off to do his job alongside the others, who had caught on the hint even quicker than he had. One Talon operated the levers while the fat Talon ran to type some buttons, leveling the blasters. The new ship would soon be ready to launch into its first attack.

* * *

Junko sat down at the round table in despair, leaning his head on the table and putting his hands on his head. "I've failed in the most sacred of Wallop responsibilities!" he wailed. "My second nephew's third uncle's first cousin will never forgive me!" He flung his head down on the table. His chest ached with guilt. He could have been in Death's clutch then, and he won't have cared.

Stork seemed to have a change of heart at seeing Junko in so much distress. He stood beside the Wallop awkwardly before laying a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry, Junko," he tried to reassure him. "We'll find the little monster . . ." He caught himself abruptly.

But Junko had heard him, and he glanced up at him. Little _monster?_

Stork cleared his throat and looked away sheepishly. "The little tyke," he corrected. He turned back to Junko. "And he'll be just fine."

Just then, the alarms started flashing and blaring.

"We, on the other hand . . ." Stork began. He ran to the periscope and looked through it without finishing his sentence. Junko stayed where he was, sulking. Whatever was going on, it didn't matter to him. What he'd done was unforgivable. If he was hurt, he would be getting what he deserved.

"Major power surge," Stork announced, turning around to Junko, "off the battle airship!"

* * *

At last, the coast was clear for the Storm Hawks on the dry dock. Aerrow saw this as both a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because they would have little resistance when rescuing Tynki; a bad thing because he could hear the roar of the engine and saw it spouting red crystal energy, and he knew the reason the Talons had cleared out is because the ship was getting ready to launch. He thought it a little odd, launching while still attached to the dry dock, but he didn't stop long to think on it. Their timeframe was limited. They had to work quickly.

Three guards were still in the guardhouse, according to Piper. That meant a fight. Aerrow was glad he came prepared. His uniform and armor were under his janitor's uniform, and his blades safely tucked away between the two suits.

Aerrow led their charge toward the guardhouse, which was close to the edge of the dry dock and the trembling battleship. Finn followed behind, then Piper, and Radarr scurried after them on all fours.

Aerrow knew they had to take the Talons by surprise if they were to make this quick. As soon as he reached the guardhouse, he flattened himself against the wall beside the door. Finn did the same on the other side, close to the door's handle.

Now was the time. As Piper came up and took a place beside Finn, Aerrow pointed ever so slightly to the door with his thumb, signaling to Finn. Finn nodded and ran away from the door. Then he came back in full speed and slammed into it . . . and the door didn't budge. Aerrow raised his eyebrows as Finn fell over on his back. Slamming into the door wasn't exactly what he had meant.

Studying the door, Piper slid over to where Finn had been. Grabbing the handle, she lightly pushed the door open a few inches. Seeing her success, she smirked at Finn. Finn just scowled and turned away in irritation.

Aerrow smiled at Piper. He didn't even have to signal her. As soon as their eyes met, she knew what he wanted.

Aerrow kicked the door in, and he, Piper, and Radarr stood in the doorway in fighting stances, waiting for an attack. "Give up the baby!" Aerrow ordered.

Then he did a double take, and he, Piper, and Radarr slowly relaxed. He couldn't believe it. The three Talons were passed out in the middle of the floor facedown, one on top of the other, and Tynki sat on top of them, clapping his hands when he saw their familiar faces and giggling.

Just then, Finn got into the action, and he jumped in between Aerrow and Radarr and took a fighting stance . . . only to gasp when he saw the scene. "But . . . how?" he asked, turning to Aerrow.

Aerrow looked at him and shrugged. He was wondering the same thing. How does a _baby_ take out three Talons?

Piper, seeming as motherly as ever, walked forward and lifted up Tynki, who was making gleeful noises. But as soon as she held him close, she wrinkled up her nose, gasped, and jerked him away, holding him out at arms' length. "I'm thinking it's because Tynki needs a new diaper," she answered them, turning away and holding her breath.

The boys exchanged glances. Aerrow always did work for his squadron if they needed it and if everyone else was unwilling, but there were just some times where even _he_ drew the line. He was a boy, after all. He and Finn held up their hands and leaned back. "Not me!" they said in unison before Piper could ask it of them.

Piper looked back at Tynki and groaned, knowing who that left.

Tynki then looked upset, but there was another little toot, and then he looked satisfied again, having left Piper another present.

As Piper did the dirty work, Aerrow watched the battleship. Their time was running out. The engines were all started and every weapon was drawn out and ready. Everything seemed set into place. Then, just as Piper finished up, the ship began to slide, breaking apart the dry dock it was attached to.

In the ship's bridge, Snipe smirked as his eyes narrowed at the window. This was to be his crowning moment.

The Storm Hawks watched as the ship began to glide away. They were about to lose their chance. Then Aerrow saw the side of the ship sliding past them; a grated metal deck that had been used for building and painting was still attached to it. That was their ticket to the ship. "Run for it!" he ordered Piper in a harsh whisper. "Now!"

Holding Tynki in her arms, Piper didn't hesitate. She immediately jumped onto the deck, holding Tynki close and landing successfully on her feet with a grunt. Radarr leaped after her.

Aerrow waited for Finn to go, but that didn't seem to be happening. Finn was hyperventilating, looking down at the deck and the Wastelands below them in the area that separated him from the deck. Aerrow knew he would be too scared to jump in time. So, in an effort to keep everyone together on this mission, he pushed Finn off the dry dock. Grunting as he fell, Finn hit the side of the ship in a face plant and then flopped down onto the deck on his back.

Thanks to Finn's delay, the ship was now drawing away. Aerrow measured the gap between him and the battleship's porch. It was far, much farther than most would dare to jump, than most _could possibly _jump. But Aerrow set his jaw, unwilling to let himself think about it. Giving himself a running start, he launched himself into the air with a grunt. He landed on Finn just as the dazed sharpshooter had gotten to his feet.

Behind them, the dry dock they had stood on was torn apart as the engines passed them by. They had gotten out just in time.

Quickly they ran inside, Piper still holding Tynki. "We've gotta get to the engine room if we're gonna put this thing outta action!" Piper told them as they ran down the hallway.

Radarr scampered on ahead, slightly in front of Piper's heels, while Aerrow followed Piper and Finn hurried after them. Piper finished speaking just as they were turning a corner. It was then Aerrow heard something frightening. Radarr was the first to turn the corner, and when he did, Aerrow heard his fearful squawk. He and Piper stopped short of nearly stepping on him as he stood up on his hind legs, and Finn caught them. It was then Aerrow looked up and saw what had made Radarr squawk . . . and his blood ran cold.

The Dark Ace stood in the middle of the hallway. As soon as he saw the Storm Hawks, he drew his sword and ignited it, holding it threateningly. "Too bad the only way to it," he said, "is past me."

"Humph," Aerrow huffed quietly as he tensed. It wasn't that he hadn't been expecting this. Ever since he'd seen the Dark Ace flying about the dry dock, he had been wondering when the Talon commander would show. Even so, his heart fluttered with fear . . . and, surprisingly, with pleasurable excitement.

The Dark Ace's threat was for all of them, of course, but Aerrow felt more than saw the Talon's eyes burning into him as he sized up his arch-enemy. "Hmm," he said with a glint of amusement. "I've never fought a janitor before." His evil laughter began to fill the hallway.

But his comment hit a nerve on Aerrow, and before the Dark Ace had even finished laughing, Aerrow stripped off his disguise and threw it in the Talons face, pulling out his blade in the process and sporting his uniform and armor. He held a blade out in front of his surprised friends protectively. "Keep going," he ordered.

The Dark Ace torn the janitor's suit off his face with a roar of rage, and his eyes narrowed at Aerrow.

Aerrow felt the challenge, and he held his blades at the ready. "I'll take care of him!" he assured the others as he advanced toward the Dark Ace slowly and threateningly.

But the Dark Ace only smirked at his childish bravery and brash. "Afraid you got that wrong, Aerrow," he warned him coldly. He drew his sword back. "This time, I'm taking care of you!"

Aerrow was ready when the Dark Ace lunged himself forward with a grunt. He blocked the Talon's sword just as the blow would have come crashing down on his head. Aerrow wasn't sure he could afford to fight the Dark Ace and hold up the others. They had to get to the engine room.

Glancing at the ceiling, Aerrow got an idea. He shoved the Dark Ace away. "Yah!" he cried, launching himself in the air. He sliced through a plate on the ceiling, breaking its hold, and that one side of it began to fall. The Dark Ace could only cry out angrily as it flattened him against the wall.

Aerrow stared at board that separated them. He couldn't believe it had been that easy. His adrenaline rush had only just begun to pulse.

Smiles from his friends urged him on, and he remembered their mission. With a grunt, he slammed himself into the metal sheet to keep the Dark Ace pinned while the others passed. Radarr tiptoed by. As Finn passed, he clacked his tongue at Aerrow approvingly and winked at him. Piper smiled admiringly, and Tynki giggled in her arms.

No sooner had they passed when Aerrow's luck began to turn.

The Dark Ace's sword suddenly appeared in front of him, just inches away from his face. It had melted the metal and was cutting through it. Aerrow drew away as the sword slowly began to work its way down. The Dark Ace was breaking free, and Aerrow did not fancy being hit by the blade of a sword that could melt metal. He backed away and held his blades at the ready, waiting for the attack.

As soon as the Dark Ace sliced his way through, he launched at Aerrow with a roar of rage. Aerrow met him, and their blades connected. The Dark Ace had been serious in what he had said. Aerrow could feel it now as the Talon commander tried to push through the young Sky Knight's block, and the effort to keep him off was painful. It was going to be a hard battle. Aerrow gritted his teeth as he thought about it. This was it, the inevitable battle between them, the battle to the death.

* * *

Meanwhile, Snipe smirked as he looked at his battleship's scanner, which beeped and showed the symbol of another vessel getting closer as the mighty ship edged its way toward the little _Condor_. Snipe's eyes then turned to the window and narrowed as he stared at the real thing. He could almost taste his victory. "My first target," he growled to himself excitedly as he sized up the Storm Hawks' ship. "Come to Papa."

He turned to his Talons. "Aim blasters on the _Condor_!" he ordered one of them, pointing out the window at the little ship. The Talon given the order nodded in acknowledgement and turned to start pressing buttons as Snipe's evil laughter filled the bridge. "All of them!" he ordered.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Stork was using the periscope to search the surrounding area for danger. When he swiveled the periscope in a certain direction, he saw it. Immediately, he dropped the periscope, which ascended again on its elastic wire. The Merb turned around to the window at the approaching battleship and gasped. "That's a lotta blasters," he rasped nervously.

Junko looked up to see for himself. It appeared to him that there were even more blasters on the ship than had been on the blueprint. Had it been under different circumstances, he would have been scared to death. But these weren't different circumstances. He'd lost Tynki. He deserved whatever the Talons would do to him. He watched Stork glumly as the frantic Merb grabbed hold of the helm, applied the throttle, and sped the _Condor_ away from the battleship and into the night sky.

* * *

On the battleship, the Talon who had aimed the cannons checked the monitor in front of him again. They had the _Condor_ right in their way, and they were nearly on top of her. He turned around to Snipe. "All blasters locked on target!" he announced.

Snipe clenched his fists excitedly, his eyes never veering from the _Condor_. "Fire!"

The Destroyer's blasters rang out as they fired red crystal energy pulses at the _Condor_, so many that it seemed impossible to avoid them. Stork did his best, though, turning the ship this way and that as she tried to outrun the mega-battleship.

The Merb turned away from the helm to look at Junko, who was still sitting at the round table with his arms cross on the table and his head resting on his arms. "Not to interrupt your depression," Stork said, "but I could use a little help here."

Junko couldn't see why it was worth it. "Eh, what's the point?" he asked Stork glumly. "Let 'em blast me."

The ship shook as a shot sped past the _Condor_'s stern. Stork tried again with more urgency. "Junko," he insisted, "if Tynki is onboard, isn't protecting the _Condor_ protecting _him_?"

"Huh?" Junko hadn't thought about it that way, but it made perfect sense. "You're right!" he shouted to Stork.

In an instant, he was up and running to one of the _Condor_'s energy cannons, sitting in the seat behind it as the hatch in front of him opened. He could not let anything happen to Tynki. "You drive, I'll blast!" he told Stork as he slid out of the hatch on the retractable turret. His body now rushed with adrenaline triggered only by a threat to something you love, he fired shot after shot at the oncoming battleship.

* * *

Within the battleship's hallways, Aerrow's and the Dark Ace's blades met again, sending off red and blue sparks as they fought to gain ground on each other. Aerrow drew back when he could take no more, but he recovered not a tenth of a second later and swung for the Dark Ace's head. The Dark Ace just ducked to avoid the blow. Aerrow came again with the other blade, this time slashing downward, but the Dark Ace brought his sword up to meet it.

It was the Dark Ace's turn to strike with the same motion, but Aerrow flipped over him, somersaulting and twisting in the air to land on his feet behind the Dark Ace, facing him. Every inch of him was charged with adrenaline that made every reflex fast as lightning, but the Dark Ace was matching him pace for pace. Attacking from behind was the best thing Aerrow had, and he used it.

The Dark Ace was able to turn in time to knock Aerrow's blades away from his body, but the momentum sent them both into the wall, which exploded open as soon as it came in contact with their weapons. The next thing Aerrow knew, he had slammed against the railing of one of the grated decks.

He didn't have long to recover. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Dark Ace raising his sword above Aerrow's head, and the Sky Knight was quick to roll out of the way. The Dark Ace's sword clanked against the railing where Aerrow had stood moments before.

Their blades met again, and the Dark Ace was able to force Aerrow down. The young Sky Knight could feel the Dark Ace's strength telling on him, and he changed strategy, deciding swiftness was going to be the only key to survival here. He slid to the side as the sword came crushing down, and the weapon hit the grated floor with a clank. In the next instant, he swung his sword again, but Aerrow once again avoided it, and the sword cut off one of the unused blasters mounted on the railing.

This gave Aerrow an idea. Perhaps he could distract the Dark Ace.

When the Talon chopped downward at him again, Aerrow once again slid to the side. Another sweeping blow from the two-bladed sword sent another blaster into the Wastelands. Aerrow chose this time to attack. With a grunt, he locked blades with the Dark Ace and threw himself against him. "Ooh," he said teasingly as he glanced down at the falling blaster. He smirked at the Talon. "We're making a mess out of your battleship."

The Dark Ace only smirked back and shook his head. "It's not mine," he corrected. With a heavy grunt, he pushed the locked blades backward nearly into Aerrow's face, and the Sky Knight staggered backward. So much for his distraction.

* * *

In the engine room, Piper and Finn stopped in the doorway. They stared in awe at all the different mechanical parts. Tynki, still lounging in Piper's arms, just smiled.

Piper pursed her lips. She didn't know that to do. Everything was so large, so complex, so intricate. Where could she even begin?

Finn read her expression. "Don't tell me," he said. "You have no idea how to shut this thing down."

They started walking into the room, looking around at all the appliances. Piper sighed in dismay. "Somehow it didn't seem so big and complicated from the blueprint."

Tynki's eyes wandered around the room. Everything was so big and captivating. So many things to push and pull and play with! As soon as Piper stopped, he reached over to a keyboard and pulled a big lever on it, then pressed a few buttons.

Piper looked around when she heard the whirling sound of dying engines. She exchanged a glance with Finn. What . . . ?

The next instant, the two of them were flung forward, crying out in surprise. Finn landed upside-down, his back slamming into a pipe and his head bent so it lay on the ground. Piper groaned as she slammed into large barrel. She looked around quizzically. What had caused _that?_

What she saw surprised her. Giggling and squealing in delight, Tynki had made his way onto a wheel and spun himself around on it, reaching up and flicking off switches above the wheel. Amazingly, she looked over to see some of the crystal works die in response.

She smiled. They had found their answer. Glancing over her shoulder, she shouted to Finn. "Whatever Tynki's doing, do more of it!" She wasn't sure if Finn had heard. He only raised his head, his eyes rolling in his sockets. But that was enough response for her. She got right to work, smashing and bushing random buttons, switches, and levers. Tynki did the same. They would shut this thing down yet!

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Wallops like Junko and Tynki resemble rhinoceros. And like a rhinoceros, they have great strength. In fact, the rhinoceros is one of the biggest and strongest land animals on Earth. Its skin is thicker than an elephant's, and it can run as fast as a truck. The horn on its nose is not bone; rather, it is made up of the same material as hair.

Eh, I don't like the way this one's turning out. It's not as good as my previous episodes, I think. What do you think?


	60. A Little Trouble: The Fall

Chapter 4: The Fall

Snipe grasped the railing on the bridge as his battleship shook. Somewhere, something in the ship had failed. But he didn't pay attention to that. His only priority was the _Condor_. He scowled at the window and narrowed his eyes at the little ship as it continued to speed away and return fire. His eyes glared at the stupid Wallop at the cannon turret, the one firing back. No doubt in Snipe's mind that is was Junko's fault the ship was failing.

Junko's teeth were gritted together as he returned fire for fire, desperate not to let anything happen to the _Condor_ . . . or to Tynki.

Stork was doing his best at the helm, turning the ship frantically back and forth as he fought to avoid the shots. As scared as he was, he found this ridiculous life-and-death situation . . . funny—something he would never admit to the others. He laughed to himself stupidly, glad no one else was there to hear him.

Junko's eyes narrowed at the battleship as the volley of shots came on the _Condor_ even stronger. The Wallop decided enough was enough. Giving the cannon everything he had, he fired two shots at with the greatest energy pulses the cannon could muster.

One of the shots blew a large hole in the wall of the engine room. Piper and Finn were thrown to the ground. Piper looked up frantically as soon as she recovered to make sure the baby was okay. Tynki just crawled past giggling, unfazed by the wall exploding in on them.

Finn sat up and his eyes turned to the wall. It was an amazing blow—quite a feat to bust out the wall of a Cyclonian Destroyer, especially one like this. But what could have caused it? Finn looked over at Piper, pointing a thumb toward the hole. "Did _we_ do that?"

Junko was enthused to see he had blown a hole in the Destroyer. "Yes!" he cheered to himself, throwing his fists in the air. Not only had he breached the wall and caused damage; now he could shoot directly into the ship. He fixed his hands on the cannon and looked through the magnifying viewfinder again, aiming for the hole.

What he saw made his heart skip a beat. A little baby Wallop was crawling around in the room he had blown open. "Oh, no!" Junko shouted, jumping to his feet. "Tynki!"

Without even taking the time to think, Junko came running back onto the bridge and headed for the hangar bay. "Tynki's on the battleship!" he explained to Stork anxiously as he ran past the helm. "I gotta save him!"

Stork turned around and looked after him, his hands at his face and his eyes wide with fright. "But who's gonna save me?" he called after him.

But Junko didn't hear. His thoughts were only for Tynki. Oh, how he hoped he wasn't too late!

* * *

On one of the side decks of the battleship, Aerrow and the Dark Ace were still going at it, but Aerrow could feel the fight telling on him. He tried to fight still harder, but his endurance was failing him.

Then, caught off guard, the Dark Ace took him. The Talon kicked Aerrow's right blade out of his hand, and Aerrow could only watch with surprise as the blade dropped to the Wastelands below. The Dark Ace used this distraction to knock Aerrow's other blade out of his hand with his sword. The blade clattered on the deck behind the Dark Ace.

Aerrow clutched his teeth in dismay as the Dark Ace turned back to him, a smirk playing on his face. The Sky Knight was weaponless, and there was nowhere to run. "You could take that last long jump," the Dark Ace suggested smugly. Aerrow glanced down at the Wastelands below him and gulped. That didn't look welcoming. The Dark Ace's smirk only widened as the boy turned back to him. "But I'm sure a _Sky Knight_ would rather fall by the sword of a superior opponent!" He edged toward the boy, his sword raised threateningly. Aerrow could only brace himself, waiting for the swing of the sword that would end his life. The final battle . . . and he had lost.

Or so he thought. Until the ship listed.

The Dark Ace slammed against the railing as the ship leaned on its side, and Aerrow took his chance. Grabbing the railing, he used the momentum of the leaning ship to flip over the railing and land with a grunt in a crouched position on the structures below. The Dark Ace glared down, his eyes hot with rage at Aerrow's escape.

Once he caught his bearings, Aerrow realized he didn't _need_ to find a way to escape completely. He could fight his way out. With a grunt, he leapt up toward the deck behind where the Dark Ace stood. Sliding underneath the railing, he got his feet underneath, picking up his blade as he did so. Soon he was facing the Dark Ace again in a lunge position, his blade raised above his head. Thinking of the Dark Ace's comments, he said to the Talon, "May wanna rethink that."

The Dark Ace growled in frustration, and he raised his sword again, his eyes burning into Aerrow, his muscles tensing. If looks could kill, Aerrow would have fallen over dead.

But looks couldn't kill, only the sword. A small smile inspired by excitement played on the Sky Knight's lips as he stood up and held his hands out in front of him, ready for an attack.

* * *

Junko, mounted on his Skimmer, sped toward the hole he had made in the battleship. "Tynki!" he shouted frantically, hoping he wasn't too late in rescuing him from the Talons. "Uncle Junko his here! I'll save ya!"

He flew right into the hole and was so focused on getting there as soon as possible that he couldn't slow down when he saw Finn and Piper in his way. He swerved to the side while Finn protected his face with his arm and Piper jumped to the side, glancing behind her. Junko's Skimmer landed on its side in a wreck, sliding across the floor. But Junko didn't care about his Skimmer. "Tynki?" he called desperately as the still-attached wing fell off the Skimmer.

"He's fine, Junko!" Piper answered, shocked and exasperated.

Junko laughed happily and held up his hand to give thumbs up. Yay, Tynki was okay!

He stood up and looked around. Tynki was happily taking a lever off one of the control panels. He giggled when he saw Junko and held it up for his relative to see. Junko smiled wistfully. _Aw,_ he thought. Tynki was playing!

Seeing that Junko was no longer concerned about Tynki, Piper shouted to Junko. "Now give us a hand and start smashing!"

* * *

Stork was doing the best he could on his own as he swerved from side to side, avoiding the Destroyer's blasts. He glanced behind him as more blasts came his way, and he gulped. This was not looking good.

* * *

On the bridge of the other ship, Snip was clenching his fist and smirking. Now they he had them! "Fire!" he ordered.

No sooner had he said when, down below him in the engine room, Tynki pressed another button . . . and shut off the engine power.

Snipe cocked an eyebrow in confusion and frustration when he heard the whirling sound of the blasters shutting down. "I said fire, you knuckleheads!" he shouted irritably.

The fat Talon operating the blasters turned away from his control panels and shrugged. "Engine's out," he said. "I diverted blaster power to keep us airborne."

Snipe cocked an eyebrow. Was that disobedience? He marched toward the Talon, holding up a finger and eyeing the parachute strap on the Talon's parachute. The Talon grimaced, knowing what was coming. Rather than let Snipe do it, he pulled the tab himself and was sent parachuting out the window.

Snipe turned back to his crew, feeling his point was made. "I want those blasters back to full power now!" he ordered.

Another Talon at another control panel immediately pushed forward two levers, and the blasters began blasting once more. But without the crystal power in its engine, the ship began to fall stern first, its blasters still shooting nonstop at the little _Condor_, which easily flew out of range.

On one of the side decks of the battleship, Aerrow had just blocked another blow from the Dark Ace when he felt the ship start to tilt. He slammed against the side of the ship, groaning at the impact and hissing through his teeth at the pain. Sounds of terrified yells and hollers helped him to ignore it, and he looked up to see the Dark Ace leaning against the railing. He, too, watched the skies as the many Talons onboard the battleship began to jump out. Some drove off on their Switchblades; most were parachuting.

Aerrow felt his feet start to slide, and he glanced behind him. The ship was not only falling, but it was tilting onto its stern.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to his approaching friends. The others had come back for him, and, having spotted the hole in the wall, they had come through it, hoping for the best and expecting the worse.

Junko had to admit it scared him a little when he heard that Aerrow was fighting the Dark Ace in the exact spot where there was a wide hole in the wall. Holding Tynki close to him, he was the first to step out, his cloven hoof clanking against the grated deck. Finn and Piper were right behind him, and Radarr peered around his leg. They watched as the stern began to descend. Radarr squeaked in alarm and, much to Junko's discomfort, jumped up onto the big Wallop's shoulders and hid behind his head. The ship was falling, and they were falling with it.

Tynki completely ignored that fact and reached for Radarr. Considering Radarr was hurting his head, Junko let Tynki do that.

It was then he turned to look the other way and was relieved to see Aerrow, smiling to let them know he was glad to see that they were alright. It seemed to Junko that the Dark Ace hadn't even touched his Sky Knight.

His relief was short-lived, however. The Dark Ace suddenly spun around, and his sword flew at Aerrow's head. Luckily, Aerrow saw it coming. With a gasp, he ducked, and the blade cracked the metal wall where Aerrow's head had been moments before.

As Aerrow stood up to face the Dark Ace and pulled back his blade, Junko saw his face drawn back in a smile. It wasn't an excited, cocky smile. It was what Junko called his "ah hah" smile, a smile the Sky Knight used whenever he had just gotten an idea. When Aerrow had that smile, Junko knew the Dark Ace didn't have a chance.

And he was right. Aerrow and the Dark Ace brought their blades forward at the same time, and they met in the middle. The Dark Ace's grip was not secure and steady, and with a simply flick of his wrist, Aerrow sent the two-bladed sword over the railing. The Dark Ace gasped as he lost his weapon, and watched, his hand still outstretched to catch it, as it fell toward the Wastelands.

Aerrow had him now. Having no lines of his own, he took the Dark Ace's. "You could jump," he quoted, shrugging. "Or," he added, pointing his blade at the Dark Ace, "you could fall by the hands of a superior opponent!" He drew back his blade, looking as if he was ready to end it now. Junko held his breath, horrified. He'd never thought of Aerrow killing anyone before, and the thought made him shiver. But he reminded himself it was the Dark Ace; it had always been common knowledge that Aerrow would be hunted so long as the Dark Ace was alive, so one of them had to die sometime.

But the Dark Ace only smiled as another Switchblade flew by. "I think I'll jump," he said with a smirk. And with that, he flipped over the railing.

Aerrow gasped in amazement and put out his sword's crystal energy, running to the railing to see what that was all about. Piper and Finn were soon on either side of him. What was the Dark Ace doing now?

The Dark Ace dropped feet first right onto a Switchblade being driven by a Talon. The Talon grunted as he felt something jolt his ride. The next instant, the Dark Ace laid his hand on the Nimbus Chapter Talon's shoulder. The Nimbus Talon got only an instant to look at his attacker's face before he was flung overboard, and the Dark Ace took over the Switchblade.

Aerrow couldn't believe the cruelty, even though that had just been a Talon. To fling someone to their death when they had done nothing . . .

The Dark Ace descended toward the ship while the ship fell toward him. Aerrow watched with a lump gathering in his throat. This wasn't going well.

The Dark Ace's Switchblade leveled out just above the deck, and he descended with the ship as it fell to say a few last words to his nemesis. "You might want to find a better ride," he said, "'cause the one your on is a one-way ticket to the Wastelands!" And with that, he flew away.

Aerrow couldn't believe it. Their duel, their battle to the death, had ended once again with no one having an edge. He glanced behind him, his eyes terrified as he looked down at where they were landing.

Junko followed his eyes, terrified by the thought that his fearless leader could be so fearful. They were approaching a lava-filled pit in the Wastelands, surrounded by jagged rocks.

Finn grimaced. He turned to Aerrow, referring to the Dark Ace had said. "Uh, he's got a pretty good point," he pointed out.

"Our skimmers are still on the dry dock!" Piper added, using the word "skimmer" as a universal term for "skyride," since it was the most common type of sky ride.

Junko glanced down at the lava pit and back to them, waiting for Piper to come up with some kind of plan. She looked terrified. He waited for Aerrow to give an order, but his face was only drawn in a stubborn scowl the way it always was when they were in rough times. It made him look mad; Piper always told Junko it was because he was scared. That knowledge scared the Wallop even more.

Then he glanced down at Tynki, who was cradled in his arms. The baby stared up at him with big, fearful eyes, looking like he might cry. He was scared, too.

In that moment, Junko knew they couldn't die here. He couldn't do that to Tynki. They had to find some way out.

Tynki. Tynki! That was it! He and Tynki were the answer! He looked up at the others. "You leave this to the Wallops!" he assured them.

Tynki giggled, and he and Aerrow both smiled in approval and excitement as if they guessed what Junko had in mind.

Quickly, the older Wallop led the others back inside to where Junko's trashed Skimmer was. Junko got it upright and sat in the seat with Tynki in his lap, putting Finn behind them. Aerrow and Piper sat on either of the crystal converters, and Radarr was put up front, hanging off the windshield. Then Junko took the wings in either hand . . . and they were off.

Finn looked scared, Radarr looked annoyed, and Aerrow looked confident and proud. Piper had her eyes closed for the first part of it, for this plan was far from logical, but as she slowly realized they weren't falling, she opened her eyes one at a time to see what was happening. She blinked. "I can't believe this actually flying!" she exclaimed.

Tynki giggled as he helped Junko beat the port wing like a bird would beat its wings. Junko handled the starboard wing with his stronger arm all by himself. Like a strange, uncoordinated bird, they flew away from the crashing battleship. Junko glanced back only once and saw the ship had completely tilted onto its stern. It landed rudder-first into the lava pit, crashing and sending up a spray of molten rock before falling on its side. A rock sticking out of the lava kept the ship's bow from enduring the stern's fate . . . for now.

Junko smiled. They had succeeded in their mission. Snipe's mega-battle airship was down for good! Junko picked up the pace, speeding them back to the _Condor_ to celebrate their victory . . . and to take Tynki back before any of Junko's relatives came looking for him.

* * *

On the bridge of the crashed battleship, only one crew member remained. Snipe had been unwilling to leave his ship even when it was crashing, and he had held onto the railing throughout the entire ordeal. Now he leaned against it, dazed and disoriented, not quite sure what had happened. Were they still chasing the _Condor_? Did fools shut off the blasters again? Not quite sure of anything, Snipe tried to stand up straight on shaking legs, holding up a finger. "Fire," he croaked.

The next instant, a piece of metal fell from the ceiling, splitting in half as it collided with Snipe's head. Snipe fell over unconscious, where he would be in dreamland until someone came back to rescue him.

* * *

Not long after they had gotten back to the _Condor_, Junko's second nephew's third uncle's first cousin came to pick up Tynki. Junko watched sadly as Tynki waved to them from the back of the car-like vehicle as they drove away. Junko was surprised to find himself crying, and he brought a finger to his eye to wipe away a tear. "I'm . . . I'm sure gonna miss that little Wallop," he said as he turned around to the others.

Piper laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You know what, Junko?" she said. "We're gonna miss him, too." She gestured toward the rest of the guys, who were leaning against the wall with Radarr standing in front of them. All the guys nodded. Aerrow gave Junko a half-hearted smile as he rested a hand on the railing beside him. Finn grinned. Even Stork, managed a half smile that seemed pretty real. Surprisingly enough, Radarr seemed to take it hardest of all. His eyes quivered as he whimpered, and he wiped his nose with his finger as he sniffled.

Junko smiled. They all _liked_ having Tynki over? "Really?" he asked, laughing with glee. "'Cause my second nephew's third uncle's first cousin said I did such a great job babysitting that he's asked me to watch Tynki again next week!"

Everyone else grimaced, all conjuring to mind the image of the giggling troublemaker already.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In the previous episode, Stork mentions "Gila crystals" (pronounced _heela crystals_), which turn your blood to poison. The name seems to come from the Gila monster (pronounced _heela monster_). This is a large and brightly colored lizard that lives in the southwestern U.S. and in northern Mexico. The Gila monster feeds on eggs and small mammals. It is a venomous lizard, which explains the power of the crystal named after it.

Yeah, this work isn't my greatest. I'm holding to that opinion, but you can tell me otherwise anyway. Or you can agree with me. What I'm saying is I'd like a review. Come on, people, I don't have any contagious diseases, and even if I did, I highly doubt one little review would do that much harm.


	61. Thunder Run: Velocity Crystal

_**Part 15**_

_**Thunder Run**_

_A mistake is made, and a punishment is sentenced. A deal is struck, and a deal is broken. A treasure is found, and no treasure is found. A new enemy is confronted to save a friend. A race is made against the clock._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Velocity Crystal

Piper wasn't really fond of the entry she had today in her squadron log. Like everyone else, she was worried. She wondered if a battle with Cyclonians would be better than this as she wrote:

_Squadron log,_

_In all the Atmos, there's one guy you definitely don't want to mess with: the mega-gangster they call the Colonel. We found this out the hard way!_

* * *

You see, not long after Tynki left, the Storm Hawks had another Wallop problem. Junko had made a big, _big_ mistake. He offended the Colonel.

Thanks to this, the Storm Hawks now found themselves inside the Colonel's mansion on his little compound area. The buildings were surrounded by palm trees like those seen at any beach resort, and a landing strip/walkway led up to the main mansion. A gate blocked the landing strip on the edge of the terra to keep out any unwanted visitors if they came by ship instead of by skyride.

The Storm Hawks were in the main hall of the mansion. Most of them stood in the middle of the room before the Colonel's desk. Junko, however, was wrapped up in tape, which even covered his mouth, and he hung from the ceiling upside-down in punishment for his crime. Four of the Colonel's gang members stood on the steps surrounding the center floor, all of them mere burly humans. Even so, they looked frightening in their fine clothes and jewelry and their scowling faces. Finn could feel the tension; the only time he had ever seen Aerrow, or even Piper, this frightened was . . . Well, it was hard to believe that they hadn't been this scared before, but never had it been so obvious.

The Colonel sat at his desk, tapping his two fingers impatiently. The Colonel was an infamous figure, a feared and frightening mobster leader. He was a strange creature, covered in brown scales and having eight nostrils. His arms had spines on them, and on each hand he had only two fingers and a thumb. The reptile-like green eyes narrowed, and Finn recognized the face that followed no rules but his own. However, his fine shirt and the way his burgundy hair was sleeked back in a suave manner did not seem to match this image. Finn wasn't sure how serious he could be with someone so . . . "uptight."

Piper and Aerrow stood on one side of Junko, and Finn and Stork stood on the other, here to plead for his release. "Colonel, please," Aerrow pleaded, and Finn found it was strange to hear Aerrow plead. "I swear," Aerrow insisted, gesturing to Junko, "he didn't mean it!"

Junko tried to say something, but gagged as he was, nothing was articulate. However, from the way he shook and the way his eyes widened, it seemed to Finn that he was agreeing to what Aerrow said.

"Nevertheless," the Colonel said, holding out a hand, "here we are." His voice was a beautiful, soothing Spanish accent that rolled on the R's.

Then Finn heard a cracking sound. He and the other Storm Hawks cringed as they turned to see all of the Colonel's thugs glaring at them, one of them cracking his knuckles.

"But," the Colonel continued, smiling, "I am prepared to be reasonable."

Aerrow seemed to be reassured by this reaction. He turned to Junko, holding out a hand. "See?" he said. "Nothing to worry about. He's a reasonable—"

Just then, the Colonel did something that Finn thought was very, _very_ freaky. The guy crawled over his desk spider-style of his four spider-like legs. The sharpened points on the end of each leg clicked against the desk as he came to stand in front of it.

He was a Macroseles, a man with spider legs.

Aerrow's voice shook as he finished his sentence uncertainly. "—guy?"

The Colonel stood up tall, looking down upon them. It was very intimidating, and it made Finn cringe. "I will release your friend," he said, gesturing to them, "if you bring me something very special before the sun sets." He brought his hands together as if relishing the thought of the item he wanted. "An entire case of Rosen Yoga."

Huh? Finn's intimidation disappeared as he tried to comprehend the term. He was never able to think about big words and be scared at the same time. "Rosen what?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Surely even malcontents such as yourselves," the Colonel said, scuttling up to them and gesturing toward them, "have heard of Rosen Yoga."

"Malcon-what?" Finn asked again, not quite sure whether he should be offended by the word the Colonel called them.

Finn's ignorance seemed to annoy the Colonel. "Never mind!" he shouted in the confused sharpshooter's face. "Just get it!"

One of the Colonel's men stepped forward with a scroll in his hands. He pointed to the scroll as the lesser gangster unfolded it, revealing it to be a map. The place he pointed to was already marked with a red circle and a red line connecting it to the compound. "From here," the Colonel instructed, rolling his R's.

"But that's hours away!" Piper protested.

The Colonel let out a throaty, unpleasant laugh and stood up straight. "Then you better hurry," he answered.

Finn tensed. He didn't like the way this had turned out.

Aerrow turned to Junko. "We'll save ya, buddy," he promised. "Just hang in there."

Finn didn't even wait for Aerrow to finish speaking. He ran for the door after Piper, with Stork and Radarr trailing them. Aerrow ran after them out the door.

Junko watched them go, hoping that they would find this "Rosen Yoga," whatever it was. He glanced toward the Colonel and was surprised to find the mobster looking at him from the corner of his eyes, smirking. "Hmm?" Junko said through the tape on his mouth. He couldn't even begin to imagine why the Colonel was looking so mean.

* * *

Back on the ship, Radarr immediately went to the refrigerator. He was starving, and if he was going to help Aerrow and the others on a mission to save Junko, then he thought he had better do it on a full stomach.

He went to the refrigerator and opened up the door, which had the Dark Ace's hand-drawn picture on it, the same unflattering picture they used in Berry Blitz. (A look-a-like picture was on the back of the fridge as well.) The refrigerator was practically empty except for one lone tomato that sat on the shelf. Seeing that there was nothing else, Radarr snatched up the tomato with a delighted squawk. He pulled back his hand and opened his mouth with another squawk, full of anticipation.

But just as he brought it to his face and was about to bite down, he heard his boy's voice out in the hall. His teeth clanked together just before the tomato as he pricked his ears toward the door where the sound was coming from. "Stork, get her running!" Aerrow ordered. "Piper, plot a course!"

Radarr watched Stork and then Finn run past the door toward the bridge. _Would Aerrow have any orders for me?_ he wondered.

He peered out the door and saw Aerrow about to lunge into a run after them, but Piper stopped him. "But we don't even know what this Rosen Yoga is!" she reminded him. "We could be putting something dangerous in the hands of a very bad guy!"

"Maybe," Aerrow answered, his eyes determined. "The only thing we know for sure is that Junko's in real trouble if we don't." Without waiting for a response from Piper or even taking note of Radarr, Aerrow ran toward the bridge. Looking worried but willing to trust his judgment, Piper followed.

Radarr looked after them. He hadn't thought of it like that. What if this "Rosen Yoga" was something very dangerous, like Piper had suggested?

He was so preoccupied in his thoughts that he didn't notice Stork had doubled around and was walking up the hall again the way he and the others had come the first time. As Radarr lifted up the tomato to his mouth, still thinking, Stork walked by. Clearing his throat, he grabbed the tomato out of Radarr's paw.

Again, Radarr's teeth clanked together. He looked up and watched in disbelief as Stork chuckled softly and walked off with his tomato, the last speck of food left on the _Condor_. Radarr growled and scowled at the back of the Merb's head. That wasn't very nice!

As soon as Stork was on the bridge, the _Condor_ rumbled to a start and lifted off the walkway, spinning around and heading off in the general direction of their quarry.

Finn watched, leaning on the round table, as Piper and Aerrow stood on the other side, both intent on making a plan and setting a proper course. Piper unrolled the map the Colonel had given them and set it on the table. A big X and a picture of the snarling Colonel marked the Colonel's compound where they had just left. A dotted line that curved a lot led to a place circled in red and having a red arrow pointing to it. Piper put her finger on the circled spot. "Here's where the Colonel said it was," she said. "If we go this way," she concluded, tracing the dotted line with her finger, "we'll get there in about six hours."

"Which leaves exactly six hours to get back before sunset," Aerrow added, looking out the window as the sun began its climb in the sky. "Not a lotta cushion."

Finn couldn't see why this was such a big deal. The line they were following curved and turned a lot. It seemed to him that it would be much easier to just fly right over everything. "I got your cushion right here," he said smugly, glad he had used his brains. He drew a straight line from the compound to the Rosen Yoga with his finger. "This way's a whole lot shorter."

Aerrow put a hand on his hip, looking at Finn skeptically. Piper rolled her eyes and dropped her head at Finn's hopelessness. "Uh, _yeah_," she said. "It also goes right through Cyclonian territory." She showed him where he went wrong, following the path he had pointed out and stopping midway at an area shaded black and marked with black skull and crossbones and with a big Cyclonian insignia.

_Oh,_ Finn thought. He hadn't seen that.

Piper looked up at him again. "That short cut would end up costing us a lotta time."

Stork glanced over his shoulder. "Not to mention, inevitable capture," he added.

Finn studied the map again, teeth clenched fearfully. None of that sounded good to him. "Maybe we should go your way," he told Piper, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I agree. This is going to have to be a thunder run!" Aerrow exclaimed, slamming his fist into his hand. "Put the pedal to the metal and don't let anything stop us!"

At those words, Stork seemed to know what was wanted of him. He gave the _Condor_ as much gas as he could, and the ship engine's smoked and hurled her forward past Terra Gale, where Wren and his chicken watched in curiousness.

Just then, Finn heard a whirling sound, and the _Condor_ slowed as the engines died. Stork gasped and stared at the gauges on the helm, tapping at them. He turned around to Aerrow. "If you're gonna run this ship for twelve hours straight," the Merb said, "we need more crystals." Then he held up a finger. "Unless, of course," he said, walking up to Aerrow and gripping his uniform, shaking him, "you want to end up stranded," he left Aerrow for Piper, leaning close to her, "desperate," he went to Finn and put his hands on his shoulders, "alone."

Finn grimaced and dipped out of Stork's hands, scurrying away. _That _was creepy.

Feeling that he wasn't needed (and wanting to escape Stork's creepiness), Finn exited the bridge, feeling he had his own needs to fill. Knowing Aerrow and Piper would probably want him on the bridge, he flattened himself beside the door as soon as he was through it, peering around the door. He smiled. No one had seen him leave. Good. He rubbed his hands together, feeling his stomach gnawing at him. "I could use a refueling myself," he said. And with that, he was off to the kitchen.

But when he opened the refrigerator, he found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Radarr's (and later Stork's) tomato had been the last scrap of food left.

Finn's stomach growled, and Finn groaned, rubbing it to try to placate it. Boy, was he hungry!

Fortunately for him, Aerrow had given the order to stop at the Wayside.

The Wayside was a rest stop area along Atmos' general trade routes, which they happened to be on. Smaller than a terra, this little mountaintop had eight landing docks around it, four of them connected by walkways. Five signs with a crate of crystals pictured on each were located near the entrances. It was here that any passing ship could "fuel-up."

But that wasn't what the Wayside was famous for. In the middle of the terra, with a huge sign like the others towering over it, was the Wayside diner. Their specialty was their much-loved home-style cooking (although it wouldn't remind most of us of home).

The Storm Hawks were in luck; only three docks were occupied by airships. All other business was coming from various skyrides, which meant there were plenty of docks open for the _Condor_.

Aerrow herded everyone out to help load the crates of engine crystals into the ship on a conveyer belt. Piper groaned as she dragged a sealed crate toward it, unable to pick it up. With little more than a grunt from effort, Aerrow was able to fling the crates easily and perfectly onto the conveyer belt, while everyone else (including Finn, although he sure _wished_ he was that strong) simply slid or heaved the crates to the Sky Knight for him to load.

Radarr watched the on-goings as he stood on a crate, arms crossed. He watched another crate land on the conveyer belt, and he churred and drooped in boredom. Finn couldn't blame him. It _was_ boring, especially when one was so hungry.

Stork heaved and picked up another crate while Piper dragged in another one. Finn was about to get his own when he stared at the conveyer belt, eyebrows lifted. Radarr was smiling at them, running the wrong way on the conveyer belt so he was running in place. Finn had to admit, it was kind of amusing, although a little strange.

But Aerrow didn't even seem to notice Radarr. Without even looking, he tossed another crate onto the conveyer belt. Letting out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him, Radarr was pinned under the crate, and he scowled in annoyance as he was pulled into the ship.

It was the perfect distraction. Finn made his getaway.

Piper dragged up one more crate and stood up, rubbing her back, which was sore from leaning over like that.

Aerrow dusted his hands off. "Okay," he said, "that's all of it." He smiled and put his hands on hips, glad they could finally be on their way. "Piper, plot a course."

Piper nodded in acknowledgement.

"Stork, load the crystal converters."

Stork nodded as well.

"Finn . . ." Aerrow stopped and looked around, but the sharpshooter was nowhere to be seen. "Finn?"

* * *

Finn had made his way to the diner before anyone else could stop him, walking right in through the automatic door. He looked around as the smell of home-style cooking reached his nose. "Yes!" he exclaimed in delight.

The diner looked like any old diner. Booths and tables lined the walls, and in the front of the building were large windows for the customers sitting there to look out. The floor was red and white tile. Folk music played in the background. A Screaming Queen was sitting at a booth . . . with a man. A young, rather attractive female waitress walked by. But what was much more interesting than her at the moment was the bar, behind which the cook stood—the cook who would give Finn something to eat.

Two young men sat at the bar, both somewhere close to Stork's age and each wearing baseball caps. Finn took a seat beside them, glancing at the one just next to him. This one worn a blue-collar shirt with a clock on each short sleeve.

Both young men appeared to have ordered food, because the fat cook came carrying two bowls of dough-like food, the grease from which was smeared on his apron.

When the cook set the bowls down in front of them, Finn reached for one and pulled it close to him, not caring if someone else had paid for it. The blue-collar next to him pulled one close to him as well and lifted his fork to dig in. But the other man frowned at him, and with a grunt of irritation, he pulled the bowl toward himself. But the blue-collar scowled back at him and pulled the bowl back over to him just when the other guy was about to stick his fork into it. The two fought back and forth.

Finally, fed up, they stood up and pulled back their fists, starting a _real_ fight. Finn winced as he saw them punching each other and ducked as a fork went flying over his head.

Then the big, burly cook came over, his roughly shaven face looking menacing as he slammed his hands down on the counter. "No fightin' in here!" he shouted angrily. And with that, he drew back his fists and punched the two troublemakers right out the door.

_Note to self,_ Finn thought. _The cook doesn't like fighters._

Luckily for him, the blue-collar had left his bowl. As it teeter-tottered after the commotion, Finn reached for it tentatively, hoping no one would notice. After all, there was no point for it to go to waste . . .

Finn squealed as he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. Oh no! Was he going to get in trouble with the cook, too?

But when he glanced to his left, he saw it was only Piper. "We've been looking all over for you!" she scolded quietly. "We gotta go!"

Go? But Finn hadn't eaten! "Let me just take one bite," he begged desperately, holding up a finger and picking up his fork in his left hand.

Then, Piper gasped, and the next thing Finn knew, she had slammed his head into the doughy dish.

He sat up again, and Piper was gripping both his arms, hiding behind him. "Man," he exclaimed as the food fell off his face. "I just wanted a bite!"

But that didn't seem to be what Piper was concerned about. She shushed him and placed a hand over his mouth, pointing a thumb behind them. Finn leaned forward and turned his head to look over her.

Three scaly, well-armored figures had just walked in, looking around hungrily. "Raptors!" Finn whimpered in a harsh whisper.

It was Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz. Hoerk stood between his brothers, holding a shiny yellow and pink crystal that was only slightly smaller than his enormous hands. Lugey looked unsure about something. He put his finger to his lip as he thought, making an unintelligent noise. "But Repton told us to bring the velocity crystal right back," he told Hoerk, pointing to the crystal.

Hoerk moved the crystal away from him as Lugey's hand got closer to it, obviously thinking he was the only one who should hold the prize.

Spitz paid more attention to what Lugey said. "He didn't say to do it on an empty stomach," he argued.

Seeing as the Raptors hadn't seen them and probably won't see them, Finn relaxed a little and started to wipe off whatever food was left on his face. Piper kept a hand on his shoulder, her face suddenly lighting up into a wide smile. "If we had that velocity crystal," she whispered, pointing a thumb behind her toward it, "it'd cut our travel time in half!"

Finn raised a finger to his chin, smiling. He liked the sound of that idea. "Which means I'd have time for lunch!" he interpreted for himself. He knew exactly what to do, too. He stood up, and Piper took her hand off his shoulder. He turned to her and pointed his thumb at himself. "Leave this to the master," he instructed.

Knowing full well that his plan was foolproof, Finn walked right up to the Raptors, knowing that they'd recognize him. And of course, they did, glaring at him menacingly. "You?" Hoerk growled in surprise.

Finn only smirked, placing a fist on his hip. "Yeah, me," he answered back, unafraid. He pointed to the velocity crystal in Hoerk's hands. "Nice crystal." He reached out his hands for it. "Thanks for letting me have it," he said as he grabbed it.

But Hoerk wasn't having that. He grabbed Finn by the collar of his shirt and picked him off his feet. "I'll let you have it, all right!" he growled. And with that, he threw Finn down on the floor—not hard—and placed a three-toed foot on top of the sharpshooter. "I'd never give this to a Storm Hawk!" he growled, glancing at the crystal and then glaring at Finn.

But Finn only grinned. His plan was working perfectly. "Oh, I think you will," he told Hoerk. He held up three fingers. "In about three," Hoerk began to pull back his fist, "two," Finn put down a finger and Hoerk reeled his arm all the way back, "one."

Finn put down another finger just as Hoerk roared and was about to bring down his punch when another fist stopped his. The big cook was glaring at Hoerk as he held his fist. "No fightin' in here!" the cook shouted. Hoerk opened his eyes wide in surprise as the cook pulled back his fist and sent the Raptor flying out the door, sliding to a stop between the two young men who had been kicked out earlier.

Finn got up on his knees and watched as the crystal Hoerk had just held was flung straight up into the air, spinning about. Finn reached out a hand, and it landed perfectly in his fingertips. Finn smiled as he pulled it down toward him. Success!

The two Raptors remaining growled angrily when they saw Finn had their prize, but Finn just ducked as they jumped at him. The Raptors flew right over him and hit the cook. Dishes and silverware were sent flying everywhere as the three of them got in a brawl.

Piper tiptoed to Finn, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go!" she yelled desperately, pointing a thumb at the door.

But Finn saw something else slide across the floor toward him in a wooden bowl. His meal! He reached toward it, his empty stomach willing him on. "Just a sec!" he yelled to Piper.

But Piper was no help. She grabbed his shoulder and started dragging him away. "Come on!" she insisted in exasperation. "We can't stop!" When Finn didn't budge, she grabbed his wrist in her other hand and yanked him toward the door with him staggering to his feet. "We gotta get the Rosen Yoga!" she exclaimed.

Spitz had his fist pulled back as he towered over the cook, who was on the floor. He was about to punch him when he heard what Piper exclaimed. He glanced toward the door as she and Finn ran out. Rosen Yoga? What was so important about Rosen Yoga? But before he had a chance to go after them to find out, he was hit on the side of the face with one of the domes of bread-like food everyone was eating. Then another smacked him on the other side of the face, and he fell to the floor with a groan.

By then, it was too late to discover what this Rosen Yoga was. The _Condor_ was now fully fueled and all passengers accounted for. She lifted up from the dock and turned about. Then Stork pressed the gas, with the velocity crystal powering their engines. And then . . . they were off.

They all gasped and grimaced as the _Condor_ sped off faster than could be imagined. Stork held onto the helm handlebars for dear life. Finn, Piper, and Aerrow all had a death grip on the railing behind the helm. Aerrow gasped, and Finn thought he'd lose an eardrum when Piper screamed beside him. The others told him later that he screamed, too, but Finn knew better than to believe them.

They sped past Terra Saharr, where Burner was riding across the desert on his Skimmer. He glanced up as they passed over. A few seconds later, they passed by snowy Terra Blizzaris, where Suzi-Lu and Billy Rex were talking. They pricked their ears in curiosity as they passed.

Finn couldn't believe they had passed by those two terras so fast! And even more were zooming by now! "Whoa!" he yelled as he fought to keep hold of the railing. "I see now why they call them velocity crystals!"

Finn felt as if he would have been sick had his stomach had anything to throw up. But once he was used to the speed, the churning stopped and the grumbling started again. Finn glanced out the window, where everything zoomed by. Hopefully with this velocity crystal, they would rescue Junko and still have time to grab something to eat.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, I was originally going to do this from Junko's point of view, but it doesn't refer to Junko and his experience with the Colonel that much. It mostly talks about the other Storm Hawks' run for the Rosen Yoga. So I decided this would be from Finn's point of view!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Gangsters are normally racketeers that are in a criminal gang. A successful gangster will have lots of money because that's what racketeers live for; they make money through illegal activities. A lot of gangsters even grow out of their violent side; they leave that for lower members of their gang, whom they pay off to do so. Other times, though, they don't even need to resort to violence because their reputation precedes them.

So it should be no surprise that the Colonel is well off. He seemed to have all the regulars of a mighty, successful mega-gangster.

Thanks for reading! More reviews, I'm hoping?


	62. Thunder Run: Blizzicaine

Author's Notes: Yeah, school's out for me. Time to celebrate . . . and update!

* * *

Chapter 2: Blizzicaine

Back in the Colonel's mansion, Junko found himself still hanging upside down from the ceiling, nearly completely wrapped in tape. He was left alone with the Colonel and his fellow gang members.

"Until your friends return," the Colonel said, sauntering up to Junko, "you are my guest." He put a hand behind Junko and pulled him closer to him. "You'll find I am an excellent host."

Then, in one simple swipe, the Colonel tore off the tape covering Junko's mouth. Junko gasped loudly in pain, his tongue hanging out. That _hurt!_

The Colonel let him go, a strange glint in his eye. "I have a passion for the finer things," he said, gesturing around them, "as you can no doubt tell by my palace."

Junko looked around. There was a fine, well-stitched chair with a seat and back knitted in old fashion. Various artifacts stood on a little table, and a crystal stood in the middle of them all, covered by a glass case. There was a fine radio on the table next to it. The Colonel also had stuff animals—_real_ stuff animals, including a chicken and a Verroc. Beyond them were a fine statue of a Skimmer and an old, full body suit of armor.

Junko squinted with one eye as he looked at it all. It didn't seem that impressive to him, even though he knew all this stuff was probably expensive (and most likely stolen or bought with stolen money). In order to be polite, though, he tried to find something nice to say about the palace. "Yeah," he said with a small chuckle, "I really like the . . . smell." Indeed, a delicious smell was coming from somewhere, and it was making Junko hungry.

"Ah," the Colonel said, clasping his hands and stepping back, "that must be my dinner."

Two of the goons wheeled in a table covered in a white tablecloth. On top of the covered table was a silver platter with a silver lid. Beside this were silverware, a pretty wineglass, and a flower and vase.

The goons stopped the table before Junko and the Colonel. One of them lifted up the lid off the platter, revealing a boiled blue-and-red fish, scales and all. The very sight of it made Junko's mouth water.

The Colonel gestured toward the fish. "One of my passions is food," he said. Not that Junko needed to be told such a thing; the size of the Colonel's belly said it all. But Junko thought that would be rude to say, and he listened while the Colonel continued. "I've refined my palate to the point that I regularly dine on garment fare that would _kill_ most men." He clenched his fist to emphasize, a smirk playing across his face. He held up the flimsy, boneless fish and wiggled it in the air. "Like this poisonous jellyfish."

"Huh, great!" Junko exclaimed, excited about the prospect of eating. "I'm starved!"

"Oh, you want to try it?" the Colonel asked, his smirk broadening as he placed the fish in his hand. He laughed and glanced at his goons out the corners of his eyes. "How entertaining."

The goons smirked as well and snickered, one of them crossing his arms. They looked on with interest, as if waiting for something _interesting_ to happen.

Junko wasn't sure what they were looking for, but he didn't care, either. The Colonel was being nice enough to feed him. He grabbed the fish in his mouth as the Colonel held it out to him, eating it in one gulp and munching it up contentedly before swallowing it. His eyes widened as he heard his stomach gurgle uncomfortably, and the Colonel leaned forward with an evil, amused smirk. But soon the gurgling passed, and Junko's stomach felt fine. "Yeah, I usually eat them fried," he said to the Colonel, "but, uh, boiled's okay." Then his stomach complained silently, and Junko looked up at the Colonel expectantly. "Uh, you got any more?"

The Colonel's jaw dropped as in disbelief, but Junko didn't know why.

* * *

On Terra Bogaton, Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz had returned to their brother's stronghold after their fight with the cook at Wayside. And their brother was not happy with the missing velocity crystal.

"No crystal?" he roared furiously. He stood in his main room on the stage in front of the large fireplace. He had by now erected his stands of shields once again, and they stood against the walls. Down at the foot of the stage, the rest of the Raptor squadron trembled fearfully. "Why shouldn't I crush you like bugs?" Repton asked them furiously, slamming his fist into his palm.

Spitz put his hands over his head to protect himself from the beating he feared was coming. "Boss," he called desperately, lowering his hands, "it's because, uh . . ."

"Because we found something better!" Hoerk said for him.

"Uh, uh, yeah!" Lugey agreed excitedly. "That's it!" He kneeled low before Repton, as if hoping that would help.

Repton reeled his temper in. Something better? "What exactly?" he hissed warningly, walking toward them slowly.

Lugey stood up with a big, goofy smile on his face and opened up his arms. "Rosen Yoga!" he announced.

Repton whip-lashed Lugey on top of the head with his tail—simply because he felt like the idiot deserved it. Lugey whimpered in pain. Repton continued walking toward them, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. Rosen Yoga? "Never heard of it," he growled.

"Uh, well, the Storm Hawks are in a real big hurry to get some," Lugey answered with a slight nervous chuckle. "They said they couldn't let nothin' stop them."

"That sounds a whole lot more valuable than some velocity crystal," Hoerk chipped in.

Repton walked down the ramp on his stage to stand before them. His mind was made up. "We'll find out soon enough," he growled, a smirk spreading across his face, "after we get it first!"

Then, without another thought, Repton sent his brothers to their rides. He led the charge out of his base unit's hangar bay and into the air, on their way to pursue the _Condor_.

* * *

The skies filled up with dark storm clouds as the _Condor_ spend through the air. At last, Finn felt her jolt to almost a standstill. Stork watched the gauges as the needles rose up, indicating the speed had dropped drastically. "That's it for the velocity crystal," he told the team. He started walking toward the others.

"Yeah," Piper said as he passed her, holding up four fingers and sounding enthusiastic, "but we cut, like, four hours out of the trip!" She leaped up into the air in celebration, something Finn hardly ever got to see her do. He crossed his arms, amused.

Piper held a hand up for Aerrow to high five. "Give it up for me and Finn!" she cheered.

Had Finn not looked out the window behind Piper, he would have pointed out that _he_ did all the work. But he did look out the window, and what he saw made his eyes widen and his jaw drop. A shiver went down his spine, and his stomach tightened up.

All the others had the same reaction. Piper looked at them all, confused, slowly lowering her hand. It was Radarr who pointed to the window behind her. She turned around and saw what they saw. "Oh, gunk," she cursed.

No sooner had she said it, the _Condor_ was caught up in the swirling snowy spiral winds, like a gigantic icy tornado. Cries went up around the ship—one of them being Finn's—as the ship was spun about, being sucked in with the winds. Stork caught hold of the helm's stand. Finn, Piper, and Aerrow were able to grab hold of the bars of the railing, holding on for dear life. Radarr clutched Aerrow legs. The alarms blared around them. Not that they needed alarms to know this was bad.

"A blizzicaine!" Piper shouted to them. Radarr squawked fearfully. Finn didn't know a whole lot about blizzicaines, but he knew they were in trouble.

But Piper's suggested was ridiculous. "We have to go around!"

"And lose all the time we gained?" Finn shot back at her incredulously.

"It's either lose the time or lose the _Condor_!" Stork reminded them, his eyes wide with fear. He looked at Aerrow desperately. "Um, not being a fan of icy crashing doom, I know which one I'd choose!"

There was only a moment's pause as the winds whistled about them and the alarms blared. It seemed that Aerrow was making a decision. Then the Sky Knight said, "Fly around, Stork."

Stork didn't hesitate. He reached for the helm spun the ship around to portside, flying her out of reach of the winds and around them.

* * *

Back at the gangsters' compound, Junko set down his fork and knife on his plate. He was sitting at a fine table in a lovely chair. Chewing up what he still had left in his mouth, he swallowed hungrily after finishing a wonderful meal provided to him generously by the Colonel.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to the Colonel gratefully as the famous mobster scuttled up to him. The Colonel looked at him curiously, listing everything he'd just seen Junko eat: "Jellyfish, spiny spores," he sniffed his breath, "mm, stink eggs."

None of the Colonel's goons seemed to really like this. One held his nose. The one behind him held his mouth to keep from throwing up. The man beside him sniffed his armpits to be sure the smell wasn't coming from him. The fourth turned green and passed out right in front of them. Junko wasn't sure why they were so disgusted, but whatever got to them was bad.

The Colonel turned back to Junko. "Not bad," he said. Junko smiled at his praise, glad to make his kind host proud.

But then the Colonel stood up straight again. "But I'm curious to see how much _guts_ your belly really has," he said with a shrugged. He clapped his hands again.

Two of the goons ran out of the room and then came running back in with a platter. The stack of deadly food on top was almost as tall as they were. They teeter-tottered under its weight. The other two goons watched with smirks as their fellows heaved the platter onto the table in front of Junko.

The Colonel looked upon the platter with keen interest. "Most would call this a death sentence," he said.

But Junko didn't know what he was talking about. Everything up there was so wonderful, so delicious-looking. Spotted eggs, jellyfish, hunks of meat, sails off animals' backs, even a sky squid, one of those scrumptious little creatures Junko had cooked for the Storm Hawks that one time Piper left. "Ooh, hoo, hoo!" Junko cheered. "Brunch!"

Already starting to feel ravenous again, Junko dug in with renewed vigor, munching away at everything. At first, the Colonel was smirking, but he blinked in surprise as the pile of food began to get smaller. His goons looked on in disgust.

In about fifteen seconds, Junko had cleaned the platter. He threw his fork back down on the platter as he belched lightly. Suddenly his chest and stomach were hurting. He felt absolutely awful. He slumped in his chair, his ears drooping. Gosh, he felt horrible!

The goons watched in horror as the Colonel sauntered up to the Wallop again. "Didn't think you'd be man enough for that," the Colonel said, pointing to him. Then he got a proud gleam in his eye. "Frankly, I'm the only one who is."

Junko blinked again as the pain in his chest grew worst. He almost felt sick. When was it going to come out?

The Colonel now had an excited smirk. "Well," he asked, leaning closer, "any last words?"

Junko hung his head. There was no relief coming from his chest.

Then his stomach gurgled again . . . and Junko belched.

The Colonel stared, frowning, as the gas from the belch blew back his hair. The goons looked on, repulsed, as the burp shook the entire palace. When it didn't stop, one of the goons looked at his wrist to check his watch, only to find he'd forgotten it.

When he was done, Junko leaned back in the chair in contentment, finally glad to find relief. It had taken him as long to burp as it had for him to eat. Then he remembered the Colonel had asked him a question: Any last words? Junko looked up at him as his stomach rumbled for more. "Um, seconds?"

The goons cheered . . . until the Colonel turned to glare at them.

* * *

At last the _Condor_ made it around the blizzicaine and back on course. "Well, that took forever," Piper grumbled as they made it out of the storm clouds.

Standing beside her at the helm, Stork looked at his gauges and the time, muttering to himself nervously. He turned around to Aerrow. "Even at max speed," he said, counting on his fingers, "we're not gonna make it in time!"

"Then we'll have to lighten the load," Aerrow proclaimed.

As soon as he said it, he, Piper, and Radarr ran about the ship grabbing every scrap of spare metal they could find and throwing them in empty supply crates. They also began pulling out some of Stork's emergency crates, the ones they were sure that he would never use. Finn watched, a little disinterested, as the crates were stacked high in the kitchen. He put his knuckle to his chin, wondering what else would be worth getting rid of when his eye caught the fridge.

Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr got all the crates out on the landing strip, and Aerrow and Piper began pushing the stuff off the edge. Radarr stood on top of the crates, holding the one piece of spare metal he had picked up. But as soon as the crates were pushed to the edge, he looked down at the Wastelands and squawked. He jumped off the stack just before Aerrow and Piper shoved it off, grunting with effort. Radarr's chicken friend was pushed off with the crates, forced to fly for it (a little arrangement Radarr had set up). Radarr smiled as he watched her fly off in a flurry of feathers, glad to be rid of her. He chucked off the piece of pipeline he held in his paws, rather proud of himself.

It was then Finn came onto the landing strip. He held the refrigerator in his hands, teeter-tottering under its weight and grunting with effort. Even empty, the thing was a lot heavier than he anticipated.

He set the fridge down at the edge of the landing strip, looking up to the puzzled faces of the others. "Not like we need an empty fridge," he explained briefly. And with that, he shoved the refrigerator with all his effort and dumped it overboard, hearing a loud crash afterward.

Thinking of the refrigerator must have made him even hungrier; Finn's ears rang with a loud grumble as he stood up. "Man, my stomach is growling!" he exclaimed.

But Aerrow and Piper were looking down below them with fearful faces. "Finn," Piper said nervously, "uh, that wasn't you."

Finn glanced down to see what they were looking at. Oh, that's not good.

Sun glittered off the fridge from where it landed in a giant bird's nest. With an ear-splitting screech, a gigantic, fiery bird rose up from behind the nest, glaring at the Storm Hawks for disturbing its nest. Another rose up from the other side, looking just as agitated. "Phoenixes!" Piper exclaimed.

Finn studied the birds with interest as the phoenix gave another cry. He'd only seen a phoenix once before, and they were quite cool; rather frightening, but very cool. Then again, maybe they weren't so cool when they were breathing fire down your back. A glance at Aerrow told him the Sky Knight was probably remembering his first experience with a phoenix, which Finn learned secondhand from Piper. From what he heard, Aerrow had almost been barbequed last time. That wasn't cool at all.

As the phoenixes began their charge on the _Condor_, Aerrow was actually the first to retreat back. Finn didn't blame him; when you get too close to a phoenix's flames, you're probably not going to be eager for more ever again. Quickly Finn and Radarr followed his retreat. But Piper just stood there, staring at the phoenixes in shock. Exchanging a glance with Aerrow, Finn reached out and grabbed Piper's shoulder, and Aerrow grabbed her other shoulder. Piper screamed as they pulled her back.

Finn heard one of the phoenixes screech again as he and the others retreated back into the hangar bay, which Stork closed for them. Then the ship shook; one of the phoenixes must have struck a blow to them. And all this because Finn threw an empty refrigerator into their nest? "Guess they don't need an empty fridge, either," Finn said.

Without a moment's hesitation, Aerrow grabbed his Skimmer, motioning for Finn to do the same. As soon as they were mounted and Radarr had climbed into his cockpit, Aerrow and Radarr spun around and headed out the hangar bay as Stork opened the hatch. Finn followed behind them, not quite sure what they were doing and wondering if this was suicide.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: The phoenixes of Atmos are slightly different from the phoenixes of mythology. In mythology, the one and only phoenix, the king of all birds, is a bird that is similar to an eagle and a pheasant with beautiful feathers of red, gold, blue, and purple. They have no magical links to crystals. Its appetite is different as well; the mythological phoenix feeds on dew. Both the mythological phoenix and the Atmosian phoenix do share one thing in common: flames. However, unlike the Atmosian phoenix, the mythological phoenix is not constantly consumed in flame; every 300 to 1,461 years, the mythical phoenix burns itself in pyre, and a new phoenix is born from the ashes.

Being Finn is actually very fun. I don't have to think much; his character really scraps the surface and only seems to think about basic needs, but he has the ability to notice more observant things as well. It's like the perfect point of view for me. I still prefer to seriousness and depth that Aerrow can bring, but Finn certainly has his advantages. What do you think? Am I doing well?


	63. Thunder Run: Rosen Yoga

Chapter 3: Rosen Yoga

Aerrow and Radarr and Finn drove off the landing strip and deployed their wings, taking to the air. Aerrow glanced over his shoulder at Finn. "We gotta keep them away from the _Condor_," he explained. He and Radarr turned about, driving toward the phoenixes, and Finn followed, hoping Aerrow knew what he was doing.

The two Skimmers passed between the two phoenixes. Each letting out a loud screech, the birds pursued them.

Aerrow and Radarr took the lead, which left Finn to be followed by the phoenixes. He could feel the heat from the flames radiating off them, and he gasped. He felt like someone being chased by a wildfire. "But who's gonna keep them away from us?" he asked Aerrow.

At that moment, the phoenix right behind him breathed fire at him. Finn gasped and leaned forward as the blow shook his Skimmer, but he didn't notice anything else going wrong . . . at first. But then he noticed something that smelled like barbeque. And suddenly his back end was starting to feel really hot, painfully hot . . .

Finn looked back over his shoulder. His rear was on fire! "Tee, ha, ha, ha!" Finn gasped as he patted his bottom. Luckily, he was able to put it out before it penetrated his clothes. He sighed in relief as the flames died and a cold wind blew past him, cooling him down. He was so busy with that, he didn't even notice that he had taken the lead from Aerrow and Radarr.

But he didn't have long to recover. Two Firebolt energy shots zoomed past his head, one on either side. He gasped again and turned sideways to avoid more blows.

Aerrow and Radarr came up behind him. At first it seemed Aerrow wasn't sure what had panicked Finn. Then a shot flew past Radarr's head, and the furry copilot threw his paws up in the air and squawked in fear. Aerrow lifted his eyes.

Four Bone-Wings were headed their way. Finn recognized their drivers immediately—the Raptors. Repton was in front. "I want the Rosen Yoga!" he shouted to them.

Aerrow tilted his head to the side questionably, reminding Finn a little of a confused dog. "How did you . . . ?" he began, but he gave up and sighed. "Never mind." With that, he charged toward the Raptors.

But Finn thought he knew how the Raptors had found out about the Rosen Yoga. He bit his lip guiltily as he followed Aerrow and Radarr. The Raptors must have heard him and Piper talking at Wayside!

The three Storm Hawks flew right through the Raptors. Aerrow and Radarr turned up on their portside to avoid the reptiles, but Finn wasn't so lucky. Before he even knew what had happened, Repton had snatched him right off his Skimmer by his collar. Finn watched nervously as his Skimmer began its crash toward the Wastelands and felt Repton lift him up to meet him eye to eye. The Raptor was standing up out of his seat, looking the opposite direction of where he was going and glaring at Finn menacingly. "Where's the Rosen Yoga?" he demanded.

"Uh . . ." Finn thought hard. He knew that if he didn't have an answer, Repton would probably finish him. That knowledge made his mind work at a faster pace. If there was just some answer he could give them . . .

He gasped and smiled. He had the perfect idea. Finn pointed in front of him. "The phoenixes have it!" he declared.

Repton turned around with a growl. He saw the phoenixes charging him, getting between him and the nest. His eyes fell on the refrigerator in the nest, where the Rosen Yoga surely must be. "Not for long!" he declared with a toothy grin.

The next thing Finn knew, he was flung backward off the Bone-Wing by Repton, who would have cared less. The lead Raptor then directed his brothers toward the phoenixes, and together they engaged them in battle.

Finn screamed as he felt himself falling toward the Wastelands. Him and his big mouth! He may have saved Junko, but he was stupid enough to let Repton drop him. Oh, he was surely done for now!

But Aerrow and Radarr saw differently. They dove after Finn and flew up underneath him. The next thing Finn remembered was pain; he had landed on the bow of the Vulcan crotch first . . . again. He fell backward as he bore it, only to be greeted by Aerrow's greatly amused face as they flew back to the _Condor_.

With the Raptors distracting the phoenixes and the phoenixes distracting the Raptors, the Storm Hawks were home-free for the rest of the way.

They flew on, and then at last the Storm Hawks reached their destination: a little terra with three little cylinder-shaped buildings. The one in the middle was twice as big as the others and had a roof that reminded Finn of swirled ice cream on top of a cone. The landing stripe was out in front and lined with flags. This was where the _Condor_ rested herself.

They lowered the hatch, and everyone gathered around the doorway to have a look. Every one of them who owned a weapon had it in their hands. Finn got to the front, holding his crossbow. Beside him, Piper pointed to the buildings. "This is it!" she exclaimed.

Finn stepped forward and took a look. He decided the Rosen Yoga must be in the center building. It was a little weird; the building look like it was more fit to be an ice cream parlor than a treasure holder. But if Piper said this was the place, it was the place. Finn turned around to the others and gave them a thumb up. "We're gonna make it!" he cheered.

"If we survive whatever's inside," Stork said solemnly, reminding them just how little they knew of the enemies they would face.

But Aerrow put on his "we're going on a dangerous mission" look. "We've got to," he said. "For Junko."

With Aerrow and Radarr leading the charge, the Storm Hawks headed straight for the building, letting out their battle cries as they went. Nothing was going to stop them from saving their friend. They busted open the door. Radarr was out in front, immediately getting down on all fours and bearing his teeth. Piper set a Sky Fu move with her staff, and Aerrow held up his ignited blades. Finn aimed his crossbow and placed his finger on the trigger, ready for anything. Stork brought up the rear, hiding behind them, until he got the courage to jump up and strike a fake ninja pose.

But as they looked around the room, slowly their battle cry died in their throats, turning into a confused, "Huh?" Radarr sat back on his haunches, and all of them gaped.

The place that greeted them made Finn's eyes light up. It wasn't a treasure chamber or lair of guardians or evil-doers; it was a parlor, just like it appeared. There was pretty music playing around them and neat tile floors. Along the back wall was a bar behind which a man stood with his back to them. Above him was a sign with all different kinds of flavored frozen yogurt listed and shown.

The man behind the counter turned around, an apron covering his front. A little white sailor's cap with a picture of frozen yogurt on the front sat on his head. He looked at them questionably. "Uh . . ." Aerrow said with embarrassment, "we're lookin' for Rosen Yoga?"

"Rosen huh?" the man asked. He thought about it a moment; then his face lit up and he held up a finger. "Ah! Frozen yogurt." He gestured toward a see-through freezer next to him, containing all different flavors of yogurt. "Best in the Atmos."

Finn blinked to be sure he was getting all this right. A frozen yogurt bar? Sweet! His growling stomach urged him forward as he put his crossbow away. Finally he would have something to eat!

But Aerrow just frowned in embarrassment and put out his blades. He turned to Piper and Stork. "Rosen Yoga is . . . frozen yogurt?" Stork nodded sadly, and Piper covered her hand with her face. Radarr whimpered and rolled his eyes.

Finn wasn't sure what they were complaining about as he ordered his bowl of pink yogurt. He thought this was a great surprise! As he was handed a spoon and a bowl full of yogurt, he started at the yogurt, getting it all around his mouth at he ate.

"I can't believe we went through all that for something so dumb!" Piper exclaimed.

"Dumb?" Finn countered as he slid up next to them with his bowl in one hand and his spoon in the other. "This is awesome!" He licked off his spoon again and started stuffing his face once more.

It seemed that once Aerrow had gotten over his embarrassment, he agreed with Finn. "Well, that was a lot easier than I expected," he said.

Finn stopped with the full spoon almost in his mouth. "And we still got six hours till sunset!" he reminded them happily before sticking the spoon in his mouth.

But Stork had to ruin Finn's fire, as usual. "I think that I should point out that the frozen yogurt will melt a lot sooner than that," the Merb reminded them.

"Because the _Condor_ doesn't have a freezer," Piper finished him with a groan, glaring at Finn.

Finn stopped with the spoon stuck in his mouth. Oops. Oh, yeah. He kind of dumped that overboard into a phoenixes' nest, didn't he? Yeah, didn't think about.

Piper turned to Aerrow anxiously. "So what are we gonna do?"

* * *

"The only thing we can do," Aerrow answered her back on the ship. He had Piper and Finn with him standing at the round table. The map was in front of him, and he pointed to the Cyclonian symbol on it, following the path Finn had shown earlier. "Take the shortcut through Cyclonian territory," Aerrow continued, slamming his fist onto the table, "and not let anything stop us!"

Finn swallowed. Cyclonian territory. Was he crazy? He stared at the map in disbelief, hoping, almost praying, for luck. They were going to need a lot of luck on this journey.

And so the _Condor_ flew on along a straight course to the Colonel's compound. Soon the Storm Hawks found themselves in a country closely resembling the Wastelands, only higher and scarier. Jagged volcanoes, similar to the rocks of Terra Deep, stuck out of the cloud line, making forbidding obstacles. The skies were darkened with sulfur and storm clouds. The worst part of all was the rocks covered in molten lava shooting up out of the cloud line from the fiery exposed mantle below. This part of Cyclonia along its border was exactly the kind of terrain that Atmos was eager to give up to Cyclonians. It was also exactly the kind of terrain Cyclonia wanted along its borders; it kept away unwanted visitors.

But that didn't stop the Storm Hawks, much to Finn's discomfort. For Junko's sake, he was putting up with it. But he really hated it. Stork was constantly listing the _Condor_ to one side or the other, as if she were on a giant half-pipe. She listed to portside and rocked to starboard, only for the Storm Hawks to yell again as she then rocked to portside, avoiding the catapulting fiery rocks. Over and over again Finn could hear Aerrow saying, "Whoa, whoa," as if he was nervous and wished to say something to make it better but couldn't. Stork's teeth were gritted together as he held the helm's controls in a death grip.

Finn fell against the Timepulse receptor with a groan as the _Condor_ rocked to starboard again. Before, his stomach had hurt from lack of food. Now that he was full of frozen yogurt, the ride was making him very, very queasy, and the fall had knocked the breath out of him. "Hey, take it easy," he wheezed to Stork.

Stork listed the ship to portside as two more fiery rocks burst up from the cloud line straight up at them. "I'm not doin' this for fun!" he answered Finn anxiously. "Can't slow down or we'll never make it in time!" he added, turning around to glare at Finn.

"At least no Cyclonian Border Troopers have found us yet," Aerrow reminded them as he clutched the railing behind the helm.

Just then, there was a crash from the ship's stern. Radarr stood up next to Aerrow, and the two of them looked back as the alarms began to blare. Piper looked around frantically as the red lights began to flash. Finn cringed. Stork sighed and dropped his head, grumbling, "You _had_ to say it."

Behind the _Condor_, two Talons were approaching them from above, coming down on the starboard side. Stork didn't pay attention to them, which really put Finn on edge. The Merb pilot just focused on swerving from side to side to avoid the flying rocks. The Talons followed right on their rudder. Then, just when Finn thought he couldn't take it, one of the flaming rocks shot up right after the _Condor_ passed it by and hit one of the Switchblades, sending its pilot parachuting to the perilous land below.

Aerrow got up behind Stork and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nice work," he praised him. The Merb looked back at him with an exasperated look, which Aerrow greeted with a smile.

But Finn wasn't watching them. He was looking out the window. The one Talon was still after them . . . and he had friends. "Yeah," Finn agreed with Aerrow, turning to them. He pointed out the window at the Talons. "Can you do it again?"

Aerrow grabbed the periscope to see what had Finn on edge. He turned it about and saw two more Talons joining the first Talon in his pursuit.

"We're right on the border," Piper reminded them all. She gestured toward the window. "There are probably patrols all over the place."

The _Condor_ began swerving again as more fiery rocks shot up from the cloud line. Finn watched as a barrel rolled across the floor toward Radarr. With a squawk, Radarr jumped up as it came at him, and it rolled under him. Then the _Condor_ listed the other way, and the barrel came back. With another squawk, Radarr jumped up out of the way again, spinning about in the air. Then the barrel came back a third time, and this time, Radarr couldn't jump out of the way. Instead, he jumped up onto it as it came and tried to balance on it, but it rolled out from under his feet. Radarr fell with a terrified squawk before landing hard on the floor on his belly, his chin clanking against the metal. Finn grimaced in sympathy for him. That looked like it hurt.

Finn then turned to the window, waiting for Stork to do something to get rid of the Talons. Aerrow and Piper stood close together on the other side of Stork, seeming to be doing the same. But the _Condor_ just kept swerving. "Um," Stork said at last, "you may have notice I've got my hands full with these deadly flaming rocks." He swerved a bit more before he continued calmly, like the calm before a storm. He turned to Aerrow. "Could someone please deal with the Talons?"

Then a shot rang out, and the ship shook. "Whoa!" Finn cried as he lost his footing and fell over backward.

Stork exploded. "NOW!"

* * *

Back the Colonel's compound, things were a little calmer. Junko was still sitting at the table, and they had gotten him another two platters just like the one he already had. But this time, he also got two drinks, and a large bowl filled with what appeared to be garbage was placed in the middle of the table. And better yet, the Colonel stood on the other end with two platters and two drinks similar to Junko's in front of him. Flies swirled around all the "food."

"Your belly is impressive. I'll give you that," the Colonel told Junko kindly, pointing a finger at him, "but no one has ever bested mine."

As nice as he was being, Junko wasn't really listening to him. He was licking his chops as he gazed at all the wondrous things the Colonel was so generously giving him. "Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo!" Junko said eagerly, shaking with anxiousness. He rubbed his hands together. "Toxic rat-melon!" he cheered as he looked upon green, sail-like plants, rubbing his hands together. He gazed at the drinks as a caterpillar-like creature poked its head out of the glass to look at him. "Yorba venom smoothies!" At this, the yorba squeaked and leaped out of the cup. But Junko didn't pay much attention to where it went. His eyes were on the mountain of food. Oh, he was in heaven!

The Colonel lifted his fork. "We eat," he said, "until one of us drops!"

Oh, a competition! Junko lifted up his own fork and narrowed his eyes at his food. A concentrated smile lit his face. This was going to be fun!

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The phoenix of Atmos also reminds me of another mythological bird: the Roc. This gigantic bird of Arab legend was big and strong enough to lift an elephant in its talons. However, this bird was far from being as aggressive as the Atmosian phoenixes appear to be.

Compared to all the people I know who are not overweight, and even compared to some who are, I eat very large quantities of food (and for the record, I'm very trim and fit). But something tells me even I could never compare to the Colonel, much less Junko. But, oh, the things I would eat if I could . . . ! *sees cousin callmefall's frightened look and chuckles*

Well, enough daydreaming for me. Now it's review time, the part where you press that pretty little button at the bottom of the screen and type me a couple words or so, and then I read them. Doesn't that sound great? Oh, I guess not . . . Well, it did for me, anyway.


	64. Thunder Run: Another Thunder Run

Chapter 4: Another Thunder Run

Back on the _Condor_, Aerrow had taken Radarr and Finn down to the hangar bay with him to help him fight off the Talons. They mounted their Skimmers, and Aerrow and Radarr took the lead out the hangar bay, taking to the air as soon as they were outside. They flew up in front of the four Talons pursuing their ship. Under Aerrow's directions, they split up. Finn went left, and Aerrow and Radarr went right. The four Talons likewise split up into two equal groups, going after each of them.

Aerrow and Radarr swerved around a pinnacle volcano. Aerrow hoped that would slow them down, seeing as a Switchblade wasn't as maneuverable as an Air Skimmer. But when he glanced behind him, the Talons were right behind him. He turned back to the front, gritting his teeth together as he reminded himself that an Air Skimmer III Elite was less maneuverable than an average Air Skimmer III. Unless he pulled some fancy moves, there was no out-flying his pursuers.

He was so caught up in trying to think of what to do next that the fiery flying rock caught him completely by surprise. "Ah!" he cried when he saw it coming toward them. Quickly he dove below it and could feel the heat of its flaming tail as he passed it by. That was far too close for comfort.

Now the Talons were firing at them. Aerrow and Radarr rocked from side to side, avoiding the shots. Another flaming rock was coming their way from below, but this time Aerrow was prepared. He swerved out of its way and then looped around to avoid more Firebolt blasts from the Talons. He heard Radarr squawk as they spun around, but he couldn't give his copilot any relief just yet. More blasts and rocks came their way, and Aerrow spun the Vulcan around three times before it was safe to level out again.

That was enough, Aerrow thought. Time to meet these guys head-on! He turned the Vulcan about and charged the Talons, his face set in a mask to hide his own fear and fluttering heart. But scared as he was, he was confident this would work. "They'll blink first," he assured Radarr as he prepared to appear to ram right into him.

But the Talons had an idea against that. They came together and locked wings, creating a net that was sure to bulldoze Aerrow's Skimmer to bits. Aerrow set his jaw in a snarl. Okay, new plan.

The two groups continued charging and scowling at each other. Neither was letting up. Aerrow heard Radarr squawked when his copilot realized he wasn't stopping. But that was just fine with Aerrow. He had an idea.

At the last possible moment, Aerrow pulled up on his handles and spun the Skimmer around, gaining momentum as he transformed his vehicle to bike mode. They spun right through the opening between the locked wings, sending Aerrow's head reeling. He kept enough sense, however, to remember to level out and deploy his wings again once he was free. Yes, it actually worked! He glanced back at the Talons, ready to break out in jubilation at his success.

The Talons had glanced back and were gaping at him. This was a big mistake. Once they turned around, it was too late. A flaming rock was headed right for them. They gave frightened cries as it came and smashed their Switchblades to pieces, sending them both parachuting after them.

Aerrow smiled. _Ha!_ he thought. _Take that!_ He turned to Radarr with a smug smile on his face. "See?" he said. "Nothin' to it!" Radarr returned his smile.

No sooner had Aerrow said that when he let out a cry of surprise as his Skimmer shook. Something had struck his stern. He turned the Vulcan about in time to see another Talon coming at him. Great, just great. A fifth one had joined the chase. Setting his jaw angrily, Aerrow turned and fled from his new opponent as he tried to think up another plan that did _not_ include jumping off his Skimmer.

Meanwhile Finn was still being pursued by his first two Talons. They were firing at him now. He glanced back just in time to see a flaming rock heading his way and more blasts from the Talons following it. "Ah!" he cried as he swerved away from it all and turned to portside around another huge fiery rock. The Talons followed right behind him, swerving around the rock's flaming tail and following Finn has he ascended.

Finn thought frantically. There had to be some way to get rid of them. Then he thought of it. Why didn't he use their fire power against them? He grabbed his portable crossbow, turned around, and fired four shots at the Talons. Each bolt landed right on the Talons' blasters' openings, stopping them up to keep them from firing. The fire power began to build up in the blasters and expand them. "Oh, no," one Talon commented. With a cry, he and his buddy were sent parachuting down to the Wastelands when the Firebolts' power blew up their rides.

Aerrow was still dodging flaming rocks with another Talon after him. He and Radarr glanced back at him, and the Sky Knight thought furiously about what to do.

Just then, Radarr heard something that made him cock his ears ahead of him. He squawked in alarm when he saw what it was. Hearing this, Aerrow turned to face ahead. Two flying fiery rocks were headed on a collision course just in front of them, and it seemed they were going to collide just as Aerrow and Radarr were going to reach them. It was the perfect setup! Aerrow flashed a confident grin at Radarr, his pulse rushing at the thought of the thrill he was about to get. Seeming to guess what he was thinking, Radarr just frowned at him in exasperation and annoyance and covered his eyes with his long, rabbit-like ears.

Aerrow put on the throttle, giving his little Skimmer everything it had. "Wahoo!" he shouted as the thrill rippled over him as he spun around straight through the narrowing gap in between the flaming rocks. They missed the collision by inches, and Aerrow could feel the heat of lava stinging his skin.

Behind him, the Talon wasn't so lucky. He saw the collision, but not in time to swerve. He jumped for it, deploying his parachute, and watched in disbelief as his Switchblade was crushed and evaporated between the two lava-covered rocks.

* * *

Back at the Colonel's compound, Junko and the Colonel were still going at it. Junko matched the Colonel for almost every bite. When the Colonel stuck a blue, red-spotted, poisonous egg in his mouth, Junko swallowed the poisonous meat, bone and all, and then stuck in a poisonous shish kebab. When the Colonel ate a poisonous spotted mushroom, Junko stuck an egg in his mouth and shoved it in whole. The goons watched in disgust. One of them even covered his mouth to keep from being sick.

Surprisingly, Junko was enjoying this. It was some of the most splendid food he had ever had, and each bite brought on a burst of flavor.

Finally, Junko threw down his fork on the platter. "Uh, I can't eat anymore," he told the Colonel sadly, for he was very sad indeed at this turn of events.

The Colonel stopped in mid-bite just as he was about to eat a jellyfish (though Junko couldn't see it because the Colonel was hidden behind his pile of food). "Yes!" he said with a grin, clenching his fists. "You quit!" The Colonel flung his jellyfish across the room nonchalantly as he opened up his hands in celebration. "Once again the Colonel reigns supreme!"

"Well, actually, I just ran out of stuff to eat," Junko corrected with a light chuckle.

The Colonel peered around his own platter, still stacked high, and gasped at the sight of Junko's empty platter.

But Junko didn't pay attention to that. He was still hungry. "Hey," he asked the Colonel suddenly, "could I have some of yours?"

At that, all of the Colonel's goons cheered. The Colonel glared at them and then focused a glare at Junko. But Junko didn't notice. He was too busy looking at the food, licking his chops.

* * *

At last, the Storm Hawks were in blue skies again, free of Cyclonian territory. Finn followed Aerrow onto the bridge after a successful skirmish with the Talons. Finn was smiling, knowing that little could get in their way now.

They came in to see Stork driving, as usual, and Piper standing behind him. She turned around as the boys came in and smiled at them. "We're almost back to the Colonel's palace!" she announced excitedly.

Finn glanced out the window. The skies were turning golden with the setting sun. They were just in time. The sharpshooter sighed in relief and put his hands on his hips. "Looks like our troubles are behind us," he said happily. Aerrow's smile showed him that he agreed.

No sooner had Finn said this when a shot shook the ship and sent Aerrow and Finn sprawling on the ground with a cry. Quickly Finn got up and ran to the window to see what that was. _Now_ what was going wrong?

He found himself face to face with Repton, who was flying on his Bone-Wing beside the _Condor_, his brothers flying with him. "That was a cute trick with the phoenixes," he growled at Finn as he drew closer to the ship's window, "but no more games!" His face was so close that only an inch of glass stood between Finn and the killer Raptor. Repton's face twisted in a snarl as he growled, "I want the Rosen Yoga!"

That took Finn aback. A heat-loving Raptor wants frozen yogurt? Guess he didn't know what it really was.

Stork, however, didn't miss a beat. With a smirk, he listed the _Condor_ to starboard so suddenly that Repton and his Bone-Wing slammed against the window and ricocheted off, sending him and his ride spinning away with a cry. Finn turned to see Stork chuckle softly at that before turning the ship back on her course to the Colonel's compound.

The _Condor_ circled the terra with the Raptors right behind her. For this reason, Stork sped her in, flying her dangerously close over the palace. He didn't even look for a polite landing spot. He just touched down on the lawns and spun the _Condor_ around on her wheels just before she hit the gate.

No sooner had they landed when Finn as on his Skimmer, heading out of the hangar bay. He was worried about Junko, but it was fear of the Raptors that brought on his real haste. He was the first one out of the hangar bay, with Piper behind him. Aerrow and Radarr came up last; Stork road with them, holding the large can of frozen yogurt over his head.

But shots still came at them. Stork's eyes widened as a blast blew right past his head, and then he gasped when he heard the clink of metal and felt the can in his hands jerk. He lowered it and looked to see the Raptors had shot a hole right in the middle of it; luckily the yogurt was too frozen and sticky for much of it to fall out.

But their luck didn't turn. Just before Finn was about to reach the scorpion fountain in front of the door, all four Raptors slid in front of him, blocking his path. Aerrow, Radarr, and Stork drew up behind him, and Piper slid to a stop soon after. Their way was blocked. Repton held out his boomerang at them threateningly. The smirk on his face made Finn's stomach drop. They weren't going to make it in time with him here!

"No!" Piper cried desperately. "We're so close!"

But Repton paid her no heed. "Give me my prize," he ordered his brothers.

Hoerk jumped off his Bone-Wing and marched up to Stork. With a grunt, he snatched the can out of the Merb's hands and held it up to Repton.

All the other Raptors walked up to it in confusion. "What kind of treasure is this?" Repton demanded angrily.

"Um, the creamy, low-fat kind?" Finn answered with a nervous chuckle.

At his answer, Repton seemed to understand that the "treasure" was food. He reached out his long, snake-like forked tongue and licked the pink yogurt that protruded out of the hole. As soon as he did, he began spitting it out in disgust. "Rosen Yoga is frozen yogurt?" he shouted in disbelief, glaring at his brothers and clenching his fists. His brothers all shrank away from him, but that didn't stop Repton from drawing back his hand to strike them. It made Finn almost feel sorry for Repton's brothers. Almost.

But a voice interrupted them. "I believe that is mine."

Repton turned around. "Colonel!"

Finn looked up. Indeed, the Colonel was standing before the Raptors, looking rather annoyed, and two goons stood on either side of him. One goon had his arms crossed, one cracked his knuckles, one had his fists clenched, and the last had his hands on his hips. It wasn't a sight that made one feel comfortable, in Finn's opinion.

Repton's brothers didn't seem to think so, either. They all huddled behind one of the Bone-Wings. Repton was looking uneasy as well. "I think we'll be going now," he said as he walked off toward his Bone-Wing; it was perhaps the only time Finn ever heard Repton being even _slightly_ polite.

"Not staying for dessert, Repton?" the Colonel asked with a smirk, rolling the R in Repton's name.

Repton shivered and grimaced at the very thought as he and his brothers mounted their rides. "Frozen yogurt is the last thing a, a heat-loving lizard would eat," he said with a nervous and embarrassed chuckle, gesturing toward himself. Then, not to be out done, he turned to his brothers and waved his fist at them, shouting, "Idiots!" And with that, they drove off, leaving the Storm Hawks, now dismounted from their rides, standing with the frozen yogurt at their feet.

Aerrow turned to the Colonel, and Finn could feel the tenseness and stubbornness rolling off him like thunder. "We did what you asked," the Sky Knight told the Colonel. He gestured to the can at his feet. "Here's your 'Rosen Yoga.' Now release . . ."

Just then, they all heard the, "Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo!" of a familiar, eager voice.

They all turned. Finn smiled, but all Aerrow could do was raise an eyebrow in surprise and say, "Junko?"

Apparently free of the tape he had been wrapped up in when they left, Junko ran up to them and stopped in front of the frozen yogurt can. Ignoring his friends completely, much to Finn's annoyance, the Wallop looked down at the can eagerly. "Oh, boy! Dessert!" the Wallop exclaimed. Before any of the others could stop him, he picked up the can and began to pour the yogurt into his mouth. He finished five mouthfuls of it before he lowered and looked down at it fondly, giving a hum of satisfaction. He pointed a thumb behind him as he spoke to the Colonel, smiling. "Hey, wanna go two outta three?"

Finn wasn't sure what Junko was talking about, but the Colonel seemed to know, and he chuckled. It made Finn nervous to hear that and also to see that the goons still hadn't let down their guard. "With you?" the Colonel said, gesturing to Junko. He held up a hand. "Eh, no. In fact, after our little competition, I am too full to want any Rosen Yoga."

Oh. An eating competition. So that's what Junko meant.

But Aerrow and Piper apparently hadn't focused on that. They had focused on what the Colonel had said afterward—how he didn't want any Rosen Yoga. "What?" Aerrow demanded angrily, clenching his fists. Even so, he controlled himself.

But Piper didn't. She marched right up to the Colonel, pointing a finger at him. "You ungrateful, eight-legged toad!" she scolded him (an insult that made all the goons gasp). "After all we went through to get you your stupid ice cream!"

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say. The goons gasped again, and one of them even fainted. Finn got a queasy feeling in his stomach that this wasn't going to end well.

Piper seemed to realize her mistake, too. She chuckled nervously, but it was too late to take it back. The Colonel leaned down toward her, and Finn held his breath anxiously. "Young lady," the Colonel said, his face just inches from hers, "you have just made a big mistake." But then, he stood up, a smile coming to his face. "But I am prepared to be reasonable—"

Uh oh. Finn sensed what was coming.

"—if," the Colonel continued, "you can bring me some Gigamite in the next half hour."

All the Storm Hawks gasped. The next _half hour?_ Talk about a time slot! Finn was the first one off to the ship, followed quickly by the others.

The Colonel let out his evil laughed as he watched them run away like puppies with their tails between their legs. Looks like they were in for another thunder run.

Oh, yeah, Finn was going to get Piper for this later.

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm kind of guessing on the Finn getting back at Piper part, but you got to admit, he probably planned on it . . . and did.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: On Earth, as we all know, jellyfish are not at all like the jellyfish on Atmos. Earth jellyfish aren't actually fish. They are an invertebrate marine animal that has a nearly transparent jelly-like body shaped like an umbrella in its reproductive stage. Trailing tentacles come from this body, covered in stinging cells. These stinging cells attach to anything that touches it and allows the jellyfish to reel in what is caught as prey. Some jellyfish have even enough sting power to kill a human.

Personally, I'd rather touch an Atmosian jellyfish rather than an Earthling jellyfish.

Now you better review or I'll set my Earthling jellyfish on you. I warn you, he may not be deadly, but he's powerful! Okay, jellyfish, go get them! Hey, why aren't you getting them? You can't swim? Here, let me give you a little push . . .

Ouch, it stung me! Whoa, the world's going black . . .


	65. Escape!: Dawn Runners

Author's Notes: Okay, I've been trying to decide how I'm going to do the "Origins" part of this fic. If I were to put it as Part 45, it would be very much out of chronological order. Should I try to make it a flashback or should I simply commit a day to replacing everything and making "Origins" Part 1? Vote on my profile pronto. I need to know as soon as I can because I'll be going out of town soon.

* * *

_**Part 16**_

_**Escape!**_

_Prisoners break loose. Freedom is sought, and freedom is fought for. Freedom is lost, and freedom is won. Winners lose, and losers win. A new enemy is formed, and new friends are made. The hunters become the hunted, and the tricksters become the tricked. Two friends push the limit._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Dawn Runners

Terra Zartacla was where Aerrow found himself not long after the Storm Hawks finally placated the Colonel by giving him his "Gigamite" in the time required (and had gotten a new refrigerator). Terra Zartacla was mostly covered in forested swampland called the Tearthorne Forest and even contained a large waterfall at a sudden incline halfway over the almost flat surface of the terra, a beautiful cascade of water known as Widow's Peak.

It was here, on this stinky, sticky swamp of a terra that Aerrow and Radarr were facing a new challenge; Terra Zartacla was also the location of a high-security Cyclonian prison. And the warden of the prison was celebrating. He had just locked up Cyclonia's most important political enemy: Aerrow, Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks. And, as usual, Radarr was with him, being locked up in the same cell.

Or at least, they had been. But as the sun rose and its light fell over the prison, a whistle was blown and searchlights snapped on, moving up and down and around. An alarm began to blare, signaling that escapees were on the loose.

No sooner had this all begun when suddenly a little bare, monkey-like hand burst forth from the ground just in front of the prison gate's doors. With a squawk, Radarr popped his head out of the hole, smiling at the idea of being free from that filthy prison once more. He first looked from side to side before he scuttled out of the hole. Like every Zartaclan prisoner, Radarr was wearing a Cyclonian prisoner's uniform, striped in red and brown and bearing the Cyclonian symbol on the chest. He also wore a cap to match and wore his ID on his arm.

Then, with a grunt, Aerrow stuck his head out of the hole. He was wearing the same type of uniform and hat, but being as he was considered more important than Radarr, he had his ID patched on both sleeves and on his chest. He ducked as a searchlight almost fell over him, and his hat dropped from his head onto the ground. He turned his head around to look at the prison in disbelief. "They're on to us already?" he said in annoyance. He and Radarr hadn't even had time to take a good head start!

But there was no time to dawdle thinking about it. Aerrow pulled himself out of the hole. "Uh, quick, Radarr," he spoke hurriedly and nervously. "Into the woods." He pointed ahead of them. "Toward the sunrise." Then without thinking twice about whether that was a good idea or not, Aerrow started off. Squawking and sticking his hat back on his head, Radarr followed. Aerrow, however, had left his own hat, a mistake that would come back to bite him later . . .

* * *

In the prison, the other prisoners were sitting in their cells, all worrying about the fate of the boy and his furry friend who had promised help to them. For, you see, they heard the sirens and knew that the way would be rough and nearly impossible for them in the forbidding swamplands of Terra Zartacla. The tracking animals were no fun, either, and nor were the guards.

And, of course, there was the warden.

The doors flew open as the warden entered, his fat belly protruding over his belt. He wore a Cyclonian uniform and armor like any Talon. The prison keys jingled on his person as he walked with two Talon guards behind him. Prisoners who dared to come to the door and peer out the barred windows at him looked on with fear and swallowed nervously, for no one got in this warden's way. Mr. Moss was his name, and he had a mean streak a mile wide, most of which he practiced on his prisoners, _especially_ ones that caused him trouble.

Mr. Moss seemed to guess who the culprits who had escaped were. With his two guards behind him, he walked right up to the Storm Hawks' holding cell and stuck his keys in, sliding the door open.

The cell held a crude bed with a pillow at its head and a bucket beside it, as well as a less-than-sanitary toilet and sink. It was toward these that Mr. Moss glared, for in between the toilet and sink was a gaping hole in the metal wall. The warden lifted his cowboy hat-like Cyclonian cap up from his fat, bearded face so his brown eyes could get a better look. He couldn't fathom how that scrawny little boy and his pint-sized pet had managed to make such a hole in the wall without the guards noticing, but he wasn't all that surprised. After all, the boy was the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks. That's what made him so valuable.

* * *

In the woods, Aerrow and Radarr were running as fast as they could (well, Radarr was running as fast as he could on two legs, for he could have easily outdistanced Aerrow on four). Aerrow was breathing heavily, trying to get as much distance between him and the prison before Mr. Moss came out (and the heavy prison boots weren't helping). He knew that by now Mr. Moss must know who had escaped and would be on their tail soon. They could not be caught again.

* * *

In the prison, Mr. Moss surveyed the empty broken cell again, a smirk coming to his face. "Well, well, well, boys," he drawled out to his guards in a western American accent. He turned to them. "Looks like we've got us a couple a runners."

He held up his weapon, an energy whip much like the Dark Ace's. Only his didn't have a grabber on it; this had a Firebolt crystal on its end. Mr. Moss sneered at his guards as he held his weapon tighter. He'd been looking for an excuse to abuse his important catch; now he would have perfect reason to listen to the Storm Hawks' Sky Knight's howls of pain when this whip met his body. After all, the whip was not to be left with children; it could cause some mighty serious damage when used by someone with good aim.

* * *

The sun had finally risen completely over the horizon, although it was still low in the sky. Aerrow had finally decided they gotten far away enough from the prison that they could walk, which was a relief for them both, for the going was tough. The ground was soggy, muddy, and slippery, and the thick undergrowth continually got in their way. Aerrow grunted as he went along, moving limbs and leaves aside. "I'm beginning to think that tunneling out of the prison was the easy part," Aerrow gasped to Radarr, which was quite a statement considering how hard they had worked tunneling out.

Radarr followed close on Aerrow's heels. He was able to easily duck out of the way of many plants that got in his boy's way, but unlike Aerrow, he was more wary than weary, and he kept constantly looking from side to side to see if there were any dangerous swamp creatures out to get him. His heightened senses let him in on everything that was going on around him, and the many strange sounds and smells just made him more nervous.

It wasn't long before he squawked questionably from a hissing sound he heard. It was from a brown eel-like snake that slithered around a vine on a nearby tree. The very sight of him sent Radarr's heart all aflutter. He churred in uneasiness when he saw something else out of the corner of his eye. He looked down to see a black stink spider crawling in front of his feet and disappearing in the undergrowth.

He was so busy watching the spider, who seemed so much closer and much more of a threat than the snake, that he didn't notice the snake climbing into the tree above him and trailing down toward him until he saw something brown move out of the corner of his eye and heard a hiss and his nose was filled with a sticky, swampy, reptilian scent. He glanced over to his right to see the snake's head dangling right in front of his own. The snake hissed right in his face.

Well, Aerrow hadn't seen any of this, so not a second after this happened, he heard Radarr's terrified squawk and turned around in time to see Radarr fly at his head. "Dah!" Aerrow cried in surprise when Radarr hit him square in the chest and knocked him over, seemingly for no reason.

Aerrow hit the ground on his back, and Radarr fell over off to the side on his chest with his body curved and his feet dangling above his head. One of Radarr's ears landed over his nose, and Aerrow sort of came to when he heard Radarr blow it out of his face. He sat up and looked down at Radarr with a raised eyebrow, wondering what that had been all about. Radarr just flashed him a sheepish grin. Aerrow rolled his eyes, wondering what he was going to do with the poor nervous creature in the _really_ scary parts of the jungle.

Deciding not to worry about that, Aerrow stood up and watched Radarr do the same. His little comrade started down a path that was relatively clear of plants and animals, a well-beaten path probably used by the prison guards when exercising the tracking animals. The trail would never do. As much safer as it was compared to the forest, it would also make finding and capturing them again much easier. "Sorry, Radarr," Aerrow told his furry friend. Radarr stopped and turned around, seeming confused at Aerrow not wanting to take the easy trail. "The guards will be hot on our tail," Aerrow explained.

Radarr whimpered and slumped. Why was nothing ever easy with Aerrow?

The Sky Knight pointed toward the rising sun through the trees again. "The forest," he instructed, "toward the sunrise. That's our only hope." He started off through the heavy undergrowth once more, heading for the rising sun, and Radarr followed close behind.

* * *

In the prison, Mr. Moss had decided that now was the perfect time to make a point. He cracked his energy whip down the aisle in front of him, demonstrating a very long and dangerous range on the whip, which lashed out with a rippling, waving line of crystal energy.

Mr. Moss walked down the aisle between the cells with his two guards right behind him. "Ain't nobody ever escaped from Zartacla prison before," he drawled. He cracked his whip again to emphasize that. "Now, I know a few folks who's disappeared tryin'," he added, "but not today." He glanced around, and seeing a prisoner with his hand hanging out the door window of his cell, he decided to amuse himself by cracking his whip against the door, making the prisoner jump back. Then he continued. "No, sons," he said. "Today, I'm lookin' forward to bringin' in some _live_ ones!" One of the prisoners gasped, but that only fueled Mr. Moss more. "Today," he said, "I want me a chase!"

He walked down to the end of the cell aisle and made to where the tracking animals were kept. He continued on, but the guards stopped in the doorway, smirks on their faces at the thought of a good chase. "Yeah! Alright!" they cheered together as they laughed with anticipation.

Down this aisle was a row of cages, and each cage contained a slobbering and snarling beast: a vicious animal known as a blood-hyde trackbeast. They were frightening-looking creatures that stood as tall as a Great Dane, with narrow bodies and an almost cat-like build, comparable to a hyena. Their heads were like that of hyenas, but they had pointed dog-like ears and a longer snout. Their proportionally long necks had thick scruffs and scruffy manes that stood on end all the time. Their legs were narrow and fine-boned, but at the same time very muscular, like a dog's, built for long endurance. That had three toes on their white paws, each with a long claw. Their tail was long and bushy and slightly curved, like a shepherd dog's. Long, purplish-pink fur covered most of their body, a coloring that made them easy to spot. But they weren't entirely overt. Diamond-shaped leopard-like spots patterned the pink coat, and from the top of their head to the tip of their tail they each had a thick, black dorsal stripe. These markings provided camouflage in the forest undergrowth.

These animals can be tamed, as is seen, but here at the prison, they were kept lean and mean. There was a good reason for that, too. A blood-hyde trackbeast can pick of a prisoner's scent and trail it like a bloodhound, making them ideal for tracking in the thick, stinky jungles of Tearthorne Forest. And the hungrier they are, the more willing they are to track down their query . . . so long as they're allowed to gnaw on it a little.

In this section of the prison, there was no roof. Up above the entrance to the covered part of the prison was another cage, this one filled with black birds with piercing red eyes. They fluttered around, waiting for their chance to be let loose. These were the occucrows. With eagle-like eyesight, they have the ability to spot a flea at a thousand paces. These particular occucrows were trained especially for spotting runaways.

A freckled boy, perhaps only a year or two older than Aerrow, was at the end of the row of the blood-hyde trackbeasts' cages. He had red-orange hair and olive-green eyes and wore braces on his teeth. He wore a green and red Cyclonian uniform and hat like that of Mr. Moss's. Rubber gloves and boots were worn to protect him from the animals he was the handler of. He was getting a large bucket of chow ready for the trackbeast in the end cage when Mr. Moss approached. "Hamish!" the warden called to the boy.

The boy, Hamish, stood up straight and tall and saluted Mr. Moss. "Sir, Mr. Moss, sir!" he answered the warden. Although he was being serious, he spoke in a goofy, unintelligent voice.

"Eh, don't feed the trackbeasts this mornin'," Mr. Moss told his most enthusiastic assistant. He stopped in front of the boy, putting his hands on his hips. "We need 'em good and hungry, huh?"

Hamish cringed. He'd already placed the bucket in front of this trackbeast's cage. He looked down and seemed to be about to move it when there was a low grumble. The blood-hyde trackbeast emerged from the shadows of his cage, walking right up to the front and sticking his head out the bars to get a good sniff of his breakfast.

Quickly Hamish reached for the bucket, but the snarling only got louder as Hamish's hand got closer. Just before he had it, Hamish glanced up nervously at the beast, and much to Mr. Moss's amusement, the blood-hyde snapped in the boy's face, sending him sprawling backward on his rear. "Nice beastie beasties," Hamish cooed to the creature. The only answer he got was another growl that made him swallow.

But Mr. Moss paid no attention to that. His mind was still on preparation. "And we're gonna need some keen eyes in the sky," he told Hamish. "So it's time to let loose the occucrows!"

Hamish did as he was told, getting up as fast as he could and running over to the rope hanging down from the side of the occucrows' cage, where the birds were cawing and fluttering, knowing that they would soon be free. Hamish pulled the rope, the front of the cage fell open, and the birds took wing. Behind them, the hungry trackbeast who was almost denied its breakfast raised its head and let out a wailing howl.

* * *

The sound of the howl traveled across the forest to where Aerrow and Radarr had stopped to rest and get their bearings. Radarr was standing on a low-lying limb of a tree when the sound reached them. Aerrow cringed, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Radarr do the same. "Sounds like they're getting the trackbeasts ready," Aerrow told Radarr.

From somewhere in the forest, they heard the sound of a limb cracking. Goosebumps ran along Aerrow's arms, but he kept control and was able to realize that it was just a sound of the forest, which was full of animals and not all of them dangerous.

Radarr, on the other hand, was spooked by the sound, and he squawked and jumped, clinging to a limb hanging over his head. He hung there by one paw for a moment, just dangling, and Aerrow turned to reassure him. But then Radarr lifted his other arm to grab the branch, and the next thing Aerrow knew, his nose was filled with a horrible stench. He let out a sound disgust and held his nose.

The smell was coming from Radarr's armpits, which were about head-level with Aerrow at the moment. Aerrow waved his hand in front of his face to try to fan the smell away from him. This was a problem, the Sky Knight knew, and not only for his nose. "They'll have no problem sniffing you out, Radarr," he told his comrade.

Wondering what he was talking about, Radarr sniffed his own armpit. The stench made him drop to the ground with his tongue hanging out.

"Hmm," Aerrow said as he put a hand on his chin. Perhaps they could use the stench to their advantage. "Hey, Radarr," he said to the furry copilot. Radarr was getting to his feet, using a tree for support. Aerrow got down on one knee to be eye level with him, holding out his hands. "Give me your uniform. We'll use your smell to throw 'em off!"

Radarr clutched at his uniform and grimaced. Casting a glare at Aerrow, he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. He never did like going shirtless.

"Trust me, buddy," Aerrow insisted with an encouraging shrug. "It'll keep 'em busy."

Radarr seemed to give in to that; after all, going shirtless was a lot better than being captured again. Oh, the things he did for all of Aerrow's stupid missions! He took off his shirt and held it out to Aerrow with a growl, putting his other paw on his hip and looking away as he did, as if to say, _Don't look at me! I'm not decent!_ Aerrow had to cover his nose at the smell, which also gave him the opportunity to hide his amused smile. For a fur-covered animal, Radarr was extremely shy.

* * *

Back at the prison, the gate was opened. Mr. Moss walked through, with Hamish at his right and a guard on either side of them. Each guard held a Cyclonian staff; in their other hand they held a leash that was hooked to one of the heavy steel collars of a blood-hyde trackbeast. The blood-hydes were growling with anticipation. They had not been fed, and that could mean only one thing: They were going hunting.

Mr. Moss stopped when he came to the hole that Aerrow and Radarr had tunnel out of. So this was where their trail began. And what luck! The boy had left his hat lying right beside the hole. Perfect! The hat would be covered in the boy's scent, and the trackbeasts could use that to pick up the scent of who they were tracking.

Mr. Moss picked up the hat and gave it a good sniff himself. Then he turned around to the guards and the trackbeasts, who were scratching at the ground impatiently. "I want ya'll on high alert today," the warden told all of them. "Tearthorne forest is chock-full of treachery."

* * *

In this "forest of treachery," Aerrow was busy with his first trick, one that he thought was sure to throw off the warden and his pets. He pulled a vine tight and tied it to the large limb of a tree which he was standing on. "This'll keep 'em off our trail," Aerrow told Radarr, gesturing toward the vine.

The vine went over a branch higher up and then came down to a little puppet Aerrow had made. Meant to be a Radarr look-a-like, it was a great blue fruit with five sticks attached to it to serve as the arms, legs, and neck. Radarr's shirt was put on it, and a half of a fruit on each foot allowed this wood-doll to roll. The head was made up of another blue fruit with slices of yellow fruit for the eyes; rocks for the pupils, nose, and mouth; and leaves for the ears. A leafy branch stuck out of the rear of the puppet for a tail.

Radarr squawked as he leaned toward the doll, studying it closely. He sniffed the doll that was wearing his shirt and drew away, holding his nose. Aerrow wasn't sure whether he approved of it or not.

Just then, a loud cawing was heard. Black birds in a flock of four flew overhead. Aerrow's heart skipped a beat. "Occucrows!" he exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "We gotta move!" Quickly he dived off the tree limb, grabbing the one below it and swinging on it with a grunt to land crouched on the forest floor. No sooner had he hit the ground was he up and running with Radarr scurrying after him on all fours.

* * *

Mr. Moss, with his guards and trackbeasts behind him, stopped at the edge of the forest, looking up at his flock flying over the forest. "If they made it into the forest proper," he told his guards, adjusting his hat, "we'll corner 'em at Widow's Peak."

* * *

Author's Notes: Of course. We all should have known there'd be an episode like this. You can't seem to have a TV series about a war without including a prison breakout.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Prisons like this were/are common in the southern United States. (I should know. I live there.) In states like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, the southern areas of the states toward the ocean are swampy. This is probably why Mr. Moss and the guards have southern/western American accents (like yours truly). The southern swampy areas were the perfect places for prison camps; very few prisoners would want to escape the prison only to risk the swamps and marshes and the creatures that live in them. However, if any prisoner was stupid or crazy enough to try, these same swampy areas also made it hard for the guards to follow. That is why the guards got used to using bloodhounds. Although they used the term "bloodhound," these tracking dogs were not necessarily members of the purebred Bloodhound breed. They were often not; rather they were just other types of tracking hounds, most of them mutts having coonhound or foxhound blood in them. And unlike the docile Bloodhound breed, some of these mutt hounds even attacked the escapees, although most didn't. These vicious prisoner-tracking "bloodhounds" were undoubtedly the inspiration for the "blood-hyde trackbeast" and were responsible for the "blood-hyde" part of the name.

Wow, that was one long trivia! Okay, enough talking. Now it's your turn to talk to me! Let's see those pretty reviews! And don't forget to vote!


	66. Escape!: Split Up

Chapter 2: Split Up

Aerrow and Radarr set themselves in a hiding place upwind of the puppet Aerrow had made. Aerrow watched, smiling at how brilliant his plan was. He had ended up tying one end of the rope to the puppet and one end to a large hunk of wood that was set in a nook in a high branch. A sack he had found was set sagging on the branch above, filled with sand. A hole in the bottom of the bag sent a constant dribble of sand onto the wood piece. Once the weight of sand was too heavy for the wood piece to balance, it fell, dragging the rope down with it. That sent the whole plan into action.

The rope was strung along a system of branches before trailing down to the ground, where it went under a root and then was tied to the puppet. As soon as the weight at the other end fell, the rope began to pull the Radarr puppet, which rolled on the wheel-like "feet" Aerrow had made.

Almost immediately the occucrows spotted it. One of the birds glanced down at it with a caw to the others, and they were soon all circling the puppet and setting up a ruckus.

In the distance, Hamish put his hand over his eyes to shade them and get a better look at the birds. "Mr. Moss," he exclaimed enthusiastically, "the occucrows!" He pointed at them. "They got something."

"Already?" Mr. Moss asked in good-natured surprise as he walked up to Hamish, smiling. "Huh, shoot! I guess I got dressed up for nothin'!" He turned around to the two trackbeasts and their handlers. "Go on," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder, "get 'em." Knowing what he meant, the trackbeasts lunged at the end of their leashes, snarling and slobbering. Mr. Moss took off his hat to them and added, "But be sure to bring them back . . . whole."

The leashes were unhooked, and off the blood-hyde trackbeasts went in a purple and black streak, snarling with every step they took.

Aerrow and Radarr got down low as the blood-hydes came into view. The beasts spotted their query soon enough. The lead one, not being one for patience, leaped into a bush just as the puppet disappeared into it. There was growling and scraping and screaming and scuffling, horrific sounds that can only be compared to a Tasmanian devil's cries. There was an instant where the puppet was thrown a good foot out of the bush before falling into it again and ending up in the trackbeast's frenzy once more.

The scuffle the trackbeast made over the puppet seemed only to last about a second or two, and then the blood-hyde emerged from the bush, growling as he held the puppet in his mouth as gently as a retriever dog would have held retrieved game. Then, satisfied with its work, it and its partner started back to their handlers.

Aerrow and Radarr lifted their heads out of the bushes further back from the scene, watching the trackbeasts go. Both of them smiled. _Well, what do you know?_ Aerrow thought. _It worked!_ Briefly he wondered if even Piper could come up with a better trick than that. Feeling cocky, he and Radarr slipped away through the shadows.

The trackbeasts didn't even hear them. As far as they knew, they had caught what they were looking for. They went back to their handlers, and the one who had caught the puppet walked right up to the warden, setting the puppet down at his feet.

But surprisingly, Mr. Moss wasn't at all upset. He picked up the puppet and laughed as he looked at it. "Oh, these boys think their smart ones!" he laughed, adjusting his hat. This was going to be an interesting chase!

He took Aerrow's hat out of his pocket and took a sniff at it. Still potent enough for his lame human nose. He held it out to the trackbeast in front of him. The blood-hyde took a sniff before SNAP! It snatched the hat right out of Mr. Moss's hand. "Ah!" Mr. Moss exclaimed as he drew his hand back just in time. But he wasn't upset. He could only laugh at the beast's enthusiasm.

The blood-hyde was indeed excited. It finished chewing up the hat and swallowed it. Then, in a wolf-like manner, he lifted back his large head and let loose a wailing howl.

* * *

The sound reached Aerrow and Radarr, who were tiptoeing through the forest not far ahead . . . or at least, not as far ahead as Aerrow would have preferred. He and Radarr turned around at the howl. Aerrow didn't like that sound at all. "Sounds like they picked up our scent again," he told Radarr.

He and Radarr peered down the trail, and, although they couldn't see from here, only a couple hundred yards away the trackbeasts were prowling in after them, growling as they went and their nostrils flared for the scent, traveling along the path Aerrow and Radarr had just taken.

Aerrow knew they were going to have trouble soon. And now they had already had a good whiff of what Radarr smelled like (he had forgotten all about his hat). The best thing to do was to cover up Radarr's trail as best they could. He picked up some of the stinky swamp mud off the forest floor. It stank; it really stank. But it was better than nothing.

He held it out to Radarr. "Sorry, buddy," he said, his voice sounding oddly stuffed up as he wrinkled his nose at the smell, "but we're gonna mask your scent with this."

Radarr took one good look at the mud and one good whiff of it before crossing his arms and shaking his head decidedly, closing his eyes and growling in disgust. But before Aerrow could point out the importance of this, something else did for him; the howls of the two trackbeasts rang throughout the forests again. Radarr's eyes flew open in a flash, and he squawked in fear, looking about him frantically.

The next instant, he grabbed the mud out of Aerrow's hands. Aerrow watched in amusement with his hands on his hips as the little furry creature practically bathed himself in the mud, some of it splattering onto Aerrow's cheek. When Radarr stood up again, squawking anxiously and glancing around for danger, he was covered head to toe in stinky, brown swamp mud.

The pair of them got down low again as occucrows soared overhead, with Mr. Moss and his trackbeasts and their handlers right behind. The warden walked at the head of the group with Hamish by his side. "Howdy, prisoners!" he called off into the forest, for he knew that his prisoners were close. "You see, there ain't much direction you can go out here."

But Aerrow and Radarr didn't listen except to use the sound of his voice to pinpoint his location. They started slinking away through the undergrowth as silently as they could.

The warden let the trackbeasts and their handlers go before him and Hamish as he continued. "You boys are on Terra Zartacla," he said, "where the whole terra is the prison. Technically speakin', you ain't even escapees yet. So why don't ya'll just come on back and save yourselves the unpleasant trouble of havin' my pets bring you back instead."

Aerrow heard the rustling of the tall grass behind him. This swamp grass had found good soil, and with its durability and unkempt care, it had grown nearly as tall as a man. It was in this grass that Aerrow and Radarr hid. Mr. Moss poked his head out from some of the grass behind them, a mean smirk on his face, although it was clear he had not spotted them. A trackbeast passed him by just then, and Aerrow got down lower, glad they were so well concealed.

"Ya'll can go on and feel a bit of pride," the warden continued. "Ain't nobody ever made it this far from the prison proper before."

But there was no time for Aerrow to be proud. He and Radarr had to slip away from the warden and his trackbeast. They crawled to the other side of the patch of tall grass, and Aerrow peered out. Just as he did, he saw something that made him gasp and made his heart skip a beat. He fell back immediately and grabbed Radarr, holding him close and covering his mouth to keep him from making a sound. They sat there perfectly still, practically holding their breath, as the other trackbeast and its handler passed by on the side opposite of the other.

Aerrow let Radarr go, thinking fast. "They got us cornered, Radarr," he whispered to his comrade. "The best thing we can do right now is split up."

Radarr nodded and churred in agreement, although he didn't look happy about it.

"You keep 'em busy in the forest," Aerrow instructed. "I'll try and drag 'em to the river." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Meet ya at the far side of the terra. Good luck." And with that, the two friends bumped knuckles and went their separate ways.

Radarr was the first to head out. He ran out of the tall grass on two legs with a little determined growl and headed into the forest right in front of the trackbeasts. The blood-hydes heard him, and one of them turned around and growled; the other one lunged after Radarr, pulled up into a rear on the end of the leash.

Now was Aerrow's time, while the hunters were still taken by surprise. He leapt out of the tall grass on the other side in front of Mr. Moss and Hamish. "Gonna have to come and get us yourself, warden!" Aerrow called back over his shoulder. "'Cause we're not comin' back . . . on our own accord!" With a grunt, he launched himself over a bush and disappeared into the undergrowth once more.

On the opposite side of the tall grass, Radarr ran right up to a tree stump with a churr. Once there, he used it to push himself into the air. He backflipped, letting out a squawk as he did so, and landed in the bushes beyond, the leaves rustling under his feet.

But even then, with the two prisoners going separate ways, the warden wasn't worried at all. Instead, he just laughed at the foolishness of them. "Forget the rodent," he said to his guards. He turned and faced them with a smirk. "Let's go get the boy!"

The two trackbeast handlers cheered at that, stomping their feet and slapping their rears and shouting, "Yeehaw!"

As they started out, Aerrow could hear them coming for him and getting closer. Luckily he was able to reach the river before they were even in sight. He headed out onto the water, running along the smooth stones that ran near the shore. But the stones proved themselves too smooth; Aerrow slipped on one of them. "Whoa!" he exclaimed as he began to fall backward, but with a grunt he was able to catch the limb of a dead tree that leaned over the river, saving himself from being bashed up against the rocks.

He hung there for a moment, rather dazed and looking down at the swift-flowing river below him. Then . . . footsteps. He peered over his shoulder behind him.

Mr. Moss, Hamish, the guards, and the trackbeasts were all there. Apparently none of them had followed Radarr. For his friend's sake, Aerrow was relieved, but he now knew himself to be in dire straits. With a grunt, he swung himself on the limb to turn about in the air and landed sideways to the way he had been before, each foot on a stone sticking out of the river.

"You better slow down, son," the warden called to Aerrow casually.

"Fat chance, warden!" Aerrow answered back, feeling surprisingly unafraid. He made his getaway then. Hoping that trackbeasts didn't swim, he headed further out into the river, running along some even bigger boulders, knowing that neither the warden nor any of his company were surefooted enough to catch him.

But he didn't get very far before he had to draw up short. "Whoa, wha!" he exclaimed fearfully as he almost fell forward, but he was able to find his balance. He was on a large boulder in the middle of the river . . . right at the edge of a huge, deadly waterfall. Aerrow's heart skipped a beat and then pounded against his chest at near a hundred miles an hour as he realized there was nowhere left to run.

"Mmm, hmm, hmm," Aerrow heard a voice say. It obviously belonged to the warden, but he sounded too close to be on the shore. . . . Aerrow turned around and was surprised to find that Mr. Moss had indeed followed him out into the river, hopping from boulder to boulder. He stood on the boulder behind him now with his hands on his hips while his men and beasts waited on the shore. "Now, son," he called Aerrow, who was really getting tired of being called this man's _son_, "there's no way out of Widow's Peak. It's time to go home. If you're nice from here on, maybe I'll even let up on your escape punishment," he said, pointing to him before adding, "just a bit." He pinched his fingers together to emphasize that.

Behind him, the trackbeasts growled and pawed the ground, and the two guards holding their leashes laughed as if they found prisoner torture amusing. They probably did.

Aerrow could only glare at them from over his shoulder, but he was at loss of what to do. From above him, he heard the sound of cawing and saw the four occucrows circling above him. They had him completely cornered. There was no running, no hiding, no way of escape. Unless . . .

Aerrow's eyes narrowed and glared back at the warden once more, who only smirked back. "Sorry, warden," the boy said. "Not today." And then, without allowing himself to think further, he dove off the edge of the boulder.

As Aerrow fell, he could feel the spray of the water as he fell faster and faster, and he held his arms out like wings, feeling as if he could take flight. . . .

Radarr was in the brush not far off, and the waterfall was in his sights. His jaw dropped when he had seen Aerrow jump. He would only watch, wide-eyed, as the young Sky Knight was immersed in the bubbling spray at the foot of the waterfall.

Mr. Moss's face fell in disbelief when he saw Aerrow dive. But he had a pretty good feeling that the young Sky Knight was not suicidal . . . crazy and stubborn, perhaps, but not suicidal. No, there was some reason, some way, that the boy thought he would have survived, and Mr. Moss wasn't going to take the chance of letting a prisoner get away. He and his crew headed down to the foot of the waterfall (the roundabout way) to see if they could find any trace of the boy Sky Knight.

Hamish was the one who went to the water's edge. He moved aside tall grass that was in his way to look out into the river, which widened into a calm pool at the bottom of the falls. There, floating among the weeds, was a sleeve from Aerrow's prison uniform. "Well, I'll be . . ." Hamish exclaimed with a smile. He picked up the sleeve and ran to the warden with it, holding it high in the air and shouting, "Mr. Moss, look here!"

Mr. Moss was standing a short distance away, fanning himself with his hat. He turned to Hamish when the boy approached. "I'm thinkin' we might be done searchin'!" the boy exclaimed as he held the sleeve out to Mr. Moss.

Mr. Moss snatched the sleeve out of Hamish's hand and held it up to his nose, taking a big sniff of it. Yup, it was definitely the Sky Knight's. Even so, he glared at Hamish as he stood beside him, standing up proudly with his hands on his hips. Mr. Moss knocked him in the shoulder, making Hamish gasp and turn to him with a tentative smile. "We gonna need more than a sleeve to call off this hunt," Mr. Moss told him as he shoved the sleeve at him, for this warden knew full well that Aerrow had plenty of tricks up his sleeve . . . no pun intended.

Mr. Moss held the sleeve out to Hamish again. "Give it to the trackbeasts so they can get a scent," he ordered, putting his hat back on his head as Hamish took it from him. First, Hamish sniffed it as if to get the scent himself. Then he nodded vigorously at Mr. Moss and ran toward the trackbeasts and their handlers.

Mr. Moss glanced around. He didn't put it past his query to try anything, and he felt the lad could be watching even now. But that wouldn't stop Mr. Moss. With a small smirk, he adjusted his hat and started off.

And Aerrow _was_ watching. He had managed to slip away from the water's edge without leaving a trail, although his sleeve had been torn off by the torrents of water. The Sky Knight had then climbed high into a tree and waited while the guards searched. And although Mr. Moss did not call off the hunt, Aerrow was not at all disappointed. He had never expected the warden to call it off, and if the warden had, the Storm Hawks' plan would be ruined. Besides, Aerrow had an idea of what to do from here. He smirked at the warden's back as he watched him walk away. This was going to be fun!

* * *

Meanwhile, Radarr had wandered deeper into the woods as soon as Aerrow had jumped, knowing full well that the guards would soon be down to look for him. Now he was plodding along with his head and tongue hanging and letting out a soft whimper. In his wild run, most of the mud had been flung off his body, leaving only patches of it on his fur, but the horrible smell still remained.

He was hot. He was tired. He was stinky and sweaty. He was worried about Aerrow, not knowing what had become of him. And in short, he was miserable.

He was woken from his mopey state when he saw something flicker in the sun's rays. Shading his eyes with his paw, he lifted his head to look up into the sky.

There, circling above him, was an occucrow! It cawed four times before swooping down in a dive and then flipping over so that its talons reached for the ground. Radarr squawked in alarm. The occucrow was coming for him! He turned and ran on two legs, glancing over his shoulder to see the screaming bird descending on him. Then, just before its talons grabbed him, Radarr dived. He slid along the ground on his belly right under a tree root with just enough room for him to fit. The bird, unable to grab Radarr now, swooped up over the root, letting out two caws of frustration.

Radarr didn't come out from his hiding place at first. He just cocked an ear at the bird and watched it go around and around as it circled him and cawed at him from the air. There had to be some way to get rid of it. _Come on, Radarr,_ he thought to himself. _Think! What would Aerrow do? _Radarr looked past the bird at something else behind him. The tree! That was it!

With a squawk, he climbed out from the under the root and climbed up on top of it, starting to make his way up the trunk. The bird continued to circle and caw, not noticing yet that Radarr was unconcealed. Radarr continued up until he found the limb he wanted. Slowly, carefully, he began edging out to the end on two feet.

That was when the occucrow saw him. With another scream, he dived toward him. Radarr reached the end of the branch, and the limb bent under his weight. He stared at the bird coming toward him, but he didn't run . . . not yet. He waited until the bird was almost upon him and had turned its talons to him. Then he leaped off the branch. The occucrow saw what he was doing, and flapped his wings frantically to try to stop his dive, but it was too late. The limb snapped back and slingshot the bird straight up into the air, shaking the whole tree as it did so.

And when the tree shook, something rustic appeared out of the bushy upper limbs, unnoticed by Radarr.

Radarr caught himself on a limb a few feet below the one he had jumped off of, dangling there by his two arms. He couldn't believe it. His plan had worked! With a smile, he pulled himself up so he could try to get back on the tree branch and climb down the tree.

But once he pulled his head up, he saw something else was already on top of the branch. He squawked in alarm as a stink spider turned its eight beady little eyes at him. Radarr froze, hoping that the spider would decide him harmless. That seemed to work. The spider turned around. Radarr relaxed.

But then the spider began to wiggle its rear. Radarr churred in confusion. And then . . . it sprayed him.

Radarr squawked in pain as the stinky green goo was sprayed right into his left eye. He shut his eyes quickly and then began to rub them with his paws to try to get it off. And of course, in doing so, he had entirely forgotten about holding onto the tree branch . . . until he was already falling.

Radarr landed on his back on the ground with a thud. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he sat up, eyes rolling in their sockets, making it seem as if the world were spinning.

But he was quickly woken from his daze when a sudden jerk shook the tree. Radarr glanced up nervously. He saw something metal, painted orange in rust, hanging out of the tree. Then there was the sound of splitting wood, and the rustic hunk of metal fell out of the tree, its shadow falling right on Radarr. Not one to be fond of big, heavy metal objects falling on top of him, Radarr jumped out of the way before you could say "lickety-split." He rolled and came up on all fours again, glaring at the object that had threatened to crush him.

Then he got the surprise of his life. The hunk of junk was actually an old, rustic Air Skimmer! Radarr couldn't tell what version, but he knew that model anywhere. It even had the front tire still with it, although it was flat. With a delighted squawk, Radarr got up on two legs and walked toward it. This was great! Now there was hope of truly escaping this terra! And if Aerrow was still out there somewhere, Radarr could give him assistance . . . assuming he could find all the broken pieces of the Skimmer.

Then Radarr heard a whistling sound and glanced up. Oh, not good.

As if reading his mind, the tree dropped whatever pieces of the Skimmer were left, and they were headed right toward where Radarr was standing. There was no dodging a meteor shower. Radarr hunkered down and covered his head with his arms as pieces of wings, pieces of engines, and even the missing tire rained down on him.

When he heard nothing else hitting the ground, he cracked an eye open. The pieces had stopped falling and had littered the ground around him. Radarr smiled at his luck, clenching his paws into determined fists. Perfect! He had every piece! Now if only he had a tool . . .

Then one last item fell from the tree: a bent wrench. It hit Radarr square on top of his head aside his hat before bouncing off and landing right in Radarr's open paw. A huge bump developed on Radarr's head where the wrench had hit. Eyes rolling and tongue hanging out, he fell forward on his face, out cold.

* * *

Author's Notes: Poor Radarr. Why do all the bad things happen to Radarr? I personally don't think it's fair. But then again, Nerd Corps wouldn't be willing to hurt Aerrow. He's too _perfect_ for that! *sticks out tongue in disgust*

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The "stink spider" is a combination of a spider and a stinkbug (as most of you already know). I think it's a little tedious to explain what a spider is, but not everyone has seen a stinkbug (and those who haven't are lucky!) A stinkbug is a true insect (unlike the spider). It has a flat body and is normally a dull-colored insect to blend in with the environment, although some species are brightly colored. The foul-smelling liquid for which they are named comes out two glands on the stinkbug's thorax (middle body part of an insect) as apposed to the abdomen (rear) as is commonly thought.

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	67. Escape!: Cornered

Chapter 3: Cornered

A purple snake slithered along the ground at Mr. Moss's feet as he came upon tracks on a well-beaten trail. They were small tracks, obviously made by a woman, a very small man, or someone much younger than his men. Mr. Moss was going to put his money on the younger one. To further back that up, they were pointed away from the river. "Looks like our jumper is on the move," the warden commented.

The trackbeasts were led up to the trail, where both of them took a sniff. One of them let out a howl, its signal to let Mr. Moss know that it was on the trail.

* * *

The sound traveled through the woods to where Aerrow was hidden. He grunted as he ripped off his shirt. It was hot and humid, and Aerrow was sweaty, so the shirt had to go. Besides, it would go along with the game he was about to play. Then, just for the fun of it, he ripped off his other sleeve and tied it around his head to keep his hair out his face. Then, just to add to the fun, he smeared mud over his eyes so that he looked as if he wore a mask, and then he added one line of mud on either cheek for war paint. He looked for all the world like a wild man, which was exactly the purpose. Not that looking like such was going to help Aerrow any; it was just for fun. But what he was about to do would be for a greater purpose.

* * *

The trackbeasts growled to each other, as if conversing, as they followed Aerrow's trail, not worried about keeping the scent. With clear footprints in the soil, Mr. Moss didn't need their superior noses to follow the trail. He and Hamish led the way.

* * *

At the end of the trail they were on, Aerrow knelt in front of a large pod that was about as heavy as he was, and he held a large rock over it. Grunting with effort, he slammed the rock down on the pod. It broke apart to reveal four yellow glowing crystals. Aerrow smiled and nodded to himself. That was just what he was looking for.

* * *

Mr. Moss continued following the trail into the brush, starting to sense that this was too easy, that there must be some form of treachery. He ordered the others to wait, and he went on a couple yards ahead, keeping an eye out for the tracks and traps in the brush. There didn't seem to be anything to beware of. He took off his hat and motioned for the others to follow him.

Hamish waved back enthusiastically with a goofy grin on his face. The guards with the trackbeasts stared at the boy and exchanged glances as much as to say, _Idiot_.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow was pulling a vine off the tree. It was a thorny vine, and although most of the thorns could be seen and avoided, there was no way to grab it without pricking your hands. He gasped as the thorns bit into him, and he wished that he was wearing his gloves, but there was no time to think about such idol things now. Soon the vine was pulled free, and carefully Aerrow began to pull off some of the thorns so that he had somewhere to grip the vine.

Once he was done with the vine, Aerrow found a hole in the forest floor, and over this he spread a pile of tall grass so that the hole was unnoticeable. Then he continued walking through the soft mud on the well-beaten trail, purposefully leaving tracks as he went.

He glanced over his shoulder one last time. No one was coming just yet. He smiled to himself. Everything was set! Now it was time to see his little tricks in action and just enjoy the show! He jumped to the side of the trail, diving into the underbrush behind a tree. Just to be sure, he peered out from behind the tree one last time, but even though he was looking for danger, he couldn't keep the mischievous smile from his face. He looked around and saw no one. Good, no one had seen him. He disappeared behind the tree again.

The occucrows still soared overhead. The one who had attacked Radarr had now rejoined the flock after his little scare. One of the birds cawed when it thought it saw something move along the ground.

And on the ground, following Mr. Moss and Hamish and leading the Talon guards, the trackbeasts growled to one another. Every beast with fur and feathers was just as anxious to get their query as the men were.

But down below the occucrows, Aerrow was with the four crystals he had found. He used one of the crystals to zap the other three. Once the charge was built up in the crystals, Aerrow stood up and stepped back, smirking up at the birds circling him overhead. They wouldn't be expecting this!

Like a cannon, the crystals shot up a fiery blast that exploded into a yellow mushroom cloud level with the birds. One of the occucrows cawed twice as it blinked in the smoke. But they weren't the caws of a hunter announcing its find. They were caws of distress. It and its fellow fell from the sky as they were overcome with the gas, landing on their feet on the ground and wandering around disoriented, making little churrs of confusion.

The sound of the blast didn't carry very far, but Radarr wasn't all that far away when he heard it, perhaps only a couple hundred yards off in the trees. He stopped what he was doing with the Skimmer immediately when he heard the occucrow's caws of distress. Eyes narrowed, he turned around to see what was going on. Imagine his surprise when he saw the yellow mushroom cloud. He knew of only one person in Tearthorne Forest who would do that. With two excited squawks, he pumped his fists in jubilation. Aerrow was alive!

But in another direction, about the same distance away from the mushroom cloud, was the warden and his followers, and he was not at all amused. "No one messes with my birds!" he growled angrily.

But then Aerrow's voice rang out over the swamp as if over a loudspeaker. "I wouldn't worry about your pets, warden," he said. "I'd worry about your buddies!"

At this, the two Talon guards cringed and leaned closer together. But Mr. Moss was not afraid, only more irritated. "Find that voice," he ordered the Talons.

Meanwhile, Aerrow moved away from him, ducking into the tall grass. He had a hollow piece of wood with him that was shaped like a bullhorn and worked like a megaphone. He knelt close to the ground. Once sure he was out of sight, he decided to have a little more fun with the warden. "Be careful now!" he called into his "loudspeaker." He took on a mocking western American accent. "This forest is chock full of treachery!"

He couldn't have been more amused when he heard Mr. Moss growl in frustration and when he peered out of the grass to see him shake his fists angrily.

A little ways off, one of the trackbeasts was loose, and it had found a trail. As it followed its nose, it found a pile of tall grass, on top of which was a strip of Aerrow's shirt. The blood-hyde walked up to it and sniffed it, only to whimper in fright and pain when it fell through the strewn grass into the hole hidden below it. Aerrow tried not to laugh as he watched from where he was hidden.

To another side of him, a Talon and the other trackbeast, meanwhile, were on a different part of Aerrow's trail. The Talon stepped over a tree branch, and the trackbeast hopped up onto it next to him. But then the Talon's foot tripped up a rope. Glancing back at it, the Talon and the trackbeast exchanged nervous glances, seeming to know what was coming next. The next instant, the Talon and the trackbeast were sent flying through the air as the tree limb slingshot them.

Aerrow could only smile at the look on Mr. Moss's face. The warden watched the Talon and trackbeast fall, his mouth hanging wide open. Aerrow spoke into his "megaphone" again. "Looks like your pals found someplace they'd rather be," he taunted him.

Mr. Moss clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists when Aerrow said that, nearly shaking with rage. Off in the distance, there was heard a soft thud as the Talon and trackbeast hit the ground.

Then Hamish came running up to Mr. Moss, looking enthusiastic as ever. He slid to a stop in front of the warden. "I think I got 'em spotted!" he shouted to Mr. Moss happily, pointing. The warden smiled.

Hamish led Mr. Moss to a place where there was something red and spiky sticking up from a bush. Indeed, it looked a lot like the back of Aerrow's head. Hamish put his finger to his mouth and shushed Mr. Moss. Then he began to tiptoe forward, looking to jump Aerrow from behind.

But Mr. Moss saw right through that trap. Before Hamish had gone even three steps, he knocked him over the head with his hat. "That's the oldest trick in the book," he scolded his assistant. Hamish stood up, looking a little dazed and having a mouth full of leaves. "Watch me close," Mr. Moss instructed. Hamish raised an eyebrow and chewed on the leaves in his mouth, not sure what he meant.

Mr. Moss went around to the back of the bush. A puppet "Aerrow-look-a-like" was there, not unlike the one Aerrow had made of Radarr. Its head, body, and rear were all green, purple-spotted fruits, and the feet and hands were half fruits. A slice of this fruit made a smiling red mouth. Half a yellow fruit made each eye, and a half of a little purple fruit made the nose. The "hair" was a bunch of red leaves. It even wore the remains of Aerrow's shirt.

Mr. Moss took the "head" off the puppet, and the thorny vine swung back and forth in front of the bush. Hamish gasped and leaned back as he realized how close he had come to being in the way of the vine. Mr. Moss grabbed it (for it was only thorny on a small part of it; the rest of the thorns had been picked off). "See?" he said to Hamish. "Now look at what I just saved you from." Hamish smiled at him in gratitude.

Hoping that the escapee would be somewhere at the top of the vine, Mr. Moss pulled at it. But that only gave Aerrow, who was up a tree a short distance away, the amusement of watching his trap _really _work! As soon as Mr. Moss pulled the vine tight, a hidden part of the vine tightened around Hamish's foot. "Whoa, whoa!" Hamish exclaimed as he bounced in the air, hanging upside down and holding his hat on his head.

Mr. Moss blinked in surprise. "Whoopsie," was all he could say. He hadn't seen _that_ one coming.

"Hah!" Aerrow jeered quietly from where he sat on a branch in a tree overlooking the scene. He held up his "megaphone" to his mouth again. "See, warden," he taunted, "it's starting to get a little lonely out here!"

Mr. Moss looked around, but Aerrow had made himself well-concealed, and he couldn't spot him. The warden threw his hat down on the ground in fury. "That does it!" he shouted. He held up a finger. "I want every guard from the prison out here searchin'!" He clenched his fists. "Right now!" The corner of his mouth twitched as if he were about to blow.

As he started walking away, he called out, "Hamish!"

Hamish was still hanging upside down by his foot, holding his hat to his head. "Sir," he answered, "Mr. Moss, sir!" He sounded even goofier than usual with all the blood rushing to his head.

"Go warm up _Bessy_!" Mr. Moss ordered over his shoulder without even stopping or turning around to help him. "Looks like I'm gonna have to get her dirty!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Radarr was hard at work on the Skimmer. He dragged piece after piece to the main hulk, sometimes having to drag it on his back. Every time he put something else in place, he would then have to twist the rusted bolts into place with the wrench. And rusty bolts don't like to twist.

Despite the hardship, he ran back and forth, determined to get this thing running as soon as possible. When something didn't seem to be working or fitting, he whacked it with the wrench. His tail waved in the air as he lifted up the hood to look at the engine. Amazingly there were still engine crystals in the Skimmer, ready to be used.

Oh, right! Radar had almost forgotten to put on the missing booster! He ran back to get that.

A few more pieces, a few more bolts, a few more turns and hits with the wrench, and a bit more work under the hood, and then it was finished. Radarr stepped back to admire his handiwork, squawking with pride. Indeed, although one of the ugliest and rustiest and muddiest rides that could be found, it seemed to glow . . . until the headlight fell off the front.

Radarr frowned. This thing wasn't going to hold up very long.

* * *

In the prison, Mr. Moss had gotten his own ride: _Bessy_, a Talon Heli-Blade. She was a beefy bike, with powerful crystal engines, heat exhaust and headers, and in perfect shiny condition. That's the way Mr. Moss kept his ride, polished and looking pretty. He loved that Heli-Blade more than anything else in life.

As he mounted, he tested the throttle, letting the engine roar at him. Then, when he was ready, he drove out of the prison gates. Once outside, he changed to helicopter mode and took to the skies, soaring high over the trees. "Fun is over, son!" he shouted to the forest for Aerrow to hear. "I'm a-comin' to getcha!"

He flew down level with the trees. "Yaw!" he cried as he let loose his energy whip. A blade of crystal energy much like a buzz saw appeared out of the end. This result of the whiplash cleared trees with ease, leaving an aisle of new-made stumps.

Aerrow was hiding in the trees not a long distance off. When he heard trees begin to fall, he peered around a tree to see what was going on. No sooner had he done that when Mr. Moss flew through the new-made clearing, cutting down the next row of trees. Aerrow hid again as Mr. Moss came by and could only watch in astonishment as the trees fell over. He peered around the tree to see Mr. Moss on _Bessy_, and for the first time since his escape, he was truly afraid.

Mr. Moss whipped around and came back to chop down another row of trees just in front of Aerrow. He had circled around Aerrow in cutting these rows, and now there was a circle of cleared land in the middle of Tearthorne Forest. In the center of the circle, only four large trees stood among high undergrowth. It was here Aerrow remained hidden, his heart pounding in his throat and his breath coming in gasps. There _had_ to be a way to escape!

To make matters worse, every guard from the prison was out searching. Although this had been Aerrow's goal from the very beginning, it was now coming back to bite him. They all circled Aerrow's refuge, each holding a Cyclonian staff. They were shouting at him, taunting him. "We got you now, boy!" one of them shouted. Aerrow tensed and balled his hand into a fist just in case when he realized that the sound was coming from behind the tree he had his back to.

Another guard was approaching the same spot. "No place to hide now, prisoner!" he jeered.

Then there was a whirling sound: another crystal energy buzz saw. Aerrow gasped as it headed right overhead, and he ducked just before it would have cut him in two. When he lifted his head again, he was in the clearing; the trees he had hidden among were reduced to logs and stumps. He'd lost his hiding place.

There was only one thing left to do: make a run for the woods. If he could reach the trees in time, maybe he could buy some time to think up another plan. With only a moment's hesitation, he leapt up from his crouched position and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, hoping to get to the edge of the circle in time.

But he didn't make it. Mr. Moss flew over him easily and brought _Bessy _down to block Aerrow's path. "Whoa, wha!" Aerrow cried as he tried to slide to a stop before he was caught under _Bessy_'s wheels.

He slide to a stop with a grunt just as Mr. Moss touched down in front of him. "I gotcha now, boy!" Mr. Moss shouted with excitement.

Every fiber in Aerrow's being was telling him to flee now, just as a spooked horse would. But there was nowhere to run. He was about to go right when he saw a Talon guard coming. When he turned to the left, two more guards were coming. Before long, one more came on either side. Mr. Moss got off _Bessy_, and Hamish started approaching, coming up alongside the warden.

The only way to go was backward, but Aerrow couldn't turn and run. The moment he did, he knew he would be struck with a Firebolt crystal blow, either from a Cyclonian staff or Mr. Moss's painful whip. Slowly, cautiously, Aerrow began to back away, one step at a time. But each step he backed, the Talons stepped forward, clustering together to make a wall.

Hamish looked quite pleased with the situation. He turned to Mr. Moss and gave him two thumbs up. "We got him surrounded, boss!" he cheered with a smile.

Mr. Moss glared at him. "That's what I just said."

Hamish turned away and shrugged in embarrassment.

Aerrow kept backing away, hoping Hamish's stupid observation had bought him ground, but the guards were still coming at him. Aerrow glanced back and forth, trying to think up something, and fast.

Then he heard a vicious cry and saw a flash of red in front of him. Aerrow didn't stop backing up, but he did turn to face ahead of him where Mr. Moss had cracked his whip in front of him. The warden smirked at him. "Can't jump here, son," he jeered. Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the warden, but he knew he was right. There was no escape.

Aerrow kept backing, and the Talons kept approaching. "Now, son," Mr. Moss began, "you come quietly, and in ten years or so, after you get outta solitary, I _might_ let you rejoin the rest of the political prisoners."

Hamish stopped and turned to Mr. Moss, shaking with anticipation. "Maybe," he stuttered, pointing to Mr. Moss, "maybe he can clean the occucrow cages!"

Mr. Moss stopped and considered the idea. "That's right," he agreed at last, turning to Aerrow. "You owe my birds an apology!"

"And," Hamish added, holding up a finger and stuttering again, "and, and he can feed the trackbeasts, too!" He looked at Aerrow with excitement, as if the Sky Knight was about to liberate him.

But Mr. Moss only took off his hat and hit Hamish in the head with it. "Shut up, son," he advised him almost pitifully. "You about to give away the only reason I keep you around."

Hamish straightened his hat and pouted.

Mr. Moss stuck his hat back on his head. "So," he said, turning back to Aerrow, "you comin' quiet-like," he cracked his whip at Aerrow's feet, "or you gonna make this even worse on yourself?"

But scared as he was, Aerrow had already decided he wasn't coming "quiet-like." Glancing around nervously to try to think up some kind of trick, he continued to back away. The Talons kept approaching, and Mr. Moss waved his whip in front of his escapee threateningly.

But then, a miracle. From somewhere in the woods, there was a little sound of _beep, beep!_ Mr. Moss and his guards glanced over their shoulders. "What the . . . ?" Mr. Moss began. Aerrow looked on with growing hope. Could it be . . . ?

At that instant, a rusty old Air Skimmer burst out of the woods in bike mode with Radarr sitting in the driver's seat. The little guy screeched in fear as he was almost thrown out of the bike as it leapt into the air over the Cyclonians' heads and bounced on the ground in front of them to come to a stop in front of Aerrow.

Aerrow had never been so happy to see the little guy in his whole life! "Wait to go, Radarr!" he cheered him, throwing his fist in the air. Radarr smiled at him, and they high-fived each other.

Now that there was obviously some means of escape, Aerrow turned to the warden, all cockiness and brashness back. "You're gonna have to clean your own bird cages, warden," he said. Pointing his thumb over his shoulder, he added, "We're outta here!" And with that, he mounted the Skimmer with Radarr straddling the right booster in back. The young Sky Knight whipped the bike around and headed straight for the Cyclonians, who leapt aside to keep from getting hit. Mr. Moss glared at Hamish as the boy landed almost on top of him.

Aerrow glanced back over his shoulder. Oh, the look on their faces was priceless! With fear being replaced by adrenaline, Aerrow sped off into the forest, fully confident in his escape now.

But Mr. Moss wasn't letting him go that easily. He mounted _Bessy_ and started up her engine. "Son," he called after Aerrow, "you're messin' with the wrong warden!" And with that, he started off into the forest after him, leaving the guards and a downcast Hamish in a cloud of dust. He was going to get that boy if it was the last thing he did!

* * *

Author's Notes: I decided to have _two_ trivia facts this time, each referring to the _hyde_ part of a blood-hyde trackbeast's name.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The word _hyde_ can be found in the dictionary. It is in reference to Robert Louis Stevenson's _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_. In this book, kind, well-respected Dr. Jekyll takes a potion that transforms him into the frightening, beast-like Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is a fearful, animal-like man who reacts on instincts and has no conscience or empathy. His viciousness and beast-like qualities can be compared to the blood-hyde trackbeasts'.

However, that fact is most likely _not_ the reason for the tracker animals being called "blood-_hyde_ trackbeasts." This next fact is probably the most likely reason.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: The blood-hyde trackbeasts not only show resemblance to the bloodhound, but also to another creature: the hyena. This is probably the reason for the _hyde_ in the name. Hyenas greatly show resemblance to dogs, but they are actually more closely related to cats. Although often portrayed as thieves, these African predators are perhaps the best mammalian hunter of all the African fauna, killing more than 50% of what they actually eat. In fact, hyenas are often depicted stealing kills from lions, when it is actually the other way around. (A lion steals about 75% or more of its food.) The trackbeasts do lack the sloping back and bottomed-out belly of the hyena (although that may be due to Mr. Moss's or Hamish's feeding). They do, however, share the tuff of mane going down their hackles and have the same temperament; hyenas are not docile, even amongst each other. Surprisingly enough, the females are the _least_ docile of them all. They are bigger and more powerful than the males, and they actually lead the family groups.

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	68. Escape!: Wild Ride

Chapter 4: Wild Ride

Not knowing that Mr. Moss was coming after him but knowing full well that he might be, Aerrow sped through the forest as fast as the hunk of junk he was riding could allow. He couldn't believe that he and Radarr would ever be able to possibly escape on a skyride. Leave it to Radarr to be able to do that. "Where'd you find this thing?" Aerrow asked Radarr, glancing at his copilot over his shoulder.

Radarr squawked and smiled at him. But Aerrow couldn't help but frown when he saw what a sight his little buddy was. His fur was patched with mud, not surprisingly, but he also had a patch of green around his left eye and a large bump on the top right of his head. And he stank . . . badly. "You had a rough day," Aerrow said in sympathy.

Radarr frowned and whimpered. Was it that obvious?

Then a sound from behind them made Radarr cock his ear. With a squawk, he turned around and saw Mr. Moss coming at them. He screeched a warning to Aerrow.

Aerrow didn't even have to glance back to know what had frightened Radarr. He knew very well who it was. The best thing they should try to do was lose him.

"Hang on, Radarr," Aerrow told his copilot. He put on the throttle even more. The bike kicked back in a wheelie before shooting forward again. Mr. Moss put on the gas as well, and, seeing as he had the better ride, he began to gain on them.

But Aerrow had another trick up his sleeve. He started swerving around the trees, hoping that Mr. Moss wouldn't be able to make the turns.

And he wasn't. When the first tree was in his way, Mr. Moss cried in surprise and irritation and tried to turn _Bessy_ in time, but he couldn't. _Bessy_ scraped the side of the tree as she went by it. Once he was running over smooth ground again, Mr. Moss looked down to see the damage. _Bessy _now had a long scratch along her. The very sight of it made Mr. Moss's blood pressure go up. "You better hope I get you soon!" he growled at Aerrow's back. "I'm beginnin' to lose my humor!"

Mr. Moss brought back his arm and let his whip fly out behind him. Then he swung it forward, letting loose a buzz saw aimed right for Aerrow's head. Aerrow heard it coming. With a gasp, he ducked just in time. He could feel the heat of it as it flew overhead. That was too close for comfort. He turned to starboard and then made a sharp turn to port again, hoping to lose the warden, but _Bessy_ kept turn for turn.

Then something went terribly wrong. The front of the Skimmer began to bounce much more than it was supposed to, almost as if it had lost all shock absorption. Radarr was the first to realize that something was wrong. He let out a series of squawks, trying to warn Aerrow. But there was nothing Aerrow could do.

Then it happened. The front tire, which was already flat, gave out and popped. The front of the Skimmer dropped and began to roll on the rusty axle, sending up sparks on the forest floor as it did. Aerrow cringed as the ride nearly swerved out of control, but he was able to keep it upright and rolling still. Even so, the axle was letting out an earsplitting screech that could not be ignored. On the ground, this thing had become a death trap. But what Aerrow was most concerned about was that the extra friction and clumsiness meant that they couldn't hope to outrun the warden. "We need airtime, and fast!" Aerrow called back to Radarr. With this ride, ancient as it was, there was no hope of automatic deployment of wings. They would have to be opened manually.

Radarr got on it immediately. With a squawk, he jumped off the booster onto the starboard wing, which was tucked in on the side for bike mode. He screeched as he strained, pulling at it to try to get it to snap out. Seeing as the wings were on the same levers, if he could get out one wing, he would get them both out.

At last, he was able to get the wings to appear on either side. Radarr nearly flew backward off the wing, but he was able to hold on, letting out another terrified churr as he looked down to see the ground moving so quickly underneath him. If he lost his grip, it could mean the end of him. And there was still trouble with the wings; both sets of wings had come out and the portside wings and bottom starboard wing had extended, but the top starboard wing's wingtip seemed to be jammed. They could not take flight with only half of a top starboard wing.

Mr. Moss could see the problems as well, and he smirked. "I gotcha now, boy!" he called to them. With a grunt, he let loose another buzz saw from his whip, and it struck the frame of the rear wheel, sending it bouncing off the Skimmer. Mr. Moss dodged it, swinging his whip as he neared the escapees.

Aerrow kept driving, all his earlier cockiness now absent. All he could do was drive; he couldn't help with their wing and tire troubles. It was all up to Radarr.

And Radarr was doing his best. He managed to work his way down the top starboard wing to the end of it. With a squeak, he started pulled at the wingtip, still jammed in the rest of the wing.

Then . . . success! The wingtip popped out, and Aerrow was able to take to the air with Radarr squawking in fright as he tried to keep a grip on the wingtip with only his two front paws. After the initial jolt, however, he was able to pull himself up so he could grip the front of the wing and rest his belly on it. He turned around and stuck his tongue out at the warden. _Hah!_ he thought. _Bet you can't do that!_

But Mr. Moss wasn't giving up. With a grunt of frustration, he deployed his helicopter blades and pursued Aerrow and Radarr in the skies.

Aerrow was ready for him. As soon he saw Mr. Moss on their tail, he pulled up the Skimmer and flew straight up before turning upside down above the warden. Then he came down again, leveling the Skimmer out behind _Bessy_. "Warden!" he called from behind him, feeling full of himself. "You lookin' for us?"

"Better not get cocky, son!" Mr. Moss warned Aerrow with a scowl.

Even as he said it, Radarr smirked at him and placed a hat on his head that matched the warden's. He teased him, smirking at him and shaking his little paw in a fist.

But that only made Mr. Moss angrier, and his warning was, "You don't wanna taste the anger of _Bessy_!"

Then, with a "Yaw!" he pulled up _Bessy_ in reverse, heading straight for the rusty Skimmer behind him. Aerrow lowered the Skimmer just in time, and _Bessy_ zoomed over his head. The rickety Skimmer shook when Aerrow demanded such quick action from it, and for a moment, it wavered in the air.

Mr. Moss only smirked at them, sure he had them now. Then he aimed _Bessy_'s blasters at Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer, and fired two shots. Aerrow was quick to act. He pulled up the right handle, spinning the ride into a barrel roll and avoiding the blasts.

"Yaw!" the warden cried again. This time, it was the crack of his whip that sent an energy buzz saw out at them. Radarr squawked with worry as he watched it slice off the wingtip of the bottom starboard wing, and his eyes met the sight of the warden's scowling face. "Like I said," he fumed, "you's coming back with me!"

The Skimmer was still zipping through the air, seeming unhindered by the loss of the bottom starboard wingtip, but it was still shaking as the rusty bolts fought to hold everything together. Radarr pulled out his wrench and started tightening the bolt holding up the booster he was sitting on, fearful that, with his extra weight, the booster would be one of the first things to go, and he didn't fancy a fall like that, especially without a parachute.

Aerrow was busy concentrating on driving. He, too, could feel the Skimmer starting to come apart, and it scared him. He leaned forward, just barely touching the seat, to give the ride as much momentum as possible so that it could give all it had before it gave out.

He let out a gasp as something hit him in the rear, making him jump. He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the pad for the seat flying back behind him, leaving him nothing to sit on but ride's inner structure. An odd thing to fall off. He turned to Radarr. "That's no good," he commented.

Mr. Moss saw it, too, but he seemed to think it was very good. "You're a-comin' apart at the seams, boys!" he called to them, letting a smirk spread across his face. He whipped around to the portside of the stern and lashed out his whip, which Aerrow and Radarr just narrowly avoided.

Aerrow knew he was right; this ride wasn't going to last long, no matter what they did. Their only hope was to keep away from Mr. Moss. He turned around to his copilot. "Radarr, don't bother trying to hold her together," he said. "Just keep us ahead of the warden."

Radarr smiled as soon as he said it. Yeah, now he could throw things! He picked up a metal tube off the bike, spun around, and threw it at Mr. Moss like a boomerang.

Mr. Moss saw it coming, and he was quick to do something about it. He fired a blast at the oncoming object. "Hah!" he jeered as the pipe was blown to bits.

But Radarr had more things coming. He threw off another part that was falling off and then another. The first bounced off _Bessy_'s bow. Mr. Moss gasped as he ducked out of the way of the second one, growling in frustration.

Aerrow glanced behind him at the scowling face and was disappointed, though not surprised, to see that the warden hadn't lost any distance. With increasing determination and desperation, he tried another move. He pulled up the Skimmer to vertical and rocketed upward, spinning as he went to keep momentum. After two barrel rolls, he stopped and glanced back again. _Bessy_ had followed them with ease and had still not lost distance.

Radarr was still doing his best to keep the warden from gaining. Seeing as they would no longer be able to use it, he took off the rear tire and threw it down at _Bessy_, where it bounced off her bow.

Mr. Moss was getting tired of this little rodent-thing. Although he wasn't his main target, he was quite a problem and being rather annoying at the moment. He aimed his blasters at him, and pressed the bottom to release.

But nothing happened. He pressed it four more times successively, but there was no response from the blasters. Getting even _more_ frustrated, he glanced at one of the blasters and pressed the bottom twice again. But the blasters were worn out and overheated, and the one he was looking at only set off sparks and nothing more. This was getting annoying! He glared ahead of him. "You boys will be back in you cells by suppertime," he vowed.

With another "Yaw!" he let loose another buzz saw. Aerrow heard his cry and glanced back just in time to avoid it, listing to portside. Aerrow glanced back. The warden was smirking, apparently not at all concerned. As Aerrow scanned the area, he knew they had to hold out just a little bit longer.

Radarr sat down on the booster again facing forward and looked around, trying to find something else to throw. When he picked up his wrench, he sighed. It wasn't any use to them anyway if the Skimmer was bound to fall apart. He shrugged and threw it behind him at the warden, who raised an eyebrow at him questionably when it bounced off _Bessy_'s bow.

Then the warden blinked to be sure of what he was seeing. There was another flurry of large metal objects that were heading straight for him. He cried out in aggravation as he was forced to dodge. But to his pleasant surprise, the objects didn't appear to be thrown as him; they appeared to be falling off the Skimmer.

And they were. Before Aerrow even knew what had happened, the thing had collapsed on itself. He gasped as he found himself falling, having lost everything but the Skimmer's main hull. "Whoa!" he cried as the ground came closer. He was echoed by Radarr's terrified squeal.

Mr. Moss only watched them, more amused than anything. And the boy really thought he could get away with such a poor stunt! He just had to laugh at that.

But his laugh was cut off short when he saw something that made his jaw drop. Aerrow and Radarr hadn't fallen. In fact, Aerrow came up balancing on an engine as if it was a skateboard, and Radarr was hanging off his back, with his arms wrapped around Aerrow's neck and his back paws gripping his sides.

Aerrow glanced back at the warden, and he couldn't help but smirk when he saw Mr. Moss's astonished face. The warden shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. Bet that was one move he hadn't seen before!

Deciding to have a little fun while he was trying to lose the warden, Aerrow dove down into the trees, weaving in and out of them on his "skateboard."

Mr. Moss was so shocked that he couldn't even be annoyed. All he said was, "Hang on, _Bessy_. This about to get ugly." And with that, he dove into the trees after the Storm Hawks.

_Bessy _was not nearly as maneuverable as Aerrow's little engine, and it wasn't long before she scraped herself again on another tree, marking Mr. Moss exclaim in rage. Aerrow and Radarr were having no trouble and kept well out of the warden's reach.

Aerrow glanced up at the sky and saw something that sent a wave of relief over him. He glanced back at his furry comrade. "Looks like we're almost done, Radarr," he reassured him. Even so, frightened Radarr didn't relax. He only turned back to the warden, more frightened than ever . . . because the warden looked madder than ever.

Aerrow steered them up out of the trees again, climbing so high into the sky that if he were to lose his balance, it would be the end of them both. Mr. Moss followed right after them. That's when Radarr saw what Aerrow had already noticed, and he breathed a little easier. The two of them turned back to Mr. Moss, smirking. "Well, warden," Aerrow said, "this has been a real fun chase." Radarr nodded in agreement, looking strangely mischievous.

"It ain't over yet, boy," Mr. Moss growled in answer, his eyes narrowing. "I'm about to reel you in!"

"I hate to leave you hangin'," Aerrow responded, still not at all phased, "but I've got a ride to catch."

No sooner had he said it when she appeared, looming over them. The _Condor_ blared her horn and dropped an anchor for her two missing passengers. Wanting to leave in style, Aerrow glance back at the warden and winked at him before making his leap for the anchor; in doing so, he flipped the engine around and sent it hurtling the other way.

Mr. Moss's eyes widened when he saw the engine heading his way, but there was no time to dodge. The engine passed over his head, colliding with something and sending up sparks, all before Mr. Moss even knew what happened. The next thing he knew was that off to the side of him were his spinning helicopter blades, unattached to _Bessy_. They slowed to a stop and began to fall. "Now that ain't right," Mr. Moss commented, feeling nervous. The next moment, he began to fall from the sky. "No!" he cried.

Aerrow and Radarr watched from where they hung on the line of the anchor, with Radarr still clinging to his boy and Aerrow holding the line and standing on the anchor itself. They smirked as they watched the warden fall, and Aerrow glanced at Radarr, who squawked and gave him a thumbs up. Much to Aerrow's amusement, the warden was screaming as he spiraled toward the ground. Aerrow just couldn't help himself. He saluted Mr. Moss and shouted, "See you around, warden!"

The warden only screamed again in response and shouted, "That darn kid is gonna pay for this!"

And then . . . he crashed. The last Aerrow saw of him was him disappearing in a flurry of dust and vegetation and then hearing him scream, "OW!"

Aerrow and Radarr were welcomed back in the _Condor_ like the heroes they had become. They were quick to clean up and change into their regular clothes, although Radarr wasn't able to completely rid himself of the stink spider's smell and he was going to sport a bump on his head for a little while longer.

Piper was the first to meet Aerrow out in the hallway, concerned that he might have been hurt and wishing to know how it went and whether it had been hard. They walked together to the bridge as they talked. "Ah," Aerrow said dismissively, "it was nothing we couldn't handle." He was more concerned about something else. "But how'd your half of the mission go?"

Piper smiled smugly. "I think we would've made you proud," she said.

Together they walked up to the door leading to the bridge, which opened automatically for them. Piper glanced at Aerrow as if waiting for his proud reaction and praise for her leadership skills. And Aerrow couldn't help but smile, quite happy with the results he saw, although he wasn't in the least surprised. "Great job, Piper!" he praised her. "You got everyone?"

"Every last one," Piper answered.

Walking around the bridge, conversing amongst themselves and enjoying themselves, were all the other prisoners from Terra Zartacla. Junko was in the mist of them, wearing a chef's hat and holding a tray in one hand, which contained sandwiches, little spotted fruits, and glasses filled with refreshments. He walked about offering it to all the prisoners, making them as at home as possible for their journey to wherever they requested, wherever that may be. They had been rescued from the prison when all the guards had been called out to search for Aerrow and Radarr . . . as had been the plan all along.

* * *

Mr. Moss returned to the prison at sunset, completely distraught that he had lost his first prisoner. Now scratched up, black-eyed, and bruised, he fumbled with his keys and quickly opened the doors to the main prison, having gotten wind that something was wrong with the other prisoners. When he opened up the door, the corner of his mouth twitched. "NO!" he cried.

Every cell door was hanging open, and there was not a prisoner in sight.

Hamish appeared in the doorway next to Mr. Moss. He looked around in confusion. "Where'd all the prisoners go, Mr. Moss?" he asked, genuinely innocent.

Mr. Moss roared and took off his hat, and Hamish let out a cry of surprise and pain when the warden hit him with it for the last time that day.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: Zartacla is "Alcatraz" spelled backwards. For those of you who don't know, Alcatraz is an American island in San Francisco Bay off the coast of San Francisco, California. Alcatraz was named for the many pelicans that used to live on it, for _alcatraz_ means "land of pelicans." Alcatraz was once the sight of a federal prison considered "inescapable," much like the Cyclonian Zartacla prison. The reason it is claimed to be inescapable is because, much like the whole terra being the prison, the whole island is basically the prison. There are no known cases of any prisoners escaping alive, although some sure tried and disappeared in the attempt, most of them being killed or drown. The prison was open for thirty years, from 1933 to 1963. It is now a tourist attraction.

Well, this is one of my favorite episodes to watch, but I've got to say, it wasn't a whole lot of fun to write about. There just wasn't much about the characters or character interaction. However, I _did_ enjoy doing Radarr's point of view!

Don't forget to review and vote on my profile regarding "Origins"! The votes are tied now, so I need at least one more to tip the scale.


	69. Forbidden City: Mountain Entrance

Author's Notes: Pole results are in. It was really, _really _close. The winner won by 1 vote! In the end . . . "Origins" will become a flashback. Which means less work for me and less confusion for you.

If I had seen "Origins" before I started writing this, it would have been Part 1, but oh well . . .

* * *

_**Part 17**_

_**Forbidden City**_

_A race is run, and a race is won. A lost world is sought, and a lost world is found. Future, destiny, and treasure are sought. A hero betrays, and a hero saves the world. A prophecy is made, and a prophecy is changed._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Mountain Entrance

It was not long after their very successful jailbreak mission (but long enough that Radarr stopped smelling and the bump on his head healed) that Piper soon directed the Storm Hawks to Terra Xoam. Aerrow wasn't sure why. Piper claimed that one of her heroes was here: J. I. Dumby or something like that. He was some kind of scientist or discoverer or something.

Terra Xoam has been a mystery to scientists and the home of legends for centuries. This pinnacle terra used to be home to an ancient civilization that built a magnificent city within the pinnacle top of the terra, often referred to as mountain, although the whole terra was technically a mountain. This lost city was a place of many riches, but because it was so hard to find entrance to and because it was so difficult to survive the traps within it, it was called the Forbidden City. No one had been there for centuries, and the only reason it was known to exist was because of scientific evidence. Apparently Piper's famed scientist discovered the finds and wrote a book on the place, which joined all his other bestselling books about his daring adventures and amazing discoveries in ancient ruins. It seemed Piper wasn't this guy's only fan.

After Stork landed the _Condor_ on a flatter part of the terra, the Storm Hawks had headed off on their skyrides in bike mode. Having no ride of his own, Stork rode with Finn . . . reluctantly. Any of them with armor wore it, as they always did when they left the safety of the ship, but they didn't bring weapons. Aerrow didn't think they'd need weapons to visit a simple excavation site.

Piper led the way with Aerrow and Radarr riding along beside her. Piper was smiling, apparently anticipating the meeting. "When we meet him, let me do the talking," she advised her friends. "I. J. Domiwick is a legend. So please, don't do anything embarrassing."

Aerrow didn't understand how anyone could be so enthralled with someone they'd never met and idolize them based on their rank or scientific findings instead of acts toward others, but apparently Piper could. She'd talked about this archeologist nonstop since they set out to see him. In fact, it was getting to the point where Aerrow didn't like him at all simply because he was tired of hearing about him. Besides, he was a little insulted at Piper's comment about not doing anything "embarrassing," especially since she had been looking at him when she said it. He rolled his eyes. "What's so great about this guy, anyway?" he asked her.

"He's only the most famous explorer in all of Atmos!" Piper answered.

Aerrow glanced back to see Finn roll his eyes.

Piper didn't seem to notice. She got a dreamy look in her eye. "He's smart, he's brave . . ." Aerrow drowned her out as she went into another round of praises for her hero.

* * *

They at least reached the tent of the famous scientist. He was dressed like your average explorer, hat and all. Piper was the first one to step off her bike, and Aerrow went with her, soon followed by Radarr, Finn, and Stork. Junko was the last to join them, and he was still walking up while Piper had already gotten I. J. Domiwick to sign her copy of his book of the Forbidden City. Aerrow was studying the guy skeptically with his arms crossed. He already had an instinctual dislike toward him.

Piper seemed to be in a daze as she clasped her hands and smiled up at Domiwick. "You're adventurous," she praised him, "you're scientific . . ."

Domiwick laughed and shut her book, handing it and her pen back to her. "Eh, don't forget handsome, charming, and successful," he said, smiling at her.

Aerrow just couldn't help himself then. "And humble," he added, holding up a finger. "Don't forget humble."

Piper laughed nervously through clenched teeth, casting him a look that _begged_ him not to speak again. She turned back to Domiwick, clutching her book closer to her. "I've read all your books," she said. "I even wrote you a fan letter once. But I'm just babbling now."

Domiwick laughed again. "Uh, not at all," he assured her.

He leaned over to Aerrow, shielding his mouth with his hand so Piper wouldn't see. "Get this all the time," he assured the Sky Knight, smiling arrogantly and winking at him.

Aerrow pretended to laugh, but as soon as Domiwick turned away, he scowled at him again. What a snob!

Domiwick turned away, starting to march toward his tent. "You've come at an exciting time," he told them, pointing at them. Piper's eyes met Aerrow's, and they were filled with excitement. Aerrow was doubtful, but he walked at her side as she followed Domiwick toward the tent, with the other Storm Hawks trailing behind.

"I'm about to lead the first expedition to explore the mysteries of the Forbidden City," Domiwick announced as they entered the tent.

"You actually found a way in?" Piper exclaimed, sounding impressed. She let out a little squeal of excitement, which made Aerrow raise an eyebrow at her.

They followed Domiwick to the back of the tent, where he stopped, and the Storm Hawks stopped behind him. Piper clasped her book as she continued to stare up at him in awe. "If you need anything at all," she said, "the Storm Hawks are at your service."

Aerrow glared at her out of the corners of his eyes. As the Sky Knight, it was _his_ job and _his_ right to offer the service of the Storm Hawks, not Piper's. And the last person he wanted to offer help to was this self-centered, snobbish archeologist.

Domiwick turned around to them. "Very thoughtful, but not necessary," he told them, holding up a finger. He opened up the flaps of the tent in the back and gestured outside beyond them. "As you can I see, I already have all the help I need."

What Aerrow saw made his eyes widen and his jaw drop, a reaction taken up by his whole squadron. Beside him, he heard Piper gasp. "Cyclonians," she whispered.

Indeed, the place was crawling with Talons of the Nimbus Chapter. They were there wielding pikes and shovels, wearing excavation helmets, and coming in and out of the mine in the side of the mountain with wagons filled with dirt. They even had a huge drill off to the side of the mine in the process of making another tunnel. And off to the side were two Talons, one of which leaned on a shovel. And the Talon they were talking to was none other than the leader of the Nimbus Chapter, Snipe himself, mace and all. He pointed to both Talons, seeming to direct them.

Piper looked up at Domiwick, and Aerrow had never seen such fire burning in her eyes, fueled by shock, anger, and disappointment. "You . . ." she gasped. "You're working for the Cyclonians?"

"No," Domiwick answered, looking bored. "They're working for me." He patted himself on the chest and then put his hands on his hips. "Good help is hard to find."

Aerrow glared at Domiwick, his arms crossed again. He had been right about him after all; the man was not to be trusted. And even worse, now he had indirectly hurt Piper.

That's when Snipe happened to glance over at the tent. "Huh?" he gasped. The other Storm Hawks were hidden within the tent, but he could clearly see Piper and Aerrow conversing with Domiwick. "Storm Hawks!" he shouted. He pointed his mace in their direction and ordered, "Get 'em!"

Aerrow peered out when he heard Snipe shout. Every Talon stopped what they were doing and turned to the tent, saying, "Huh?"

There was no considering as to what they should do. The Storm Hawks had no weapons and were outnumbered. Aerrow's only order was, "Run!" Domiwick raised an eyebrow at him as he turned and ran with his squadron behind him, followed by a horde of shouting Talons chasing them with shovels.

Without glancing back, the Storm Hawks jumped into their skyrides and sped away. With a roar of frustration, Snipe watched them go, slamming his mace into his fist.

Domiwick followed them out, a little irritated that the Talons didn't have a mindset for making this expedition a priority. He leaned against the frame of the tent with his hand on his hip and said, "Let them go, Snipe."

Snipe turned around at him with a look of aggravation. "But Master Cyclonis—"

Domiwick worked grit out from under his nails as he interrupted, reminding Snipe of one little detail. "Master Cyclonis has instructed you," he pointed to Snipe, "to take orders from me." He pointed a thumb back toward himself. "You're here to dig, so dig." He taunted Snipe by demonstrating with his hands and saying, "Dig, dig, dig."

Snipe snarled at him viciously but reluctantly did as he was told.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks had made it back to the _Condor_. Piper soon sat herself on the edge of an incline with Domiwick's book in her lap. Stork, Junko, and Finn stood over her, not knowing what to say. Piper flipped through her book sadly, turning to a page bearing Domiwick's picture, which he had signed.

Aerrow walked up from behind Piper with Radarr at his side, hoping to comfort her. "Domiwick is a-a pompous jerk," he managed, _finally_ able to voice his opinion. He smiled down at her warmly. "Don't let him get to ya." Radarr backed him up, walking up beside Piper and smiling at her.

Piper glanced up at Aerrow and met his eyes. It wasn't the disappointed expression Aerrow had expected; actually, it was very thoughtful. "He's after the Oracle Crystal," she said. She looked down at the book again, and Aerrow glanced over her shoulder. Among the text was a picture of the crystal, shown dark blue, almost purple, in color and set in a metal case. "It has the power to see the future," Piper explained.

The future? A crystal can't have the power to see the future. Not unless it had a spirit within it. Could that be what it was, a crystal harboring a prophesying spirit?

Finn put his hand on his chin to think (something he rarely did). "Future, huh?" he repeated. He put a hand on his chest. "Ah, I know what I'd ask!"

"Ooh," Junko said, his eyes lighting up. "Me, too!" Then he stopped and placed a finger on his chin. "I think."

Aerrow also knew what he would ask, but he didn't mention it to the others for fear that they would ask what it was. He didn't want to worry them with his question for the future.

Besides, Aerrow's mind was already on strategic matters, as it always was. A crystal with the power to see the future would be more than dangerous in the hands of Cyclonia. It could be catastrophic. They could not let it fall into Cyclonian hands.

Hoping Piper had a plan, Aerrow sat down next to her with a grunt. As soon as he did, she tossed the book over the small cliff. That struck Aerrow as odd; he had thought they might use it to figure out how to stop Domiwick and Snipe. But maybe it didn't have an answer to help them do that. Besides, it had Domiwick's autograph; Aerrow wasn't at all surprised that Piper would want to be rid of it.

Piper turned to him. "We have to beat them into the Forbidden City and find it before Domiwick does!" she said.

"Ooh, ooh, wait, wait, wait!" Stork said, motioning with his hands for her to slow down. He pointed to her. "Did you say '_into_ the Forbidden City'?" The Merb put his arm around Finn. "The death traps in that place are legendary," he said before getting off of Finn. "Jagged spikes, walls that _crush_ . . ." He clenched his fist to emphasize it. "I could learn so much," he said, his eye twitching. There was a queer look in his eye that Aerrow had only seen twice, and that was when he had given Stork the key to the _Condor_ and when he had offered him the job of being his carrier pilot.

Finn had his own ideas of why this was a good idea. "I bet it's loaded with treasure!" he exclaimed.

But everyone else had failed to answer what Aerrow thought was the most important question of all at the moment. He motioned to Piper and asked, "How do we get in?"

"Ooh!" Stork exclaimed, holding up a finger. "I have just the thing! Give me a minute." And with that, he zipped away to the _Condor_.

The other Storm Hawks all got their rides and waited at the end of the ramp, ready to go as soon as Stork was. None of them were sure what the Merb was doing, but Aerrow could clearly here the sound of a drill and hammering and the clinking of metal coming from inside. Their paranoid inventor was up to something.

Junko, meanwhile, munched on what seemed to Aerrow to be an unappetizing yellow fruit with red spots. After taking a bite of the fruit that was almost as big as a human head, Junko stuffed the rest of it in his mouth whole, chewing and holding his stomach in satisfaction before letting out a burp. "Gloopy fruit?" Finn asked him in disgust. "Ah, how can you stomach that stuff?"

"Well, sure, they look nasty," Junko said, taking a sniff, "and they smell nasty, but they taste . . ." He stopped and readjusted his sentence. "Well, okay, they're chewy." He gobbled down a couple more bites, making Finn shake his head in disgust. "They grow like crazy around here," Junko continued. "I filled up a whole bag's worth." He held up a brown cloth bag with a square of red and a black Cyclonian emblem on its front, a savior from one of their battles.

"Hey, that's my bag!" Finn exclaimed, holding out a hand toward it. "I need that to carry treasure!" Junko looked at the bag with raised eyebrows, and Aerrow decided right there that if Finn asked him to make Junko dump out what the Wallop considered "hearty food" just so Finn could get rich, then Aerrow wasn't going to do it.

Then they were interrupt with someone saying, "Tada!"

Eyebrows were raised as Stork started down the ramp in a peculiar green vehicle, the front of which almost looked like a face with its teeth-like bumper and yellow headlights at the top like eyes. It was a skyride, obviously meant to be a four-wheeler/helicopter type called a Safety Buggy, although it had only three wheels, two in front, and a large on in back. The Safety Buggy was the only skyride given a perfect safety rating from the AAA (Atmos Aeronautic Association). It had four wheels, unlike most skyrides, and had a firm Zaractian steel frame. The Safety Buggy came with special balance booster rockets set on all four sides, giving it the best stability you could find when its in land-mode, and useful for balanced hovering when in flight. It also included five-point safety harnesses. The front wheels formed two secondary rotors; the main rotor emerged from a compartment behind the seat, and the two rear wheels formed the tail rotor. The seat was deep, and the vehicle was box-like and at the same time long and streamline. When in flight mode, a chopper blade spun above the ride and a smaller chopper blade came out of each of the front wheels. But of course, seeing as this was Stork's own model built by his own hands, there were probably even _more_ safety additions.

And Aerrow turned out to be right in this thought. Stork, now wearing goggles, gestured to them. "I give you," he said, gesturing to the ride, "the _Stork-Mobile_!" A disc-like detector popped out of the bumper. "Booby-trap detectors," Stork explained. He pointed to other parts of the vehicle as he went on, leaving the Storm Hawks to all give him weird looks and for Aerrow to exchange a glance with Radarr. "Indestructible tires," Stork continued, "rollbars, parachutes, antilock brakes, fifty-two independent external airbags," he took a breath, "and an ejector seat."

Junko rubbed the back of his neck and gestured to Stork. "Um, why do you need an ejector seat?"

Stork pointed to him. "You always need an ejector seat." And with that, the Merb pulled out a helmet and placed it on his head, covering his long, rabbit-like ears, before taking the controls. Then he took Aerrow's line. "Let's ride!" He pressed on the gas pedal and shot forward with a scream, driving right off the incline.

The next thing the rest of the Storm Hawks knew, they heard a crash, and all of them winced and stared while Radarr widened an eye. Finn shook his head and said, "I don't think he meant to do that."

And Stork hadn't. Now he was speeding down the incline at rollercoaster speed, gasping every time the _Stork-Mobile_ rattled and bumped along the ground. He pressed the buttons on the dash frantically to try to keep from crashing to his doom. Nothing seemed to be happening. Gasping in desperation, he shouted, "Brakes!" as if shouting it was going to help anything.

He cried out in fright again as he finally reached the bottom of the incline and was rolling along a flat. At last, he crashed into the bushes and was overwhelmed by airbags. The parachute popped out of the back about a moment too late to do any good.

Stork fought his way out of the airbags closing in on him and stuck his head out of the rollbar frame, peering out over the bushes with a groan.

The other Storm Hawks drove up behind him, and Aerrow was relieved to find him okay, although he wasn't expecting him to be hurt. But Stork didn't try to get out of the _Stork-Mobile_ or back up the _Stork-Mobile_ or even turn to look at the others. He only peered ahead and said, "Um, I think I found something."

What Stork found beyond the bushes he had crashed into was a statue of a robed woman who was pointing. The statue had little clumps of moss draped over it here and there, but all and all, it was still beautiful. The Storm Hawks circled around it, and Aerrow put a hand on his hip as he studied it, just as Piper did. "Be careful," Piper warned them. "According to that traitor Domiwick's book, the builders of the Forbidden City believed in tricks and hoaxes." She turned to Aerrow, gesturing toward the statue. "First impressions are always wrong and nothing is what it seems."

Aerrow studied the statue some more. "Looks like she's pointing the way," he said.

Radarr jumped up on the statue's other arm and leveled his head with the finger that was pointing. But as he did so, the arm he was standing on began to lower, making Radarr churr in surprise. With a frightened squawk, he leapt up and clung to the back of the statue's head, not sure what kind of trap he could have just triggered.

Aerrow and the others gasped as the statue began to spin. It did a 180 degree turn, now pointing in Aerrow's direction, holding its arm directly above him. Aerrow looked over his shoulder and blinked in surprise. With a creaking sound, a hidden door in the mountain's face lifted open to reveal a dark tunnel . . . the entrance to the Forbidden City.

"See?" Piper said. She gestured to the tunnel. "Not everything is what it seems." She turned around and smiled at Aerrow's shocked copilot. "Good job, Radarr."

Radarr churred and smiled humbly at her praise, knowing full well that his "help" had been a complete accident.

Aerrow stared into the dark tunnel, which, to most people, would have looked less than inviting, but to him, it looked like another fun adventure that would give him plenty of thrills. But there was more to it than that. Something about this felt right, as if he was meant to be here. It was a strange feeling, and the very idea of what it could mean sent a chill down his spine.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yay, I get to do one of my favorite episodes! And from Aerrow's point of view, too!

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Explorers of the late 1800s and early 1900s, from which I. J. Domiwick is modeled after, have been romanticized and shown as brave and heroic people in stories such as the _Indiana Jones_ series. Some of the lands they explored were pretty perilous and some of them made some pretty decent finds and made some very important discoveries. Yet most of the archeologists of this time did almost anything to sell their finds to a museum, sometimes claiming discoveries that had little fact to support them and often losing much scientific evidence in their race to take things from the site and make them known to the public. Sometimes they even created hoaxes that are just now being revealed. Even the genuine and honest archeologists were problems because most of them did not know how to handle artifacts properly. It is thought that millions of discoveries that could have been made have been thwarted by the evidence destroyed in the mishandling of archeological finds during this "time of discovery and knowledge."

Now, you may present your great finds from this chapter when you press that pretty little review button! Wouldn't that be nice? *crosses fingers and starts muttering* Say yes, say yes, say yes, say yes . . .


	70. Forbidden City: City of Traps

Chapter 2: City of Traps

The Storm Hawks were driving down the passageway of the tunnel toward the Forbidden City. Aerrow and Radarr led the way. It wasn't long before they saw something up ahead that made Radarr cock an ear. Amazingly, at the end of the tunnel appeared to be a bright light rather than darkness. They drove toward the light and stopped when the tunnel stopped at a doorway that widened out into a large chamber with many rocks scattered on the floor around them.

"Wow!" Aerrow exclaimed. The place was like nothing he had ever imagined! The mountain had been hollowed out for the city, and at the very top, a hole had been made at the peak's point so that the sunlight shown down upon the city. And what a city it was! The stone towers all had beautiful intricate designs on their faces, and a long ramp seemed to lead to the heart of it all. A face was caved into the center building, probably the face of some long-dead ruler of the ancient people. It gleamed in the sunlight with an air of royalty and magnificence.

But one look at Finn reminded Aerrow that he was not one to be awed with architecture. The sharpshooter seemed to have only two things on his mind: treasure and traps. Finn turned to their pilot. "Hey, Stork," he said, "how 'bout we try those booby-trap detectors of yours?"

Stork smiled pressed a button. With two little beeps, the disco-shaped detector popped out of the bumper. As soon as it did, the _Stork-Mobile_ seemed to go berserk! The lights started flashing, its siren started wailing, and the horn was honking. It was so loud that it hurt Aerrow's ears, and he and the others covered them, except for Radarr, who simply grabbed his rabbit-like ears. No sooner had all the commotion started when Aerrow glanced back to see the door slam shut behind them. "Oh yeah," said Stork, the only one seemingly unaffected by the noise, "I was expecting that."

Aerrow took his hands off his ears as soon as Stork shut off his booby-trap detectors. Then something strange began to happen. All the rocks scattered on the floor around them began to shake and move. "Huh?" Aerrow gasped in shock. The rocks began to rumble and shake until at last, they formed into giant, man-shaped creatures with hollows for eyes and spear-shaped rocks for hands.

"But I wasn't expecting that," Stork muttered.

The hollows of the rock-creatures eyes flashed in purple light for only a second. And then they came to life and began to approach, the six of them surrounding the Storm Hawks on all three open sides.

Piper was the first to act. With a grunt, she pulled out her energy staff. Following her example, Aerrow pulled out his blades and ignited them. With a grunt, Junko activated his Knuckle Busters, and Finn pulled out his crossbow. They were ready to fight.

Flashing a cocky smile, Finn was the first to shoot. His bolt struck a rock-monster square in the chest. At first Aerrow was relieved to see what happened; the rocks scattered and fell in a pile on the ground. But then he heard Finn say, "Huh?" and he took a second look. The monster resembled itself again in a second and then took another step toward Finn threateningly.

It was Aerrow's turn to give it go. With a grunt, he swung his right blade in front of him, releasing an energy pulse. The pulse also hit a monster dead-on and shattered him, but like Finn's, it reformed itself right afterward.

Stork groaned as he kept pressing buttons on his dash. "One of these is supposed to be the missile launcher," he muttered nervously.

Finn was really looking startled now. "There's no way to fight these things!" he gasped.

Aerrow tried to think fast, knowing that if they didn't do something, they'd be clobbered soon. Wait . . . Maybe that was it. Do nothing! "If nothing in here is what it seems," he told his squadron, "maybe we shouldn't!"

"Aerrow, that's not what I meant!" Piper hissed to him nervously.

But Aerrow had a gut feeling, and he was going to go with it. "Don't fight back!" he ordered his team. "Let them come to you!"

The rock-monsters kept approaching. The Storm Hawks all watched, wide-eyed with nervousness. Aerrow stuck his blades back in their sheaths so as not to be tempted to use them. None of the others were quite willing to put down their weapons, but they followed Aerrow's orders. But they all seemed to think him crazy. Finn even exclaimed, "This is just plain wrong!" Radarr squawked and hid low in his cockpit.

At last, the monsters were right up on them. They stopped just before the Storm Hawks, one on each of them. Two stood before Aerrow's Skimmer, and although they didn't have eyes, the hollows on their "heads" seemed to peer into Aerrow, watching to see what he would do. Aerrow looked back and forth between them nervously. _This had better work,_ he thought. He put his hands up to show he bore no weapon.

Then an amazing thing happened. The rock-monsters crumbled right before their eyes. In a matter of moments, they were back to being piles of rocks as they had been before. Junko and Finn exchanged amazed glances. Aerrow stared at the rock piles in disbelief. "It worked!" he exclaimed. He cast a relieved smile at Radarr, who churred in relief and wiped his forehead. Aerrow couldn't help but wear a proud grin as he looked around at his team. And they had doubted him! Well, what did they think now?

* * *

Meanwhile, the Talons were still busy drilling into the side of the mountain. They were getting ever closer, but it was still taking longer than Domiwick had hoped. He paced back and forth in front of one of the tents with his hat in his hands and his hands behind his back. Snipe watched him.

Domiwick turned to Snipe. "Could this take any longer?" he asked in frustration. He gestured toward the mountain. "I've got fame and glory waiting for me in there."

Snipe only smirked as Domiwick paced by and walked out of earshot. "We'll see about that," he growled.

* * *

Within the Forbidden City, the Storm Hawks were driving up the ramp toward the center of the city. Aerrow and Radarr led the way, as usual. Aerrow looked around at the buildings, trying to figure out which one held the powerful crystal.

Piper seemed to read his mind. "They would've kept the Oracle Crystal in the temple," she said.

"But all the buildings look alike," Aerrow answered. He stopped at the top of the ramp, studying every single building in sight. "Which one's the temple?"

"Hey, guys!" Aerrow heard Finn call. He turned to see Finn standing beside a table off to Aerrow's right. "Check it out!" his wingman exclaimed, gesturing toward the table.

The others got off their bikes and all gathered around. "It's a map!" Piper exclaimed. And indeed it was. It was a 3-D map of the entire city!

Junko scratched his head as he looked at it. "This is confusing," he said, gesturing toward the map. "They should have put a 'You are here' on this thing." Aerrow thought it was pretty obvious where they were—the platform in the center of the city—but he decided not to say anything.

He glanced at the map again in time to see Radarr stomping through the little streets between the little towers of stone, growling and acting like a movie monster in this little play-sized city. He lifted up a foot, pretending to threaten to step on a building. "Radarr," Aerrow scolded him, "quite foolin' around."

Radarr looked up at him with a casual look and leaned on one of the little buildings and put his other paw on his hip, as much as if to say, _Oh, come on, Aerrow._

But Aerrow had his reasons. "You might break—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the model building Radarr was leaning on sank down into the table. Before Aerrow even knew what was happening, the platform they were standing on began to tilt. With yells from all of them, the Storm Hawks fell into a hole below the table, and the table snapped back into place.

The fall wasn't _too_ far; Aerrow, always prepared for something like this, easily landed on his feet in a crouched position. Piper landed on her hands and knees beside him. Stork landed on his stomach with his feet dangling above him. Everybody else fell flat.

Aerrow and Piper stood up and started dusting themselves off. "—something?" Aerrow finished at last, although now the sentence applied to bones as well as objects.

Junko sat up and smiled at them. "Least I landed on something squishy!" he said.

There was a groan from below him. "That would me."

Aerrow and Piper winced in sympathy as Junko got off of Finn and helped the groaning boy to his feet. Aerrow swore he heard something pop back into place as Finn erected himself. Junko smiled sheepishly and held Finn's arm, dusting off his shoulder. Finn jerked his arm out of Junko's grasp irritably.

Stork and Radarr were on their feet by now as well. Stork peered down the passageway they were in, which had almost perfectly rounded walls and ceiling in the section they were in. To one end was a stone brick wall. To the other was the continuing passageway. Further down, the walls were rectangular and carefully sculpted. Metal rails lined the path on either side.

"Uh huh," Stork muttered, more to himself than the others. "Yup. Interesting. Hmm, hmm." He turned to the others and held up his hands. "So, ah," he said, "if we're going to survive this most-likely-, oh, -_fatal_ ordeal, you're gonna have to do exactly what I say."

Aerrow blinked in surprise. Last time he had wanted Stork to take his place, he almost had to strong-arm him. Now that they were in another situation where Stork knew best, he had immediately assumed leadership. Not that Aerrow was complaining. He knew Stork was probably right in this situation.

"Radarr," Stork said, pointing to him, "you go first."

With a churr of bewilderment, Radarr pointed to himself to be sure he'd heard right. Then, with a squeal, he slumped and starting walking forward with a growl. He stopped in front of Stork, glaring at him. Stork leaned down and whispered, "Just stay low." Radarr got down on all fours and shot Stork a glare that made Aerrow think of the same look Radarr gave him after doing a stupid stunt. He knew Stork was going to have to beg for Radarr's forgiveness if this didn't go well.

Radarr had taken two steps into the part of the tunnel with straight walls when his paw suddenly landed on piece of flooring that sank below him. Radarr's head popped up with a frightened squawk. A slot in the wall on either side of him opened up. Radarr let out a terrified squawk as two jagged-edged horizontal panels came his way from either side, threatening to squash him in between. "Radarr!" Aerrow and Piper shouted in unison, but Aerrow knew he couldn't get there in time to save him.

The two panels clashed with a loud clank. Piper cringed, and Aerrow gasped, feeling like his heart was about to jump out of his throat. But Radarr was unhurt; he had ducked just in time, falling flat on the ground and covering his head with his arms.

When the panels opened up again, Radarr took the opportunity to stand up. With another squawk of fright, he ran out from between the two panels just before they clashed together again. With a whimper, the furry creature took refuge behind Aerrow's leg. Aerrow looked down at him, never having been so happy to see him unharmed. _Well,_ he thought, _looks like the two of us have had our scare of the day._

But that didn't solve the problem of getting through the tunnel. There were more panels like the one Radarr had escaped from at close and equal intervals all along that section of the passage. Every time one opened, the one next to it slammed shut. And they couldn't just jump over them, either. Similar panels were above each of the lower ones, right at head level, and these were vertical. They slammed together every time the ones below them pulled apart.

Piper looked at it and winced, putting a hand on her heart. "That would've hurt," she said.

Aerrow could see there was very little chance of them running through them. They could, possibly, but the risks were higher than Aerrow liked. "Stork," he asked the Merb, gesturing toward the passageway, "can you disarm the trap?"

"Nah uh," Stork answered, shaking his head. "All my tools are in the _Stork-Mobile_."

While Aerrow tried to think, Junko accidentally distracted him by pulling out a gloopy fruit and munching on it hungrily. Finn raised an eyebrow at him as he took another bite. He grabbed the fruit. "Junko, how can you eat at a time like this?" he scolded him.

He tried to pull it out of Junko's hands, but Junko held onto it. "Give it back, Finn!" he said, jerking it toward him.

But Finn just jerked it back. "It's mine," he said in a childish manner.

"Well, no!" Junko answered, jerking back toward him.

Junko let out a Wallop roar as Finn jerked it back toward himself. "Gotcha!" the sharpshooter teased.

Then Junko yelled, "Whoa!" as, in their struggle, the gloopy fruit, with half of it already bitten off and its inside exposed, flew up toward the ceiling and hung there by its sticky pulp.

Stork smiled and rubbed his fingers together excitedly. "I need more," he said.

So that's how the Storm Hawks ended up simply walking to the other side of the trap . . . upside down. Using Stork's suggestion, the group had put wads of sticky gloopy fruit pulp on the bottom of their shoes . . . except for Radarr, who had no shoes and who simply clung to Aerrow's back and peered over his shoulder as they went along. Using the stickiness of the pulp, Aerrow led his team single file as they walked on the ceiling of the passageway over the dangerous trap.

When they reached the end of it, they all peeled off the pulp from their shoes and flipped upside down to land with a grunt on their feet on the floor . . . all except Radarr, who landed on his stomach and stood up with his eyes rolling in their sockets.

Aerrow glanced around. There was a small track in the middle of the floor, made up of two rails. Stork stepped forward with his finger to his chin, obviously observing the situation. "Uh huh," he muttered to himself. He stopped suddenly and leaned forward, peering into the gloom. "This rail," he said, holding up a finger, "it can only mean there's an enormous boulder up there, triggered to roll after us." He cringed away from the passageway, as if expecting to see it to come right that minute.

And it did. A spherical boulder started rolling down the track toward them, studded with red crystals in a pattern much like the stitches on a baseball. Radarr squawked in fright and covered his face with his arm as it headed right toward them.

But then a boulder stopped and landed on a pad at their feet, just in front of Radarr. It was no bigger than he was. Radarr cracked his eye opened and peered at it now that he was sure it wouldn't run him down. Having been fooled about the size, he squawked in surprise when he saw just how big it was.

Aerrow stared it. This was their giant boulder?

Stork thought the same thing. "_Psht,_" he said dismissively, gesturing toward the rock. "That's the _best_ they could come up with?"

They all peered down at it, and then to everyone's surprise, the platform it was on began to spin. Everyone gasped as the tunnel shook with a rumble coming somewhere from behind them. "A second boulder?" Piper gasped.

Indeed it was. It looked just like the small one, studded with crystals in the same way, only this one was so huge that it filled the entire tunnel! "Run!" Aerrow shouted as it headed toward them. No one had to be told twice. They headed off at once, barely staying ahead of the boulder.

At last they reached the end of the passageway: a wall. "Dead end!" Piper shouted.

"Junko!" Aerrow called to the Wallop, who ran out in front.

"On it!" Junko answered. In mid-run, he slammed his fists together to activate his Knuckle Busters. As he neared the end, he leaped into the air and slammed his left fist against the wall, making a huge hole in it and falling through to safety.

Aerrow narrowed his sights on the hole. As soon as he reached it, he yelled and leapt inside with Piper following him. Radarr somersaulted in the air as he headed in with Stork right behind him. Finn hit his head on the top of the hole as he jumped in as well, bringing up the rear.

Aerrow let out a frightened yell when found himself sliding on his belly down an inclined tunnel. Radarr hopped up on his back and balanced there like a surfer. Behind him, Piper was also sliding on her stomach, and he heard her scream. The others all went down on their backs, something Aerrow wished he had done. He had a feeling it would be a lot more comfortable.

They all yelled as they were dumped out the tunnel off a short drop to a stony floor below. With cat-like relaxes, Aerrow was able to turn about to land crouched on his feet, but in the process, he sent Radarr off his back. Piper followed Aerrow's example. Everyone else fell flat again.

Dazed from it all, it took a moment for Aerrow to get his bearings. Beside him, Piper stood up and coughed in the dust cloud they had created. On the other side of him, Junko sat up and said, "Whoa."

Beyond them, Stork helped Finn to his feet, for the sharpshooter had taken a good blow to the head. Finn coughed as well as he stood up and looked around. Then he pointed and said, "Look!"

They all turned and Aerrow heard Stork say, "Huh?"

Right in front of them were their skyrides. Finn sighed. "We're right back where we started!"

"Nothing in the Forbidden City is what it appears," Piper reminded them.

Aerrow glanced over his shoulder as he heard a small click. Behind him was the troublesome map that had sent them on their wild detour. The model building Radarr had pushed down suddenly shot up in its original position again. Aerrow looked around as the buildings around them began to creak. Then, as the ground rumbled beneath their feet, the buildings began to shift, spiraling about. In the middle just before them, some of its structures even sank. In their place rose a platform that narrowed at the top, and then another on top of it, and another. Aerrow stared as a stone pyramid appeared right before his eyes. At the top was a large, highly decorated doorway. Aerrow knew it on sight. "The temple!" he exclaimed. "No wonder we couldn't see it before."

"The Oracle Crystal will be in the treasure chamber," Piper told him.

Finn put his hands on his hips. "Treasure chamber!" he exclaimed, pointing to Piper. "That's what I'm talkin' about!" He rubbed his hands together. "Oh, ho, we're in for some money!"

Then the place began to rumble again. Aerrow placed his foot on the little border of the platform and stared out at the wall where it was beginning to crumble. "We're also in for some competition," he said, gesturing out toward the wall.

The wall collapsed in, and the Cyclonian drill appeared. And driving around it in bike mode through the hole it had made were Snipe on his Heli-Blade and Domiwick on a Switchblade, with eight Talons on Switchblades behind them. The Cyclonians had found their way into the Forbidden City.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: There is a real Forbidden City. It is found in the middle of Beijing, China. The real name of this complex is _Zijin Cheng_, which literally translates as "Purple Forbidden Walled City" (_zi_ is "purple," _jin_ is "forbidden," and _cheng_ is "walled city"). This complex of buildings, which includes the Imperial Palace, was first built and used in the Ming Dynasty (1406-1420) until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1421-1911). During this time, it was home to the Emperor, his household, and the government capital of China. The complex is made up of 980 buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers an area of about 7,800,000 square feet. The reason it is called the Forbidden City was that, during its time of use, commoners were not allowed within its boundaries. It became part of the Palace Museum in 1925 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The beautiful Forbidden City is said to be the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Reviews, anyone?


	71. Forbidden City: The Treasure Chamber

Chapter 3: The Treasure Chamber

Domiwick stared out at the fantastic complex. "The Forbidden City," he breathed, "undisturbed for centuries." He clenched his fist in excitement. "I'm making history!"

That's when he noticed something that made him scowl. Five skyrides were already on their way up to the temple, sending up a cloud of dust as they went. Snipe turned to Domiwick with a smirk. "They put second place in those books?" he jeered.

Domiwick clenched his teeth but kept himself calm. "No matter," he answered. Then he smiled, wondering what he was so worried about. "They'll never make it to the temple alive," he said. He waved his hand. "Stand aside."

"Actually," Snipe answered with a smirk, "we'll take it from here." And before Domiwick could even grasp what he meant, Snipe let out a battle cry and swiped Domiwick off the Switchblade with one blow of his arm. Domiwick hit the ground with a grunt on his hands and knees, his hat landing on the floor beside him. He peered over his shoulder and scowled at Snipe, who only laughed and gestured out toward the City, saying, "Thanks for pointing the way, professor!"

What?! This is an outrage! "I had a deal!" he reminded Snipe, slamming his fist. He jabbed a finger on the ground. "Master Cyclonis personally guaranteed—!"

"Master Cyclonis doesn't need you anymore!" Snipe interrupted.

What? That traitor!

Domiwick watched, almost shuttering with rage, as Snipe and the eight other Talons drove off toward the City. "You'll never survive in there without me!" he shouted after them. He pointed a thumb to himself. "I wrote the book on this place!" He grabbed his hat as he stood up and fanned the dust away as he coughed on it. Then he held up a fist aimed at the Talons. "Fools!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks had made it in through the temple entrance and were working their way through the winding passageway. Aerrow set his jaw as he led them at full speed, determined to stay ahead of the Talons.

The skyrides screeched to a stop when the Storm Hawks came upon two identical doors, one dark and the other with a red light shining from it. Gigantic faces decorated the top as if they wanted to chomp down on whoever came through. A sign was in between the two doors. Aerrow studied it, trying to figure out what it said, but it was written in an ancient language that he could no more comprehend than squiggles.

It was Piper, who was knowledgeable in five different languages, who decoded it for them. "It says only the swift and strong will survive the temple maze!"

"A maze?" Finn repeated in an irritated tone. "We don't have time for a maze!" He gestured behind them. "The Cyclonians are right behind us!"

It was Junko, of all people, who had a plan. "Aerrow," he said, nodding his head toward the maze doors, "take Piper and go!" He held up his fists. "We'll stay behind and buy you some time."

With a grunt, Finn pulled something out of his Skimmer. It was a look-a-like bag to the one Junko was using to carry his gloopy fruit. "Take my treasure bag," he called to Aerrow. "Anything shiny, grab it!" He tossed it to Aerrow.

Once he had the bag, Aerrow turned to his copilot. "Radarr, stay and help Junko, Finn, and Stork," he ordered, nodding toward the others. With a churr, Radarr saluted him and leapt onto Finn's Skimmer.

Aerrow turned to his tactician. "Are you ready, Piper?"

Piper looked excited as she answered, "Let's do it!"

Aerrow's approach to this was his approach to pretty much everything. "Just go full throttle and try not to hit anything!" And with that, he led the charge into the doorway shining with red light with Piper right behind him while the others sped off the other direction.

* * *

Farther up in the tunnel, three of the Talons were weaving through single file as fast as they could. The lead one was not prepared when a Wallop suddenly stood in his way with ignited Knuckle Busters. Junko swung back his fist and sent the wailing Talon right out of his ride.

Radarr, meanwhile, stood on a ledge of rock above the passageway further down, holding a gloopy fruit above his head. When the other two Talons were headed his way, he threw the gloopy fruit as hard as he could onto the floor with a squawk. The fruit splattered, leaving its sticky pulp all over the floor. As soon as the next Talon's Switchblade ran into it, the front wheel got caught in the pulp and flipped the Switchblade over, sending the shouting Talon flying out of the seat to hit the floor beyond on his stomach.

Finn was even farther down, and as soon as the third Talon came into view, he let fly a bolt from his crossbow that sent the Switchblade tumbling. The Talon flew out of his seat shouting and landed right on top of the other two Talons, who had just gotten to their feet and clustered together.

Finn jumped down from his perch and pointed at the Talons. He and Junko laughed together. Up on his ledge, Radarr chirped and did a little happy dance. Stork had to laugh when he saw all this, too. Strange, but it was funny, and even fun, although he knew such thoughts would probably lead to his doom. They all watched with amusement as the three Talons ran back the way they had come with their hands in the air, shouting for mercy.

Encouraged, the boys got back in their skyrides and started off after them. Radarr chirped when he heard the engines, and seeing them almost leave him behind him, he leapt off his ledge onto the back of Finn's Skimmer, holding onto the sharpshooter's shoulders. Finn and Junko were still laughing, and Finn did a wheelie just to celebrate. Stork smiled and looked on excitedly as he took up the rear. This really was _very _fun! Hmm, maybe he should do this more often? Maybe this wasn't as much of an invitation to doom as he thought.

Then, as they came around the corner, they all stopped short, all the laughter knocked out of them. Eight Talons stood before them, all of them scowling and bearing Cyclonian staffs. And in front of them all was Snipe, holding his mace and sitting on his Heli-Blade Elite. "Why does this always happen?" Finn asked Junko.

Snipe laughed and slammed his mace into his hand. At that moment, Stork took back everything he had been thinking just seconds before. This was definitely _not_ fun, and they were _definitely_ doomed. The _Stork-Mobile_ beeped as she backed, and Stork brought her about, leading the retreat back deeper into the temple.

Stork thought of nothing else but escaping the Talons, refusing to look back. The only one to look back was the one who wasn't driving, Radarr. And as soon as he did, he let out a squawk from fright. The Talons were almost right on them!

Snipe only laughed in amusement at the little creature's fright and led the Talons in a battle cry.

* * *

Aerrow, meanwhile, was having a much better time of it. He was smiling, of all things. As he raced along the maze with Piper right behind him, he could feel the thrill that a good stunt brought pulsing through his system, and it exhilarated him. He whipped around corners at lightning speed, his tires skidding along the ground as he went, going so fast that one slip up could mean the end of him. The tunnels were dark, the only light coming from red-glowing crystal lamps. Piper, not accustomed to going so fast, especially in such low lighting, fought to keep up and only saved herself from being bashed up against the wall by doing as Aerrow did, following almost exactly in his tire tracks.

At last, after many a blind turn through the dark tunnel and picking many passages at forks in the road, the end of it finally appeared. Proud of himself for navigating the maze so well but a little disappointed that it was over, Aerrow drove out of the maze into a wide chamber and slid to a screeching stop. Piper did the same just beyond him, and as soon as they were at a standstill, she placed a hand on her heart and let a loud sigh of relief, breathing heavily. Apparently she had enjoyed the maze a lot less than Aerrow had.

Aerrow studied the chamber they were in. It was pretty bare, other than the door that exited the maze, except for another door at the other end. Wait, another door . . . "Piper, look!" he called as his eyes fell upon it.

Piper gasped when her eyes fell upon the closed door, which was decorated with another large face. "The inner sanctum!" she exclaimed.

No sooner had she said it when the door opened up at the face's teeth with a blinding flash of purple light.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other Storm Hawks were still racing away from the shouting Talons who waved their weapons in the air. Radarr glanced back again and squawked. The Talons were getting closer.

But then luck was on their side. A huge, stone, face-decorated blockade rose up out of the floor between the Storm Hawks and the Talons. Snipe let out a yell of frustration as it cut them off. He and the other Talons slid to a screeching halt just before they slammed into it.

Stork smirked at the Talon's lack of luck when all of a sudden, their luck turned as well. He gasped as another similar blockade started coming down from the ceiling in front of him. He slammed on the break, but the _Stork-Mobile_ doesn't stop that fast. Her tires screeched and she spun around before sliding sideways across the floor toward the blockade, having too much momentum to stop. "Ah!" Stork cried just when he thought he was about to hit it. But then . . . the _Stork-Mobile _halted, and the boys' Skimmers stopped beyond her. The blockade slammed down in front of them, blocking them in on all sides.

Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, Stork heard someone grunt and say, "Yaw!" He and the others turned around.

There, standing on top of the blockade behind them, was Snipe, holding his mace. He let out an evil laugh and slammed his mace into his hand, smirking at them. Stork gulped. Oh yeah, they were doomed.

* * *

Further in the temple, Aerrow and Piper dismounted from their skyrides and headed toward the dark opening in front of them. Aerrow's heart fluttered with an emotion he couldn't quite place. He didn't know whether he was excited . . . or fearful. Being scared for himself made no sense in this situation, but then, neither had the feeling he had earlier of _needing_ to be here. All the same, he was glad he had Piper at his side and was not going alone.

Then there was a cold voice from behind them that made the hair on the back of Aerrow's neck stand on end. "Stop right there."

With a gasp, Aerrow and Piper whipped around. A man stepped out of the shadows, pulling out his energy sword from the sheath on his belt. "Domiwick!" Aerrow shouted. He pulled out his own blades and ignited them, and Piper grabbed her staff and held it out threateningly.

Domiwick stepped in front of them, holding his sword in one hand and clenching the other in a fist. "The treasure chamber is mine and mine alone!" he growled.

"We don't take orders from Cyclonian stooges!" Aerrow growled, pointing a lit blade at the archeologist threateningly.

Then Aerrow felt a soft hand on his shoulder that restrained him. Confused, he glanced at Piper. "Leave him to me, Aerrow," she whispered.

"We'll take him together," Aerrow insisted, not liking the idea of one of his teammates fighting a skilled fighter alone.

"No," Piper insisted. She took her hand off his shoulder and held out her staff defensively, lengthening it and casting a glare at Domiwick. "This is personal." She glanced at Aerrow. "Get inside! Go!" she insisted.

Well, Aerrow didn't like it, but there was no point in arguing. And anyway, Piper _could_ hold her own very well in a fight. Besides, she was right. One of them had to go get the crystal as soon as possible. Aerrow nodded to Piper before turning around and running into the treasure chamber.

Piper knew he was probably worried, but she knew what she was doing. Besides, she needed a chance to beat down the man who betrayed her fondness of him.

As soon as Aerrow was gone, Domiwick didn't waste any time in attacking. He ignited his sword and swung it at her, but Piper simply blocked it with her staff. Domiwick tried again with the same result. Then, with a grunt, Domiwick swung at her neck, but Piper grunted and ducked. She jabbed at him with her staff, but Domiwick evaded each time. She swung low and he swung high, neither hitting anything. Domiwick went back to slicing at her, but the staff blocked every blow. At last, Domiwick was able to get an edge to slice at her while avoiding the staff, but Piper merely jumped out of the way before coming at him again.

It was going to be a tough fight for them both.

* * *

In the passageways beyond, the Storm Hawks looked up at the chuckling Snipe from where he stood above them. Junko was sitting on his Skimmer just below him, and the Wallop pricked his ears as soon as he realized Snipe had singled him out. He didn't have time to dodge, however, before Snipe leaped at him with a battle cry, his mace held high above his head. "Whoa!" Junko yelled as he abandoned his ride, jumping just beyond and landing on his feet in a crouch. Snipe hit the skyride, and it went tumbling toward him. "Whoa!" Junko said again as he leaned back to avoid it. Stork cringed. This didn't look good.

Snipe then approached Junko, both of them now on foot. Snipe started swinging his mace, and for every swing, Junko avoided. And for almost every swing, Snipe yelled a battle cry and Junko had something to say. "Whoa!" the Wallop shouted. "Whoa! Hey! Whoa! Ah! Hah! Ow! Careful! Ah!"

Stork had no idea what to do, but apparently Radarr had a plan. The little guy dove into Junko's bag of gloopy fruit and pulled out a large fruit with a churr.

Snipe was swinging at Junko's head now, but Junko was able to duck. Just before Snipe could go it a third time for his head, Radarr leapt toward him with an angry squawk, holding the gloopy fruit high above his head. But Snipe simply held his mace above his head and used it like a baseball bat to swing Radarr toward Junko.

Junko gasped, but he couldn't move in time before Radarr slammed against his stomach, sending them both into the wall. The gloopy fruit splattered all over them, covering them in its sticky pulp. They hit the wall splayed out, with Radarr upside down, but they didn't fall. Junko tried to pull himself off the wall, but the pulp kept him and Radarr glued. "Whoa!" he said. "This stuff really _is_ sticky!"

_You think?_ Stork thought.

Then Finn decided to intervene. He somersaulted in front of Snipe with his crossbow in hand and began firing off shots right at him. But Snipe just swung his mace at each bolt with a grunt.

After seven shots, Snipe appeared to have enough. He looked down at Junko's Skimmer at his feet, and with one kick, he sent it up into the air. There he swung at it with his mace, and it went flying toward Finn, who couldn't dodge in time. Finn grunted as the Skimmer slammed against his stomach and pinned him against the wall, knocking his crossbow out of his hands. He gasped for air as it knocked the breath out of him as well. "Okay," he gasped, "that's heavy."

Stork looked around. Oh no! There was no one left to fight Snipe except . . .

Snipe leapt up onto the top of the _Stork-Mobile_, making Stork scream in fright. Snipe grabbed the rollbar and pulled it off with ease. Once Stork was exposed, the Talon held his mace over his head, threatening to slam down on Stork. "Ah yaw!" he cried as he swung it down.

But then his mouth opened in surprise. Stork, always one desperate to live, had grabbed the mace's handle in his hands and was holding it off him, shaking with effort. Shouting with frustration, Snipe added another blow of force, jumping off the bow and into the seat, pushing Stork out onto the floor in the process. He jabbed the club at Stork's head, but Stork moved his head to the side, and the mace clanked against the floor.

Even so, Snipe seemed confident in his victory. "When I'm finished with you," he growled, "Cyclonis will give me a medal!" He jabbed the mace at Stork again, but Stork whimpered and evaded. Snipe did it again on the other side, and Stork moved. "A promotion!" Snipe continued on, trying again with the same result. "A reward!"

But that's when Stork noticed where Snipe was standing. "How 'bout a free trip?" he suggested, his voice strained with effort. And with that, he reached up toward the dashboard with his foot, and using his monkey-like toes, he pressed a green button, which lit up and beeped in response.

Snipe's face fell as if he realized what was coming. Then with a yell, the ejector seat sent him flying high into the air. Stork cringed (but had no sympathy) as the Talon slammed into the ceiling so hard that he rammed a hole into it all the way up to his waist. The Merb smirked as Snipe's legs kicked from where they hung and muffled, angry, pain-filled sounds came from the ceiling. Stork pointed, proud of his deed. "And that," he said, putting his fists on his hips, "is why you need an ejector seat."

"Wow!" Junko exclaimed.

* * *

Aerrow, meanwhile, ran into the treasure chamber as fast as he could, forgetting for the moment to fear for himself. All he thought about was getting the crystal and getting back to the others as soon as possible, especially Piper, who was left to face Domiwick by herself.

He was so anxious to get the crystal and go that he didn't even take a second to look around at the beautiful treasure chamber. The room was filled with all kinds of goods, gold and jewels stacked high in mounds. And in the middle of the room on a platform was a statue of a woman, and in her hands was the brilliant Oracle Crystal. The room seemed to be filled with purple crystal energy from the crystal, reflecting off the shiny treasure and dancing along the walls like waves.

Aerrow ran up the steps to the platform, right up to the statue. He smiled when he saw the crystal and reached out a hand toward it. But instinct kicked in just before the impulse. "Wait," he said to himself. "Too easy." He dropped his hand. "This has gotta be a trick."

"Quite true, Aerrow. Not all is what it seems."

The voice startled him, and he froze on an instant. He could have sworn . . . but it couldn't be, could it? The statue hadn't moved, not really, but some energy, some look-a-like form, had vibrated on the statue's surface . . . the Oracle.

Aerrow was so shocked that he said the first question that came to mind. "You . . . know my name?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Not exactly a closing sentence to end on, but oh well. It keeps people interested.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The buildings and decorations of the Atmosian Forbidden City all seem to reflect that of the Mayan culture. This Mesoamerican culture lived in Central American and southern Mexico. The Maya were established in the Preclassic Period and continued to grow and flourish. They began to decline in the 12th century and were wiped out about the time of the Spanish explorers. The art often had the faces similar to what is seen in the Atmosian Forbidden City (the faces were often of past chiefs or gods). Their buildings were of similar stone. Like the temple in which the Oracle Crystal was housed, the temples of the Maya were large stone pyramids with long rows of steps leading up to the top. At the top, there was often a stone platform that was used by priests for sacrificial rituals to the god of the temple. These sacrificial rituals included human sacrifices.

Now, reviews! Please?


	72. Forbidden City: The Day Will Come

Chapter 4: The Day Will Come

Outside the treasure chamber, Piper and Domiwick were still going at it. Domiwick swung for Piper's head again, but Piper evaded and jabbed at him, only to jump aside as the sword came for her again. She spun her staff around expertly but couldn't seem to get an edge. On the plus side, even with Domiwick's grunts and sounds of frustration and the constant slashing of his sword, he wasn't gaining an edge, either.

After a few more swings, Piper blocked another blow from the sword with her staff. But Domiwick didn't pull away; he tried to push her down. It was a quieter, less active time in the fight that gave Piper her chance for her questions. "Why are you working for the Cyclonians?" she asked him.

"Huh!" Domiwick huffed. "You have no idea how the world works! Expeditions are costly."

"And that makes it okay?" Piper challenged him. "You betrayed all of Atmos!" The very thought of that sent another thrill of rage into her, and she shoved Domiwick back with a grunt. "And you know what else?" she added, pointing to him. "You're a real snob!" It had taken her awhile to admit, but now she was willing to admit Aerrow had been right all along . . . and she was willing to say it to Domiwick's face.

Domiwick shrugged before he leaped at her again. Like he cared!

* * *

In the treasure chamber, Aerrow stood stock-still with amazement as the Oracle spoke to him. "I've been expecting you," she said. "After all, I can see the future."

Her voice was soft and angelic, and it sent a wave of calmness over Aerrow. The Sky Knight was able to get over his shock and move on to business, although he still a little nervous, as demonstrated by his hesitations. He held up a finger. "I've got a lot of question. Uh, we all do. Uh, they made me write them down."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little piece of paper. Somehow the others had guessed that Aerrow would be the first one into the chamber, and they had given him their questions. Aerrow was just glad they hadn't asked him about _his_ question.

"Okay," he began, holding out a hand. "Finn wants to know if he gets rich." _Typical,_ Aerrow thought. "Uh, Piper wants to know what she's meant to do with her life. Uh, Junko wants to know if he ever finds his missing lucky shovel." He held up a finger to indicate he had only one more. "Stork wants to know if the cure for bog measles is discovered." He smiled at the Oracle, waiting expectantly.

But the Oracle didn't answer the questions. She simply asked, "And you?"

Aerrow's face fell. It was time for his question, which had been burning in him ever since he had been told it was his destiny to save Atmos, ever since he began fighting in the war against Cyclonia. "I just wanna know one thing," he said. He peered up at the Oracle, his heart beating fast against his chest. "Do we win?"

"Ah," the Oracle answered knowingly, as if she had been expecting that question (and maybe she had). "See for yourself," she answered.

The Oracle Crystal in the statue's hands began to glow brighter than ever, blinding Aerrow. He blinked in the light, but when he opened his eyes, he didn't see the treasure chamber.

_He saw Master Cyclonis's throne, where the Oracle Stone sat. Cyclonis herself was there standing beside it, and she was smirking, obviously overjoyed to have the powerful crystal in her possession._

_The air rang with her evil laughter as the scene changed. Now Aerrow was looking at the streets of Terra Atmosia, the capital of the free Atmos. But it wasn't the Atmosia he knew; buildings were destroyed, the whole placed burned to a crisp. The Sky Knight Council hall was in ruins. The beacon tower, which was supposed to house the glowing shattered pieces of the no-longer-useful Aurora Stone, was completely dim. There was a loud screech, and the skies flashed with red lightning conjured from Firebolt crystals. Switchblades filled the air, and the skies were red like blood. The rain was red as well, rain coming from the blasters of Cyclonian staffs, Switchblades, and Cyclonian Destroyers._

_And in the mist of it all, being herded from behind by two smirking Talons, were six drooping figures all chained together by their ankles. They were mere silhouettes against the flashes of fire and war beyond, but Aerrow could clearly see the outline of Finn in the back. Ahead of him was Junko following Piper. Stork dragged along in front of her with Radarr ahead of him. Although altogether intact, all of them were thin and looked hopeless._

_And in the lead of them all was an armored figure that took a moment for Aerrow to recognize. It was Aerrow himself, but it was not the same young Sky Knight Aerrow had often seen in the mirror. This boy was drooped in stature. It was too bright in the background to see anything but his dark outline, but even that gave evidence of painful battle wounds. He was thin as a rail and almost ghostlike in the way he moved, as if he could stumble at any moment. Behind him, everything he had ever believed in, everything he had ever fought for, everything he had ever loved, was swallowed up in the grip of war and destruction._

Aerrow was short of breath when the scene finally faded from his eyes. He found himself back in the treasure chamber, safe and whole. But the misery of it he could not shake; he was cut to the bone with worry and loss. "I can't let that happen," he said to the Oracle.

But the Oracle had a queer look about her that made him think she had never intended to let him "let it happen." "Set me free," she said, "and a different path begins."

Aerrow stared at her in amazement. Set her free? But how would that . . . ?

He thought of his vision of Master Cyclonis with the Oracle Crystal. So that's how she would conquer. She would use the Oracle's power of vision. Well, not if Aerrow could help it! He reached behind him and drew his right blade from its sheath, igniting it. Then with a cry, he swung it at the statue. The Oracle screamed as the statue was shattered to pieces and fell in a heap before him. The light of the Oracle Crystal dimmed to only a soft glow as it fell, and all was still.

Instinctively cautious, Aerrow held a fighting stance in front of the shattered remains of the statue, ready if the Oracle had tricked him. But then the ripples of energy began to dance on the wall again as the beautiful form of a woman, almost translucent, rose up out of the pile of rock. "Thank you, Sky Knight," the Oracle whispered to him.

Then with a sound of rushing wind, she rose up toward the ceiling and flew right through it, disappearing into the rock itself. Aerrow stared after her in bewilderment.

He was soon woken from his thoughts when the chamber around him began to shake. He'd triggered the booby-trap the Oracle had warned him of; the temple was collapsing. Aerrow jumped backward off the platform with a grunt as a support beam toppled down toward him, grabbing something off the floor as he did.

Looking around nervously, he decided there was no time to stick around to collect treasure for Finn. Pieces of the ceiling began coming down around him, one of them narrowly missing his shoulder. He ran back out the door, going as fast as he could. He had to find the others. They all had to leave now before the temple collapsed on top of them!

* * *

Piper and Domiwick were still fighting outside the treasure chamber. Domiwick swung for Piper's head, but Piper ducked and went low. Domiwick tried again, but Piper jumped back. There were a few more swings, a few more dodges, and then Piper had enough. With a grunt, Piper leapt into the air and kicked Domiwick in the face, sending him flying backward on his back with his hat and now-unlit sword after him. Piper had won their fight.

Just when Domiwick sat up, three skyrides entered in bike mode. Junko, Finn, Stork, and Radarr (riding with Finn) drove up and surrounded Domiwick on three sides. They all narrowed their eyes at him. "This guy givin' you trouble?" Junko asked Piper. Domiwick cringed.

But Piper was satisfied with how she had it. She set her staff vertically and rested it on the ground, smiling at her success. "Not anymore," she answered Junko.

But before she could say more, Aerrow's urgent voice reached her ears. "Everybody out!" Piper turned and saw Aerrow running through the doorway as fast as he could toward them. "This place is comin' down!" he cried. No sooner had he said it when the walls began to shake and crumble, proving his point.

But Finn didn't seem fond of the idea of leaving empty-handed. "What about my treasure?" he asked Aerrow, holding out a hand.

Well, Aerrow knew that he'd have a heck of a time getting Finn out if he knew there was treasure, so he decided it best to lie. "There isn't any," he answered. "Move!"

"What about my future?" Finn insisted while Junko and Stork started out.

This was just getting ridiculous. Aerrow jumped into his Skimmer and turned to his sharpshooter irritably. "Move, Finn!"

Finn shrugged and growled, but he started up his engine all the same and sped off with Radarr clinging to his back.

Support beams were now starting to crumble, and in a few moments, Aerrow knew this whole chamber was going to collapse in. That's when Aerrow first noticed Domiwick as the explorer got to his feet. The Sky Knight didn't have it in him to leave the jerk without some warning. "Domiwick," he cried to him, "the Oracle is gone. Get out while you can!"

"I'll see for myself!" Domiwick growled in response. And with that, he went running into the treasure chamber.

"Domiwick!" Piper shouted after him.

But as far as Aerrow could see, they didn't have time to save a betraying snob who didn't want to be saved. They had to get themselves out. "Piper," he said when he saw she wasn't moving, "let's go! Now!" He led the retreat out into the maze, and Piper followed behind without hesitation. Behind her, the supports finally gave in and toppled where they and their skyrides had stood just moments before.

Stork led the retreat out, as was typical. It was rather helpful to all of them. Not only was the Merb smart, but he was also one to remember every detail that would help them survive. For this reason, they followed him out without ever getting into a dead end in the maze.

Once clear of the city, they headed straight for the hole that the Cyclonian drill had made, since their own entrance had been blocked. Behind them, the Forbidden City's fine decorations fell to ruins, although their tough buildings still stood.

* * *

Luckily for Domiwick, the strong walls of the treasure chamber had kept most of it intact. Domiwick was safe and sound long after the rumbling had stopped. But he didn't find what he was looking for; all he found was the metal casing where the Oracle Crystal had been. He sat on the steps of the platform for a few minutes just staring at the case for a long time. All his fame, all his glory, all the money, all the success this crystal could have given him . . . just gone.

Snipe drove up through the entrance of the treasure chamber on his Heli-Blade in bike mode. He stopped in the doorway, smirking at the professor. Domiwick dropped the metal case with disappointment, and it clattered on the floor. Snipe laughed in amusement.

Domiwick looked up at Snipe, staring at his Heli-Blade longingly and wishing for his own skyride. He put a finger to his chin and asked tentatively, "Can I have a-a lift?"

But Snipe only smirked at him some more. "You're the smart one," he answered. "Find your own way out." And with that, he whipped his Heli-Blade about with a loud cry of triumph and sped out of the treasure chamber. Domiwick stood up and took off his hat in shock and dejection as he watched him go.

The famous I. J. Domiwick, the explorer with millions of adoring fans, was left to fend for himself in the Forbidden City.

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks had all parked their rides by the ramp and were off doing their own thing. Finn drove his skyride in. Stork went to check on something before quickly going back to the safety of his _Stork-Mobile_. Junko sat on his Skimmer and stuffed his face with gloopy fruit. Radarr . . . went off to go be Radarr. In it all, Aerrow looked around at the others. The one person he did not see was Piper.

He finally spotted her not far away at the edge of a small cliff overlooking the beautiful forests of Terra Xoam. Her arms were crossed as she peered out at the sunset, the birds chirping all around, but she didn't seem to be taking any of it in. Her eyes were downcast and her expression thoughtful.

Aerrow didn't know what was eating at her, but he didn't like seeing her look so downcast. Hoping he could help somehow, he walked up next to her. "Hey," he greeted her softly with a smile.

She glanced at him. "Hi," she answered, but no sooner had she said it when she was looking at the ground again. Aerrow found himself doing the same, and they were quiet for a moment. Then Piper looked up at him again and met his eyes. "Aerrow," she asked, uncrossing her arms, "what was the Oracle like? Did you really see the future?"

Oh, that question. "I saw something," he answered, "but it wasn't the future." He looked away off to the sunset. "At least not anymore." _I hope,_ he added silently. The Oracle had not been clear about whether they would win. Her words still rang in Aerrow's ears: _Set me free, and a different path begins._ But where would that path lead? Aerrow knew that the day would come where he would find out; perhaps it would even be his decision and, Atmos forbid, his own sacrifice that would decide. And when that day came, Aerrow planned to be ready. He'd do _anything_ to stop the horror of what he had seen.

He glanced at Piper again. She was looking at the ground again, and her expression hadn't changed. Aerrow could never bring himself to tell her what he really saw; even if it didn't scare her, it would only give her thoughts that she didn't need. But something about her expression told him that she might already have guessed what he was keeping from her. Aerrow wouldn't put it beyond her. She was very bright, sometimes too bright.

He smiled as he thought of something that would make her feel better, something he'd been waiting for the right moment to give her. "I grabbed something for you on the way out," he said casually, pulling his gift out of his pocket and holding it out toward her.

"Huh?" Piper asked, snapping out of her thoughts. Her eyes lit up when she saw the gift and she said, "Ooh." In Aerrow's hands was none other than the Oracle Crystal. Although it was now useless, the sight of it still seemed to lift her spirits. She took it from his hand, her fingernails clinking against its softly glowing surface. "It's beautiful," she said. She held it up, smirking. "I wish I could rub it in Domiwick's face!"

Ah, Domiwick again. "That guy was a slimeball," Aerrow commented.

Piper put a hand on her heart. "When I saw what he was really like, I felt so stupid!" she told Aerrow. "But then I just felt sorry for him."

Aerrow knew what she meant. It was rather sad when a man's only friend is his fame and he had to rely on other's praise for confidence.

Piper seemed satisfied now that she had vented a bit, and together the two Storm Hawks turned around and started walking back toward the _Condor_, where the others had already brought their skyrides inside. Aerrow put a hand on Piper's shoulder. "You realize you're now Atmos' premier expert on the Forbidden City," he reminded her.

Piper smiled at him. "Maybe I should write a book."

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, what a sweet ending! Still not _proof_ of a romance pairing, but any Piper/Aerrow pairing fans can find ammunition in that scene for sure! Actually, this whole episode is chock-full of Piper/Aerrow pairing ammunition. But I don't know, Aerrow's treatment of Piper still kind of seems like the way my boy cousin acts around me. He's my cousin, so of course we love each other but obviously not in a romantic way. Who knows? It could be either. The frustrating thing is, if there are no future episodes, we'll never know for sure.

Since this is one of my shorter chapters and most of the trivia are short, I decided to do three trivia.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The name "Terra Xoam" seems to be derived from the word "xoanon", which is a wooden image of a god. The word comes from Greek, meaning "carved statue". This fits the Oracle well.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Domiwick probably gets his name from the name "Dominick", which means "lord" (and Domiwick certainly seems to think he's a lord).

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #3: Throughout history, there have been prophecies of heroes come to save people. Some have come true, some have not, but everyone always wishes to believe in them, which is why it was profitable to prophets to make such predictions. Prophets have used chance, trickery, and drug inductions to trick people, and sometimes themselves, into believing something will happen in the future, although depending on your faith, you may believe that there are _true_ prophets who receive prophecies from a god. Prophets who use tools rather than faith often did it for money, and prophecies that people liked to receive and pay for would be prophecies of heroes coming to save them, as well as hearing other pleasing prophecies that normally are very vague and can relate to pretty much anything (fortune cookies, for example, have vague prophecies that fit almost anyone). Such practices are still used today. When used in this way, prophecies, especially hero prophecies, equal money.

Okay, now I'm looking forward to reviews!

And don't be expecting any more parts anytime soon; I'm going out of town for ten days, off to an overnight camp for a week, then going out of town for another two weeks. So I'll be gone awhile.


	73. Leviathan: Land Alive

Author's Notes: I'm _back!_

I know what you're going to say. "This is 'Leviathan,' so why isn't it from Stork's point of view?" Well, the main reason is Stork was going through Sky Shock almost all through this entire thing, and only for about ten minutes of it was his mind processing things around him. The rest of the time, he didn't seem to know what the heck was going on. So I did this from Aerrow's point of view again. Sorry, but he was just the best candidate.

* * *

_**Part 18**_

_**Leviathan**_

_Friends are lost, and friends are found. A home is lost, and a home is won again. A land becomes a monster. Bravery is found in the coward._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Land Alive

When the Storm Hawks left Terra Xoam, Aerrow had Stork try out a new move with the _Condor_. That didn't go too well.

The sun hadn't even begun to rise when the _Condor_ landed, or rather crashed, onto a small terra littered with uneven terrain and having no vegetation.

All the Storm Hawks went out to inspect the damage. Any of them with armor put it on just in case. All of them got their skyrides (except for Stork, who didn't plan on needing to use the _Stork-Mobile _anytime soon). Upon coming out, Stork went to check on the ship, bringing Radarr with him to help him in tight places. The other Storm Hawks waited with their rides.

Aerrow leaned against his Vulcan and crossed his arms. "So," he said, trying to be upbeat, "at least we know never to try _that_ move again."

"Couldn't we have stopped at the next terra?" Finn complained. He waved his hand in front his nose. "This one smells funny."

Piper sat on her Heliscooter, looking at one of her charts. "Just be glad we found this terra at all," she told Finn, studying her map nervously. "It's not on any of the charts."

Stork popped up behind Aerrow's Skimmer with a wrench in hand. "And I needn't remind you how _deadly_ an uncharted terra can be!" he said. "Probably home to a Murk Raider outpost," at this, Junko started sniffing the air, "or a nest of carnivorous rut-worm or . . ." Here Stork stopped. "By the way," he said to Aerrow in a casual tone, "the crystal heat dissipater is completely shot. It'll need to be replaced.

"No problem," Aerrow answered. "We passed a supply depot awhile ago. I'll take a Skimmer."

"Um, Aerrow," Stork reminded him, "a heat dissipater's the size of a house."

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. _Oh,_ he thought, slightly embarrassed. "So make that four skimmers," he corrected himself. He used "skimmer" as a general term for "skyride". In that context, "skimmer" was a slang term that developed when Air Skimmers became the most popular skyrides.

The four Storm Hawks with skyrides started out, driving toward the edge of the terra in bike mode. Radarr was in one of the _Condor_'s boosters, hitting something with a wrench and covering himself in black grease and oil in the process. When he heard the skyrides' engines roar to life, he chirped and leaned out to see what was going on. Oh, goody, they were going for a ride! Radarr leaped out of the booster with a delighted screech and walked up toward Aerrow's Skimmer.

Aerrow was about to smile and invite Radarr in when he looked down in surprise. Radarr was blotched with black oil, and it dripped off him, leaving tracks where he stepped. A puddle was already forming underneath him. Aerrow didn't fancy getting that all over his Vulcan. Besides, they would only be gone a little while on a boring depot store run.

Quickly he tried to think up an excuse to leave Radarr here. "Uh, Radarr," he began hesitantly. Radarr chirped in answer, smiling at him. "You should stay behind," Aerrow said, holding up a hand. "We're gonna have, uh . . . uh, weight issues." Yeah, that was it! Aerrow smiled nervously, hoping Radarr didn't see through his bluff.

Radarr squawked in surprise. He'd never been blown off by Aerrow before. He looked down at himself. Was it because of what a mess he was? He started wiping off his clothes, but while he was doing that, he heard the snapping of wings deploying and the whirling of helicopter blades. When he looked up again, Aerrow was already leading Piper, Finn, and Junko off through the air to the depot store.

Radarr whimpered. He couldn't believe it! Aerrow had left him behind! Okay, true, he never really liked Aerrow's flying or his stunts, but still . . .

He was cut off by his train of thought when the ground shook briefly and a loud roar suddenly rang. Radar chirped anxiously and looked back to exchange a terrified glance with Stork. The roar sounded like it had come from somewhere _underneath_ them! And whatever had made that noise was _big_ and definitely not friendly!

* * *

After an easy trip to the depot, Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Junko were toting the heat dissipater back to the small terra. The thing _was_ pretty big. Boosters on the bottom kept it stable as the four skyrides dragged it. A flat platform on top had rigs on the front that allowed the Storm Hawks to connect lines between it and the skyrides.

The group slowed as they neared the location of the terra, coming to a stop. Aerrow and the others started looking around. "Huh?" Piper said in surprise.

The rising sun turned the clouds a beautiful shade of yellow. And that was all Aerrow saw, yellow clouds. No terra.

Piper pulled out a chart from behind her. "These are definitely the coordinates," she said.

"So where's the _Condor_?" Finn asked, holding out his hands.

Aerrow didn't like this. "E-everyone, scan the area," he said a little too hastily.

Everyone did as he told them, pulling out their X-ray peepers (Stork had decided to make them all one). Aerrow looked back and forth with his, but there was nothing around them. It was no use looking below; the clouds were clustered in a dense fog. Sky fishers often called this fog the "cloud sea"; it was impossible to see through it.

Finally, Finn spoke. "I got nothing," he said.

"Me neither," Piper added.

"Me neither," Junko said, turning to Aerrow, "but it's hard to see with that emergency rescue balloon in my way."

"Huh?" Aerrow said, Piper echoing him. Emergency rescue balloon? He looked over to see a large balloon floating up out of the clouds near Junko. Two handles hung on the bottom of the balloon for a survivor to grab hold to. And clinging to the handles, with his arms wrapped around one handle and his legs wrapped around the other, was a jittering, squeaking, trembling green figure.

"Stork?" Aerrow said in shock. What was Stork doing alone without the ship? "Where's the _Condor_?" he demanded, his heart starting to flutter. "Where's Radarr?"

"It," Stork stuttered nervously, "it ate them."

"What did?" the other Storm Hawks gasped in unison.

"The terra," Stork breathed.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. The terra?

Stork was obviously too shocked to explain much more. The other Storm Hawks gently pried him off the rescue balloon and set him on the platform on top of the heat dissipater, letting him rest his back against the chimney-like contraption in the middle. The other Storm Hawks clustered around him, but Aerrow backed them off. Stork didn't need to be traumatized while he was so petrified.

Aerrow kneeled down next to Stork, who wouldn't even look at him. "Stork," he asked, "exactly what happened?"

"The entire terra," the Merb breathed, "it opened like a vast, terrible mouth!" Junko and Finn cringed at this, and Finn and Piper raised eyebrows. "Then it sank into the clouds," Stork continued, "and disappeared!" His eye twitched, and he shivered, letting out little squeals of terror.

"Well," Finn said, holding out a hand and then crossing his arms, "I'm officially freaked out."

"Hold on," Piper said, holding up a hand to stop him. She turned to Aerrow and held a hand out to him. "There might be another explanation."

"For ship-eating terras?" Junko asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. At the mention of it, Stork shivered some more and started muttering something inarticulate.

Piper cocked an eyebrow as she thought. "The region could have undergone a tectonic shift," she said. She gestured below them. "The terra might be just below the cloud layer."

Aerrow stood up. He kept his face in a scowl, not wanting to show any nervousness. Piper was probably right, he told himself. Still, he'd feel better when he had Radarr hanging off his back again. He looked down over the edge of the platform at the clustered yellow clouds below. "Whatever happened," he told his team, "we'll never find it in that fog. We'd need a deep sonar scanner."

"We can't lug this thing all the way back to the depot!" Finn whined. "Isn't there anything closer?"

"That doesn't eat ships," Junko added, clenching his fists nervously and cringing.

Stork just kept shivering and muttering.

Piper looked at her map. "Well," she said, cocking an eyebrow off to the distance, "there is one place."

Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Junko all got in their rides and headed out, following Piper's instructions. It was a little ways, although not too far, before Piper announced, "The Skyside Shanty, a waypoint for local sky fishers."

Aerrow studied the Skyside Shanty as they approached. It didn't look like much; it was a simple, small, rundown shack made into a bar. A sheet hung out back behind it like a sail, and a crane in back held a fishing net, something which was often used to catch some of the flying prey found in the cloud seas. Here it served only as decoration.

Docks zigzagged around out front. Five airships were already parked at the docks; just about all of them were fishing ships. Aerrow and his squadron docked their skyrides and heat dissipater and headed toward the bar.

As he got closer, he could hear the murmur of much conversation coming from inside, and soothing Celtic music reached his ears. That all stopped, however, when he threw open the shutters and led Piper and Finn inside, while Junko and Stork hung back. Silverware clattered, the music stopped, and all the people in the bar turned. Most of them were white-skinned humans, although one was dark-skinned, and a few people in the back were Blizzarian, some which were even Absolute Zeroes. Aerrow easily recognized Davey Digger. But even so, they all scowled at them.

"Hmm," Piper said from behind him, gesturing into the bar. "Guess they don't get too many strangers in here."

Aerrow was uncomfortable with the whole thing. "Let's just get a scanner and get going," he told Piper.

It was then they were approached by a fine-looking young woman, blue-eyed and fair haired. "What do ya want?" she asked them. She spoke in a gentle Scottish accent (like everyone here did, as they would find out later), but her tone was rather bored and no-nonsense. She was obviously the waitress here.

Aerrow and Piper shrugged with embarrassment. "Uh," Aerrow began, holding out a hand, "we just need a—"

"Skyfood Combo Platter!" Junko exclaimed from outside the door. "Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo!"

Aerrow shut his mouth quickly with a sheepish smile and exchanged embarrassed glances with Piper. That wasn't what he had wanted to say.

Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and the waitress all looked out the door to see Junko bobbing with anticipation as he looked at the menu out front, licking his chops. Behind him, Stork was still shivering, his arms wrapped around his head.

The waitress scowled at Junko distastefully but walked off to go get his meal. Junko looked confused at her hostility.

Aerrow exchanged a glance with Piper, who smiled tentatively. _I guess we're getting a Skyfood Combo Platter,_ Aerrow thought. He led the others in. Piper and Finn followed. Junko brought up the rear, smacking his mouth hungrily. In his arms, he cradled Stork, who was still wide-eyed and trembling, his arms wrapped around himself and his legs intertwined. The conversation and music was soon up again as they were left alone.

They all pulled up seats at a hexagon table near the wall. Almost instinctively Aerrow took the stool with his back to the wall, where the head of a sky shark hung above him. A lit lantern sat in the middle of the table, as it did on all the tables. A bottle of sauce was next to it, along with a mug the waitress had yet to pick up.

Piper and Stork sat on either side of Aerrow. The Merb was still shivering, still making little whimpers and squeals as he glanced around nervously with wide eyes. Aerrow was starting to worry about him. "Stork?" he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You okay there, buddy?"

Stork didn't even look at him. He just shivered some more and hugged himself. "Like a vast, terrible mouth," he muttered.

Not knowing what to do, Aerrow turned to Piper for help.

Piper studied Stork. "Classic signs of post-traumatic sky shock," she exclaimed, almost as if she were glad she figured out. She smiled innocently. "I read about it."

Finn shook his head and rolled his eyes at the comment, resting his head on his hand. Aerrow took Piper a little more seriously than that and listened to what she had to say.

Piper held up a finger. "The first stage is disorientation," she said.

Aerrow stopped her before she could go on any further. "Let's avoid any unpleasant reminders about what happened," he whispered, hiding his mouth from Stork.

Stork didn't seem to notice. He was still looking and muttering. "It's still there," he said. "It's still . . ." Then he started chuckling excitedly as if the idea gladdened him. An old bald man on the next table over stopped just as he was about to sip his from his cup when he heard the crazed Merb, and he grunted distastefully.

It was then that the waitress appeared again, this time with a plate of food. Everything on it was deep fried, filled with cloud krill and sky fisher plunder and even some of the foods Junko had tried to serve his friends in the past, including sky squid. "Oh, ho!" Junko laughed happily as the waitress set the plate down in front of him. "Oh, yeah!"

So that was the Skyfood Combo Platter. Aerrow was glad he didn't order one. Not that he could eat anything at the moment. His stomach tightened every time he looked around and counted them all. So long as Radarr was missing, Aerrow couldn't stop worrying, even if it was just a tectonic shift that caused his disappearance.

Junko picked up the bottle on the table and lifted up a krill in the other hand. He put a drop of the sauce on the krill, and it sizzled underneath. Then Junko munched it up happily. "Oh," he said as his belly gurgled. Finn, who knew Junko best, cringed and leaned away at the gurgling belly. And for good reason. The next instant, Junko let out a burp right in Piper's face. Piper fanned her face and put a hand over her mouth to keep from throwing up. The waitress just scowled at the Wallop's rudeness.

Finn picked up the bottle of sauce and looked at the label. "Skyside Shanty's Signature Extra-Potent Quadruple-Malt Vinegar?" he read aloud. He glanced up at Junko in disbelief, and Aerrow didn't blame him. He wasn't sure how anyone could stomach that, either.

Junko picked at his teeth before turning to Finn about the vinegar. "Kinda sour," he said, "but I like it."

Finn leaned his hand on his fist and smiled. "What a shock," he said sarcastically.

Junko grabbed the bottle and dumped a bunch of the signature vinegar on his plate, laughing with anticipation. No sooner had he done that when he stuffed a big piece in his mouth, saying, "Mmm," as he chewed. Soon he was reaching for more.

Watching him eat would have made Aerrow feel sick if his stomach wasn't already tight with worry. As it was, he only cared about one thing: getting a deep sonar scanner. "Just hurry it up, Junko," he begged him. "We got a ship to find."

The waitress picked up the empty used mug on the table, setting it on a tray with another empty mug in her arms. When she heard what Aerrow said, she cocked an eyebrow at him. "Lost you're ship, eh?" she said.

"Ah, and our buddy," Finn answered. Aerrow felt another knot tighten in his stomach at the very mention of that. "Got eaten by a terra," Finn went on.

Once again, all music and conversation died away, and the room was almost reverted to silence. But this time, it was a terrified silence. The waitress stared at them wide-eyed. "That wasn't no terra," she told them. "That was . . . the Leviathan!"

Gasps went up around the room when she said it. People turned to look at them, some of them stopping right in the middle of eating. All of them looked scared. Aerrow bit his lip. He didn't like this at all.

Aerrow had heard of the Leviathan. This was a huge monster, the biggest thing alive since the extinction of the dragons and was deemed the King of Flying Beasts and the Terror of the Skies by poets and romanticizers. The thing was built like a tank with indestructible armor plating and had the mouth of a whale and a tail like an oar. Eight long, barbed tentacles protruded from its body. The giant was said to swallow up airships like pieces of popcorn. For almost a hundred years, there had been legends of the Leviathan terrorizing the skies of Terra Aquinos, a terra not far from here. But that's all Aerrow had thought it was, a legend.

Piper also seemed skeptical. "Leviathan?" she asked. "But that's just a story to scare little kids!"

Aerrow glanced over at Finn and Junko and saw them shivering with their teeth clattering. Apparently, it scared little kids of all ages.

"Nay!" the old, bald man from the next table shouted at Piper. "He's real!" He clenched his fist. "Wrecked me ship!"

A bulky man with an anchor tattoo on his arm slammed his fist on the table. "Took me crew!" he exclaimed.

Another old man, this one a shivering little man with a cane, pointed a shaky finger at the dark-skinned man and said, "Ate his best hat."

When reminded of this, the dark man rolled his eyes up to look at the top of his head, bare except for his slick, dark hair. He started sniffling and then put his head down on the table as he started crying in remorse for his best hat.

"The beast has terrorized these parts for nigh on a century!" the waitress exclaimed.

Well, Aerrow was convinced. This was definitely not just a legend; the beast was real. Besides, Aerrow had seen stranger things before. What he couldn't understand was why anyone would allow just things to happen. "But hasn't anyone tried to stop it?" he asked.

"I have," a voice answered in a Scottish accent like the rest.

Aerrow and Piper turned on the spot. There, sitting at the bar, was a figure that made Aerrow's eyes widen with awe. Like most people from Terra Aquinos (and most people here were from Aquinos) the man was a fish-like humanoid. He was blue-scaled with navy stripes. The front of his neck, his armpits, the fronts of his hands, and the bottom of his feet were all of the fleshy material like the underbelly of a whale. His hands had three fingers and a thumb, and he had four-toed webbed feet. There were purple highlights under his eyes that made him almost look tired, but the fierceness of his eyes took away from that effect. His eyes were a blazing orange surrounded with black. His beard and hair all resembled the dorsal fin of a fish. Even his blue lips were fish-like.

But it wasn't his strange species that had Aerrow's attention. It was his copper-colored plates of armor. The emblem on the shoulder was that of an anchor.

They watched as the man drained his mug. Piper knew him as well, and she spoke first. "That's Tritonn of the Neck Deeps!" she whispered to Aerrow. "He's—"

"—a legend!" Aerrow finished for her, blinking in admiration.

They had meant to whisper, but apparently there excitement had made it a noticeable stage whisper. The famous Sky Knight heard them. "A legend?" he repeated. He laughed at the very idea. "No, not I." He turned to them, putting a hand on his knee. "But if it's a legend ye want," he said, "I'll tell ye one."

* * *

Author's Notes: No, I did not spell Aquinos wrong. That's the way it's spelled on the _Storm Hawks _website.

The poll for "Origins" is up once more. I had a message from LoveEvilYami saying that she wanted it to be Part 1, so I needed to add her vote. The problem is, that tied up the results. To make matters even worse, I accidentally deleted the poll, so everyone who already voted has to vote again. Sorry. So anyway, go vote, please!

I'm going to do a couple trivia this time, all relating to the word "triton."

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #1: Triton was actually the name of a Greek sea god. He was son of _the_ sea god, Poseidon, and Amphitrite. Like Tritonn, Triton is a fish-man; his lower body is that of a fish and his upper body is that of a man, much like a merman.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: In Roman mythology, his father, the sea god Poseidon, is called Neptune. For this reason, the largest moon of the planet Neptune is named after Triton.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #3: A species of tropical marine gastropod mollusk with a spiral multicolored shell is named after the Greek god Triton.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #4: The nucleus of a tritium atom is called a "triton." A triton nucleus consists of one proton and two neutrons.

Now remember to review or I might send a triton mollusk on you. Oh, come on, triton. You have to move faster than one inch a minute!

And don't forget to vote!


	74. Leviathan: Beast of Air

Chapter 2: Beast of Air

At the mention of a legend, everyone in the bar turned to the fishy Sky Knight, even though his talk was directed toward the Storm Hawks. They'd all heard this tale many times, but they listened now to hear it again.

Tritonn's face was serious as he began his tale. "Me squad and I," he began, "we set to riddin' the skies of that menace once and for all. We built a ship for just that purpose: the _Skyquod_. We searched for weeks. Nothing! And then, we came upon a swarm o' cloud krill, its favorite food." He narrowed his eyes at the Storm Hawks. "And that's when you know," he breathed, "it's near.

"The Leviathan struck us amidships. It was over in minutes!" He clanked his mug on the table and began animating with his hands. "The beast battered us with its huge, barbed tendrils and its crushin' jaws!" He clenched his fist. "And what was left went to the sky sharks!"

Aerrow glanced at Junko. The story had sent the whole Wallop in shivers, clutching his fork in his hands. Even though the fork had a cloud krill on the end of it, Junko wasn't eating; his teeth were chattering together in fright. Aerrow didn't blame him. He was also getting chills.

"The _Skyquod_ was torn asunder," Tritonn went on. His face fell in grief. "And nigh thirty men fell into the skies on that black and terrible day." He turned back to the bar with his head down, grabbing his mug once again.

Aerrow looked about. He sympathized with Tritonn, but he didn't have time to dwell on that. They needed the _Condor_, and there was no way Aerrow was abandoning Radarr, no way, no how. And Tritonn was apparently the only one here who could possibly help them. Aerrow stood up and walked over to the Tritonn. "It took our ship and our friend," he said, gesturing behind him at his squadron. Tritonn stopped mid-sip to glance at Aerrow out of the corner of his eyes. "We're going after it," Aerrow explained.

Tritonn chuckled without humor. "I admire your loyalty, laddie," he said, holding up his mug toward Aerrow, "and your gumption. You have me respect."

Aerrow frowned. "Thanks," he said politely, "but what we really need is your help."

Tritonn winced at the suggestion—not a good sign. "Nay," he said, holding out a hand. He placed the hand on his chest. "I must decline." Much to Aerrow's surprise, he got up and started backing toward the back door. He gestured toward it, saying with a nervous stutter, "Me squad's been called back home t-to Terra Aquinos to, uh—" He stopped at the door and put his hand on it, pausing as if trying to think of something. At last, he smiled and finished his sentence. "—repel a vicious mud eel migration."

"Hmm?" Piper said as she raised an eyebrow. She was just quiet enough for Aerrow to hear. The doubtful way she said it made Aerrow believe there was something a little off about Tritonn's story.

Tritonn saluted to them as he went out the door, saying, "But good huntin' to ya!"

"Huh," Aerrow grunted as he looked back at his squad. Well, so much for that. Looks like they were on their own.

The Storm Hawks did not stay long. Urged on by Aerrow, they were soon out the doors and in the skies once more, leaving the heat dissipater behind. (Stork rode with Piper.) Aerrow had only one thought on his mind: find the Leviathan and get back Radarr and the _Condor_. He knew there was still hope; no matter how big the Leviathan's mouth may be, there's no way it could swallow a whole ship. If Radarr was still on the _Condor_, then he should be alive at least.

Their search seemed futile. Aerrow was getting more and more worried about his little buddy as the sun sank lower and lower over the horizon. If only he had taken Radarr with him! Then he'd only have to worry about finding their home. Not that such was a _good_ case scenario, but it was certainly a better one. If anything happened to Radarr, Aerrow was never going to forgive himself.

They searched all through the day. At sunset, the sun once again began to turn the cloud sea gold. Still there was no sign of the Leviathan, the _Condor_, or Radarr. Behind him, Aerrow heard Junko's heavy sigh, followed by Piper's voice. "Aerrow, it's been hours. We really should be heading back—"

"We're not stopping until we find Radarr," Aerrow cut her off. He would hear no suggestion to ending their search.

"You open to pausing?" Finn suggested. "Like, on that small terra up ahead?" He pointed ahead of them.

Aerrow glared back at him. "We rest after we find . . ." Wait, what had Finn said? He looked where Finn was pointing. "'Small terra'?"

Indeed, just beyond them was what appeared to be a small island of rock sticking up out of the cloud sea, and it looked achingly familiar. Aerrow led the others to fly above. Stork stared at it, wide-eyed and shivered, pointing a shaky finger at it. "Th-th-that's the one," he stuttered.

"Huh," Junko said as he studied it himself. "Looks innocent enough." Aerrow had to agree. It didn't look at all like a ferocious monster.

"You suppose Tritonn was having a little _fun_ at our expense?" Piper suggested irritably.

Aerrow had seen pretty weird things in his short time as a Sky Knight, and many legends he believed false had been proven true. Even so, Piper was probably right, as usual. There was no Leviathan. Tritonn and the others at the Skyside Shanty had been joking with them. The terra underwent a tectonic shift.

Even though he thought this, Aerrow still thought it would be better to get a closer look at the terra. He led his squadron down toward the terra to get a closer look, and they flew alongside its rock cliff face. As they passed by the front of the terra and almost cleared it, there was a low rumble that made Aerrow's heart leap. The cliff face began to move and open up, and the Storm Hawks found themselves staring at a sky blue eye that was bigger than their rides.

Junko shouted, "Whoa!" Finn screamed like a girl. And as one, without even a signal, the Storm Hawks sped upward away from the Leviathan as he raised his ugly head out of the clouds and roared at them, his huge, whale-sized, pointed mouth open, his jaws snapping closed on his many layers of teeth.

Once at a safe range, the Storm Hawks spun their rides around to look upon the beast. Four barbed, flat tentacles appeared out of the clouds around the beast, waving them in the air threateningly. He was a huge creature, big as a whale. His scales were an ugly dirty brown color, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into Aerrow as he stared into them.

The beast roared again, and the Storm Hawks could now see the gaping mouth for themselves, equipped with two rows of teeth and a huge tongue. And sitting on this tongue, toward the back of the mouth near the throat, was a little ship bearing the Storm Hawks' emblem. Aerrow and the others gaped. "The _Condor_," Stork gasped.

The beast looked around at them. He seemed to have already decided these beings were foes, seeing as he had struck out at them defensively. But the Leviathan was not looking for a fight. He closed his mouth and turned about, flying up out of the cloud sea and making a swift retreat. Now more of him was seen. Aerrow now got a good look at his huge bloated belly with a jagged underside, which had eight barbed tentacles trailing from it, and his huge, oar-shaped tail that moved up and now like a whale's tail to propel himself forward and steer him. As he turned and fled, Aerrow was amazed at the grace of such an ugly creature; his movements were like dancing, despite his ungainly appearance.

But there was no time to admire the beast. He was getting away with his ship and his best friend. He pointed. "After it!" he ordered.

The Storm Hawks trailed behind Aerrow as he shot forward, and they took on a diamond formation with Aerrow in front and Piper and Stork in back. Piper and Stork flew up next to Aerrow. "We need a plan!" Piper shouted to him, her eyes concerned.

There was no time to make an elaborate plan, so Aerrow spoke the plan that always worked for him. "Hit it with everything ya got!" He drew his right blade and headed closer to the beast.

Piper reached out a hand toward him as he sped past him, saying, "But I don' think that—" But it was clear Aerrow wasn't listening. Piper groaned in frustration and pulled out her staff, following after him to give him support. She hated it when Aerrow was worried; the Sky Knight just didn't think _logically_ like he normally does. Piper could never be mad at him for it because it wasn't really his fault, but it was annoying. If Aerrow was worried, that was normally the time when they _needed_ to be logical.

The Storm Hawks caught up with the beast, and slowly Aerrow began his descent toward it. Junko had some of his "Buster Bombs," homemade bombs Junko had made himself, which all had a scary face painted on them. The version he had with him was called "Turkey Burps," which gobble as they fall. The little round bombs pack a big punch when dropped on enemies from above. Now Junko hoped it would make an impact on the Leviathan as he threw the bomb at his back.

The others also gave their shots. Finn fired a bolt, Piper an energy blast from the tip of her staff, and Aerrow a pulse from his blade.

The shots exploded on the Leviathan's back, but they didn't seem to have much of an effect. His armor plating was as hard as the rock it looked and felt like. But it did have _some_ effect; it annoyed the beast. He narrowed his eyes as he glared back at the Storm Hawks irritably, turning about to face them. With a rumbling roar, he shot two tentacles out toward them.

The next thing Aerrow knew, one of the tendrils had slammed into him and sent him spiraling downward. He grunted with effort in trying to get his battered ride under control.

Junko was hit next by the same tentacle. "Oh!" he cried as he was sent spinning off to the side.

The other tentacle went for the others. With one swipe, the Leviathan sent Finn and Piper and Stork spinning as well. Finn cried in terror. Piper and Stork screamed.

Aerrow got his ride under control at last and turned to face the Leviathan, scowling bitterly at their plight. The Leviathan only roared at him again in defiance before turning about and diving below the cloud sea, where the Storm Hawks could not hope to follow him.

Slowly everyone else controlled their rides once more. Stork stopped screaming when Piper's ride stopped spinning, and all of the Storm Hawks joined up again around Aerrow. The Sky Knight scowled after the beast. "We're gonna need bigger weapons," he stated.

"We're gonna need bigger rides," Finn added.

* * *

The mouth of the great Leviathan was like a huge chamber that smelled horribly like dog breath, bathed in sticky, deep purple saliva. Little hairs on the tongue were almost like shrubbery and the bumps like rocks. To Radarr, it was like a whole new world to explore, if not a world that made his nose wrinkle.

It had been a frightening experience for him but not traumatizing. He remembered pretty much everything Stork had mentioned . . . except, after the terra opened up like a vast, terrible mouth, Radarr had fallen into darkness, in the literal sense as well as in consciousness. He wasn't sure what had happened to Stork, but when he woke up on the tongue of the great Leviathan beast when he heard it roar, he took a good look around him in the strange landscape. Stork was nowhere to be found, but the _Condor_ was lying at the back of the throat, just over a huge hill-like bump in the tongue.

Radarr's first thought was to get to the ship to see if Stork was there. With a squawk, he leaped up onto the bump and began climbing it like a rock climber. However, when he was halfway up, he lost his hold on its slimy surface. He screeched as his chin slammed against the bump, and he scrambled to get a hold in vain before sliding back down to the bottom, where he landed in a puddle of purple saliva. He sat up and looked at himself. _Ew, gross!_ he thought to himself as the scent of the stuff hit him. He stuck his tongue out in disgust. _I smell like sloth breath!_

Then he heard a voice laughing, "Hoo, hoo!" and the shadow of a humanoid fell over him. He screeched in surprise and fear as he looked to see what it was.

Looming over him and edging ever closer with his hands held up as if ready to grab him was an Aquion man. Unlike Tritonn, however, his scales were a lighter blue, and darker, purplish lines ran across the tops of his arms and straight down his belly (Radarr could see it on his torso due to the man's ripped shirt). His clothes were ragged, dirty, and ripped, and his fish fin-like hair, beard, and eyebrows were heavily overgrown. And what's more, he was very thin.

Radarr thought it was strange and frightening to see such a wild-looking man here. He knew for a fact that they were in a creature's mouth of some sort; men don't live in giant creatures' mouths

The hermit looked down at Radarr with a certain hungry look in his eyes. "Meat!" he drawled out in a squeaky, dehydrated voice, laughing with anticipation.

Radarr squawked and shivered with fear as he stared up at the crazy hermit. Meat? He thought of Radarr as . . . _meat?_

* * *

Meanwhile, after their unsuccessful chase after the Leviathan, the other Storm Hawks had headed back to Skyside Shanty. They got the same table again, although even Junko wasn't hungry anymore. Aerrow took the seat with his back to the wall again, and Junko and Finn took their seats as before. This time, however, Piper sat next to Junko, as if not wanting to push into Aerrow's space. Aerrow wasn't sure whether he was grateful for that or whether her nearness would have been a comfort.

They sat there with their heads hanging in dismay. All except Aerrow and Stork. The Merb stood beside the table twitching nervously. Aerrow sat with his head leaning on his knuckle, trying to figure out what to do now.

Stork clutched his face nervously. "My home!" he gasped, obviously speaking of the _Condor_. "My sanctuary! My . . . !" He trailed off as he suddenly froze, one leg held up like a real stork's and one of his arms held up at a bent angle. His mouth hung open, and he looked almost cross-eyed.

Aerrow and Piper looked his way. Aerrow wasn't sure how Stork could _stay still_ in that position, much less _why_ he was in that position. "Sky shock?" he asked Piper.

Piper turned to him, looking sympathetic and exasperated. "Stage two," she told him, "joint stiffness."

Junko rubbed his hands together, looking sorrowful. "Poor Radarr," he whimpered like a little kid. He clutched his fists nervously, looking like he was about to cry. "Who knows how long that little guy has left?" He slammed his head and fist on the table in dismay. At the mention of the idea of Radarr running out of time, Aerrow shivered and felt another pang in his heart, but he only narrowed his eyes and tried to think harder.

Piper looked over to Junko and held out a hand. "That's it, then?" she asked in disbelief. Her eyes turned to Aerrow questionably. "We're just giving up?"

"I'm thinking, okay?" Aerrow answered in exasperation, lifting his head off his knuckle. Of course he wasn't giving up on Radarr. There had to be something. He decided to address another problem. "What about Stork?" he asked Piper, looking at the stiffened Merb with concern. "You got anything that can snap him out of it?"

Piper lifted up a stack of shining blue crystals she had with her. "Just a bunch of paralyzer stones."

Finn lifted an eyebrow at her, smiling in amusement and gesturing toward her. "Bit redundant, don't you think?"

Piper growled and glared at him before turning back to Aerrow. As soon as she did, she met his worried eyes, and her gaze softened. "I'm sorry, Aerrow," she said, "but without the _Condor_," she gestured toward the Merb, "Stork may never recover."

Even Finn became melancholy as she said that. "Without the _Condor_," he asked, "are we even the Storm Hawks anymore?"

For the first time, Aerrow dropped his head in dismay along with the others. For once, Finn was right. The _Condor_ was almost everything to them: their home, their base, the very reason they were all here together. All except one of them. Aerrow closed his eyes as he thought of Radarr, unwilling to show anymore weakness to them than he already had.

Aerrow was woken from his sorrow when he heard the swinging of the wooden doors as another person stepped into the bar. He glanced over and blinked in surprise. It was Tritonn, lacking the armor he had worn before.

Noticing their Sky Knight straightening up, the other Storm Hawks did the same, noticing Tritonn for themselves. They all watched as the legendary Sky Knight went up to the bar. The burly bartender there lifted up a mug, seeming to know exactly the kind Tritonn would want, as if Tritonn came here often. Tritonn grabbed the handle and took a sip, seeming to ignore everything but his drink.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed. Obviously this "vicious mud eel migration" Tritonn had spoken of was not that big a deal. It looked to Aerrow like they were being denied the help they needed. Feeling a rush of anger, he stood up and strode of to Tritonn with Piper, Finn, and Junko trailing behind.

Aerrow crossed his arms as he stood beside the older Sky Knight, unnoticed by him. The Storm Hawks glared at the Neck Deep. Aerrow held out a hand as he raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "Back from the mud eel migration, eh?" he asked Tritonn sourly.

Tritonn turned to them, his eyes wide with surprise and shock. "Uh . . ." he said, stuttering a little. Then he held his mug up to them happily. "A-aye!" he stuttered. He got a strange grin on his face, the kind Aerrow got when he remembered a successful battle. "Aye," Tritonn began, "they put up a fierce battle, but we—"

Piper cut him off. "Mud eels are an inch long," she said, indicating with her fingers, "and they nibble moss."

So that was what Piper's questionably grunt had been about earlier. Aerrow knew there had to be some flaw to that story for Piper to be questioning. He glared at Tritonn sharply. "And what about your 'big fish hunt'?" he asked, using his hands to put quotes around "big fish hunt." "Or was that really just a few minnows?"

Tritonn gasped as if he were about to argue, but then he relaxed and let his breath out in a heavy sigh. "Nay," he said, taking a seat on the stool behind him. "Nay, 'twas truth." He hung his head. "But for one more thing."

Aerrow raised an eyebrow, waiting for a confession of cowardliness. The answer he got instead surprised him. "On that fateful day," Tritonn said, meeting his gaze, "the Leviathan claimed me only brother."

He hung his head and closed his eyes. Aerrow's gaze softened as he looked upon the older Sky Knight as he realized that, like himself, Tritonn had lost part of his family.

Triton opened his eyes. "It shames me to say," he said, turning his head away from them and closing his eyes once more, "but I could never take up the hunt again."

As Aerrow looked down at him, he felt as if Tritonn were the scared child and he was the adult, rather than the other way around. He understood now why Tritonn could not help them, and he could not hold it against him. Even so, he was going to make a point. "I'm sorry about your loss, Tritonn," he said gently. "I truly am." His voice began to grow in strength as he talked. "But a Sky Knight never gives up. And neither will the Storm Hawks!" he added gesturing to his team, who all straightened in response. Now Aerrow was on a roll with one of his best speeches yet. "We'll find another ship!" he said, clenching his fists. "We'll sell our skimmers, our possessions, the shirts off our—"

"Aye," Tritonn agreed, cutting Aerrow off. "Or you could just take the _Skyquod_. It's parked out the back." He gestured with his head.

The Storm Hawks deflated from their proud stance as Aerrow's great speech was cut off, and Finn sighed. Aerrow glanced around self-consciously, suddenly feeling _really_ stupid. Now _that_ was embarrassing.

On the plus side, however, they now had a ship to use.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah, the great Leviathan. So much to say about such a mythical creature and so little time to say it.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The Leviathan is based on a creature in the Christian's book of faith, the Bible. The beast is mentioned in the Book of Job in nearly every verse of Job 41, the second to last chapter in Job. In these verses, the Lord God is speaking to Job, reminding him of the power God has by comparing that to the Leviathan. It says that it is impossible to catch, gentle, or kill the leviathan, stating in verses 8-10, "If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse him." It also describes great strength in him and of his "fearsome teeth," "graceful form," and "outer coat," which includes his "rows of shields tightly sealed together" on his back, "each is so close to the next that no air can pass between." He also seems to have a dragon-like quality; Job states in verses 18-22, "His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like rays of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him." No weapons seem to pierce him. It is believed by some that the Leviathan of the Bible is a whale (which would match the krill-eating behavior). This is based off of verses 31-32, "He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair." However, the most likely explanation would probably be that this Leviathan is a crocodile. It certainly matches the descriptions, even that of the boiling sea; a crocodile's mating call makes the water seem to boil, and so does his thrashing when after prey. Verse 30 also supports the idea of a crocodile: "His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge." Even the dragon-like qualities show crocodile influence; it is believed by some that crocodiles influenced, and maybe even sparked, the belief in dragons. Whatever the Leviathan of the Bible truly is, it is definitely a terrible beast. It's stated in verses 33-34, "Nothing on Earth is his equal—a creature without fear. He looks down on all the haughty; he is king over all that are proud."

Now _that_ was a long trivia. Ah, don't blame you if you don't read that one, although I think it's one of my more interesting ones; if I didn't think it was interesting, it wouldn't be so long.

Don't forget to review and vote on my profile, or a crocodile, the _real_ Leviathan, might just come after you . . .

Ow! My crocodile bit me!


	75. Leviathan: The Big Fish Hunt

Chapter 3: The Big Fish Hunt

Tritonn led the Storm Hawks out the back of Skyside Shanty to see the _Skyquod_. The others set Stork, still in his strange, stiff position, down on some crates set against the saloon wall. The Merb lay there with his mouth still hanging open and green drool making a puddle on the crate below him. The others went to stand on the edge of the dock, ready to see the great ship Tritonn had told them of.

There were controls on the edge of the dock in back. Tritonn pulled one of the levers, and a crane above them began to pull on something hanging below the dock. All the Storm Hawks waited expectantly as something large and metallic started to rise up beside the dock. Piper had her fists clenched in excitement, and Finn crossed his arms. Aerrow stood with his fists on his hips, watching with eagerness. He couldn't wait to see the great ship, which Tritonn had described to them as being a real beauty, shaped like a sea ship.

But when they saw the ship, all their expressions fell. With a groan, Finn covered his eyes with his face.

The thing was a piece of junk. Rustic and wrecked with huge gaps puncturing her, the _Skyquod_ didn't look fit to fly, much less fight. Even as they looked at her, one of the railings fell off.

Finn put his hand on his chin. "Is that a ship or a ship_wreck_?" he asked, gesturing toward her. He gasped and clasped his side in pain as Piper's elbow jabbed him in the ribs.

Junko, however, looked excited. He walked up to the ship. "_That's_," he said, gesturing toward part of the ship, "a crystal induction turbine." He put his hands on the turbine, studying it closely. "This must've been a real beauty." Although not one of a bright mind, Junko knew what he was talking about when it came to mechanics.

And so, for that matter, did Stork.

The Merb was up in a flash as soon as he heard what Junko said, no longer stiff-jointed. He ran up between Piper and Finn, putting a hand on either of their shoulders and shoving them aside to look at the ship. "Crystal induction turbine?" he repeated in awe, a strange smile spreading across his face.

There was a crazed glint in his eye as he shoved past Finn and Piper and dashed up to the ship, jumping up to look inside a tiller. "Duel-action tiller!" he exclaimed. He jumped down and looked at the turbine and its mechanical jib. "Omni-directional jib!" He gasped in awe and stepped back, throwing up his arms in the air in triumph. "It be perfect!" he said, turning around to the others. His eye twitched, making him seem even more crazed.

To Aerrow, Stork wasn't acting normal at all, but it was the first time since the Leviathan took the _Condor_ that the Merb had acted anywhere _close_ to normal. It made him hopeful. "Stork?" he asked gently, holding out a hand. "You okay? We were pretty worried about—"

Stork ran up to him, jabbing a finger at him. "I be more than okay!" he exclaimed in a pirate-like accent, interrupting Aerrow. He put his arm around the young Sky Knight's shoulders. "I be on a quest," he explained, clenching his fist, "for the beastie that took me ship and me home!" And with that, he zipped off toward the _Skyquod_.

Aerrow couldn't help smiling in amusement. He crossed his arms and turned to Piper. "So stage three is delusions, then?"

Piper returned the smile. "Of grandeur," she answered, holding out her hands.

Finn jumped in front of them, pointing his thumbs at himself. "I call dibs on the grapple blaster!" he shouted, forming pistol fingers. Piper cast him an annoyed glare as he ran off toward the ship. Aerrow only exchanged another amused glance with Piper, who shook her head.

Stork jumped in through a hole made in the side of the ship, jumping up on the white seat in it with a, "Yaw!" He held up a finger. "I'll chase him around the Terra of Thorns," he stood up, "round the Black Gorge," he stood up on the white seat, putting a foot on a lever beside it, "round Perdition's flames ere I give him up!"

Piper walked up to the front of the hole and stared at Stork with a raised eyebrow. "Ah, Stork," she whispered, shielding her mouth with one of her hands. She pointed at the room he was in. "I think that's the bathroom."

Just then, the lever Stork had his foot on fell down, and the toilet flushed. Stork sighed and deflated.

Finn, meanwhile, got into the seat behind the grapple blaster, turning it on. "Yes!" he exclaimed when he found it worked. Using the controls, he spun around easily.

Junko walked up next to him and bent down to pick up one of the crystal-tipped harpoons lying beside the blaster. Piper walked up to him, holding her bag of paralyzer stones. "I bet I can give these things a little extra kick!" she said, pointing to the harpoon. She took out one of her paralyzer stones and stuck in the harpoon. It glowed as it clicked into place.

Smiling now that they had an even better weapon, Junko stuck the harpoon into the revolver on the blaster. Finn spun the revolver around and set the harpoon in place to shoot.

Aerrow only watched with pride, his arms crossed, as his squadron went right to work without his direction. Even Tritonn seemed impressed. He stood behind Aerrow, smiling. "That's, uh, quite the crew you've got," he commented.

"They're the best," Aerrow answered, glowing with pride. He knew as well as anyone, perhaps more than anyone, that they were the reason anyone could call him a great Sky Knight.

He turned to Tritonn with another thought. "What about you?" he asked. "The invitation's still open."

Tritonn sighed and shook his head. "Nay, lad," he said. "This . . . this be your quest now. Go hook that big fish!" He swung his fist encouragingly. "Find your friend!" He put one hand on his chest and patted Aerrow on the back with the other. "For me brother."

Aerrow nodded solemnly, disappointed but understanding. Seeing there was nothing left here, he turned and made his way toward the ship, trying to look like a proud commander.

Tritonn watched, his eyes shining with respect, as the lad walk away. "Good huntin' to ye," he said, although he knew the boy could not hear him.

* * *

Meanwhile, within the Leviathan's mouth, Radarr was running on two legs as fast as he could away from the crazy hermit that was chasing him. The hermit had his arms outstretched toward him as he ran. "Ah!" he cried. "Come 'ere, you weasel!"

Radarr, terrified at the thought of being caught and made into dinner, quickly stopped behind one of the tongue's hairs. With a cry, the hermit leaped at him, but Radarr jumped out of the way, and the hermit landed on his belly. With a squeak, Radarr jumped on top of the man, knocking the breath out of him, and then ran off in the opposite direction. Radarr didn't get very far, however, before he slipped on more saliva. With a squawk, he fell over on his back.

The hermit stood up, huffing and puffing. He started after Radarr, at a walk this time, with his arms outstretched. "We ain't had nothing but cloud krill for years!" he exclaimed.

_We?_ Radarr thought. _Who's we?_ He sat up, trying to gather his bearings, when he heard many simultaneous low groans. His ears shot up, and he squawked in horror. Surrounding him on all sides were human men, three to his right and two to his left. They all stood up, so ragged and skinny and pale that they seemed like zombies. They all started after him with a simultaneous groan of, "Meat!"

They began to separate to circle around him. A laugh behind Radarr reminded him that the first hermit was still behind him. Radarr whimpered. This day just kept getting better and better, he thought sarcastically.

* * *

The Storm Hawks were now on their way out over the cloud sea. It was full sunset now, with the clouds nearly the color of 24-karat gold. On the _Skyquod_, Finn was at the prow of the ship, sitting on the turret of the grapple blaster. Aerrow, Piper, and Junko sat on their skyrides, which were on the deck of the ship. The three of them had their hands shading their eyes and were scanning the area.

Meanwhile, in the back, Stork was at the helm, which was fashioned after the old style of ship helms. The Merb had undergone quite a transformation in his delusions of grandeur. He wore a privateer's hat and was bubbling out of a wooden pipe. "Cinch up the windless!" he cried without taking his pipe out of his mouth. He lifted a hand up into the air. "Swivel yon turnbuckles!" he shouted, laughing in a dopey manner and falling against the helm like someone who had had one too many beers. And considering they were on an airship and not a sailing ship, his commands made no sense whatsoever. Aerrow began to wonder if Stork even knew who he was and where he was.

Finn was watching Stork, and he cringed in disgust at his behavior. But his attention was soon distracted by something up ahead of them. He stood up and peered over the blaster. "Uh, guys?" he said to the others, who turned to him. "Something comin' up from below."

When he said it, Stork turned to the sonar screen next to him. The scanner was beeping and clearly showing something coming toward them. Stork bit his pipe determinedly, knowing what was coming.

Finn looked over his shoulder at them nervously. "It's big!"

"Prepare for battle!" Aerrow cried. This was it, he knew. Any minute now, they would face the creature that took their friend and home, and this time Aerrow was either going to get them back or make the Leviathan pay!

Stork grunted savagely as he leaned forward over the helm, glaring ahead as if he saw the beast already. They all watched, practically holding their breath, as a large, dark mass started toward them from below the clouds. They all watched, openmouthed, as the dark form rose out of the cloud sea and arched, diving back down into it, jumping in and out of the clouds. Stork bubbled his pipe anxiously. Aerrow wasn't sure what to make of it, and his own uncertainty made him even more anxious.

Suddenly, the dark form ran right into their ship and went right through it. Everyone covered their faces as little tiny creatures that made up the form flew past. Finn groaned. "Eh!" Aerrow groaned after him, disgusted.

"Cloud krill!" Piper exclaimed in equal disgust.

Junko was the only one actually enjoying the swarm flying by. He gathered a handful of cloud krill and pulled out his potent vinegar in the other hand, looking delighted. "Mmm!" he said. "Cloud krill!" He dumped the vinegar on the live krill and stuck them in his mouth as the cloud of krill finally dispersed, passing them by.

Junko still had his mouth full when he spotted something coming up behind them. With the hand that held the jar of vinegar, he pointed to it and said something. Stork leaned down and slapped Junko behind the head. Aerrow watched with sympathy as Junko grabbed at his throat and turned bright red as he choked on the krill.

But Stork was not sorry. "A sailor never speaks with his mouth full," he scolded Junko, taking the vinegar from his hand as the Wallop's face turned a deep shade of purple.

With a huge swallow, Junko was finally able to clear his throat and breathe again. "Uh," he said, now uneasy of speaking, "thar she blows?" He pointed behind them again.

Everyone turned to see, all of them afraid. Finn even let out a small exclamation of nervousness.

Their trepidation was warranted. The cloud krill continued on, jumping in and out of the clouds. On their third leap up, a thunderous roar rang out and a large, cavernous mouth appeared out of the clouds, swallowing the cloud krill in one gulp. Then, with eyes filled with dislike, as if remembering an unpleasant encounter, the Leviathan turned to face the _Skyquod _and cast them a withering glare, letting out a deafening bellow.

Aerrow was supposed to be strong for his team and unafraid of anything. But considering the situation, he didn't scold himself for a few goose bumps. He was able to pluck up courage, however, when he peered into the gaping mouth. The _Condor_ still sat on the back of the tongue, unharmed. There was still hope.

But before Aerrow, Piper, and Junko could take to the air, the Leviathan lunged at them with a loud roar, surging toward their stern. Stork sped the ship away with a gasp, bubbling his pipe nervously as he glanced over his shoulder at the beast. "Yield ye no quarter!" he shouted, holding up a hand.

"What he said!" Aerrow ordered the rest of the squadron. And with that, he, Piper, and Junko drove off the runway and headed toward the beast. Stork spun the helm about rapidly, spinning to starboard to follow and whimpering determinedly. Any fear the Merb had held earlier was now absent. Aerrow wished he could say the same for himself.

As soon as the Leviathan saw the approaching ship and skimmers, he bellowed again in rage and struck out with a long tentacle. "Yaw!" Finn cried as he aimed and fired the blaster. The harpoon hit dead-on. The Leviathan's eyes widened in surprise, and he groaned as his tentacle fell limp. "Sweet! It works!" Finn exclaimed, clenching a fist.

Piper smiled smugly. "Paralyzers stones," she said in a saucy manner, "for that extra kick."

But they couldn't celebrate long in their small victory. Piper gasped as she saw two other tentacles coming, these two swinging toward her.

But Finn simply fired again, and the tentacles both fell, immobilized. The Leviathan could only roar in frustration.

* * *

In the Leviathan's mouth, the starving survivors were closing in on Radarr just as the Leviathan let loose his frustrated rumble. The whole mouth shook, and the sound reverberated off the walls, making a deafening boom. The men wailed, covering their ears with their hands.

Radarr stood on two legs in the middle of them. His ears hurt, too, but he had more important things to worry about. With the men distracted, he saw his chance for escape. He dropped down on all fours as the mouth shook, looking about him frantically to try to decide the best way to run. His eyes fell on the _Condor_. Of course! With an excited chirp, Radarr started sprinting on two legs toward the ship just as the roar began to die down.

* * *

Outside, the Leviathan was getting angrier. He roared as he struck out another tendril at the _Skyquod_. But Finn was ready. "Yaw!" he cried as he fired another harpoon. The tendril fell. "Yaw!" he cried again as he fired off two more shots. Two more tentacles went down. Then, with a loud battle cry, Finn spun the blaster around as two tentacles came from above the ship. Two more tentacles were paralyzed. The Leviathan rumbled grudgingly, and Aerrow, Piper, and Junko cheered, throwing fists in the air as all of the beast's tendrils were immobilized.

But then the Leviathan rumbled again and lifted his limbs once more. "Huh?" Aerrow gasped nervously. Apparently the effects of the paralyzer stones were only temporary. The Leviathan was ready for action once more.

But Finn only smirked. "No problem!" he assured them. He squeezed the trigger of the blaster. And then he squeezed again. And again. And again. And again, and again . . . With a gasped, Finn checked the revolver. "Uh, hey, guys," he called out, pointing to the revolver, "I'm all outta ammo!"

Well, Aerrow would have preferred to have the beast paralyzed, but he had known that wouldn't work for long. That's why he had come up with a plan of his own. "Piper! Junko!" he ordered. "Operation Sheepshank!"

At Aerrow's order, the three of them charged the Leviathan, flying just passed his ugly hulk. A tentacle started after each of the two Skimmers, following as the Skimmers looped around. Piper was soon pursued by a tendril as well, and she looped. Aerrow flew around, intertwining his tentacle with hers. The Leviathan groaned and narrowed his eyes in frustration as he continued to try to catch them, unaware of their plan.

Junko flew off to one side with his tentacle trailing, and Piper and Aerrow went the other direction, ending up side by side and switching. Aerrow looked around. Perfect! They had the Leviathan's limbs right where they wanted them! "Okay," he said to Piper, "let's pull the loose ends." Piper smiled at him in what Aerrow thought of as admiration. Not that Aerrow blamed her. It was a pretty good plan of his!

And with that, the three skyrides rose upward, and the three tentacles followed, pulling themselves tight around each other. "Yeah!" Junko cheered as they looked back. The Leviathan roared angrily and groaned as three of his tentacles tightened in a knot over his back.

Aerrow looked down and smirked. "Nice work," he congratulated the others. "That's three down." _Only five more to go,_ he thought.

The Leviathan only bellowed again in frustration.

* * *

Within the mouth, Radarr had almost snuck by the starved men successfully. Almost.

"Going somewhere, weasel?" a voice behind him said.

Radarr cringed and turned back with a terrified squeak. There stood the Aquion hermit with his hands behind his back. He smirked at Radarr viciously as he revealed his hands, one holding bone-carved knife and the other holding a bone-carved fork. Only later would Radarr understand was that the bones he was holding were humanoid bones—bones of humanoids who had died of starvation.

Right now, though, the only thing that mattered to him was his own skin. And a fork and knife were not good signs. He whimpered and smiled nervously, holding his hands above his head. There was no way he could run in time; his only hope was that the hermit's heart won out over his stomach.

But it didn't. With a loud battle cry, the hermit launched himself at Radarr. With a terrified squeak, Radarr ducked, and the hermit went sailing over his head. Radarr got up and turned around, wincing as the man landed in a gooey pile.

The man raised his head and spat out the substance irritably. It was dead cloud krill that the Leviathan hadn't swallowed. The man had to spit three times before he could get it all out of his mouth. "Cloud krill!" he cried angrily. "I _hate_ cloud krill!"

Radarr swallowed nervously. He had to be rescued soon, because if he wasn't, he was _definitely_ going to be lunch meat . . . literally!

* * *

Author's Notes: Hmm, it's very interesting to hear Stork speak of the flames of Perdition, which is another word for the location of Hell. Obviously, some Atmosians believe in Perdition. They might even call it Hell for all we know; Nerd Corps probably just didn't want to put the word "Hell" in a kid's program. Wonder if they believe in Heaven? If you ask me, I'd say it's pretty hard to believe in Hell if you don't believe in Heaven; how do you know what Perdition is if you haven't experienced Paradise? You know what, next time someone interviews Asaph Fipke, they should ask about the religion(s) of Atmos.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Okay, about the parts of the ship Stork was saying: "Induction" means that electric or magnetic forces are created by a circuit close to an electric or magnetic field but not touching it. A "turbine" is a machine powered by rotating blades. So basically, a "crystal induction turbine" is a turbine turned by crystal induction. In this case, a "tiller" is a handle attached to a ship's rudder. It helps steer the boat. "Omni-directional" means something can turn in many various directions. A "jib" in this case is a small triangular sail in front of the main mast on a ship. So an "omni-directional jib" is a jib that moves in various directions. And when Stork was doing his "privateer-accent" thing, he said some other terms. When applied to sailing, the terms mean as such: "Turnbuckles" are the devices used to loosen ropes or wires on a sailing ship. And when he says, "Cinch up the windless!" he means tie up the sails that aren't catching the wind. When he said, "Yield ye no quarter!" it was basically a fancy way of saying, "Show him no mercy!" "Quarter" in this case means "mercy." "Broadside" on a ship is the side of the ship above the water line from bow to stern.

I've only got one person reviewing, which makes me sad. Not that I'm unhappy with my reviewer (I love you, Hard-boil Egg Devils!), but I do wish she wasn't the only one talking to me. Anyone else want to review? And don't forget to vote!


	76. Leviathan: Reunited

Chapter 4: Reunited

Aerrow, Piper, and Junko were at it again. As they finished up, Junko sat out and Aerrow and Piper were going in opposite directions, each with a tentacle trailing them, and pulled the last knot tight. Now there were three sheepshanks over the Leviathan's back: one with three tentacles, another with three tentacles, and one with two. "Ya, ha, ha, ha! Yeah!" Aerrow laughed and cheered as they finished up the last one. The Leviathan only roared angrily and narrowed his eyes, bobbing on the top of the cloud sea, helpless.

Now the Leviathan was immobilized. It was time. "Stork," Aerrow called, "you're clear to move in!"

"Aye!" Stork said, standing at alert and saluting. With that, he spun the helm and pointed to starboard. "Bringing us to broadsides!" he exclaimed. They headed toward the Leviathan's mouth, which was opening right on time.

"Finn!" Aerrow ordered. "Commence Operation Clip-On!"

Finn loaded the grapple blaster with, ironically, the only grapple they had. He spun around on the turret and took aim, his heart beating a mile a minute. He knew everyone was counting on him. He knew it would be hard to try again if he should mess up. He closed one eye and tried to take aim as the Leviathan opened his mouth wide and growled at him. His sights fell on the _Condor_. "Come on, Finn," he said to himself. He swallowed. "You can do this."

There! He had the shot. He pulled the trigger.

The grapple went sailing out of the blaster, into the Leviathan's mouth, and straight into the side of one of the _Condor_'s pontoons.

"Yes!" Finn exclaimed, clenching his fist. "I am so good!" He studied his nails, feeling good about himself. "Activating winch!" he called up to Aerrow.

He pressed a button, and winch began to turn. That rope tightened. The _Skyquod_ heaved, Stork straining at her helm to reverse. Slowly the _Skyquod _began to back, and the _Condor_ began to slide forward on the Leviathan's tongue. Aerrow smiled. It was working!

"That's right!" Junko cheered from behind Aerrow. "Give it up for the Storm Ha . . . ha . . . ah-choo!" His sneeze sent him jolting in his seat.

Aerrow's smile faded. "Wait a second," he said. "You're only allergic to two things: Murk Raiders and—"

"Sky sharks!" Piper cried, pointing behind them. Junko gasped, and he and Aerrow whirled around.

What they saw sent Aerrow's heart aflutter. Six sky sharks were coming up from behind them, attracted by the Leviathan's cries and expecting an easy meal. The lead one roared (if it can be called a roar; it sounded more like a scream to Aerrow). "Scramble! Now!" Aerrow ordered. And with that, he sped away, Piper trailing behind him and Junko barrel rolling to avoid the first sky shark.

Meanwhile, the Leviathan was getting angry with the _Skyquod_ trying to pull something out of his mouth. He rumbled and shook his head from side to side, jerking the _Skyquod_ back and forth. Stork, pipe still in mouth, laughed like a crazed man. Finn felt nauseous.

In the mouth, the Leviathan's tongue appendages began to fight against the _Skyquod_, holding the _Condor_ in place and even pushing it back toward the throat again. The winch began to reverse, and Finn groaned as the _Skyquod_ jerked forward and began being pulled into the gaping mouth. The sharpshooter gasped. He was going to be eaten . . . again!

But Stork wasn't giving up so easily. He let out a grunt of frustration and clenched his pipe between his teeth, still fighting the ship's direction. But he was losing.

At last, the grappling iron could take no more. After having made a fairly large crack in the _Condor_'s side, the grapple pulled free and fell onto the Leviathan's tongue. "Aw, man!" Finn exclaimed, clenching a fist. "Now what?"

Stork pushed a lever forward, propelling the _Skyquod _toward the beast. "Plotting collision course!" he cried, bubbling and laughing dementedly.

Finn stared into the mouth as it began to close and the _Skyquod _headed toward the ever approaching teeth. He began to shake. "Worst plan ever!" he cried to Stork.

But Stork just kept cheering, headed full-speed on his course. The teeth began to interlock. Finn gripped his seat and closed his eyes, preparing to be chomped up by the huge razors.

He heard a loud boom and was consumed in darkness. But no chomping came. Finn opened his eyes and looked around frantically, wiggling all his toes and fingers to be sure he still had them. He couldn't believe it. They were inside the Leviathan's mouth! The _Skyquod_ was wedged between the teeth, top and bottom, as the Leviathan's jaws had closed on her.

Suddenly, Stork appeared at Finn's side with a heavy gasp. Finn turned to him, still trying to get over the shock of what had just happened. The Merb had abandoned his pipe, and he was peering into the mouth as if in pure hatred. "To the last, I will grapple with thee!" he cried, shaking a fist. And with that the Merb leapt forward, grabbing his privateer's hat in his hand and used it to slide down the rope of the grapple, crying, "Gazah!" He looped around the rope as he slid, laughing, "Ha, ha, ha!"

"Stork!" Finn cried after him. He was truly scared now. No telling what might happen when you dive right into a Leviathan's mouth!

But Stork was unafraid. When he was close enough to the ground, he let go of the hat and landed on his feet on the tongue. His face twisted in disgust when he heard something squish underneath him, but he didn't concern himself with it. He had eyes only for his ship. "Oh." He let the word come out of him in a relieved sigh as he turned to the _Condor_. Smiling, he started toward her.

But suddenly he cried out in pain as something grabbed his leg, and he fell forward on his belly in a puddle of purple saliva. Pounding his fist on the tongue to keep from crying out, he looked back to see what was straddling his thigh and yanking his leg back.

Little Radarr, still covered in saliva himself, had his paws around Stork's leg and his teeth on his ankle.

Stork struck him in the rear to snap him out of it, making the furry copilot spin around with a terrified squeal, holding his rear. "'Tis but me, ya wag!" Stork said, pointing his thumb to himself and shaking his fist.

Radarr chirped in pleasant surprise. Stork!

* * *

Aerrow, Piper, and Junko were still fighting off the sky sharks. Of the six sharks, four of them had targeted Aerrow. The Sky Knight gasped as one got too close, spinning and swerving away from them as best he could.

Aerrow glanced over his shoulder nervously. Now there were more of them! Six sky sharks were coming at him from behind while the original four were still circling him. He cried out in terror as two of them charged him, snapping at the Vulcan's stern.

Suddenly, Piper flew up next to him, followed by two more sharks. "Aerrow, look out!" she cried in terror.

Aerrow only had time to register her words when she saw what she was warning him of; one shark was attacking him in a full frontal assault. Aerrow gasped and tipped to starboard, but he wasn't quick enough. The sky shark's open jaws were headed straight for his head!

Suddenly, the shark cringed away as it was struck with a blue crystal energy bolt that had come somewhere from behind Aerrow. The young Sky Knight turned around as he heard a ship's horn blow. He couldn't help smiling himself. There, standing at the helm of a ship much like the _Skyquod_, was Tritonn, clad in armor.

Tritonn returned his smile. He didn't even give Aerrow a chance to say thank you when the older Sky Knight said, "We'll handle these minnows." He nodded toward the surrounding sky sharks. "_You_ take the big fish!" He saluted Aerrow and winked to him.

Aerrow returned the salute. "For your brother!" he cried. Feeling braver than ever, he spun around in his seat and headed toward the Leviathan, who was sinking below the cloud sea once more. A much-relieved Piper trailed him.

* * *

In the Leviathan's mouth, the monster's tongue appendages were still pushing the _Condor_ toward the back of the throat. Stork came running up on top of the ship toward her stern, and Radarr ran behind on two legs, wondering what in the world Stork was doing.

When Stork reached the _Condor_'s stern, he glared at the Leviathan's uvula. "From a Merb's heart," he cried, pointing at the uvula with the vinegar bottle, "I strike at thee!" And with that, to Radarr's astonishment, he drew back his arm and launched the vinegar bottle down the throat. The bottle struck the uvula with the sound like a gong. It shattered, and it's brown liquid hissed and set up brown steam as if reacted with the saliva, making a red, sore-looking spot on the uvula.

In response to the pain, the Leviathan jerked its head out of the cloud sea with a jolt that nearly knocked Radarr's feet out from under him. The great beast's eyes widened and turned bloodshot, and his whole face was flushed. Then he began to tremble, something that scared Radarr so much that he tried to squawk, but all that came out was a pathetic hiss.

Before Radarr even knew what the Leviathan was about to do, Stork grabbed his paw, ran with him, and jumped into the _Condor_'s roof hatch with a grunt. He grunted again as he landed in front of the helm and grabbed two of the _Condor_'s levers, dropping Radarr flat on the floor in the process. Then, with another grunt, Stork pushed the levers forward and started the _Condor_'s engines, which huffed into action, complaining about its shot heat dissipater.

The six surviving marooned men in the Leviathan's mouth screamed as they, too, felt and saw the Leviathan shaking. The beast could take it no more. Rumbling in pain, the Leviathan squeezed its eyes shut. When it opened them, it bellowed in pain, a bellow that sent out the _Skyquod_ and her passenger, the _Condor_ and her passengers, the six other survivors, and a cloud of green gas caused by the vinegar.

Stork kept control of the _Condor_. Finn was able to right the _Skyquod_. It was the wailing screams that caught Aerrow's attention. Tritonn and Piper heard them, too, and they were gawking at the six falling men as well. "Survivors," Piper gasped. "We'll never make it!"

But they didn't have to. Aerrow let out a sigh of relief as he heard a horn blow twice. The backup Tritonn had called for had come. Three ships appeared below the survivors, stretching a net between the three of them that caught the survivors safely.

Tritonn sped toward the net on his little ship, his eyes straining to see the men. When he spotted one of them, his eyes lit up, and he lowered his ship alongside the net. Aerrow thought he understood. Surely at least some of these men were ones he had known and led against the Leviathan before.

So he was even more pleasantly surprised when he saw Tritonn leap over the railing in front of his helm and land on the net in front of one of the crouched, disoriented figures. It was the Aquion that had chased Radarr. Tritonn got down on one knee in front of him with a gasp, grasping the hermit's shoulders. "Horace," he gasped. Without another word, the two men threw their arms around each other. "Me brother!" Tritonn exclaimed.

Aerrow couldn't help smiling. It was nice to know he helped to reunite the two brothers after so long.

A green-clouded roar from the Leviathan broke the brothers apart. Tritonn kept a hand on Horace's shoulder as they watched the beast sink into the clouds. Then they turned back to each other and smiled. The beast was a nightmare to them both, but he now belonged in the past.

* * *

Back at Skyside Shanty, all the rescued survivors were taken care of, and among the ships the _Condor_ now sat, waiting for its new crystal heat dissipater.

Tritonn docked his ship and let his starved, sickly brother sit on a crate and rest while he went to talk to Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Junko. The four of them stood in a line, waiting patiently, except for Finn, who had his fists on his hips.

Tritonn chuckled as he approached, looking happier than Aerrow had ever seen him. "The beast shant be a problem now that we know how to repel it," he said, smiling.

At this, cheers of "Yeah!" and "Alright!" rose up from the balcony of Skyside Shanty from four of Skyside Shanty's regular crowd, including the waitress, the old man, and the bulky man with the tattoo. They all had in their hands a bottle of Skyside Shanty's Signature Extra-Potent Quadruple-Malt Vinegar, the stuff that had saved the day. The bulky man even kissed the bottle fondly. Aerrow thought it rather comical

Tritonn turned to him with a satisfied sigh. "It were a pleasure fightin' alongside ye, Aerrow of the Storm Hawks," he said. He bowed his head to him honorably.

Aerrow smiled at the compliment. "Let's do it again sometime," he offered, basically saying that the feeling was mutual. The two Sky Knights shook hands.

Then Aerrow heard a churr that distracted him from everything else around him. The sound was heavenly after its long absence. Aerrow smiled as he turned to see Stork, covered in purple saliva, walking up timidly to greet them. And running ahead of him on two legs with his little arms outstretched toward Aerrow was Radarr!

The little guy was also covered in saliva, but Aerrow didn't care. As soon as Radarr reached him, Aerrow scooped him up into the air. Radarr squawked with delight as Aerrow lifted him high in the air and then held him close, and they touched cheek to cheek.

But then Aerrow got a whiff of that saliva coating. And it was not pretty. He held Radarr out at arm's length and held his breath, but even that minor insult could not sour their joy in seeing each other again, and soon Aerrow was holding him close again while their eyes met, as delighted as the classic boy and his dog after being reunited.

The others all seemed to pick up on their good mood, and all was happy and fluid. Piper and Finn stood side by side, and Junko stood behind them with a hand on a shoulder of one or the other. "Hey, anyone up for a Skyfood Combo?" he asked.

"Bleh!" Finn and Piper said in unison, sticking out their tongues. Junko looked back and forth at the two of them, confused by their revulsion.

As Stork approached the group, Finn stepped away from Piper and Junko to greet him. "Stork!" he exclaimed to the smiling Merb. "That was _totally_ amazing! You just dove right into a Leviathan's mouth!"

Stork held up a finger. "I . . . did what?"

Piper turned to Junko as they exchanged smiles. "Stage four," she said, "memory lose."

Stork looked around him fretfully. "Huh? Wha . . . ?" he said nervously. He turned back to them, eye twitching. "Where are we?"

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Although the _Storm Hawks _Leviathan is based off of the Leviathan of the Bible, the _Storm Hawks_ Leviathan actually bares more resemblance to a kraken. The Kraken is a huge sea monster in Norwegian folklore. It is supposedly the size of an island and shaped like a gigantic squid. It can create huge waves when it emerges and large whirlpools when it submerges. If provoked, the Kraken will take down a ship, although it is often described as being disturbed before bothering to attack. It is said that the Kraken's breath smells like a thousand dead men. . . . Pretty bad breath.

And you can thank Hard-boil Egg Devils for pointing that out to me!

Now, I just happen to know the Kraken, so if any of you ever plan on going to the sea, you might want to review and vote.

Hey, no, let go! Bad, bad Kraken! Uh, what is it with my threatening creatures always going after _me?_ What is this, karma?


	77. InFinnity: The Black Box

_**Part 19**_

_**InFinnity**_

_An old enemy is confronted. Numbers are multiplied, and armies are formed. Light opens pathways, and darkness closes them. Power is sought, and power is lost forever. Ego has to be put aside when one finds too much of himself._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Black Box

On Terra Saharr, things were going as usual in Tent City. Since the Great Atmos Race was over, it had reverted back to its regular schedule, and its renowned year-round bazaar was back in business. Now everyone, even Cyclonians, was invited to buy. Gypsies, drifters, performers, and other poor folk lined the streets, putting on performances to earn their meals. The marketplace was full of tents serving as booths and shops where you can buy almost anything . . . although normally haggling is also involved.

At the end of the main street was a tent with a shaded front door. Two barrels stood out front, as if guarding the dark dealings inside.

Inside, two figures stood in front of the counter. The old man behind the counter, a crooked merchant by the name of Renswick, peered over his spectacles at them as he rubbed his snow-white beard. "As I was only expecting the great Snipe," he said, gesturing toward his customers, "it is a pleasant surprise to see that the great Ravess also desires what I have to offer." He bowed before Ravess and Snipe, his creepy smile revealing a gold tooth.

In front of him, Ravess and Snipe scowled at him, and Ravess had her hands on her hips. But something was odd about them. Their faces were strangely stiff, and their skin elsewhere was darker than it should be. And Snipe's ears were strangely catlike.

Ravess put out her hand to the merchant. "Just give us the black box and we'll be on our way," she said.

"Yeah!" Snipe agreed. "Give it!"

Both of their voices sounded strangely odd.

But Renswick, having hardly ever seen them before, seemed not to notice. He just went about his business as usual. "You know we don't just _give_ things Terra Saharr," he said, brushing the two earrings on his right ear and putting a hand on his beard again. "There's negotiation," he bowed, "and formality." He chuckled dryly, and then walked to the back, saying, "I get some tea."

"Right. Yeah," Ravess agreed nervously. "Knew that." She held up a finger. "Just testing."

Once Renswick was out of sight, Snipe then reached up and pulled off his face. It was Junko, put in a clever disguise. "Piper," he whispered to Ravess—or really, Piper in disguise—"I'm sweating like a pig in this mask," he held up the mask, "and the thing smells like cheese."

"Don't mess up the plan, Junko," Piper scolded him without taking off her mask. She gestured toward the counter. "We fool this guy with our disguises, get the box, and we're outta here." Junko put the mask back on without further complaint. Piper smiled to herself, thinking how ingenious this was. "And so far," she whispered, "everything's working perfectly."

* * *

Meanwhile, the real Snipe was on his way to Terra Saharr. He smirked and narrowed his eyes at Tent City as he descended toward it. Master Cyclonis sent him to pick a special box, and he was proud to be trusted with the mission.

He touched down gently on the stone-paved road and hopped off, looking around at the bazaar. Most the people walking around were light-skinned humans, although in front of the fruit and vegetable stand was a human with a little monkey-like creature dancing to his accordion for money, and across the street was another street-side performer who was a green-skinned Merb with a red bow tie, top hat, and keyboard. But Snipe settled his sights the tent at the end of the street, which had the two barrels out front. Rubbing his hands to together and smirking, he set off toward the tent to pick up the merchandise.

The human with the monkey-creature was Aerrow. He was dressed in his uniform, but he did not have his armor, and he covered his shirt with a red vest. He wore a strange-looking red-brown top hat on his head with a design going around it, and to make him seem older, he wore a fake brown mustache. It wasn't really that he needed to look older; in war-torn Atmos, an orphan boy his age earning money by street performance was not too out of place. But his face was too well-known in the Cyclonian community for him to go without some added facial hair. Aerrow hadn't thought the outfit was too bad, but Piper had giggled about it and Finn had said it looked plain weird.

Radarr, meanwhile, had traded in his uniform for a red outfit much like the style of Aerrow's vest, and he had a red fez hat that is common among performing monkeys. He danced beside a tin cup to Aerrow's accordion playing, which was surprisingly good despite the fact that Aerrow was not a practiced player.

Once they had explained to Stork what happened with the Leviathan, the Storm Hawks had left Skyside Shanty and headed for Tent City when they heard that there was some merchandise here Master Cyclonis wanted. Now they were here to intercept it, with Piper and Junko getting the package, and Finn, Aerrow, Radarr, and Stork staying outside to spy for trouble . . . which Aerrow and Radarr had no trouble spotting now.

Neither Aerrow nor Radarr reacted as Snip stomped past, but once he had passed them by, Aerrow stopped playing and Radarr stopped dancing, and the two exchanged glances. Aerrow touched his earpiece to his radio to alert the others. "Hawks," he said, "I've got bad news."

Stork, who was the Merb across the street, looked bored as he hit the keys of his keyboard randomly, not making much of a tune at all. "Uh huh," he answered Aerrow over the radio. "Couldn't be any worse than my horrible disguise," he grumbled. Even as he said it, a passerby dropped a coin in Stork's cup out of pity.

But Aerrow only had eyes for Snipe as he stomped down the street. "The real Snipe's ahead of schedule and on his way to Piper and Junko's location," he warned his team. "We'll try to stall Snipe out here," he said, speaking to Piper and Junko. "You two gotta hurry it up."

* * *

Inside the tent, Piper put a hand to her earpiece as she and Junko listened to Aerrow's instructions. They exchanged glances nervously. So much for things going perfectly.

But before they could do or say anything, Renswick walked out from the back with a try. On the try sat three cups of tea, a sandwich, and two gloopy fruits. "Ah, before we complete your purchase," the merchant said, setting the tray down in front of them, "you must have tea and snacks." He nodded to them, saying, "Yes."

Piper sighed in exasperation. "Must we? We're in—" Then she caught herself talking in her normal voice. Quickly she stopped and tried to make her tone deeper again, finishing her sentence. "—kind of a rush."

"Yeah," Junko agreed in his best Snipe-voice. "We got bad things to do to people and, uh, stuff."

But Renswick just smiled at them and said, "Sugar? Lemon?"

* * *

Outside, Snipe was heading closer to Piper's and Junko's location. Finn thought fast. He was disguised as a puppet performer, which he liked because it meant he didn't have to wear a goofy outfit. He had a box in front of him that served as his puppet stage, the background of which was a sunny blue sky. And when he heard Snipe was heading toward the tent, he thought he had just the puppet show to distract him.

Getting out his Master Cyclonis and Snipe puppets, Finn jumped in front of Snipe, singing, "Deh, da, da, da," to himself quietly, but Snipe just walked past him. _No problem,_ Finn thought. _He'll stop for sure when he hears this!_

Turning the puppet stage toward Snipe, Finn began his show. "Cyclonis," the Snipe puppet said, pointing his little plush mace at the Cyclonis puppet, "even your skills cannot match those of me, the awesome Snipe!" The Cyclonis puppet smacked her face in her hand at the Snipe puppet's stupidity.

But the real Snipe, however, seemed to like the sound of this. "Huh?" he said, stopping. He turned around with a smile on his face, waiting for the rest of Finn's show. _Yes!_ Finn thought. _I am so good!_

* * *

Within Renswick's shop, Piper was getting anxious to leave, so she tried to play impatient Ravess. "We came here for the black box, not your snacks," she said. Then she turned to Junko and narrowed her eyes. "Right, brother?" she said through gritted teeth.

But Junko wasn't listening. He took a bite of the merchant's sandwich and chewed with satisfaction. "These are really good sandwiches," he praised the merchant, pointing to the sandwich in his hand.

Piper shook her head helplessly.

Luckily, Renswick _had_ been listening to her. "Eh, very well," he said, bowing his head to her politely. "I'll be back in a flash with the," he flashed her a creepy smile, "the merchandise." And with that he walked away, grumbling under his breath, "Oh, young people in such a rush all the time. I will find it. Where did I put it?"

Piper sighed in relief as he walked back to get the box. They might just get out of here in time.

* * *

Outside, Finn was having lots of fun entertaining Snipe with his puppet show. Now he had the Snipe puppet holding a spatula and the Cyclonis puppet holding a little red crystal. Both puppets wore gold crowns. "And then," Finn narrated, "Cyclonis fell in love with Snipe, and they were married." He had the puppets embrace and kiss, making kissing noises behind the puppet stage.

But that's when he lost the real Snipe. "Ew," Snipe said, drawing away. Then he leaned forward angrily and yelled, "No mushy stuff!" And with that, he knocked Finn in the stomach, sending him and his puppets and stage head-over-heels backward over Snipe's head. Finn groaned as he landed flat on the ground on his back, his stage crushing him.

But when Snipe turned to start walking up the street again, Stork was in his way with his keyboard attached to his belt. "Ah, ah, what's your favorite song?" he stuttered nervously, putting his fingers to the keys. "I'll, I'll, I'll . . . I'll play it!"

But Snipe was getting aggravated by all these interruptions. He simply growled at Stork's question.

Stork frowned when he heard him growl. "Don't know that tune," he said, eye twitching nervously.

Snipe had enough of this sniveling musician. He had enough music with his stupid, bossy, older sister Ravess! With an angry roar, he raised his fists above his head and pounded the keyboard to bits. The force sent Stork on his butt with a grunt, and his cup with the one coin flew up in the air. Snipe grabbed it in the air, figuring he might as well get some money for his wasted time. And with that, he walked past Stork. "Oh, that's just rude," Stork grumbled after him.

Now Snipe was determined. His face set in a snarl, he made a run for the tent before anything else could stop him. Suddenly, two figures appeared in front of him with the hanging note from an accordion. Snipe grunted in surprise as Aerrow began to play and Radarr began to dance right in front of him. Snipe just looked down at them with a face of astonishment and maybe a little bit of nervousness. "That is really creepy," he said.

Aerrow and Radarr stopped, and Radarr grit his teeth. "A dancing monkey?" Aerrow asked, confused by the comment.

"No, that outfit you're wearing," Snipe answered.

Aerrow's and Radarr's faces fell. This was the third time Aerrow's outfit was insulted. Was it really that bad?

Before Aerrow could even have a response to that, Snipe grabbed his shoulder. "Whoa!" Aerrow said as Snipe shoved him and Radarr out of the way, making him drop his accordion.

* * *

In the tent, Piper watched with relief as at last Renswick came out from the back with the black box, containing the merchandise Cyclonis wanted. "A rare and valuable object inside," the merchant said as he stopped behind the counter, holding the box, "but my price is fair, yes."

Quickly, Piper snatched it out of his hands, making Renswick gasp to see his item taken without being given his pay first. Piper held the black box close, studying it while Junko leaned over her to have a look himself. Piper had no idea what it could possibly be, but the symbol on top of the box was that of a sun.

At that moment, disaster struck.

The tent flaps were drawn open, and the real Snipe was standing in the doorway. "Okay, wheeler-dealer," he growled to the merchant, marching up toward the wooden counter, "I'm here for the black box," he pounded his hands on the counter, "and I'll take the tea and snacks to go."

Well, _someone_ was better prepared for being bombarded with snacks than Piper and Junko had been.

But being confronted with the real Snipe, Renswick turned to Piper and Junko, eyes wide with shock. That's when Snipe first noticed them, and Piper felt her heart skip a beat as he gasped. "Ravess?" he asked Piper. "What are we doing here?" Then his slow mind seemed to catch up with the action. "I mean, I j . . . Wa-wait a minute!" He put his finger to his lip in confusion.

But Renswick wasn't as slow. He leaned toward Piper, and before she could even react, he grabbed her mask and pulled it off.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, Finn, Aerrow, Radarr, and Stork had just gotten their bearings again when Finn heard Renswick's voice from inside the tent, shouting, "Imposter!" Piper and Junko came running out of the tent screaming. Snipe ran out after them with a snarl on his face. At first, Finn was afraid they failed, but then he saw the Piper held a black box in her hands. She held it high over her head as she passed by Aerrow. "Got it!" she cried.

"Storm Hawks, we're outta here!" Aerrow ordered.

Finn didn't need to be told twice, what with an angry Snipe after them. All of the Storm Hawks were soon on their rides and fleeing down the road. Snipe came after them on his Heli-Blade, waving his mace in the air and crying a battle cry.

Then the Storm Hawks took to the air. Snipe was soon to follow. He pointed at them with his mace. "That black box is for Cyclonis!" he shouted to them, waving his mace. "Hand it over!"

But Finn wasn't worried in the least. He turned around and smirked at Snipe. "There's only one of you," he said, pointing to Snipe, "and plenty of us." And with that, he pulled out his three puppets—his Snipe puppet, his Cyclonis puppet, and a Finn puppet—and had them all nod in agreement with him before he threw all three of them at Snipe.

Snipe held up his mace and was just beginning another battle cry when the Finn puppet's head landed right in his mouth. Then, much to Finn's amusement, the Cyclonis puppet hit him in the face and sent him off his Heli-Blade. "Ow!" he cried as his parachute deployed so quickly it jolted him, and his Heli-Blade crashed on the terra below.

The Talon looked pretty angry after seeing that. "Nobody does that to Snipe!" he cried, holding up a fist. But then the Snipe puppet landed on his fist and slumped backward, making the real Snipe gasp.

Finn smiled. _Nobody_ does that to Snipe, huh? Not even . . . Snipe?

Aerrow looked as overjoyed as he was. "Yes!" he exclaimed, giving Radarr a high-five. He pointed at Snipe. "Mission accomplished!"

"And what's inside the black box is all ours!" Piper exclaimed, holding the black box closer under her arm.

"So," Junko asked, "what exactly _is_ inside it?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, that chapter didn't turn out as well as I hoped. This is _supposed_ to be from Finn's point of view, but he didn't really have a whole lot of parts in this chapter.

Okay, since I can't seem to think of a trivia for this chapter, I'll just do a trivia for "Leviathan."

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Stork's quest for the Leviathan in the previous episode is very much like Ahab's quest for Moby Dick, the White Whale, in Herman Melville's _Moby Dick_. Stork even seems to take on the personality of Ahab; he speaks the same accent and as the same burning rage for revenge. In _Moby Dick_, the White Whale named Moby Dick had destroyed Ahab's earlier ship (just as the Leviathan took the _Condor_) and bit off Ahab's leg. Ahab, overcome with vengeance, goes after Moby Dick, driving his crew with an obsession. Like Stork, he smokes a pipe, which he ends up throwing away. His ship is even similar as well; instead of the _Skyquod_, Ahab drives the whaling ship, the _Pequod_. In his last meeting with Moby Dick, Ahab hurls his last harpoon, saying the famous lines, "To the last, I will grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee!" (Sound familiar?) However, there is one big difference. Stork succeeds in his quest, recovers from his obsession, and gets back his precious ship without really hurting the Leviathan; Ahab's harpoon pierces Moby Dick, Ahab and all but one of his crew perish, and his ship is destroyed.

And let's thank RoyalSorceress14 for reminding me of _Moby Dick_!

And on that happy note, lets review and vote!


	78. InFinnity: Secret of the Box

Chapter 2: Secret of the Box

Finn put a hand on his hip. "This ugly lump is what all the fuss was about?" he asked.

The Storm Hawks had opened the box on top of a huge safe in Piper's crystal-nurturing darkroom. And in the box was nothing that Finn thought of as special, just a brown pyramid with three straight lines going around it. There were little crystals in each corner, but that was the only decoration.

Aerrow put his hands on his hips. "Well," he pointed out to the doubtful Finn, "the recon saying Snipe was picking something up for Cyclonis was correct."

"And if the bad guys wanted it," Junko added, pointing to it, "then it must be important somehow, right?"

Radarr didn't seem to have anything to say. He just studied the object, tilted his head to the side, and twitched his tail.

Piper leaned over it, supporting herself with her hands on the table. She tsst her tongue dismissively. "I'll have it figured out after I run some tests."

Well, Finn was interested to see what she was going to do, so he propped himself up against the counter behind him, watching Piper work with the artifact on top of the safe. It was better than doing chores, which he knew Aerrow would have them do once Piper was done.

It lasted for hours! While Piper remained in the room, others went in and out. Junko first came and checked on some mechanical device Finn didn't care about. Then he came and talked to Finn while Piper ran another test. Then Finn got bored and left the room, and Radarr soon joined Piper, jumping up onto and walking around the safe and watching her as she tried yet another test. At last, Finn came back, wondering how it was coming, and this time, he came with Aerrow, who was getting impatient. Radarr took a seat on the mechanical device Junko had checked while Finn leaned his head on the safe and Aerrow propped himself on the counter. Eventually they waited so long that Aerrow had to leave to do other work and Finn had to sit down. After pacing the room, Radarr fell asleep on his perch. At last, Finn got up and leaned against the counter again, and Aerrow came back to check on the progress, Junko with him.

As Aerrow waited for a report with his hands behind his back, Piper just sighed in exasperation and leaned against the safe. "Beats me," she groaned.

"Whatever it is, we'll have to figure it out later," Aerrow declared. "This whole thing has put us behind on getting other stuff done around here." He turned and herded Junko and Radarr out of the room.

Finn groaned as he got off the counter. He knew just what Aerrow meant by "other stuff." "Chores," he groaned.

Piper didn't seem to be paying attention to him. She stood up off the safe and started walking toward the door after Aerrow, saying, "I've been working on that piece of junk for so long, I can't tell day from night."

"Well, maybe you could try opening a window!" Finn shouted after her playfully. And even though she was gone, just to prove his point, he pounded his fist against the counter to open the blinds on the only window in the room, situated behind him.

But then something really, _really_ weird happened. Once the sun's light fell over it, the artifact began to float above the cushioned box, and its three sides turned themselves inside-out so that nearly the entire surface of the artifact was blue, glowing crystal. And before Finn could even react, it zapped him.

Maybe _zapped_ is not the right word. For Finn, it was more like a tingling feeling than a painful feeling, like something was stretching him forward. The sensation only lasted for a moment, but that moment was long enough to scare Finn into hyperventilating.

Once his vision cleared, it only got scarier.

Finn could swear that who he was looking at was a completely separate person, not a reflection, not a trick of the light. But the person he saw . . . was himself!

The two Finns approached each other hesitantly. "Whoa," they said in unison. They both gasped, and smiles spread across their faces. This was so cool! The real Finn shook his head, and the other Finn covered his mouth. This was just amazing!

The Finns stared into each other eyes, mouths agape. Then, just to be sure the other was real, they each lifted their hands to touch the other, and their hands met, revealing them to be exactly the same . . . and to be real. The Finns looked at each others' backs, then each others' eyes again, just to be sure. Then, at last, they said something. They both put their hands on their hips and smiled, saying, "Trippy!"

Finn raised an eyebrow at the artifact. "So that ugly lump is actually some kind of cloning crystal," he said, gesturing toward the crystal.

The other Finn turned around and closed the blinds. The crystal turned itself inside out once more and returned to its original, restful form.

"Activated by direct—" the clone Finn began.

Then both Finns said in unison, "—sunlight!" The Finns turned to each other and smiled again. "We're pretty smart," they said in unison.

"Ha!" Finn laughed to himself. "Piper's gonna flip when I tell her it was _Finn_ that figured it out!" The clone Finn put his hands on his hips, as if to say that such genius should not be a surprise from Finn. The real Finn liked the clone already.

Suddenly, Aerrow's voice came over the intercom. "_Come on, Finn,_" he ordered. "_That garage chute isn't gonna clean itself._"

Finn groaned. Right. Chores.

Then suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. "Wait a minute!" he exclaimed. "A clone of myself!" He smiled at the clone out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, the possibilities!"

With his new plan brewing, Finn turned to his clone. "Finn, good buddy," he said to the clone, putting his arm over his shoulder and patting his chest with the other hand, "you need to cover me while I take care of some important business." He clenched his fist to emphasis "important."

Not seeing the trap, the clone just smiled at him. "Sure," he said, "I'd do anything . . . for myself!" He pointed to the real Finn with a humorous smile.

The real Finn smiled happily before he thought of another problem. "But remember," he reminded the clone, "we gotta avoid being seen together by the others." He stepped back and pointed to him. "Otherwise, they'll find a reverse switch on that gizmo and send _you_ to the Island of Lost Clones."

"Got it," the clone agreed solemnly.

The real Finn smiled to himself. "I'm so agreeable."

So the real Finn went on his merry way to his room. He got into his bunk and yawned, enjoying his time of relaxing.

Meanwhile, the clone Finn began scrubbing the floor of the hangar bay.

While the real Finn lay on his bed and threw a ball against the wall, the clone Finn grunted as he worked on Finn's Skimmer, getting up underneath with a wrench and straining. He groaned as he got splattered in the face with oil.

While the real Finn was on his bed eating a chicken leg, the clone Finn was carrying a heavy stack of supply crates to set the up out of the way. He set them down and wiped the sweat off his brow, feeling exhausted.

Meanwhile, the real Finn had gotten out his headphones and was humming to his favorite music. "Yeah!" he said as he picked up a comic book and began to read it.

But the clone Finn was not having a good time at all. He looked up at the top of the pile of crates when he heard something creak. "Huh? Wha!" he cried as the top crate fell off. It landed on his head with a bang and fell to the floor. With a painful groan, the clone shook his head to get rid of his dizziness. He cried out again when he saw the pile collapsing on top of him, but he couldn't move in time, and he groaned as he was crushed under the crates. This was just not a good first day for the clone.

Exhausted and in pain, the clone finally plodded back to Finn's room with his head hanging down. But when he stepped inside and saw what was going on, his eyes widened. "Huh?"

There was the real Finn, lying on his bed and snoring softly. He still had his headphones on and the comic book lay open beside him. Obviously, he had fallen asleep having a much better time than the clone Finn.

The clone clenched his fists irritably. "Why am I doing all of his chores?" he asked aloud, gesturing to the real Finn. "I'm as much a Finn as he is!"

But then the clone smiled. He had a wonderful idea.

Going back to the darkroom, the clone Finn opened the blinds of the window and turned to the cloning crystal. "I'll make my own chore clone!" he exclaimed, delighted by his brilliance.

The cloning crystal responded immediately. It zapped the clone Finn, and the next instant, another clone was pulling himself free from the first clone. The new clone looked at his hands, as if surprised to exist. And he probably was.

But the first clone had no time for the formalities the real Finn had shown him. He simply said to the new clone, "Welcome." He handed him a mop. "Finish the hallway." He started walking toward the door with another foolhardy idea. "I'll be in my bunk."

The chore clone looked at the broom and then looked after the first clone. _But I don't_ want_ to finish the hallway,_ he thought pitifully. His eyes fell on the cloning crystal as it reverted back to its original form.

It was a little while later when things became a little strange.

The first one to notice things were off was Radarr. He was simply walking down the hallway on two legs when two people walked past him on either side. At first he didn't really notice them, but when he thought back on it, he churred in confusion and looked behind him. The people walking side by side down the hallway were _Finn_ . . . two Finns!

To make things even scarier, Radarr walked by Finn's room, where the door was open. Radarr squawked in confusion. There was Finn again, snoring and muttering to himself, "Ever," as he slept. Radarr shook his head with a confused growl and looked back and forth at the two Finns down the hall and the Finn in bed. With another bewildered churr, he slapped his cheek with his paw, thinking, _What the heck?_

Piper was the next one to notice something was up. She walked out into the hangar bay and looked around with awe. The whole room was so clean, it sparkled! She walked through the room, staring at the way it glittered and shined. And when she looked toward the end to see who had done all the work, she gasped. It was Finn! He scrubbed the last unclean spot on the floor, making it sparkle as well.

Piper walked up to Finn. "How could you get all this work done so fast?" Piper asked in awe, gesturing around her.

Finn stopped scrubbing, sat up, and tapped his fingers against each other nervously. "Uh . . . vitamins?" he suggested, showing off his arm muscle.

Piper put her hand on her chin and said, "Hmm." Something wasn't right here.

And finally, someone told Finn what was going on.

Finn was just quietly snoring in his bed with his headphones on when suddenly a hand fell over his nose. _His _hand. A clone's hand. He sat up and looked beside him. His clone was asleep beside him, snoring softly. What? What was that lazy bum doing here? "Hey, loafer!" Finn scolded the clone loudly. "What about my chores?"

The clone rolled over and put his hands under his head. "Don't worry about it," he groaned to Finn. "We're taking care of it." With annoyed groan, he was soon snoring softly again.

_We?_ Finn looked out his door, his pulse quickening frighteningly. Sure enough, just outside his door was a Finn clone moping up the hallway.

Finn gasped. Not good! With another gasp, he tore off his headphones and ran out the door after the mopping Finn. The mopping clone didn't even notice Finn. Without picking up the mop, he just kept right on making a wet streak on the floor, walking through an automatic door that closed behind him. Hyperventilating now, Finn ran after him.

Then from around the corner came Aerrow.

Finn ran right into him, and Aerrow was thrown back with a grunt. "Whoa, Finn," he said, rubbing his shoulder where he had been bumped. "You're just all over the place today."

Finn clenched his fist. All over the place today? What had that chore clone done?

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

No, he was not okay, but the last thing he wanted was for Aerrow to find out what he'd done. "Uh, sure," he answered hastily. "No _problemo_. Yeah!" And with that, he shot past Aerrow, this time making him grunt by bumping him in the other shoulder.

Aerrow looked after him and raised an eyebrow. That was weird.

Quickly, Finn made his way to the hangar bay, since that was where most of his chores were. What he saw made him furious! There was a clone starting to get on _his_ Skimmer! "Hey!" he yelled to the clone, pointing to himself. "I'm the only one who rides my Skimmer!"

The clone scowled at him. "Look, Finn," he said, "I'm as much you as you are me!"

"And so am I!" another voice interrupted. And just like that, another clone appeared seemingly out of nowhere and mounted Finn's Skimmer. "May the best Finn win!" he said. With a, "Ha, chi-cha, chi-cha!" he drove out of the hangar bay and took to the skies.

The two Finns remaining stared after him in astonishment. Finn couldn't believe his own clone would do that to him!

Speaking of which, he turned back to the first clone he had confronted. "You made more clones?" he said in disbelief, shaking his head.

"How do I know _you_ didn't do it?" the clone asked, pointing to him.

But Finn didn't have time for such nonsense. He pointed to the clone. "You did!"

The clone shook his head and pointed his finger at Finn again. "No, you did!"

"Pipe down, you two!" another voice scolded. The two arguing Finns turned and there was yet _another_ Finn, this one glaring at them with his fists on his hips. "You'll give us all away!" he said.

The arguing Finns turned to each other and in unison gasped, "Huh?"

_Give us_ all_ away?_ Finn thought to himself. He couldn't take this! He ran away from the two clones screaming. This was all way too out of control!

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Junko got note of what was happening. He came upon Finn eating a chicken leg at the kitchen table. Once he was done with that, Finn stuck a red, round fruit in his mouth. It wasn't the first time Junko had seen Finn in the kitchen eating. "Boy," he said to Finn, "watching you eat all day is making me really hungry."

He went to the cabinet and opened it up. But there was nothing inside, nothing but a little fly that flew out in escape. "Ah," Junko groaned. He moved to the next cabinet. That's where he got the surprise of his life.

When Junko opened the next cabinet, he found . . . Finn! The sharpshooter was happily eating a sandwich as he sat inside the cramped cabinet. He frowned when he saw Junko.

"Huh?" Junko exclaimed. He looked back and forth from the cabinet to the table. At the table was Finn, but in the cabinet was also Finn. Junko pointed to the Finn in the cabinet. _One,_ he mouthed to himself. Then he looked at the Finn at the table and held up two fingers. _Two,_ he mouthed. Two Finns!

Finally, Aerrow got wind of what was going on within _his_ ship with _his_ squadron. And he came about it a very unusual and not-so-flattering way.

He was outside the bathroom door, pounding on it. "Come on, Finn, hurry up!" he cried to the door, dancing in front of it. "I need to use the bathroom!"

Then suddenly, someone stepped in line behind him, also holding himself tight. The person let out a moan. "Man, I can spend all day in there," he said, also dancing on his feet.

Aerrow gasped and looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. _Finn?_ But isn't he already _in_ the bathroom?

Meanwhile, Finn was tiptoeing back to his room, hoping no one would notice what had happened. No such luck. Voices rang out in unison over the _Condor_ from Aerrow and Junko. "Finn!"

Finn stopped and cringed as he heard footsteps behind him. Not good. He turned around slowly.

There were Aerrow, Piper, and Junko. They all looked at him with annoyance and some with confusion. Aerrow crossed his arms, demanding an explanation.

Finn found himself backed up to the door of the spare room. "Uh, I, uh . . ." he began hesitantly. He flattened himself against the door. "I meant to tell ya . . ." Aerrow's and Piper's glares said he should have done that sooner. Finn finally let it out. "I think I discovered what that thing in the box does."

Even as he said it, the motion sensors on the door opened it. Finn cringed and turned around and soon heard the sound of the other threes' terrified gasps.

There were Finns . . . lots and lots of Finns. More Finns than Finn could hope to count. They all turned around as the door opened, blinking bewilderedly at the presence of the three non-Finns.

Finn laughed nervously and glanced around at the three of them. Junko held a shaking finger out toward the Finns, unable to speak. Piper growled at Finn. Aerrow just stared at him, mouth agape.

Yup, he'd really done it this time.

* * *

Author's Notes: That has got to be very weird. And it was very hard to write about, too. I hope I did okay.

Once, again, I couldn't think up any trivia for this chapter, but here's something.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Okay, everyone knows that bird names are prominent in _Storm Hawks_, so here is a list of bird names in _Storm Hawks_ of every character I pull out of my lists and memories. (Note: I will put the name of the species the name refers to in parenthesis beside it.) Here are the names: Piper (sandpiper), Finn (finch), Junko (junco), Stork (stork), Starling (starling), Harrier (harrier), Ravess (raven), Snipe (snipe), Wren (wren), Dove (dove), Princess "Perry" Peregrine (peregrine falcon), Owsley (owl), and Pydge (pigeon). Yup, I think that's all of them. Might be some I missed, but I don't think so.

Alright, enough of that. Now you review and vote!


	79. InFinnity: The Snipes

Chapter 3: The Snipes

The Storm Hawks cleared off the top of the safe in Piper's darkroom and pushed another safe up next to it to create an examination table. Then they got one of the clones (a volunteer) for examination. Finn, Aerrow, and Junko gathered around as Piper examined the clone. Radarr . . . was off being Radarr. Stork had been told of the situation, but he remained on the bridge, driving the _Condor_. It was where he preferred to be, anyway. The rest of the Finns all hung out at the door, trying to eavesdrop.

Piper's scanner hung from the ceiling, and it sent a wide, blue ray on the Finn clone as it looked him over, starting at his middle and then scanning up to his head. "They're not holograms, not pods, not made of metal or paper-mache," Piper said as it scanned. "They're real, live, exact duplicates."

Finn got up close to his clone, putting a hand on the clone's chest. "Hmm," he said as he studied him. He grabbed the clone's nose to get a closer look at that. "Hey, is my left nostril really bigger than my right?" he asked the others. He turned the clone's head away from him, making the clone's neck pop. "And why didn't someone tell me I had a hairy mole on the back on my neck?"

Just then, the clone sat up, making Finn draw back in surprise. He hadn't expected the clone to move, even though he had known he was conscious. The clone held up a finger. "At least, I'm a fresher, newer you, old timer," he said to Finn, smirking at him.

What? "Hey!" Finn shouted angrily, getting right up in the clone's face and pointing a finger at him. "Do not mess with the master copy, clone boy!"

Piper shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Same exact personality, too," she groaned. Finn wasn't sure why she said that as if that were a bad thing.

"So," Aerrow asked, holding up a finger, "how are we supposed to tell the real Finn from the fakes?"

Piper held up a pencil with a smile, and before Finn even knew what she had in mind, she was up in front of him, bearing the pencil onto his forehead. "Hey, what gives?" he exclaimed.

Piper drew away and smiled, turning to Aerrow and pointing to Finn with her pencil. "X marks the real Finn," she said.

Finn rolled his eyes up toward his forehead. He couldn't see it, but he was pretty sure Piper just drew a big, black X on his forehead.

They all turned to the cloning crystal, which sat in its box beside one of the safes. The clone had to sit up to look at it. "And as for the cloning device," Piper continued, "we now know sunlight is the activator, but how to reverse it is a whole new problem." She rolled her eyes, and the X Finn got the feeling that she wasn't looking forward to the backbreaking work of figuring it out.

Suddenly, the _Condor_'s alarms started going off, and the Storm Hawks heard someone grunting among the Finns outside the door. And the grunts were _definitely_ not Finn.

Pushing Finns aside to get to the doorway, even knocking one over, Stork appeared, looking panicked. "We got a bigger one," he said. "The weight of all these Finns is overloading us. We gotta land, and fast!"

"Land?" Aerrow asked incredulously. "But where?"

"Well," Stork answered as three Finns peered around the doorway, "it's either where we just came from on Terra Saharr, or," he smiled at this, "we could dump all the Finns in the Wastelands."

The three Finns in the doorway gasped. The X Finn grimaced and exchanged a glance with the clone in the room. Even though the Finns Stork was talking about did not include him, the X Finn still had some loyalty to his clones. He and the clone turned to glare at Aerrow, and the X Finn crossed his arms. The Wastelands was _not_ an option.

Catching the Finns' glares, Aerrow seemed to get the message. He turned to Stork. "Terra Saharr, then," he said. "We'll just have to risk another run-in with Snipe."

* * *

A little while later, not long after the Storm Hawks had landed, Snipe was still in Renswick's shop. He held the little merchant by the leg and was shaking him up and down violently, enough that loose change soon scattered on the floor. "Give me another one of those gizmos in the black box!" he demanded angrily.

"There's only one," Renswick wheezed as the blood rushed to his head, "and those imposters have it!"

Snipe growled at the man threateningly.

Renswick picked up the sandwich Junko had taken a bite of before he left. "But I can offer you some sandwiches," the merchant said, smiling as he offered the sandwich to Snipe.

With a growl, Snipe threw the merchant to the ground on his back. He didn't need a sandwich. He needed one of those gizmos!

But before he left, Renswick gasped as Snipe snatched the sandwich out of his hand. Maybe a snack wouldn't hurt.

Snipe took a bite of the sandwich as he walked out of the tent. "Cyclonis is gonna have my hide for this," he grumbled to himself.

Then he noticed something weird in the distance. "Huh?"

There were two boys, twins it looked like, who were fighting over a sandwich, each pulling on one end of it. They both wore armor, and Snipe recognized the emblem on their backs immediately. He narrowed his eyes. "Storm Hawks!" Members of the very team of brats who robbed him of his delivery! He stalked up to them, ready to get back his package!

Once he reached them, he grabbed one of them by the wrist, balling his other hand in a fist, ready to knock his lights out. The boys looked up at him with surprise and fear. "Where's that box?" Snipe demanded.

"Better let go of him!" a voice behind Snipe said.

Snipe turned around and blinked. Much to his surprise, it was another Storm Hawks boy, this one without armor. But the weird thing was he looked exactly like the twins! He gasped. "Triplets?"

Then he heard someone tap on his shoulder armor. He turned around and there was yet _another_ look-a-like Storm Hawk! "Uh, w-what do they call it after triplets?" Snipe wondered aloud, putting his hand on his chin.

But then he looked around. He was surrounded by look-a-like Storm Hawks, ten of them! He tried to think of what that was called, but it hurt his head. He grasped his head in his hands. "I hate math!"

Then four of them in front started advancing toward Snipe. Snipe gasped. They looked angry. And there were so _many_ of them! Without even thinking, he grabbed the nearest Finn, who grunted as he did, and pulled him in front of him like a shield. In his haste, he squeezed the Finn's wrist until something popped. "Ouch!" the Finn exclaimed.

But then something really, _really_ weird happened. All the other Finns grabbed their wrist and said, "Ouch!" Snipe looked back and forth between them. This was _so_ strange!

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper, Aerrow, and the X Finn were all in the darkroom. They had moved the other safe away and now just had the safe they had started with, on which they set the box with the cloning crystal. They were all there to help try to figure out how to reverse the effects of it, but the X Finn's mind was completely blank.

Aerrow and Piper both had a hand on their chin as they studied the crystal. "Hmm," Piper said as she thought. She gestured toward it. "I'd give my right arm for an answer to this."

Suddenly, the X Finn got a really bad pain in his right wrist. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, rubbing his wrist.

Aerrow looked at Finn blankly. Piper put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Very funny," she scolded.

But Finn wasn't kidding. Something had hurt.

Suddenly, it happened again. "Ouch!" Finn cried again as his hand flew to his wrist again.

* * *

The reason for his pain was that Snipe had just popped his captive Finn's wrist again. He looked around in bewilderment as the Finns let up another chorus of, "Ouch!" holding their wrists. Snipe chuckled softly, smirking. Now _this_ had potential!

First, he had to give it one more test run. Snipe turned to his captive Finn and poked him really hard in the shoulder. The Finn glared at him and rubbed his shoulder, exclaiming, "Ouch!"

And just as Snipe predicted, all the Finns' hands flew to their shoulders, and they all exclaimed, "Ouch!"

Snipe looked around at them, growling. "I don't get it," he said, a smirk spreading across his face and his eyes narrowing to dots, "but I like it!"

Without further hesitation, he grabbed his captive Finn by the collar of his shirt and held the boy clone off the ground, holding his mace above him, ready to strike the boy if need be. The Finn gasped. "Now," Snipe demanded, "tell me where the box is, or you're all gonna taste this!" He pointed the mace at the captive Finn.

All the other Finn gasped. Snipe let out an evil laugh. This is not the way he saw it working out. This was even better!

* * *

With some of the extra Finns not loading them down, the _Condor_ was once again in the air for safety. It was then when Piper seemed to have a revelation. "Hey, guys!" she called to them in the darkroom. "I think I got the solution." She pulled on a rope and down came the _Condor_'s disco ball, immediately followed by bop music.

Junko, Radarr, and the X Finn all stared at it, not quite understanding. Three of the clones remaining on the ship, however, took it less seriously. They started dancing to it, putting their fingers up in the air and then pointing and swaying their hips. Piper just stared at them with raised eyebrow, opened-mouthed, as if it was one of the weirdest things she'd ever seen. The X Finn didn't see what was so weird about it. It was a perfectly good dance.

But right now, he was a little too caught up in Piper's "solution" to worry about defending his dancing. He gestured to the disco ball. "The solution is disco?" he asked incredulously.

"No," Piper answered in exasperation as she turned off the music and lowered the disco ball toward the cloning crystal. She gestured to the ball. "But this disco ball is powered by a Lunar Crystal," she pointed to them, "with properties the exact opposite of a Solaris Crystal. Emitting light back into the prism may just cancel out our clone problem."

Aerrow, who had been standing quietly in the corner, walked closer as she was talking, and Radarr had jumped up to hang off his back. Now the X Finn scratched his head in confusion. Aerrow and Radarr exchanged glances with Junko. Even the Sky Knight didn't know what Piper meant. "Translation please?" the X Finn asked.

Piper sighed at their stupidity and held out a hand. "The shiny ball may just fix you," she explained.

"Ah, shiny!" the X Finn exclaimed, holding up a finger. "Got it."

Piper stepped closer, as if she planned on doing the procedure now, but Aerrow stopped her. "Whoa!" he said, holding up a hand. "Shouldn't we test it some more to make sure Finn's not in any danger?" He gestured toward the X Finn.

Piper put her hands on the table, peering at the cloning crystal. "The crystal's already got so many fractures from overuse it may not last much longer," she explained. Even as she said it, more cracks appeared on the crystal's sides.

The X Finn let out a shaky breath, knowing that Piper was going to try something on him that hadn't been tested. "Please," he whined, holding up a finger, "be gentle."

But before Piper could try anything, a doorbell rang, and the darkroom's automatic door opened to a large, smirking figure. The X Finn screamed when he first saw who it was.

Snipe was taking up the doorway, and in each hand he held a Finn by the back of the shirt. "Sorry, guys," one Finn said, putting his hand to his chin worriedly. "We caved and told him."

With a grunt, Snipe threw both Finns forward. With a yell from each of them, they hit the ground, one landing on his rear in front of Piper, the other landing on his hands and knees in front of Junko.

Before any of the Storm Hawks could react, Snipe stomped forward and picked up the cloning crystal, smirking at them. "Now I've got the gizmo!" he taunted them, holding up the crystal. "And a chance to look at where you guys live." His eyes traveled around the room. "Huh! Pretty lame, if you ask me."

The X Finn had to admit that made him pretty angry. But not as angry as Junko appeared to be. The Wallop pointed a finger at the Talon. "Nobody asked you!" he shouted. He stepped forward to take Snipe on, but he tripped over the Finn clone in front of him and landed on his belly in front of Snipe. With another smirk, Snipe leaned over him before picking the Wallop up and throwing him against the window in the back of the room. "Wow!" Junko shouted as he hit the window and fell to the floor. The blinds opened on his impact, letting the sunlight through.

Suddenly, the cloning crystal in Snipe's hand began to glow. Everyone closed their eyes as the brightness blinded them. The X Finn and the clone beside him covered their eyes. And then slowly, the X Finn opened them again.

And that's when all the trouble started.

The sight that met their eyes made the X Finn almost jump out of his skin.

Snipe turned to his left. "Huh?" he said. He was looking . . . at Snipe!

Then Snipe felt someone tap him on his right shoulder. Snipe turned to his right, and there was . . . Snipe!

Snipe held up one finger as he looked at the Snipe on his right. _One,_ he mouthed. He turned to the Snipe on his left and held up two fingers. _Two,_ he mouthed. Then he held up three fingers, counting himself. _Three,_ he mouthed. Then he smirked at the Storm Hawks and growled. He seemed to like these odds.

The X Finn did not. Even so, he joined up with Aerrow, Junko, and Piper as they formed up around, even though they were weaponless and without armor. Then, with battle cries, the four Storm Hawks launched themselves at Snipe. Radarr soon joined the fight.

The sounds of bashing metal, bashing fists, and bashing bodies, along the sounds of battle cries, yells, screams, and groans, rang out around the _Condor_.

Then the back doors of the _Condor_ opened and a ramp came down. But it was not the Storm Hawks. It was Snipe. He walked down the ramp out of the _Condor_ with the cloning crystal in his hand. But halfway down, he stopped and turned around. "Quit following me!" he shouted behind him. "You're creeping me out!"

The two Snipe clones, walking single file behind him, both stopped in astonishment at Snipe's harsh tone. The lead clone exchanged glances with the second clone. The second clone made a sign showing that Snipe was crazy, making the first clone smile. And with that, all three left the _Condor_.

And back in the darkroom, Junko sat up, groaned, and coughed. Piper moaned and held her head while she glanced at Aerrow's limp form with concern. Aerrow was slug over the room of the now-open safe, groaning as he just gained back consciousness. Radarr lay over the corner of the counter in similar fashion, churring as he came to. The X Finn wasn't sure how they were feeling, although he knew it wasn't good. All he knew was that he had ended up on his rear on top of a crate of crystals. He tried to steady his head with his hand as it reeled. He had only one thought . . . other than that he hurt.

Snipe had figured out how to use the cloning crystal. That could not be good.

* * *

Snipe, meanwhile, sat on a rock on Terra Saharr, far out of reach of Tent City. His two clones stood on either side of him, waiting as he studied the cloning crystal in his hand. Finally, the one on Snipe's left got impatient. "Give it here!" he demanded, snatching the crystal out of Snipe's hands. He held it up. "We gotta get this to Master Cyclonis, so she—"

But the real Snipe stood up and slid behind him as he just got a great idea. "Why give it to her," he interrupted the clone, "when I can keep it for myself?" He snatched it out of the clone's hands and slid under the clone's arm to be out in front of him. The clone didn't seem too happy about that, but Snipe ignored him, thinking only of his developing plan. He chuckled. "Yeah, I could create an army of me's." He turned to his clones. "Like you's."

The clone who had been angry just a minute ago now brightened, looking back and forth between the other clone and the real Snipe. "And we could take over the quadrant!" he exclaimed, letting out an evil laugh.

"I'm a genius!" all the Snipes exclaimed together, throwing their fists into the air, putting their hands on their hips, and laughing evil laughs.

What they didn't know was that, not far away, two Finns hid behind some rocks. They had heard everything the Snipes had said. The two exchanged nervous glances. They had to tell the real Storm Hawks . . . now! They turned and went back to inform the _Condor_.

* * *

The real Storm Hawks were still healing their bruises after their catastrophic battle with the Snipes when the two Finn spies told what they could.

The X Finn was still feeling shaky, but definitely feeling a lot better. Piper and Aerrow seemed fine as well. The two stood side by side, looking at Junko and Radarr with concern. Junko and Radarr sat on top of the safe. Junko was holding an ice pack to his head, and Radarr's eyes were still rolling in their sockets.

Having been beat up the most, Junko was the first to show concern. "Three Snipes was enough," he said, holding out a hand to Aerrow, "but an army of 'em?"

Radarr whimpered, still looking a little woozy. Junko generously offered his ice pack and put it on Radarr's head, but the pack was so heavy that the moment Junko let it go Radarr fell off the top of the safe head-first. He got up again, but the X Finn couldn't help but notice he looked worse than before. The poor little guy was seeing chickens floating around his head.

Everyone else's mind was still on Snipe's army. "At least it's getting dark, so he won't be able to make any more clones until sunrise," Piper offered, looking expectantly at Aerrow. "But all that stress he's putting on the crystal may destroy it before we can get it back and reverse the process on Snipe _and_ Finn."

Aerrow only smiled light-heartedly. "An army of Snipes shouldn't be hard to find," he said. He pointed to the door. "Let's move!" And with that, he headed for the door with Piper, Junko, and the X Finn close behind. They left woozy Radarr to follow after them.

* * *

On Terra Saharr, the cloning crystal was still in the real Snipe's hand, and every few seconds, it would glow. And each time it glowed, another clone was formed, and Snipe counted him. "Snipe three hundred and six," he counted, "Snipe three-O-seven, three-O-eight, lookin' good! Ah!" But when he said, "Three-O-nine," the crystal didn't glow. Snipe turned to the sunset and watched the sun disappear beyond the terra. "Hey!" he shouted angrily at it, as if it could hear him. "Stupid sun."

He turned to his clones. "Well," he said, "it's a start." He smirked at them and spoke to them. "First, Terra Saharr—" he said.

"—then the quadrant!" all the Snipes shouted together, throwing all their fists in the air.

Then a voice behind the real Snipe said, "Don't count on it, Snipes!"

Snipe turned around and smirked. Before him was none other than the main Storm Hawk himself: Aerrow, the Sky Knight. He sat in his Vulcan with Radarr in his little cockpit. Junko sat on his Skimmer on Aerrow's left, and Piper sat on her Heliscooter on Aerrow's right. They all glared at Snipe angrily. Junko even bunched his fist into his hand. Ever since the Timepulse incident where Snipe had called Junko a Gleep, Junko had had a personal vendetta against Snipe. The beating just now on the _Condor_ had not helped that.

But Snipe just smirked at the four of them. "You gotta be kidding?" he exclaimed with amusement. "Hah! A couple of Storm Hawks against my—"

"—army?" all the Snipes finished together, holding up their hands.

Aerrow smirked. "Not quite," he answered. He pointed to the skies above him.

Up from above came Finns . . . lots of Finns. They appeared to just drop out of the skies, all deploying parachutes as they descended toward the terra. And amongst them was the X Finn. He smirked at Snipe, holding out his arms to gesture around him at his fellow Finns. "You're not the only one with an army," he stated.

All the Finns landed on their feet on the terra's surface, standing up proudly as their parachute retracted back into the cases on their backs. All the Snipes growled as they met with an almost equal number of Finns. But that was all the invitation the real Snipe needed. He pointed his mace toward the Storm Hawks and cried, "Attack!"

With angry battle cries from both sides, the mass of Snipes and mass of Finns charged toward each other in lines. There was a great, loud crash as the two front lines clashed together. The battle had begun.

* * *

Author's Notes: You know, it's really hard to do this from Finn's point of view when you have more than one Finn.

For my trivia, I found something I think is _very_ interesting: basic information about _real_ clones!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Clones have made many appearances in fantasy and science fiction media, from the books to the silver screen. However, clones are more than just science fiction. Scientists have been making real clones for decades. To clone a living organism, one must copy its exact DNA artificially. There are three ways to clone a living organism: recombinant DNA technology or DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning. "Recombinant DNA technology," "DNA cloning," "molecular cloning," and "gene cloning" all refer to the same process: the transfer of a DNA fragment from one organism to a self-replicating genetic element. Having been used since the 1970s, this practice is commonly used in molecular biology labs today. In reproductive cloning, an animal is generated containing the same nuclear DNA as an existing animal. This is the way we got our beloved Dolly the Sheep, the first mammalian clone to be made from adult DNA. In therapeutic, or "embryo," cloning, a living organism is not actually produced. Stem cells from developing embryos are gathered to look at development. This cloning is often used to study human development. So, with all this cloning possible, why don't we have more clones? Well, cloning crosses moral, legal, and social boundaries that society isn't ready to cross yet. To clone or not to clone is a very heated debate.

Now that you've had your fill of science, let's review and vote!


	80. InFinnity: The Undoing

Chapter 4: The Undoing

As the battle raged, it began to split up in a bunch of mini fights, as battles do. Most of the fights were a Finn against a Snipe, but the rest of the Storm Hawks were not afraid to take on a few Snipes as well.

In the fight, Junko, fearless and enraged against so many of his hated enemy, ended up getting piled on by seven Snipes. But below the pile, he simply ignited his Knuckle Busters and punched the Snipes off him and onto the ground, his Knuckle Buster's green nimbus crystal light gleaming in the darkness.

Piper was also up against a Snipe. She grunted as she ducked when the Snipe swung his mace at her head with an angry grunt. With a battle cry, the angered Snipe raised his mace and tried to bring it down on Piper, but she simply used her staff to block the blow. The two grunted as they fought against each other. It was now a battle of strengths, and the unpleasant truth was that the Snipe was far stronger.

Meanwhile, Aerrow was also having a rough time of it. He was thrown backward against a huge rock, a gasp of pain escaping from him on impact. He recovered quickly, but not quick enough. As he kept his footing and blinked again, he found himself backed up against the rock with a Snipe swinging his mace on its retractable chain in the air in front of him, about to crush him with it!

But as always, Aerrow's own personal butt protector appeared. With a churr and a smirk, Radarr leaped up behind the Snipe, getting on his back and covering his eyes with his paws. Aerrow just crossed his arms and watched in amusement as the Snipe yelled and tried to hit Radarr with his mace, swinging it over his shoulder. Radarr jumped down just in time to escape the blow, and the Snipe shouted in pain as his own mace hit him in the rear! The mace fell from his hand beside Radarr.

Realizing he no longer had the mace, the Snipe looked at his hand and then looked at Aerrow, seeming a little confused. Aerrow just smirked and pointed behind him. The Snipe looked over his shoulder in time to see Radarr holding up the mace. The furry copilot growled at the Snipe threateningly. No one hurt his boy!

The Snipe let out a cry of terror before fleeing with Radarr chasing behind him, mace held high over his head.

Meanwhile, one of the Finns had spotted Piper in a bind. She and the Snipe she was fighting had broken their power struggle and were now facing each other. Piper's look of fear let the Finn know that she this didn't look good to her. And when something didn't look like a good situation to Piper, it normally was not a good situation.

Trying to help her out, the Finn aimed his crossbow and fired a bolt. The bolt knocked the ball of the mace off the handle, but he hadn't accounted for the retractable chain. The Snipe laughed at the Finn over his shoulder before flicking his wrist, which retracted the chain and put the ball back on top of the handle. The Finn groaned. That didn't go as he planned.

Suddenly, another Finn had appeared beside him, holding a crossbow of his own. "Our one-eyed grandmother can aim better than that!" he teased the first Finn. And with that, the second Finn decided to show the first Finn how it was _really _down. He fired a bolt at the mace. The Snipe gasped as the bolt cut the mace's ball in half. Finn #2 made a trigger finger and pretended to blow the smoke away from the crossbow's end, feeling full of himself.

Finn #1 raised an eyebrow irritably. "Showoff," he grumbled. He pushed Finn #2 in the shoulder and knocked him down on his back.

And just like that, all the other Finns fell over on their backs. Unfazed, they all stood up again to continue their fights against the Snipes.

Angry at being pushed, Finn #2 then knocked Finn #1's feet out from under him and sent him sprawling on _his _back.

And just like that, all the other Finns fell forward on their stomachs.

Both fighting Finns stood up. Angrier than ever, Finn #1 shoved Finn #2 up against a bolder. Grunts went up from all the other Finns. Glaring at Finn #1 as he struggled against him, Finn #2 kicked Finn #1 in the stomach and sent him sprawling on his back in front of Piper. The other Finns fell over on their backs once more.

Piper glared down at the Finn at her feet. "You know," she said irritably, putting her free hand on her hip, "we could fight these Snipes better if you Finns stopped trying to show each other up!"

Aerrow heard her as he said it, and he grunted in annoyance. She was right. The Finns were causing quite a problem. He'd punish the misbehaving ones later if he could, but he knew he'd never be able to figure out which ones they were, since they were all up against each other.

A light bulb went off in Aerrow's head. He smiled. "That's it!" He looked around at the Snipes. "Uh, okay, okay," he called to all of them, holding up his empty hands. "We surrender."

Piper turned and raised an eyebrow at him. "We do?" Her tone said she guessed he had an idea.

Aerrow gave her a small smile. Yes, they do. "But only to the top Snipe," he clarified. He gazed among the Snipe's with a raised eyebrow. "Which one of you is the best?"

One Snipe immediately answered, "I am."

The Snipe next to him pointed to himself. "Nah, I am."

The Snipe next to him clenched his fist. "I am."

The Snipe next to him glared at him. "No," he said, pointing a thumb to himself. "I am!"

Radar, Junko, and a Finn congregated around Aerrow and Piper as all the Snipes began shouting at each other, "I am!" The Finn couldn't _believe_ the Snipes could be so dumb! He, Piper, and Junko all gave the Snipes questioning looks. Radarr smirked. Aerrow wiped off the dust on the tips of his gloves on his uniform, looking proud of himself.

Knowing his job, Radarr didn't waste any time. He got down on all fours and began scurrying through the legs of Snipes, barely brushing his fur against them as they argued. It was not long before he found the abandoned cloning crystal. With an excited churr, he grabbed it in his paw and headed back to Aerrow.

Now the Snipes were turning violent. Still shouting to each other, they began pushing each other, now completely forgetting the Storm Hawks.

Piper and Junko got in their rides. As Radarr leapt into his cockpit, Aerrow followed close behind him, cocking an eyebrow at the Snipes and smirking. He wondered how long it would be before they figured out they'd been tricked. Probably never.

As he and Radarr took off into the air, Piper and Junko followed. Aerrow looked back in time to see the Snipes pairing off for brawling, and not the play kind. He couldn't help smirking to them. "Get back to us after you sort it out," he said to them, although he knew they couldn't hear him. And with that, he and the others flew back to the _Condor_ and worked on getting all the Finns back on the ship was well.

* * *

Once all the Finns were gathered in the hangar bay, Aerrow brought out the disco ball. The X Finn could see Piper looking at the cloning crystal with a worried expression. And Finn could see why. Cracks crisscrossed over the crystal's entire surface. "The crystal's in bad shape," Piper said. "We'll be lucky if we get one shot at reversing things."

But even so, the X Finn saw they were going to try. Piper held the crystal out to Aerrow, and Aerrow held the disco ball above it. The X Finn watched hopefully with his hands clasped. "This better work," he said, "'cause I've really gotten sick and tired of myself!" He glanced back at all his clones, glad they would be gone soon.

It was now or never. Aerrow activated the disco ball, and its light began to dance around the room and penetrate the cloning crystal. The X Finn watched hopefully, praying it would work. He closed his eyes, preparing for the worse.

There was a whirling sound as the process ended. The X Finn opened his eyes. At first, nothing happened. He glanced behind him. The clones were still there.

Then suddenly, a clone faded away with a gasp. Then another clone screamed, and he was gone. Then another . . .

"It worked!" Piper cheered as all the Finn clones began to fade away. She grabbed the now-dim disco ball out of Aerrow's hands, excitement dancing on her face as she headed toward her Heliscooter. "Now to take care of the Snipes!"

But as Aerrow looked toward the Finns again and saw the last of them disappear, he turned to Piper again, reaching out a hand to stop her. "Wait!" he called after her.

But she was already on her Heliscooter and heading toward the opening hatch. Once out, she took to the skies immediately before Aerrow could stop her.

Aerrow watched with growing despair. He turned back to Junko, Stork, and Radarr. "I think we undid the real Finn, too," he said woefully.

The others frowned and turned back to where all the Finns had been standing. Not a single Finn was left . . . not even the X Finn.

* * *

Back on Terra Saharr, the Snipes were still fighting each other, each shouting, "I am!"

But as the real Snipe was arguing with one of his clones, that clone suddenly . . . disappeared. The real Snipe stared in astonishment. Glancing around him with fear, he saw other clones fading. He gasped. No! His army!

Then he noticed something weird. Glittering lights were circling around. Were those . . . disco lights?

He looked to the sky. There up above him was Piper, the disco ball hanging from her Heliscooter. She waved as she passed over Snipe before flying away back toward the _Condor_, Snipe letting out a furious yell behind her.

Without glancing back, Piper flew on back toward the _Condor_, feeling proud of herself. She had figured out the reverse all on her own and gotten rid of all the clones. Now they wouldn't have to worry about a _Condor_ full of Finns and an army of Snipes. What was there not to be happy about?

She found out as soon as she got back to the _Condor_.

Piper met a rather upset-looking Stork on the bridge. He directed her toward the others in the darkroom, but that was all.

She walked in with the cloning crystal in hand and the disco ball under her arm. "Hey, guys!" she greeted them cheerfully. "It worked!"

But the faces she met were not cheerful. They were downright woeful. Aerrow and Junko stood on either side of one of the safes in the middle of the room. Junko's ears were drooping. Sitting on top of the safe was Radarr, with his ears drooping as well. They only glanced at Piper as she came in, and Aerrow looked as if he wanted to tell her something, but he only swallowed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked them. She was frightened about what might have happened, unnerved by seeing all three of them, even Aerrow, on the verge of tears.

"The real Finn is gone, too!" Junko answered. He covered his face with his hands.

Piper couldn't believe what she'd heard. "But only the clones are supposed to disappear," she gasped. She felt like someone had just stuck a knife through her heart. Sure, Finn was annoying. Sure, he sometimes made her life miserable. Sure, sometimes he was an arrogant, irritating brat. But deep down, she loved him. He was like a brother to her. And to think that she would never see him again, that _she_ was the reason she would never see him again . . . it hurt. She turned to the cloning crystal for hope. "Maybe we can reverse the reverse," she said.

But then, as soon as she said it, the cloning crystal could take no more, and it crumbled to dust in her hands. She gasped. "Oh no!" Without the crystal, they could never get Finn back! They all hung their heads in renewed sorrow.

Suddenly, there was a loud knocking sound. Everyone's head popped up, and Radarr squawked. Where had _that_ come from?

Then the knocking came again. Everyone looked down. It was coming from _inside_ the safe! Not sure what they would find, they all leaned over to look as Radarr pulled at the handle and opened the door of the safe.

"About time!" an irritated voice greeted them. "I've been stuck in here all day!"

It was Finn! He was cramped inside the safe, his hair, which was usually straightened by hair gel, flattened against his head. None of them could have been more delighted to hear his whiny voice.

"The Finn I marked with an X was a clone, too!" Piper exclaimed in revelation. "That's why he disappeared!"

Not sure what they were talking about, Finn reached a shaky hand out of the safe and place it on top of the safe as he slowly pulled himself out of the cramped position he'd been in all day. He groaned as he erected himself for the first time in hours. They were all smiling at him delightedly, although he didn't know why. He turned around to Piper, rubbing his head. "Rotten clone knocked me out and dumped me in here," he complained. "Can't believe I did that to _myself!_" He huffed and crossed his arms. "The nerve of me!"

Next thing he knew, Junko's arms were around him. Finn gasped as the breath was squeezed out of him, and he was pretty sure he just felt some of his bones crack. "Finn, buddy!" Junko exclaimed. "We thought we lost you!"

"Uh, Junko," Finn gasped, his tongue hanging out, "can't breathe!"

Junko laughed sheepishly as he set him down. "Sorry," he apologized. Finn just coughed as he got his breath at last.

Aerrow went to stand next to Piper. Finn noticed they exchanged those weird, relieved smiles with each other as they brushed shoulders. Those smiles normally come from some secret message between them that they pass along only after the relief of a dangerous mission being over.

Did Finn miss something?

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey, I never said the X Finn was the real Finn. Why do you think I kept calling him the X Finn?

I have to say, this was not the most fun episode to write. All these different people who are the same . . . No set point of view . . . It was just mind-boggling!

I had the one of the coolest trivia last chapter. Now I can't think of anything interesting . . .

Sorry, but this was the best I could come up with.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Master Cyclonis and her empire, Cyclonia, probably got their names from a storm system known as a cyclone. The word "cyclone" sometimes refers to a storm commonly called a "tornado" or "twister." A tornado is a funnel-shaped cloud of swirling winds that can cause major destruction. They are not uncommon on the flat, dry plains of the American West. However, "cyclone" can also refer to a large-scale storm system characterized by heavy rain and strong winds that rotate clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They rotate around and toward a low pressure center.

Okay, that's the best I can do with that. Now please, _please_ will more than one or two people review? Tell me how I did with this difficult episode, please?

And don't forget to vote if you haven't already! (Remember, if you voted the first time this pole was open, you have to vote again because the first poll was accidentally deleted.)


	81. Terra Neon: Deserted Terra

Author's Notes: Hello again! Sorry its been awhile, but school started up again . . . my first year of high school! That's right, I'm a freshman!

Okay, here's the deal with the poll for "Origins". Nine people voted. There was only one vote difference. And the winner was . . . flashback. Again. So, this time I will not delete the poll in case someone who didn't vote on it says they want to, but it will be difficult at this point to make "Origins" Part 1 with almost a hundred chapters, so if anyone wants to add a vote for Part 1, speak up soon, for my sake. At this point, I plan to make it a flashback.

And no, you can't see the results on my profile. You'll just have to trust me here. You see, I have my old poll on my profile . . . Everyone vote for your favorite Storm Hawks character, if you haven't already!

* * *

_**Part 20**_

_**Terra Neon**_

_A land is deserted. A show is held, and a show is ruined. Stars fall, and a star rises. A shocking new enemy is found._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Deserted Terra

The Storm Hawks calmly explained to Finn what had happened. After all they'd been through, Aerrow decided now it was best to take a break from missions and go on a vacation for the weekend. And like everything else on his ship, the choice of vacation spots would be left to democracy.

Night was descending on the _Condor_ as he called the Storm Hawks to vote. Aerrow raised his own hand for his choice. Piper's hand flew up, then Stork's, then Junko's and Finn's. "One, two, three, four, five," Aerrow counted aloud. "Okay," he said, "looks like we're spending the weekend on Terra Neon."

"Yes!" Finn exclaimed, clenching a fist.

He and Junko did high-fives, backhand and forehand. "Cool!" the two friends exclaimed unison. But when Finn put his hand up for a high-five up high, Junko's high-five sent Finn onto the floor on his back with his legs in the air. Finn groaned, and Junko cringed guiltily. All the others cringed as well. Finn wiggled his fingers and his legs fell over.

Radarr was the only one not sympathetic. He just stared at Finn for a moment as if wondering how he could be so _stupid_ before he turned to Aerrow and growled, crossing his arms. He did _not_ want to go to Terra Neon.

"Sorry, Radarr," Aerrow told him. That was all he could say, after all. The vote had been made. "Uh, we'll visit the Terra of Giant Bananas next time," he promised.

Radarr just growled again and looked away from him irritably.

"Ah, besides," Finn said as he stood up and dusted himself off, "Terra Neon is the funnest place in the Atmos! It's got everything. Rides, shows, games, all-you-can-eat sky dogs, and flame corn!" he finished, clenching his fists excitedly.

Yes, Aerrow thought, it was a place of wonder for many. It was famous for its carnival and twenty-four hour gravy buffets. The whole terra is one massive, glitzy, twinkling amusement park. There were more rides than could be counted (37 of which were rollercoasters) and even more sideshow tents. There's even an old Atmosian saying that goes: "The only thing more fun than one day on Terra Neon is two days on Terra Neon!"

But what they found when they got there shocked them all.

All the Storm Hawks looked around them quizzically as they stood in the middle of an aisle of tents. "Yeah, this place has it all," Piper agreed with Finn. "Except for one thing: people." He voice echoed among the vacant streets, and as if to prove her point, a lone little flyer flew by in the wind like tumbleweed.

Aerrow looked around suspiciously. "It's like everyone just . . . vanished," he said, his voice filling the eerie emptiness. When it was all quiet, a crow's two caws broke the silence. Instead of filling the quiet contentedly, it made the deserted scene even more eerie.

Aerrow put his hand to his mouth to project his voice. "Hello?" he called out. "Hello?" The only thing that answered him was his own echo.

Suddenly, Piper was beside him with her hands on her hips. She looked unnerved, and her closeness to him suggested she was near him for her own comfort. But her words were strong and logical. "Okay, this is weird," she said. "Terra Neon is always packed." She put up her hands. "Where is everybody?"

But Finn and Junko didn't seem nearly as unsettled as Aerrow felt and Piper seemed to be. Finn nudged Junko with his elbow. "Ah," he said to him, putting his hand to his mouth and whispering, "you know what this means?"

It took a minute for Junko to understand Finn's clue. When he did, he gasped and his face lit up. "No lines for us!" Junko exclaimed.

Finn nodded excitedly in agreement. "Yeah!" they both cheered in unison. They both held up their hands for a high-five. Aerrow and Piper glanced over their shoulders as they heard Finn groan as Junko slapped his hand. The sharpshooter flew past Aerrow and Piper to land on his back. Aerrow and Piper exchanged smiles they way they always do when the other boys do something stupid and silly. _He'll never learn,_ they agreed silently.

As Finn recovered, he groaned as his head stopped spinning, and he tried to sit up. The first thing he saw was Junko's hooves and Radarr's rear paws and tail flying past him before he'd even gotten off the ground. "Uh, hey, wait for me!" he cried, waving his hand in the air.

So, before Aerrow could even think to stop them, Finn, Junko, Stork, and Radarr were off to take advantage of the vacant theme park. (Actually, Finn, Junko, and Radarr were taking advantage of it. Stork was dragged along by the others.)

The first place Finn and Junko stopped at was the funky mirror. They laughed at their weird forms. Junko even put his arm around Finn and put his other arm behind his back, messing up their hair. Finn just pointed at the mirror and laughed.

Next, Radarr and Stork put their heads into some of the wooden headless bodies. The image shown was a man in a tux offering a drink to a woman in a red dress. Radarr's head was on the man in the tux, and Stork's annoyed face was on the woman in the dress.

Next, all four of them road one of the thirty-seven rollercoasters. Junko and Finn shouted in delight as they road in front, gripping the front handrail for all they were worth. Radarr road in the car behind them, letting out excited squawks and holding his front paws in the air as he held onto the handrail with his hind paws. Stork, who was having no fun at all, was screaming, gripping the handrail in one hand and covering his face with the other. One of his legs hung almost completely out of the rollercoaster.

Next were snacks. They went to the popcorn stand, where Finn began stuffing handfuls of buttery popcorn in his mouth, not caring which bag they came from. He even grabbed one bag and began to pour it in his mouth. Meanwhile, Junko had found the sky dogs. He smothered a yard-long sky dog in pink sauce and ketchup before laughing as he stuffed the entire thing in his mouth all at once. It made Stork sick to his stomach just to watch it, and he turned a lighter shade of green and covered his mouth with his hand to keep from being sick.

After having his fun with the others boys, Radarr found Aerrow again and happily leaped up onto his back, hugging his neck and peering over his shoulder, as if trying to get his boy to loosen up. And to think he hadn't wanted to come here in the first place!

Aerrow wished he could join in the fun with the other boys were having, but he just couldn't. Seeing the place empty had put him on edge, and his senses were on high alert. His instincts were telling him something was awfully wrong here, but he knew he could probably rack his brains all day without figuring it out.

But then he noticed something about the partiers of his team. Piper was not among them. It looked like Aerrow wasn't the only one set on edge.

He located Piper by a sky dog stand, down on her hands and knees and looking underneath it. That seemed a little odd. With Radarr still hanging from his shoulders, he walked over to her, leaning against the sky dog stand casually as he looked down at her. "So," he asked, putting out a hand, "uh, w-what are you lookin' for?"

Piper glanced up at him, and as if realizing she was in an awkward position, she sighed. "Some kind of clue," she answered. "I don't know. I guess I'm just kinda hoping something will hit me."

Then, as if in answer to her wish, a piece of paper suddenly flew in her face, making her scream in surprise and throw her hands up in the air. Aerrow blinked in surprise. Well, something hit her, alright.

Piper stood up and peeled the paper off her face. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at what was obviously some kind of flyer. "'Who Wants to Be a Mega Star?'" she read aloud.

Aerrow got up next to her and held part of the paper so he could see. Radarr peered over his shoulder to get a look himself. "A contest, maybe?" Aerrow suggested. He didn't know. He looked at the picture and caption at the bottom of the flyer. "Uh, looks like it's at the Constellation Theater.

They lowered the flyer and looked in front of them. Ironically, the Constellation Theater was standing before them, flashing lights at them and playing circus music.

Aerrow smiled at Piper and raised an eyebrow. Piper met his gaze. A silent message passed between them. They were going to check it out.

On their way to the theater, they passed by a cloud candy cart where Finn and Junko had their heads completely buried in the puffy candy, their legs sticking out and making satisfied sounds as they ate. Stork stood leaning against a pole beside the cart, looking like he was going to be sick just watching Finn and Junko eat.

Piper stopped and called out to the three of them. "Come on, guys," she said, "I found a—" She paused as Finn and Junko got out of the cloud candy and smiled at her. Finn had the pink foam on his right arm and shoulder, and Junko had patches of it on his right arm and chest. But what was strangest was that their hair and eyebrows were covered in the candy. Junko had a pink afro, and Finn had Elvis' hairstyle. "—clue," Piper finished, smiling at how _stupid_ they looked.

Finn saw the way she was looking at their candy hairdos. He put a hand on his hip. "Delicious and stylish," he said. He turned the front edge of his hairdo up.

Junko licked some of the cloud candy off his arm. "Yeah," he agreed, sounding a little strange because of his sticky mouth. He held his arm out to Stork. "Want some?"

Stork held his stomach. "I'll pass," he groaned.

By the time Finn and Junko had cleaned up, Radarr had hopped off Aerrow's shoulders. Aerrow was impatient as ever to see what was going on, and once Finn and Junko were ready, he led the way up the theater's steps toward the open doors.

But when he reached them, his impulse suddenly broke under his unease. He stopped, his good judgment warning him of his near rashness. "Hold on," he told the others, holding up a hand to stop them. "There's something about this. It's too . . ."

But as he turned back to the door, he saw Stork, who was in the rear, walk in the doors after the others. Aerrow looked after them quizzically, a little hurt at not having his own team listen to him. "Or we could just stroll right in," he muttered as he followed after them.

He glanced around suspiciously as he walked through the red, gold-decorated doors. The others had stopped just beyond the doors to the main theater, and as Aerrow approached them, he could hear the sound of lots of people cheering coming from within the theater. "Now we know where everybody went," he said as he stepped in beside Piper.

"Sounds like the whole terra's in there," Piper agreed, looking Aerrow's way.

Suddenly, Piper gasped, and Aerrow heard a loud clank. All the Storm Hawks whirled around. The front doors had just slammed shut behind them. A shadow from the outside, fell through the crack at the bottom of the door, and with a slithering sound, it went away. Someone—or something—had shut them in.

It didn't take long for the Storm Hawks to respond, having already had their share of dangerous situations. Thank goodness they had known enough to know that, even on vacation, it was smart to have their weapons with them. Junko ignited his Knuckle Busters. Finn pulled out his loaded crossbow and got down on one knee, ready to shoot. Aerrow drew his blades, and Piper drew her spear. As they and Stork all face the door, Radarr jumped in front of them, pulling a few Sky Fu moves and growling at the door.

When no threat appeared, the Storm Hawks relaxed a little from their spook, and Aerrow tried to look at the situation logically. As always, Piper beat him to that. She walked up to the front doors calmly and pushed against them with a grunt, but the doors only rattled in response. "It's locked," she told Aerrow over her shoulder.

"You want me to smash it down?" Junko asked Aerrow quietly, holding up one of his glowing Knuckle Busters.

But Aerrow only glanced at the door and then looked over his shoulder at the doors to the main theater. Trumpet music signaling a new event, followed by cheers, drifted from the door. Something strange was going on here; something was not right. Aerrow turned to his squadron and pointed two fingers toward the door in silent signal to advance toward it stealthily. Whatever was going on, they were going to figure it out!

The Storm Hawks put up their weapons and snuck in around toward the stage silently. The first thing that greeted them was a red-and-gold electric guitar, which made Finn's eyes light up. Then they saw the lights of the stage. Piper, who was in front, drew back the curtain ever so slightly so they could see stage.

The spotlight was on a human juggler. He wasn't doing anything fancy. All he was doing was juggling in place, and even in that, he wasn't doing very well. Even as they watched, he dropped one of the balls, then another. "Everyone on Neon packed in here to see _this?_" Finn asked incredulously, pointing to the juggler. "He stinks!"

Even as Finn said it, the juggler dropped all his balls and cringed. Everyone in the crowd began to boo. Aerrow had to admit that the performance was not impressive, but the juggler looked so downcast that he couldn't help sympathizing with him.

"Time to give him the hook!" a voice rang out.

"Ha!" Finn said, turning to Radarr. "Now there's a critic I can agree with." Radarr smiled as if he agreed as well.

But that's when things went from funny to scary.

"No!" the juggler cried, looking up at the ceiling in terror and cringing. "I can do better!" He fell to his knees and clasped his hands as if to beg. "I promise!"

That's when the Storm Hawks saw what he was cringing away from. "What is _that?_" Piper gasped.

It was large, green, and slimy-looking, and it looked awfully similar to an octopus tentacle. Then again, after their run-in with the Leviathan, anything snake-like without eyes looked like a tentacle out to get them.

The juggler was now being lifted up by the tentacle, and he was crying and begging for mercy.

Aerrow couldn't take it. He couldn't just stand back while he watched the man struggle for his life, even if it was the wiser choice. "Hang on!" he told his team as he drew one of his blades. Without even thinking, he charged out onto the stage in a rescue attempt, and his team followed his lead. Finn drew his crossbow, and Junko activated his Knuckle Busters. With a mighty battle cry, the Storm Hawks leapt out into the spotlight. But they weren't in time. The jittery juggler was pulled away by the tentacle-thing before the Storm Hawks could do anything about it.

The crowd gasped at seeing the Storm Hawks, and most of the Sky Knight squadron froze, afraid of what was going on. But Aerrow was more angry than afraid. He just watched a man get dragged off by a monster, and the whole crowd had just sat there and done nothing. Worse yet was the critic that had _told_ the monster to take the man in the first place. "Who are you?" he demanded to know, squinting into the spotlight to try to see his enemy.

"Well," a voice answered, "we should be asking _you_. After all, you are on our stage!"

Aerrow recognized the voice. It was the critic who spoke earlier. Aerrow squinted in the direction of the voice, shielding his eyes from the bright light with his hand. His eyes fell on the shadows of two men up in the balcony. The one who spoke was on Aerrow's right, and he was pointing at the Storm Hawks. It seemed these to men were running the show here.

Before Aerrow could question them further, he heard a slithering sound that sent chills up his spine. Turning to the left, he and the other Storm Hawks froze. A mass of green tentacle-things were coming at them, snaking their way toward them.

Then Stork looked the other direction. He let out two terrified noises before his stuttering rose to a scream. Glancing to his right to see what had scared the Merb, Aerrow saw more tentacles coming at them. The Sky Knight's blood ran cold. They were surrounded.

Finn was looking around at the tentacles nervously along with the others. "Um," he said, "I don't think those are stagehands."

"What tipped ya off?" Piper whispered sarcastically.

"No hands," Finn answered quietly.

Aerrow's eyes didn't leave the tentacles that were approaching him. Most of the ones on his left were aimed in his direction. He was expecting an attack any minute

Glancing above him as he heard more slithering, he saw three tentacles stretching and circling above him before turning to him. They looked like snakes ready to strike.

Aerrow waited until the last possible moment. He saw the tentacles still. Now. "Go!" he cried to his squadron. It was time to attack.

Finn tried to take aim, but a tentacle snatched his crossbow out of his hands. Junko punched at a tentacle with a, "Yaw!" but he only gasped as the tentacle dodged and wrapped itself around him. Aerrow tried to slice at one with his blade, but he only gasped as the tentacle dodged his blow and grabbed him, just as it did with Junko. It wasn't long before all six of the Storm Hawks were wrapped up in the tentacles' grasps.

At first they struggled, and Aerrow could hear Finn's and Piper's frightened gasps. Suddenly, all of his friends were cringed as they were consumed in green bolts of energy, caused by the tentacles. Aerrow wiggled as hard as he could and pushed with all his might, trying to break free to help his friends, but just when he thought the tentacle's grip on him was loosening, he was in pain . . . lots and lots of pain. Green bolts of electricity were coursing through his body just as they did with his friends, and it seemed to suck the energy out of him.

At last, the electricity stopped for all of them, and Aerrow let out a gasp in relief as the pain stopped. But his anger had heightened to rage. Ignoring the way his spine was still tingling, he turned toward the two men in the balcony and clenched his fist. "Why are you doing this?" he demanded to know.

At last, Aerrow could see why the crowd wasn't helping. The people in the stands were all tied down by tentacles as well, and they didn't look happy about it. Most of them were humans, but Aerrow thought he recognized a few Blizzarian faces among them.

But then one of the men on the balcony answered his question, this one being the one who hadn't spoken yet. "Why else?" the man asked, throwing his hands in the air. "We're puttin' on a show!" He turned to the grumpier one. "Or we would be, if some of us weren't so picky."

"We're looking for a star," the grumpier one answered, "not a no-talent hack, which is what everyone we auditioned is." He held up a finger and laughed. "And we auditioned everybody on the terra!"

Aerrow struggled against the tentacles while they were arguing, and as he did, he got a good look at the two men, the producers who were doing all this. Both of the producers appeared to be large in the belly, and both had some ugly facial hair, strangely pointed ears, and warts on their faces. One of them, the one of lighter humor, had orange hair, beard, eyebrows, and, strangely enough, piercing orange eyes that were almost frightening. Aerrow would not know their names until much later, but this is the one he would come to call Staldorf. The grumpier one had dark hair, beard, and eyebrows, and his eyes were a dark, boding green. His name was Walder. They were the Producers. There was something strangely inhuman about them.

But as Aerrow struggled against the tentacle holding him, he had no thoughts about their strange appearance and power over this beast that held him. He only had thought for his team and the poor people of the terra who were trapped here. "Look," he shouted to the Producers angrily, "whatever it is you want, if you don't let everyone go right now, I promise you this won't end well!"

Apparently, that was a very wrong thing to say. The Producers frowned at him angrily, and then next thing Aerrow knew, he was gasped as the tentacle once again zapped him. His vision blurred for a moment, and he was pretty sure that a couple more of those zap would do him in.

"Yeah," Stork whimpered in agreement with Aerrow's earlier statement, "for us."

"Hey," Staldorf said, tapping Walder's arm and gesturing toward the Storm Hawks, "these kids, th-th-they got pizzazz!"

Both the Producers peered down at the struggling Storm Hawks. "Oh, come off it," Walder said, waving his hand dismissively. "They don't have any stage presence at all! Look how terrible their posture is."

Aerrow was about to tell Walder that their posture might not be so bad if they weren't being _straggled by_ _tentacles_, but he didn't think he could stand anymore electrical volts coursing through him.

"Yeah, well, Mr. Smarty-Pants," Staldorf said to Walder, gesturing toward the Storm Hawks, "I think we should let them audition."

"You?" Walder teased. "You'd let a dust mop audition." He huffed and rested his head on his knuckle, rolling his eyes.

Aerrow still struggled as he listened to them. He knew that further commentary from him could be disastrous, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try to escape.

"Alright," Walder said at last. "Send them to wardrobe." He turned to Staldorf, glaring. "But if they don't work out, I am gonna be very unhappy."

His words sent shivers up Aerrow's spine. Stork just groaned.

Then, before the Storm Hawks could protest, Junko cried out as his tentacle pulled him off stage right. Radarr dug his nails into the floor and growled with effort to keep from being dragged away, but he was soon dragged off stage left. Poor Stork, who was gasping with terror, was lifted high and hit his head on two of the stage lights before his tentacle pulled him off after Radarr.

Looks like they were auditioning.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I did think about making this from Stork's point of view. I also considered Piper's point of view. But once again, Aerrow seemed to have the most parts, so he gets to be the main point of view once more. Humph, episode hog.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Staldorf and Walder based off of _The Muppet Show_'s Statler and Waldorf. These two hecklers appeared in every episode of the show. They always made fun of Fozzie Bear's poor jokes, complaining about how terrible the acts were. Their banter was similar to that of Staldorf's and Walter's banter, sometimes even recognizing the audience outside the screen. Here's an example of one of their jokes: In one episode, Waldorf stated that he didn't like puppets much because he didn't find them believable. Statler responded, "I don't believe you."

Well, at least Statler and Waldorf don't have a tentacle monster to threaten you with. Review anyway, please.


	82. Terra Neon: Awkward Audition

Chapter 2: Awkward Audition

With the Storm Hawks off the stage, the crowd began to clap and stomp. _Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp._ _Clap, clap, stomp._ The sound made Aerrow even more uneasy as he was dumped by his tentacle into the wardrobe.

Piper was the second to last one dropped off. She grunted as she landed on her hands and knees, looking around. Aerrow helped Finn get to his feet before he did the same. The place was full of costumes and crates of tools and scrap metal. Other than that, there wasn't much to see.

"Looks like we're on next," Piper observed, listening to the crowd.

Then at last, a tentacle dropped Stork from the ceiling. With a cry, he landed in Junko's arms, where the Wallop cradled him. The Merb was stuttering, and his eyes were wide with terror. The last time Aerrow could remember him being so cut up was when the Leviathan swallowed the _Condor_. "N-n-n-n-n-n-n-n-no, n-n-no," Stork stuttered. He turned to Aerrow, begging him with eyes like a scared rabbit's. "I can't do it!" he exclaimed, rambling. "No way. I've got stage fright!" He slithered to the floor, falling on his knees and putting his hands on his head. "Terrible, crippling, I'd-rather-be-dead-than-go-out-there stage fright!"

While he was rambling, Aerrow tried to think of a way to calm him down when he spotted an empty red-and-white striped popcorn bag. "Stork!" he interrupted the Merb, making him meet his eyes. "Breathe." He handed him the popcorn bag.

Stork took it as he stood up and began to take deep breaths into the bag. On only the second breath, however, he managed to breathe in the bag and lodge it into his throat. Quickly, Junko, who was behind him, grabbed him and grunted as he performed the Heimlich maneuver. Once saved, Stork sagged, catching his breath.

They needed to get out of here, and fast, if not for their sake and the terra's, then for Stork's.

Aerrow came up with as best of a plan as he could. "One of us will go out there and keep them occupied while the others look for a way out," he told his team.

"No _problemo_," Finn said almost immediately, pointing trigger fingers at Aerrow. "You just leave this one to me." And with that, he strode towards the stage. Aerrow looked after him with a raised eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Piper. He had a bad feeling that Finn was probably _not_ going to do all that great.

Finn got out on stage and stepped into the spotlight. His act was going to be brilliant! A comedian act! Everyone loved comedians!

"Hey," he spoke into the microphone, "anyone here from Atmosia?" No one answered him. He pointed to the crowd and cried, "Atmosia in the house!" He cheered into the microphone. But the crowd only groaned, and the microphone screeched.

Finn tapped the microphone. "Uh, is this thing on?" he asked the crowd, hoping to get some kind of response. He glanced up at the Producers. They had their arms crossed, and they were looking irritated. Not good. Time to change tactics.

"Okay, here's what I want to know," Finn told the crowd. "Why do they call it Cyclonia? I mean, it's not like it's full of clones!" He urged the crowd to respond with his hands. "Am I right, huh?" he asked them.

The room was so quiet, Finn swore he heard a pen drop. Tough crowd.

At last, someone spoke. Walder made a sound of boredom. "I got more funny in my feet!" he said.

"It's true," Staldorf agreed, "especially if you count the funny smell." Even though Staldorf put his hand to the side of his mouth so Walder wouldn't see, Walder heard him, and he growled and shook a fist at Staldorf.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the wardrobe, Piper was standing on Junko's shoulders and holding a board. With a grunt, she slugged it at the only window in the room. But to Aerrow's dismay, the window didn't shatter; the board did. Piper looked down at the stub of wood remaining in her hands. "There has to be another way out," she said.

Radarr was trying his own way out. On all fours, he snuck toward the open door of the wardrobe, where the tentacles had thrown them into the room in the first place. He glanced back at Aerrow questionably, but Aerrow wasn't watching. Hesitantly, Radarr took another step and turned back to the door . . .

Holy smoke! He let out a little whimper as he saw a tentacle coming his way through the door.

It was his terrified squawk that alerted Aerrow to what was going on. He turned in time to see Radarr scurrying toward him on all fours as three tentacles threatened him from outside the door. The furry copilot hid behind Aerrow's leg.

Aerrow watched the tentacles waving at them threateningly from the only door to the room. "One thing's for sure," he told the others. "We can't go back the way we came in."

There had to be a way out. They just needed to approach this differently. "Split up and look around," he ordered them. "There's gotta be something we can use."

He, Piper, and Junko walked off to look for something. Radarr remained where he was, staring at the three tentacle things in the doorway. They gave him to the chills. He reached out to Aerrow for comfort, only to squawk in alarm when he found the Sky Knight was no longer standing beside him, and he bounded after his boy.

Piper wondered off in one direction on her own, looking around at different mannequins and outfits and even a make-up mirror but finding nothing that could help them escape. Her shoes clicked eerily on the floors as she moved about the dark room, but she easily kept her wits about her by remaining in a logical state of mind.

That is, until the full suit of armor moved.

Piper froze and stared at the armor. It stopped jiggling immediately. What in the world . . . ? She stepped up to the suit of armor, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Something was inside it, and she was afraid to know what. Even so, she put her hand on the face mask, plucked up her courage, and lifted it up.

She was met with a scream that made her scream as well but only from surprise. "Stork!" she scolded the Merb in armor. "What are you doing?"

Stork leaned forward toward her, making the armor creak. "I can't go on stage!" he whispered urgently. His knees started trembling, threatening to bang together, and he cringed behind the armor suit's shield. "Just the thought of it makes my knees feel like jelly sausages injected with liquid dread!" In his own terror, he dropped the shield at Piper's feet.

Stage, huh? "Speaking of," Piper thought aloud with annoyance, waving toward the stage, "I wonder how 'Mr. Most Entertaining' is doing."

Curiosity, and a fear of what will happen to Finn (knowing Finn's brilliance, or lack there of), led Piper to go check on him. She pushed her head out of the curtain just out of sight of the audience, watching Finn talk excitedly to the crowd through the microphone. He was still trying a comedian act; he was still failing.

"Okay," he said into the microphone, holding up his hands to the audience and laughing. "You're gonna love this!"

"Please," Piper begged quietly, "please not your lame impression of Ravess." Noticing her muttering, Junko poked his head out the other side to see as well.

Finn just smiled at the crowd. "My impression of Ravess!" he announced proudly.

"Oh, no," Piper muttered, putting her hand to her forehead. She turned to the Wallop beside her desperately. "Junko, quick! Do something!"

Junko just looked at her blankly. _Junko _do something? Why didn't _she_ do something?

But there wasn't anytime to waste. Finn was smiling and adjusting the microphone so it squeaked. He was almost ready to do his lame impression.

As he got an idea in his head, Junko walked out onto the stage, his hooves clomping against the wooden planks on the stage. He stopped beside Finn and bowed as the spotlight was turned to him. With ears back and jaw set in a bored expression, he paused to give his mouth two squirts of breath fresher and then used his hand to smell his breath. Satisfied, he interlocked his hands and stretched his arms, popping his knuckles.

At last, he was ready. With one big breath, he let out a holler that went on into a roar that sounded like bad yodeling. Finn covered his ears. Piper cringed. Junko sounded like a dying pig!

But the Producers recognized it right off. "Huh," Staldorf said, turning to Walder and holding up a finger, "I haven't heard a traditional Wallopian folk roar in years!"

Walder crossed his arms as he peered down at the hollering Wallop. "I guess everything comes back in style eventually," he said, rolling his eyes. Then he turned to Staldorf and smiled, saying, "Ha, except that suit."

Staldorf looked down at his suit with a surprised expression. With a brown overcoat and a pink-and-white striped shirt, it wasn't that bad, was it?

But Piper turned her attention to Finn. He stomped off the stage angrily, glaring over his shoulder at Junko before casting his glower at Piper. He was groaning and gasping in rage. Piper put her hand to her head, afraid she was going to get a migraine. Now she had to deal with an enraged Finn. Hopefully he wouldn't be _too_ annoying. She cast him a doubtful look, hoping he'd get the message.

He didn't. "Hey!" he scolded, pointing at her. "I was doing great!" He pointed a thumb behind him at the stage. "Why'd you send him out there?"

There was a pause between them, and suddenly Piper realized things were quiet . . . too quiet . . .

Finn was the first to react. Whipping around, he asked, "And why'd he stop screaming?"

What they saw made Piper gasp.

A tentacle was wrapped around a gasping Junko. Even as they looked, another tentacle was heading his way.

And the reason for the tentacles was the Producers . . . or one of them, anyway. Walder pointed a finger at Staldorf irritably. "I'll tell you why it's been so long since we heard a folk roar," he said, gesturing toward Junko. "They're awful!"

Staldorf seemed to agree. "Hey, the last time I heard a scream that loud was after I saw you with your shirt off." He pointed to Walder and laughed. "Back hair," he explained to the audience.

"Watch it," Walder warned, arms crossed.

But Piper was watching Junko with fear. The tentacle that was wrapped around him covered his mouth so he couldn't scream, although he hummed and struggled, only to be shocked by the tentacle's green electric bolts. Piper couldn't take it. She ran out on stage, desperate to rescue him.

But she wasn't in time. The tentacle lifted him away from the stage as she ran toward him. "No!" she cried, reaching out toward him. "Let him—"

But the tentacle took him toward the back of the audience. "Ow!" the Wallop cried out as it hit his head on the wall behind him. Eyes rolling in his sockets, he was set down in the seat and held there by the tentacle, just like the rest of the audience.

Suddenly, Piper realized she was in the spotlight. "—go?" she finished quietly, looking around nervously. Oh, not good! She was out on stage, and she didn't have an act! She was so frightened, she wasn't even revolted when on of the men whistled at her.

She giggled nervously. She did have _something_ she could use. "So," she said, "who here likes magic?"

The Producers just crossed their arms and eyed her critically. Finn just peered out from behind the curtain and lifted an eyebrow at her. What was she _doing?_

Trying to ignore their gazes, Piper pulled out two rainbow smokes crystals, rainbow-colored crystals shaped a little like an open hand. Smiling to the crowd as the drumroll started, she let the crystals fall together onto the floor, making an entertaining effect of rainbow-colored smoke. "Uh," she said, turning to the crowd and gesturing toward the smoke cloud, "abra-ca-ta-da?"

But the crowd just groaned and muttered. The Producers weren't amused either. "Boring!" they cried in unison.

"Hey!" she cried back at them, holding up a finger. She was so annoyed, she didn't notice the tentacle slithering up behind her. "You try coming up with an act when all you've got are a couple of rainbow smokers!" she challenged the Producers.

Staldorf just rested his head in his hand and looked at the ceiling as if it were much more interesting. Only Walder answered her. "Now you're even more boring," he said.

That's when Piper noticed the tentacle.

By now, the thing had slithered up behind her. It rose into the air above her head, threatening to come crashing down and wrap itself around her. Piper cried out fearfully and covered her head with her hand.

But then, she stopped. There was the sound of a noisemaker. She glanced up and looked toward stage left. What the . . . ?

There was Radarr. He leaned on a small cane, looking cool and casual. He wore a little top hat, and on his uniform was now a little white flower. He blew the red noisemaker again before throwing it over his shoulder casually as classical piano jazz music began to play with his act.

Piper watched with wonder as the little creature strode out on two legs with one paw on his hat and the other spinning his cane. Three tentacles had come up behind Piper now, and Radarr put his hat on top of one of them before throwing his cane to another, which caught it by the handle. Then, stopping and turning around, he smiled proudly with his chest puffed out and eyes closed. When the third tentacle leaned down toward him, the crowd laughed as the fake white flower on his uniform sprayed water on the tentacle. The tentacle raised it itself up again and shook like a dog. Radarr just smiled coolly at the laughing crowd and wiggled his eyebrows smartly. Piper had to admit, it was quite an act for a creature that can't even talk.

Aerrow, meanwhile, peered around the curtain stage left to see what was going on. They were running out of time, he could see. Junko was in the audience, Piper was about to be captured, and Radarr was performing. If the little copilot failed, the only ones left to audition would be Aerrow, Finn, and Stork; the last two did not show much potential, and Aerrow wished to focus on finding an escape. "Time to improvise," Aerrow said quietly to himself.

Then he happened to glance toward his left. There, just beyond, left unguarded, was a square-shaped hole in the floor. A ladder in it led down under the stage where a stage crew might create special effects.

So while Radarr put his flower on his head and began to dance a tapping dance with his arms crossed, Aerrow climbed down the ladder under the stage, unnoticed by any of the tentacles. Hearing the music and feeling assured that Radarr had not yet been given the hook, Aerrow tiptoed his way into the darkness.

Suddenly, he gasped. A tentacle appeared around some of the wooden support beams, heading straight for him. At first, Aerrow didn't know what to do. He _assumed_ these things were tentacles belonging to some hidden beast, but perhaps they were eyeless snake-like creatures. Or worse, creatures that _did_ have unseen eyes. If this was a creature that could see, Aerrow was already spotted.

All the same, he decided it was best to act as if he could not be seen, and he hid behind a wooden beam so as not to make a sound (in case it had ears) or to be close enough where it could feel him. The tentacle slithered past him at first, keeping its tip off the ground. Then, seeming to sense that something was there, the tip did an about face, but it pointed the wrong direction could not feel any threat. With that, the tip turned about again and continued patrolling underneath the stage.

Satisfied that he could not be seen by the tentacle-thing, Aerrow slipped into the darkness away from it as soon as it began to ignore him. He wandered until he found what he was looking for; a way out. Silently, he crawled out from underneath the stage and began to tiptoe his way up the aisle.

Radarr, meanwhile, was still dancing. He had put his hat back on his head and his flower back on his uniform. His hands were on his hips now, and he was still doing his little dance. He had one of the biggest smiles Aerrow had ever seen on his face. Apparently he was having a lot fun.

The fun didn't last, though. As the music stopped and Radarr finished his dance, he lifted his hat into the air and squawked in pleasure, as if to say, _Tada!_ only to be grabbed by a tentacle. He was held up alongside Piper, who also had a tentacle now wrapped around her. "Well," she said to him, "thanks for tryin'."

Apparently Radarr's act hadn't been good enough. The crowd was booing and giving him thumbs down.

Then suddenly there was a blur of blue and brown and yellow. Finn ran out onto the stage, shouting, "Yeah!" and he slid to the edge of the stage on his knees, throwing up his hands in "rock on" signs and letting out a rock-and-roll grunt.

The Producers did not look impressed. They just crossed their arms and frowned at him.

But Finn didn't heed the warning in their gazes. He stood up and smiled at the crowd. "Hey," he said to them, "give me something that rocks!" He clenched his fists and bobbed his head, sending his hair in every direction. He pointed to the crowd. "Try to keep up!"

The musicians' conductor raised his stick. He was ready to go along with the request.

Piper wasn't so sure about this idea. "What are you doing?" she asked Finn incredulously.

"Saving your butt," Finn whispered to her over her shoulder.

Finn put up his hands, ready for the music to start. And when the electric guitar rang out, Finn was ready. "Oh, no, please," Piper begged quietly, "not the air guitar!" She closed her eyes, not bearing to watch.

But it was the air guitar. Finn stuck out his tongue as he began, jamming as hard on his invisible guitar as he could. Soon he was stepping it across the stage.

Surprisingly enough, the crowd liked it. They clapped along as the drum joined in.

Then Finn got a little carried away . . . at least, Piper thought so. He got up on top of the speakers and then jumped off, forming a perfect rocker move for the many cameras flashing. Then he started spinning around on his side in the middle of the stage. For Piper, it was _so_ embarrassing.

But luckily, even some of their enemies seemed to like it. Three tentacles looming on the opposite side of the stage tapped along with the beat. Even Staldorf was a little impressed. He turned to Walder. "You know," he said to him, "it's catchy."

But Walder was _not_ impressed. He had his arms crossed and he gave Staldorf a skeptical look. "Oh, sure," he said. "So is zebra-pox!"

Finn grabbed the microphone. "Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! _Oh, yeah!_" he screamed. Then, to Piper's horror, he kicked the speakers on one side of the stage, knocking them down. Then he did the same to the ones on the other side. Then he was back in the middle of the stage with his air guitar, and with one last grunt, he fell over on his back right in the middle of the musicians, knocking over their stands, scattering their music, and even knocking the fiddle to the floor. Piper cringed. Now _that_ was embarrassing.

But Finn didn't think so at all. He just sat up and smiled. "Now that's talent," he said.

But apparently, the Producers and their tentacle-thing didn't think so. Finn cried out in surprise as a tentacle wrapped around his middle. Piper screamed as she, Finn, and Radarr were lifted high in the air.

Finn was furious. His great air guitar act was being dished! "You wouldn't know real talent if it kicked you in the pants!" he shouted at the Producers.

"Yeah, right," Walder answered sarcastically. The next moment, Finn was zapped with green bolts from the tentacle.

But Finn still wasn't taking a hint. He, Piper, and Radarr were pulled toward the back of the audience to be seated and tied down next to Junko. But Finn still struggled, still keeping conversation. "Which I promise to do if I ever get the chance to!" he threatened, referring to his earlier comment.

The Producers just glared at him, Walder with his arms crossed and Staldorf with his hands on his hips. "And don't call us," Staldorf said.

Staldorf pointed a finger at Finn, and the Producers spoke in unison. "We'll call you!"

Suddenly, two feet landed on the balcony railing in front of the Producers. Aerrow stood before them, pointing two fingers at them. "Alright, you two," he said, balling his hands into fists. "Show's over!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Um, let's see, trivia . . . I don't really know much about show business, so I can't pull any trivia out of my head, not even something to research.

Well, here's something in reference to the Red Eagles in "Age of Heroes."

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Many coat-of-arms in the world bear the images of red eagles. Brandenburg (now part of Germany) had a coat of arms bearing a red eagle on a white background with other accessories. The coat of arms of Nigeria has a red eagle on top, as does the coat of arms of Zambia. Red Eagle is also the name of many boats, planes, and show animals. So it is not surprising that Terra Atmosia, the capital of the free Atmos, started out with the Red Eagle squadron.

Well, that's all I got. Please review and vote!


	83. Terra Neon: Secret Star

Chapter 3: Secret Star

Despite Aerrow's threatening glare, the Producers were not as concerned for their lives as Aerrow had hoped they would be. Walder simply put his hand on his chin thoughtfully, and Staldorf stared in awe. "Woo, how dramatic!" Staldorf exclaimed, turning to Walder.

"The kid's got style," Walder agreed.

Irritated that they weren't taking him seriously, Aerrow drew his right blade and pointed it at them threateningly, the glowing blade getting dangerously close to Staldorf's throat. As far as Aerrow could see, he had them, and there was no escape. He wiggled his finger in the direction of a tentacle looming over him. "Call off your tentacle monster, or whatever that thing is!" the Sky Knight demanded.

Much to Aerrow's confusion, instead of feeling endangered by Aerrow's blade, the Producers looked amused. Staldorf began to laugh, holding up a finger. "The first rule of a good performer, kid," he told Aerrow, "know your audience."

"Right," Walder agreed with a smirk on his face. "That thing, as you call it—"

"—is us!" the two Producers finished in unison.

From the audience, screams erupted as the Producers began to rise higher. Aerrow dropped his arm and his mouth fell open. Now the Producers had stood up and were looming over his head. But they didn't have legs; their lower bodies were _tentacles!_

At first, Aerrow found he was speechless. Then at last he found his voice. "Oh," he said, cringing. "That's . . . really . . . kinda creepy."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. The platform began to shake, and Aerrow's feet tottered on the railing. Then, the whole platform exploded into splinters. With a cry, Aerrow found himself falling backward off the railing with nothing to grab onto. Hoping to land on his feet, Aerrow spun himself around.

But he didn't fall. He grunted painfully as a tentacle reached out and grabbed him. The tentacle spun him around, and Aerrow caught his breath. At last, he could see where all the tentacles met.

The thing was a huge monster, as big as any phoenix, and it was green and spiked with orange spines all around its main body. Its legs were as tall as men and big and muscular. Each had two toes that were complete with humungous claws. A huge, gaping mouth sat where the eyes should be, and it opened and roared in Aerrow's face, showing off its bad breath and large, pointed teeth. Its many tentacles waved around it, but only two tentacles protruded from its top, one for each of the Producers.

The next thing Aerrow knew, he was being carried through the air again. He cried out in his struggle, but it was no good. He grunted as the tentacle sat him down between Piper and Finn and held him there.

Walder let out a sound of disgust. "I've had it with this terra!" he exclaimed angrily.

Aerrow's heart fluttered. If they'd "had it," then what would they do to the audience?

But Staldorf stopped Walder from saying whatever he was going to say by putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, look," he said, pointing to the stage.

One of the Producers' tentacles was there, pushing a timid, green figure onto the stage. Looking around and muttering and shivering, Stork stepped into the spotlight and was pushed toward the microphone. Grabbing the mike, Stork giggled nervously as he peered up at the Producers, his knees knocking against one another.

Walder was not impressed. He gestured toward Stork. "So _this_ is all we've got left?" he exclaimed irritably. "I think it's time to close down this production . . . permanently!"

Stork shivered as he stared up at the Producers, who leaned their giant creature-body forward to look over him. Stork's teeth were chattering together, and he felt sure his heart was about to burst with fear. A huge monster was looming over him . . . and he was on stage. He was on stage! He. Was. On. _Stage!_

The Merb glanced to his left, only two gasp as he saw three tentacles twisting through the air toward him. Giggling nervously, he glanced to his right to find some kind of escape. He only gasped again as three more tentacles were headed toward him in that direction. The tentacles circled around him; there was no way out. They were going to make him do the most terrible thing in the world! They were going to make him perform . . . _on stage!_ Stork screamed.

Aerrow could only watch in pity, unable to do anything to help. Poor Stork.

Still grasping the microphone, Stork turned and looked up at the Producers again, swallowing. "Um . . ." he began, wondering what to do. The Producers glared down at him critically. Stork trembled even more and swallowed again. "I'm, uh . . ."

This time, the conductor helped him out. He tapped his stand with his stick three times and signaled for the musicians to play. Soft, eerie music filled the theater.

Finding that there was nothing else to do, Stork just began to tell how he felt . . . in poetry.

"_I'm feeling dread,_

_Um, from the corns of my feet_

_To the hair on my head."_

He looked down at where a tentacle began to circle around his legs. Looking up, he tried to continue. "I . . ." He paused and leaned toward the microphone, gasping into it.

"_I, uh, can't breathe."_

Grasping the mike's stand, he hung his head, gasping for breath.

As one of the musicians began to softly strum an electric guitar along with the beat, the Storm Hawks watched with amazement, their jaws dropped open. Aerrow couldn't believe it! Stork's doom poetry was actually . . . good!

Gasping, Stork continued on.

"_I don't even know how I'm able to speak."_

He held up a finger.

"_I shouldn't be here. I'm sensitive, you know."_

As the drum joined in with the beat, the Producers exchanged glances.

"_Last thing I want is to be part of your horrible show."_

The great monster-body of the Producers growled as it leaned closer. They were getting interested.

Stork fell to his knees as he spoke.

"_Darkness is falling. It's all closing in._

_That's it. Goodbye. I've reached a deep end!"_

The great beast took a step forward, leaning even further over the stage.

Stork held his hands up in the air.

"_All of you watching, you'll see my demise!_

_Please, show me some mercy and cover your eyes!"_

Drawing in a deep breath, Stork covered his eyes and fell over backward on the stage. Then his eyes popped open again, and he held up a hand to the heavens.

"_Farewell, cruel world!"_

The Producers stared down at him in awe, their jaws hanging open.

"Um," Stork said, pointing to them, "I'll be fainting now." And with that, he collapsed, and the music stopped with the strike of a cymbal.

"Uh . . . wow." That was all Aerrow could say. The performance had been absolutely amazing! Who knew the Storm Hawks had a secret star among them?

The audience agreed. They all cheered and held their thumbs up in approval and applauded. A Blizzarian held up his furry blue arm and gave a "rock on" sign.

The Producers were ecstatic as well. Smiling like fools, they hugged each other. They had found their act!

Finn let out a sound of disgust. "_That's_ better than my air guitar?" he whined. All that got him was a slap in the face by the tentacle holding him. He wiggled as white lights popped in his eyes.

But Stork had only one thought. "Thank Atmos," he said as he sat up. "It's over."

"Over?" Walder's voice boomed in disbelief. Stork gasped as suddenly a tentacle pushed itself underneath him, lifting him up toward the Producers. "This is just the beginning!" Walder exclaimed.

Stork was mortified. "Uh, um, uh, um." He stuttered like fool. "Y-y-you, you want me to do that . . . again?" He cringed, and his eye twitched.

Staldorf pointed at him, smiling. "And again and again and again!" he answered him, leaning forward toward him and clasping his hands. "Seven shows a week!"

Walder leaned forward in between Staldorf and Stork, clasping his hands and smiling at Stork. "Two on Sundays," he clarified.

Stork shivered as the tentacle set him down on the stage and pushed him up in a standing position. _Seven shows . . . a WEEK!_

But the Producers were rapturous, grinning like fools. "You'll be famous," Walder told Stork.

"And we'll be rich!" Staldorf exclaimed. "We'll make thousands!" As he said it, a tentacle pushed a bouquet of flowers into Stork's left hand.

"Millions!" Walder exclaimed as another tentacle pushed a basket of berry fruit in Stork's other hand.

"Billions!" Staldorf said as two more tentacles appeared in front of Stork, one holding a contract and the other holding a sharpened, red pencil.

"Uh, what comes after billions?" Walder asked Staldorf.

"Uh, guh," Staldorf stuttered, putting a finger on his lip to think. Holding up a finger, he smiled and exclaimed, "Gazillions!"

"Exactly," Walder said, poking Staldorf in the nose. As Staldorf frowned and rubbed his nose, Walder let out a wheezing sound that Stork soon recognized as a laugh.

But that was all Stork recognized because the next moment, he was gone. He dropped the basket of fruit and threw the bouquet at Walder, hitting him in the chest. While they were distracted, Stork slid under a tentacle in front of him, hyperventilating. "You've got the wrong guy!" he shouted as he ran toward the end of the stage, the tentacle trailing him. There was no way he'd let this beast of two brains capture him and make him perform! He'd rather be caught by Cyclonians!

He squealed as he reached the end of the stage and did a cannonball off the edge. "Wait, come back!" Staldorf called after him, holding up a finger. But Stork wasn't going to reply, not on his life! Quickly, he ducked down, looking for a hiding place.

The Producer beast's two heads stared around the room. "Where did he go?" Walder asked. No one answered.

Then a girl's scream rang out in the audience, and the Producers turned to it. Stork gasped as he stood up from his hiding place near the girl's skirt, realizing he'd been sighted . . . and had also been where he wasn't supposed to be. That was a bad choice in hiding places.

Indeed the Producers had seen him. "There!" Walder exclaimed, pointing to him. Screaming again, Stork ducked back under the seats, getting down by the girl's legs again and crawling forward. "There he goes!" Walder cried, pointing.

Stork at last thought he had a good hiding place, behind the railing on the front row. But then two tentacles wrapped themselves around the end of the railing and broke it off, revealing Stork's hiding place. With a cry, Stork leaped up off his hands and knees and made a break for the door.

"Wait!" Staldorf called after him. "We just wanna talk!"

Then an amazing thing happened. The Producer beast began to walk forward. And as it did, the tentacles unwrapped from around the audience, having to trail after their body. The Storm Hawks and the rest of Terra Neon were free!

All except Stork.

The Merb screamed as he ran out of the theater as fast as he could, his arms reaching out in front of him. Four tentacles followed him out the door. Then, unable to reach him or fit through the door, the Producer beast destroyed the front of the theater, shattering it to splinters of wood.

The Producer beast's tactics were still bribes. "We'll stock your dressing room with your favorite candy!" Staldorf offered Stork as the beast chased him. "You can have your own limo!"

Stork gasped. No way was he going back for _that_!

"Whatever it takes!" Staldorf insisted.

The beast stopped as a sign blocked its way, and Walder turned to Staldorf. "Hold on," he said to him. "Let's not give away the farm here." And with that, the beast knocked the sign aside with a tentacle, shattering it.

Stork kept running. No, no, no, no, _no!_ "I am not getting back on stage!" he said between gasps as he ran. "I would rather jump into the Wastelands!"

And without even a moment's thought, he jumped off the edge of the terra, falling face first. The Producer beast stopped at the edge of the cliff, and the Producers stared down at him in astonishment.

But Stork was not _completely_ suicidal. With a scream, he spun himself around and pulled at a string on his belt to deploy his parachute and safety balloon. And he gasped and pulled it again. And again. And again. The smell of sulfur reached his nose, and Stork screamed again. His parachute wouldn't deploy! He was doomed! Oh, well, better than a life of stage performance.

Then, just when Stork thought he was going to collide with one of the Wasteland's craggy spears of volcanic rock, the parachute deployed and the safety balloon blew up underneath it.

Stork shivered and moaned as he looked at the landscape below him. The gleaming rivers of lava oozed beneath him like a living, breathing thing. A warm updraft of air lifted him, and the heat and scent of sulfur stung his eyes and nose.

But there were bigger things to worry about. Looking ahead him, Stork saw where the draft was blowing him, and he gasped and screamed again. He was on a collision course with one of the pointed volcanoes! Stork tucked his legs up close to him as he passed over it, and he squealed as its jagged point scraped his rear. That was going to leave an embarrassing mark.

As he spun around, he spotted a huge crack in a larger volcano that formed a hole. From its depths came a growl, and two lava-colored eyes peered out at him, smoldering in a hungered rage. Stork giggled nervously. This was not as bad as being on stage, but it was pretty darn close!

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, here's a trivia that doesn't have much for the show, but what can I say? I can't seem to find anything here.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In Medieval times, becoming a knight is a little different than it is in Atmos. When a boy of royal blood turned six or seven, they were sent away to a castle to be trained by the lord and lady of the castle. Then the boy becomes a page. A page serves the lady, doing what she tells him. They perform errands, have kitchen duties, learn to clean armor, to hunt, and to fight with wooden swords and spears. At about age fourteen, a page becomes a squire. Different squires had different jobs. A squire of the body acted as a knight's personal servant. He helped to dress the knight and carried weapons to them in battle. A squire of the chamber attended to the rooms of the castle. A table squire carved meat and attended banquet dinners (like the Harrier's squire in "The Code"). The squire of wines handled the wine cellar. The squire of the pantry stocked and kept track of household goods in the pantry. The squire of arms cleaned and maintained the armor and swords, and the squire of honor assisted the lord in all ceremonies and feasts. A squire is also advanced enough to carry real weapons. When it was time to be knighted, a squire did not go through anything like the Sky Knight Trials. A squire's knight simply decided when they should be knighted. The squire normally went to a monarch to be knighted. There was a ceremony called the "dubbing," before which the squire bathed and wore white to signify purity. He then knelt before the monarch and took the oath of a knight, and the monarch laid the flat of the sword on either shoulder and dubbed the squire a knight.

_Viola!_

Um . . . that's all I got . . . R & R!


	84. Terra Neon: Wasteland Rescue

Chapter 4: Wasteland Rescue

Terra Neon loomed behind Stork like a humongous beast. Now it grew vicious. As if to add to his terror, the Producer beast leapt off a ledge on the side of the terra, where they had climbed down to. Stork let out a shivering gasp as the thing headed toward him. Its two brains were still trying to convince him to join it. "You'll have your own trading cards," Staldorf bribed, "actions figures, your own fan club!"

"I don't want any of that!" Stork cried. His terror made his voice sound awfully whiney.

"Fine," Staldorf exclaimed in frustration as the beast continued to chase Stork. "Just tell us what you do want."

Oh, Stork knew what he wanted. "I am not getting back on stage."

Stork's balloon drifted between two craggy towers of spear-tipped rock, and he hoped for a moment that this might deter the beast. No such luck. The beast knocked aside one of the mini mountains as if it were a pile of dust.

"We're willing to negotiate," Walder called after Stork.

But Stork refused to answer. He only let out a wavering gasp as his balloon began to drop lower. He squealed as two geysers exploded underneath him, and one erupted so close, he could feel its heat like a burn. Then another one exploded in front of him, and he gasped, leaning away from it.

That was all the opportunity the Producer beast needed. As Stork leaned toward it, a tentacle shot out and hooked around him, pulling him toward the beast. "Hey, gotcha!" Staldorf exclaimed in triumph.

The tentacle wrapped itself completely around Stork. With a simply flick from another tentacle, the balloon and parachute popped off Stork's back and went flying around in circles as the air was released from the balloon.

Although Stork was afraid of the Producer beast, he was more afraid of what he would have to do if it kept him. As the tentacle raised him up to meet the Producers, he addressed him as bravely as he could. "I am not going back on stage!"

But the Producers weren't taking that. They just smiled at him, and Staldorf crossed his arms. "We're producers, kid," Walder said.

"We don't take orders from the talent," explained Staldorf.

And then, just to make their point, another tentacle reached out and struck Stork's cheek. Before he could recover, another tentacle struck the other cheek. Stork only had time to gasp before the first tentacle struck him again. Cheeks stinging, head spinning, ears ringing, Stork hung his head and moaned.

But Walder's words made him shake his head and recover quickly. "And you are ours now," the Producer said, pointing to him, "which means the show _will_ go on."

Stork shivered, slammed his eyes shut, and began to let out little whimpers of terror. No, no, _NO!_ He would rather be _doomed_ than this! In fact, this _was_ doom . . . the worst doom imaginable!

Then Stork opened an eye. "Huh?" The sound he heard was like music to his ears: the droning sound of a Heliscooter engine in bike mode. Hearing it, too, the Producers looked over their shoulders.

It was Piper. With her face set in a snarl, she drove along the dry, scorched ground of the Wastelands, heading straight for the Producer beast and Stork. Above her flew Junko, and on either side of her flew Aerrow and Radarr and Finn. The rest of the Storm Hawks had come.

Storks smiled, and his heart soared. "I'm saved!" he breathed in relief.

But he wasn't saved just yet. He screamed as the Producer beast started forward, running away from the four pursuing skyrides.

Piper narrowed her eyes at the beast as they chased. "Hang on, Stork," she said. "We're comin'."

The Storm Hawks set their sights on the Producer beast as it weaved around the pools and rivers of lava of the Wastelands. Junko was the first to act. Smirking at the beast's back, he shot a "Blue Tickler" (a type of Little Birdie Missile) at it. Staldorf ducked and covered his head with his hands as the missile sailed overhead and slammed into a volcano beside the beast. "No!" Aerrow scolded Junko. They couldn't blast it! "We might hit Stork!"

The beast was breathing heavily now, gasping with its large monster-mouth. Trying to think up a plan, Aerrow directed the team to swerve to the right, away from the beast where there was more solid ground. Finn, Junko, and Aerrow and Radarr all landed and changed to bike mode, driving in behind Piper.

Finn let out a sigh of frustration, letting Aerrow and Radarr drive up next to him. "If we can't blast it," he asked, "how're we gonna stop it?"

Before Aerrow could answer, Staldorf and Walder turned around on their tentacles and glared at them. They shot a tentacle out at Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. Aerrow grunted as he swerved, narrowly avoiding the blow. "Good question," he answered Finn. He had no idea how to stop it.

But he didn't have to. Piper made the decision for him.

Without even telling the others what she was doing, Piper gunned her engine and pulled up along side the beast. Grunting, she jumped to her feet, balancing on her seat. Then, with another grunt, she leapt from her ride and grabbed hold of the creature. As soon as Staldorf and Walder glanced back at her, a tentacle had her in its grasp. Piper screamed.

"Piper!" Aerrow shouted in panic. "Hang on!" Without even thinking, he surged forward, desperate to save both his friends. And he felt he had real reason to worry for Piper especially. The Producers _wanted_ Stork; they didn't want Piper.

"Wait!" Piper cried desperately to the Producer beast. "Uh, you can't do this!"

The Producers glared at her over their shoulders again. "Oh, and why not, Miss Smarty-Pants?" Staldorf jeered.

"Because, uh . . ." Piper thought fast, but all she could come up with was, "If you want Stork, you have to go through me!" She pointed her thumb at herself.

The Producers' faces lit up. Through _her_, eh?

Before Aerrow even knew what was going on, the beast in front of him jumped in the air, spun sideways, and slid to a stop. "Whoa!" Aerrow shouted as he realized him and Radarr, Junko, and Finn were on a collision course. Quickly, the boys split up and swerved around the beast. Aerrow and Radarr and Finn went right. Junko went left. They all slid to a stop and stared up at the Producers, Piper, and Stork.

Piper's tentacle held her up next to Stork now, so she was face to face with Staldorf. "Uh, Piper," Stork gasped anxiously, "what are you doin'?"

Piper didn't answer. She simply stretched her neck, trying to get comfortable in the tentacle's grasp, and sent Staldorf a glare.

Staldorf only laughed in her face good-naturedly. "An agent! Ha ha!" he said excitedly. "Finally, someone we can negotiate with."

Piper tried not to let her confusion show. That wasn't exactly the reaction she expected, but she'd go with it.

"Ah," Walder said, leaning toward her. "Alright, kid. What do ya want?"

"Um . . ." Piper thought a moment. "A package deal," she said at last. "If you want your star, you have to take Finn, too."

Finn smiled and cocked an eyebrow. Aerrow had no doubt Finn liked that idea.

But the Producers thought otherwise. They pointed a tentacle in his face. Walder made a sound of disgust. "That hack?" he exclaimed. "Never!"

"Hey!" Finn protested, knocking the tentacle aside. All that got him was a slap in the face by another tentacle. He giggled nervously as the world went blurry.

At last, Aerrow figured out what she was doing. "Piper's distracted it," he told the others. Now was there chance to act. But just how were they supposed to act . . . ?

The sound of hissing steam reached his ears. Aerrow looked off to his left and saw a red-hot geyser spraying steam into the air. Perfect. He faced the Producer beast again and cried, "Now!"

Finn was clueless, as usual, but Junko knew what to do. He and Aerrow and Radarr charged the beast, spinning around it. As they went, Aerrow and Junko each grabbed a tentacle, wrapping it around the legs of the beast. The Producers, who were watching them, began to get dizzy. "Whoa," Slaldorf said as they began to sway.

Then Aerrow and Junko pulled the tentacles tight. With a cry from Walder, the Producer beast fell over, its rear landing on the currently non-active geyser. With screams, Piper and Stork were sent high into the air. Aerrow and Radarr and Finn shot forward to catch them. "Whoa!" Piper cried as she landed on her rear on the back of Finn's Skimmer.

Stork wasn't so lucky. He landed on his stomach on the back of Radarr's cockpit. Groaning, the Merb raised his head, looking disoriented. Aerrow and Radarr could only smile in amuse. "Nice of such a big star to drop in on us little people," Aerrow teased.

Stork didn't seem to think that was funny; he just frowned at the Sky Knight. Well, Aerrow thought, at least his copilot thought it was funny. Radarr smiled and patted Stork on the back before the Storm Hawks all drove away.

"No! Wait!" Staldorf called after them, reaching out toward them desperately. "Come back! Our all-star review opens on Terra Bogaton in a week! Ah!"

But before the beast could get up and chase them, there was a whistling sound from underneath, like a tea kettle. Staldorf and Walder glanced down. What the . . . ?

Then the geyser erupted.

Both Producers screamed as the beast leapt to its feet and ran in circles around the geyser, pressing most of its tentacles to its steaming, burning rear. Staldorf was screaming, and Walder was saying, "Ow, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Ah! Yow!"

The beast finally got the burning to calm, and it stopped running in circles while the Producers hugged each other in pain. "That's smarts!" Walder groaned.

Staldorf sniffled twice. Then his frustration mounted to anger, and he aimed it at the nearest being. "This . . . this is all your fault!" he accused Walder, pointing a finger at him.

"What?" Walder answered in disbelief. "My fault?"

"You heard me!" Staldorf shouted.

"No," Walder countered, "it was _your_ idea to come to Terra Neon!"

"My idea?" Staldorf exclaimed irritably, putting a hand on his chest.

"Well, we should have gone to Toledos like _I _wanted," Walder said. "At least there they have wrestling."

They were so busy arguing that they didn't see a shadow creeping up behind them.

Staldorf crossed his arms irritably. "Wrestling," he said, making a sound of disgust. He exclaimed angrily. "And now we don't have any stars yet!" He covered his eyes with his hand. "It can't any worse!"

It was then Walder glanced off to their left. Eyes widening, he elbowed Staldorf's arm.

Three of the Wastelands' eel-like monsters were slithering toward it. When they saw they were spotted, they all lifted their heads and roared at it. The Producer beast's heads turned to look the other direction, and the Producers' hearts almost stopped. Eight monsters in all had them backed against the geyser.

"For you, I've got news," Walder said to Staldorf. It just got worse.

* * *

The Storm Hawks, meanwhile, flew back to Terra Neon. Once there, they got their ship and wasted no time in leaving. So much for their vacation.

As the sun began to rise, turning the clouds to honey, Stork put the _Condor_ on cruise control and left for the balcony to cool off. Hoping to help the Merb feel better, Aerrow followed him up.

The two leaned against the railing side by side. "Well, Stork," Aerrow said at last, smiling at him, "you became a star and saved a whole terra." He put a hand on his shoulder. "Not bad for one day."

Stork had his arms crossed, as if trying to hold back shivers. "Yeah, you're right," Stork agreed with the Sky Knight. "It wasn't bad." He stood up straight, suddenly dramatic. "It was terrifyingly," he clasped his stomach, "gut-squeezingly," he put his finger in his ear and pulled it out with a pop, "poke-a-hole-in-your-head-and-pour-flame-corn-in-it awful." As he finished, he slouched, looking exhausted.

Piper walked up on in front of him with a sheet of paper held to her chest. She exchanged a smile with Aerrow. That was the Stork they knew, alright. Aerrow leaned against the railing again. "Nice to see your time in the spotlight hasn't changed you," he said with a smile.

But Piper didn't seem so lighthearted about it all. She gazed out at the golden sky before them. "I just wonder if we've seen the last of that thing," she whispered. Her eyes met Aerrow's, and he could see they were worried.

But Aerrow just cast her grin. For some reason, he felt they had nothing to worry about.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Producer beast had hitched a ride on Ravess's flagship. The Bluster Chapter Talons were auditioning

They all sat on their stool in front of music stands, playing their violins with gusto. Ravess stood in front of them, playing her own violin without looking at music. "Faster!" she demanded her Talons. But they didn't. Angered, she shouted, "Play faster!" and knocked down the nearest Talon's music stand with her violin bow.

Suddenly, two green tentacles headed Ravess's direction. "_Boring_," Walder's voice rang out.

Ravess was so shocked by the tentacles that she didn't even recognize the insult.

"I agree," Staldorf told Walder.

Raves cringed as the two tentacles began to circle around her. Oh dear . . .

"For once, you agree," Walder praised Staldorf.

"Sure, I can agree," Staldorf answered. "It's not so bad."

Raves gasped silently as the tentacles began to wiggle, nearly touching her.

"You know what this orchestra needs?" Staldorf exclaimed.

"What?" Walder asked.

"An _air guitar!_"

"Now you're talking!"

"Ha ha!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, I wonder how Ravess ever got out of that one. Come to think of it, I wonder how the Producer beast got out of the Wastelands at all.

Speaking of Ravess, here's a trivia that some of you might have known and some of you might not have.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Did you know that if you take the last S off of Ravess that you spell "raves," the plural of "rave"? To rave means to give high praise or speak wildly and incoherently. But, probably more relative to _Storm Hawks_, rave also means to be very stormy and make a loud roaring sound.

Okay, that's all I got. Thanks y'all! Please review!


	85. The Storm Hawks Seven: Play's the Thing

Author's Notes: Sorry I haven't been writing! My computer got a major virus! But don't worry, I have it back now, and everything is set in motion, although updates will be slower now that school is once again a daily part of life.

* * *

_**Part 21**_

_**The Storm Hawks Seven**_

_An old friend returns, and an old enemy is confronted. Power is sought, and power is lost forever. New ways of doing things are discovered. Sound is magnified. A land shatters. The power of friendship is discovered. The loner is no longer alone, and a new alliance is made. A new Storm Hawk takes wing and then descends again._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Play's the Thing

It hadn't taken long for the Producer beast to escape the Wasteland and its monsters; it took even less time for Ravess to be rid of the Producer beast by all means necessary. For you see, Ravess was on a mission. She was headed toward Polaris Pointe for a surprise inspection.

Polaris Pointe, a tiny sliver of terra, was a jagged piece of rock and ice with a hole at its center. Its tip was pinnacle, and there were only a few miles of walking terrain on it. It was a very dark place, due to the thunderheads clustering on east and west sides of it, leaving only the narrow strip of clear skies where sunlight came through. At night, the place was pitch-black with hardly a star to pierce the darkness. When Ravess arrived, it was late morning, and the sun peered through the strip of sky, turning the clustering, saturated clouds navy blue.

It was here that Ravess had set up a section of her Bluster Chapter for her latest plan. The point of the Pointe had been flattened to make room for a huge blaster canon the looked strangely like a megaphone. The Sonic Megaphonic Mega Masher, Ravess called it, also known as the Sonic Devastator. If the contingent stationed here had done what they were told, then it would be almost ready for use.

At Ravess's arrival, Snivelle was quick to get his troops in order. He had his sixteen men lined up for Ravess to see. High heels clicking as she went, Ravess walked with Snivelle at her side, striding down an aisle created by the Talons on her left and on her right a group of four Switchblades, including her own, which stood out among the red vehicles like a purple thumb. Her four Talons marched behind her in two rows, each one holding a Cyclonian staff.

Snivelle rubbed his gloved hands together nervously and glanced up at Ravess with a raised eyebrow. His eyes, like most Talons of the higher ranks, were not covered by red goggles. He was an ugly sight, showing the signs of genetics gone wrong somewhere. He was a blue-eyed, fair-haired albino with an angular gargoyle face complete with a number of blemishes and small, pointed beard. He was a hunchback, and his right shoulder rose slightly higher than his left, and he sniveled much, which is the reason for which he was named. Despite these obvious physical handicaps and the fact that Ravess hated snivelers, Snivelle normally had the brains for the job, and for this reason his shoulder plates each wore the two purple lines signifying a higher rank among the Bluster Chapter Talons.

Ravess raised an eyebrow at the Talons lined up and at Snivelle critically, not pausing in her pacing. "I love surprise inspections," she said, noticing Snivelle's nervousness. "It's fun watching fools sweat."

Snivelle knew she was talking about him, but he was too scared of her to wish anything but to please her. He simply cast her a timid smile and nodded energetically.

Ravess wasn't even paying attention to him. "Have your men gather our instruments," she instructed him. She stopped and turned to him. "As soon as my inspection is complete, I want to prepare for a full rehearse."

Snivelle, wide-eyed and serious, saluted her and snapped his fingers at four of his men, who took off immediately.

Ravess smirked. "I can't wait for everyone to here my latest symphony."

She, Snivelle, and the rest of the troops all went into the cave-like entrance of the garrison. Not long after, the four men returned, each groaning under the weight of a large cello or double base and their bows. One of them even carried the bow in his teeth. It was the first of many other instruments of the violin family to follow.

And no one had found out that they had a visitor.

Not far away, Starling sat upon the _Red Streak_, peering at the new megaphone-like cannon with her spyglass. She couldn't figure out exactly how it worked or what power it ran on, but she knew that it was definitely dangerous, especially because of its location.

She set down the spyglass and considered the situation. This was a mission that would take more than one person. And Starling new just who to call.

The Sky Knight turned on her radio. "Storm Hawks," she called, "meet me on Amazonia. I need backup for a mission," her eyes lifted to the cannon, "a big one." And without waiting for a response, she spun the _Red Streak _around and headed toward Terra Amazonia.

It didn't take long to reach the terra. As soon as Starling spotted the _Condor_, she entered the hangar bay and was soon greeted by the Storm Hawks. Once again, she couldn't help marveling at her youth. At their age, she had only just decided on her quest to become a Sky Knight, whereas almost everyone here, including the Sky Knight, was a youthful teenager with a lot of maturity still ahead of them. Only Stork was comparable in age. Yet Starling liked the "young people." They were kind and innocent and easier to deal with than people her age and, more commonly in her business, people older than her.

The Storm Hawks and Starling all congregated in on the bridge, where Starling finally got to greet Stork, still at the helm. He drove, circling around Terra Amazonia, awaiting further instructions.

The others all gathered round the round table. Starling leaned against the table while Aerrow and Piper stood on either side of her, and Junko and Finn lounged on the couches. As always, Radarr stood close to Aerrow. Starling sometimes wondered jokingly if maybe the creature was just an extension of the boy.

The boy, meanwhile, had his arms crossed and jaw set, all business. "Okay, Starling," he said. "Where to?"

Starling liked that. It showed he would waste no time, wanting to know where before what. "East, high and fast," she answered.

Stork cocked an eye in her direction, and as soon as she spoke, the _Condor_ ascended higher and gunned eastward.

Radarr chirped as his head popped up from below the table. Like the kids, Starling guessed the furry creature probably couldn't comprehend what could _possibly_ be east of Amazonia.

Starling was quick to go into an explanation. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "One of our worst fears has been realized," she said, looking back and forth between the Storm Hawks' two commanders. "The Cyclonians have discovered Polaris Pointe, and it appears they are setting up some kind of massive energy cannon."

"Um, what's a Polaris Pointe?" Junko asked.

"A terra," Piper answered, holding up a map.

Starling thought the definition of the little sliver of rock wasn't really valid; she didn't consider Polaris Pointe a terra in its own right. But she wasn't about to argue. Some experts _did_ consider it a terra.

Piper unrolled the map on the table, and it was the map of little Polaris Pointe itself, and it even had the storm systems on either side marked. "Here," Piper explained, putting a finger on the picture of the little terra. "The problem is the location," she explained. "Around here all ships have no choice but to travel directly past that point." She fingered it again.

"Well, what's the big deal?" Finn asked. "Just fly around it."

"Except that's impossible," Piper answered back. She pointed to the map again. "With deadly storms on either side," she gestured to the Pointe again, "there's only one way through this entire area."

Starling noticed she didn't mention where those storms came from. To the east side lay the Cyclonian territory; to the west lay the Great Expanse, an uncharted part of that Atmos that few ships have come back from. By going around the Pointe, ships would be risking more than just storms.

Starling followed the rest of her train of thought out loud. "An energy blaster on the Pointe will cut off innocent terras. The Cyclonians can take over the whole quadrant." She turned to Aerrow expectantly, waiting to see what he would say about all this.

Aerrow just rubbed his gloved hands together. "Looks like we got an energy blaster to take out," was all he said.

But that wasn't all Starling had in mind. "Oh, we're not just taking out the blaster," she said, leaning on the table and meeting Aerrow's eyes. "I want to take out Polaris Pointe. For good."

Aerrow raised an eyebrow at her. "Huh?" he said. Radarr churred questionably, asking the same question.

"The entire terra?" Junko exclaimed. "That's huge!"

"That's why I need your help," Starling told them. "If we succeed, Cyclonia will never be able to build there again."

Radarr churred and clenched his fist determinedly. If all the Storm Hawks were as revved up as he was, Starling decided, then there should be no trouble making haste.

And they were, it seemed. Finn leapt to his feet with a grunt. "Knock down a rock and save a whole quadrant?" he said. He pointed his famous double trigger fingers at her. "Sounds cool to me!"

Everything was set; they had their plan. Starling had only one concern. "I just hope we get there before Ravess gets that blaster up and running."

* * *

Back at Polaris Pointe, that's exactly what Ravess was planning on doing. The two cranes on either side of the Sonic Devastator were working double time, getting supply crates up toward the blaster. Two Talons patrolled the surrounding skies, flying circles around the blaster.

Even so, Ravess was not happy as she watched from the generous front-view window, which took up the entire wall of the little amplifying chamber underneath the Devastator. Various Talons went back and forth on their way as Ravess stood near the director's stand, scolding Snivelle. "More delays?" she asked testily.

Snivelle put his hands together, smiling up at her tentatively. "I may have made a slight miscalculation preparing for your arrival." His voice was nasally, but even though he looked nervous, his tone was even and sure.

_I do take people's mind off work,_ Ravess flattered herself. Even so, she found that no excuse for Snivelle's mistakes, especially since his nasally, whiny voice annoyed her. She leaned toward him and yelled in his face, making him cringe away. "Unless you want to be cleaning cages on Zartacla for the rest of your miserable life," she clenched her fists, "have this room ready by dawn!" Then, as suddenly as she had been enraged, she straightened her back and walked away calmly, a habit she picked up when wanting to intimidate disobedient underlings.

But Snivelle knew Ravess, and his sharp mind was already at work. "We'll double our efforts," he assured, clenching his fist as an excited smile spread across his face. That was one thing Ravess always liked about him, despite the way he looked and his constant sniff. He was respectful of her and intimidated by her, but he was also a thinker and always stepped up to his tasks, even if he did make a few mistakes here and there. It was this reason that he had reached his higher rank.

But Ravess's mind was on the Sonic Devastator. It _had_ to be up and running soon. "It's time for all of Atmos to hear some devastatingly beautiful music!"

* * *

As the _Condor_ sped away from Terra Amazonia, something horrible happened; Finn pulled out one of his electric guitars, hooked it up to an amplifier, and began to play.

The sound was terrible! Finn obviously was not that skilled in guitar, and amplifier filled the bridge, hurting Starlings eardrums. Stork, still at the helm, cringed and looked over his shoulder, drooping his ears. Starling had to imagine it was a lot worse for him. Other than Radarr and Junko, Stork had the best hearing of the Hawks, and he also absolutely _hated_ rock and heavy metal.

However, it wasn't Stork who ended up pulling the plug on the amplifier. It was the one with the most sensitive ears of all: Radarr.

Finn returned Radarr's glare. "Hey!" he said, clenching his fists. "I was just gettin' my rock on!"

Aerrow seemed to take advantage of the quiet while he, Starling, Piper, Junko, and Radarr congregated at the round table. "Alright," the young Sky Knight said, "what'd we know?"

Piper set a book on the table, opened it, and turned a page. "Polaris Pointe is an unstable mass of rock and ice," she said, pointing to a textbook picture and caption of the Pointe. "One perfectly harmonized geyser crystal shot deep into this weak spot," she clenched her fist and tapped the picture with her finger, putting her finger on a whole in the rock, "will shatter it!"

Starling had to admit, she was rather impressed by the girl's intent research. "Well done, Piper," she praised her. She tuned thoughtful. "Now where can we get a geyser crystal, and fast?"

But Piper had an answer for that, too. She pulled out a crate from under the table. The crate had three blue, glowing, spiky crystals in it: geyser crystals. "Three," Piper announced proudly. "Perfectly harmonized."

Starling smiled. Aerrow hadn't been kidding when he told her that Piper was a genius, dependable and astute. Also a great friend, Aerrow claimed, as he did with all his squadron . . . but that was a touchy subject for Starling.

The older Sky Knight looked around the room as she got an idea. "We should do some training maneuvers while we're on our way," she told the Hawks. "Practice working as a team." She clenched her fist to emphasis her point.

"Great strategy," Aerrow agreed. He pointed to his pilot. "Stork, uh, we'll start with some of your moves."

Stork whipped around, a wicked-looking smirk spreading across his face. "Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. He pointed at Starling. "I just hope _she_ can keep up!"

Starling raised an eyebrow skeptically. What could a scared-stiff carrier pilot Merb do that _she_ couldn't?

"Merbian crazy face test!" Stork said. "Go!"

That's when things got a little ridiculous.

Piper was the first to go. Tilting her head to the side, she opened up her face and sent both her eyes rolling in their sockets, putting her hands on either side of her face like big elephant ears. "Good!" Stork praised her, pointing to her.

Then it was Radarr's turn. Grabbing his ears, he squawked and widened his eyes, making one eye bulged bigger than the other. "Good!" Stork exclaimed, giving him a thumb up.

Junko rubbed his face before he made a face similar to Piper's, only without the hands. At the same time, he patted his head and rubbed his belly, dancing on his feet. "Um, better," Stork said.

Aerrow grabbed the sides of his mouth and pulled them apart as he bulged and popped his eyes in and out. "Nice!" Stork praised.

Finally, it was Finn's turn. With his fingers, he pulled down on his bottom eyelids and then began making weird noises. Stork put his hand to his chin. "Yeah," he said, "still needs work."

Starling couldn't believe what she was seeing! They were all acting like idiots, like . . . kids! "Stop!" she ordered them.

They all stopped their weird faces and turned to look at her with surprised expressions.

"And how exactly does this help?" Starling asked testily.

Aerrow didn't miss a beat. "Merbian crazy face is a tactic Stork's people use to ward off enemies," he explained.

"Besides, it's fun!" Junko added, still patting his head and rubbing his belly at the same time.

"You try," Piper encouraged her.

Starling just blinked at them in haughty disbelief, shaking her head slightly. "I don't think so."

But all the Storm Hawks smiled and peered at her expectantly. Finn crossed his arms, Junko tapped his fingers together, Piper put her hands on her hips, and Radarr chirped encouragingly. Even Aerrow, who Starling had considered rather mature up to this point, nodded his head to her enthusiastically. So Starling decided to satisfy them. With a bored face, she said, "Grr."

The Storm Hawks all blinked at her. "Yeah," Stork said, "um, I suppose it's a start."

Starling had enough of this. She gasped as if just getting a new revelation. "Here's a thought," she said, holding up finger. "We practice precision air combat?" She clenched her fist and smiled haughtily, hoping the kids would get the point.

Aerrow, as always, was excited about the very thought of flying stunts. "Yes!" he shouted, making Radarr jump in surprise. "Great idea! Let's go!"

With enthusiasm glowing on his face, Aerrow led the way down to the hangar bay with an amused Radarr and Piper close behind him. The rest of the boys followed, equally excited, and Starling followed after them, leaving Stork alone on the bridge to drive. Hopefully, Starling thought, they'd actually do some real training.

As Starling mounted the _Red Streak_, she looked her over. She couldn't quite remember why she had named her ride the _Red Streak_. Her ride was painted purple. But oh well. The name stuck.

Once they all had mounted their rides, Finn pulled out his retractable crossbow from under the hood of his Skimmer with the push of a button. A bright orange crystal was glowing at the tip of the loaded bolt. "You remember the rules," he told the others. "Go!" Then, he fired.

The Storm Hawks all reacted instantly, shooting forward after the crystal.

Starling let off her brake and rolled to a stop, watching them go. "Another game?" she sighed despairingly. What would it take to get in some real training?

As the Storm Hawks drove toward the end of the landing strip, Aerrow caught Piper's eye as she sped past him, and they smiled at each other, and Radarr smiled at both of them. Junko and Finn did the same with each other. Silently, the teams were agreed upon. It was best friends against best friends.

Piper and Finn were the first to reach the end of the landing strip and take to the air, followed by Aerrow and Radarr and Junko. Starling followed them up to the end of the strip, but instead of deploying her wings, she slid sideways to a screeching halt and watched them fly off to play their little game. She frowned as she did. What was she going to do with these kids?

They sure did seem to be having fun. Despite having the slowest vehicle, Piper was in the lead when the Storm Hawks finally caught the crystal, and she grasped it in her hands. "Got it!" she exclaimed.

Junko came up behind her with his arm outstretched. "Not for long!" he exclaimed.

But Piper was ready. "Aerrow, catch!" she cried, tossing the crystal toward the Sky Knight.

Aerrow reached for it casually with a smile on his face, but then suddenly Finn's Skimmer was beside his, and the sharpshooter snatched it out of the air just before it reached Aerrow's hand. "I'll take that. Thanks!" Finn exclaimed, smiling smugly at the Sky Knight. "Too slow, Aerrow!" he taunted. He pumped his fists in the air and held the crystal high. "Oh, yeah!"

Suddenly, Aerrow lost his casualness and he was serious. A red and blue blur suddenly spun over Finn, and the crystal was no longer in his hand. "Yaw!" Aerrow cried as he rolled his Skimmer over Finn's and snatched the crystal.

Finn groaned and gestured toward the Sky Knight. "I don't know how he does that."

Aerrow cheered as he and Radarr barrel rolled away from Finn with the crystal in his hand, and he and Radarr exchanged laughs. They'd taken the crystal before Finn even knew what hit him!

Suddenly, everyone's radio buzzed, and Stork's voice was heard. "_Everyone back to the _Condor_. Now!"_

Aerrow frowned. That couldn't be good.

Everyone was quick to head back to the landing strip and drive into the hangar bay. When they pulled to a stop, Aerrow raised an eyebrow in confusion. There was Starling, sitting on the _Red Streak_ with her hand on her hip, glaring at them. She was not happy. "I thought we'd be doing some actual training!" she scolded the younger Knight.

Aerrow ran his hand through his hair uncomfortably. "This is how we train."

"By playing aerial keep-away and crazy face?" Starling shot back angrily.

Aerrow shrugged and gave her a small, embarrassed smile. "Works for us."

But there was no time for Aerrow to explain to Starling why. Stork had said he needed everyone back. Something must be wrong. Aerrow charged up toward the bridge, and Radarr made a flying leap onto his back, hooking his paws over the Sky Knight's shoulders. Piper followed close behind them.

Stork was staring down at his gauges, which spun around at uncontrollable rates. "The scopes going wild!" he told them when he heard the door open.

In a second, Aerrow and Radarr and Piper were on either side of him, studying the scopes for themselves. "Any energy spike," Stork told them nervously. "I've never seen anything this big! It's coming," he gasped and his eye twitched, "from _Polaris Pointe!_"

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's a note about this one's title: "The play's the thing," is from Shakespeare's play _Hamlet_. The last line of the very end of Act II is where Hamlet says, ". . . the play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The origin for Polaris Pointe's name lies in the definition of the two words. "Polar" is of pivotal or central importance. It also means serving as a guide or giving direction. This relates to Polaris Pointe in that it's located in the middle of the only safe air passage in the quadrant. Pointe probably comes from the fact it's in the middle of this passage and the fact that it's, well, pointy.

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	86. The Storm Hawks Seven: Power of Sound

Chapter 2: Power of Sound

A submarine-shaped airship with humungous barrels strapped to its top was flying by Polaris Pointe. As it flew on by, the Sonic Devastator turned to point at it.

Within the chamber below the Mega Masher, Ravess was peering at the ship with her periscope. "A Saharrian water supply ship," she said to herself thoughtfully. She folded up the arms of the periscope and pushed it up out of her way. "Our first audience." She picked up her black violin and bow, tapping her violin strings with her bow three times to get her orchestra's attention.

All around her, her Bluster Chapter Talons, who were required to also be musicians, all had their own instruments, all of them from the violin family. They each held their bows at the ready, waiting for Ravess' command.

"_Symphony of Ruin_, first movement," Ravess commanded.

Soon the chamber was filled with beautiful, skilled, and eerie music set in a minor key. Ravess had the melody, and her violin rose above all the others. As she reached the climax, hanging on a sharp note that came out in shrill-like volume, the Sonic Devastator began to light, aiming at the ship. And then . . . it struck.

The sound waves of the orchestra were channeled toward the airship at an alarming rate, the crystal power converting a small amount of the sound waves to make a visible ultraviolet ray. In a loud, purple explosion, the supply ship burst to pieces from the outside in. The seven survivors, including Blister and his Third Degree Burners, were sent parachuting down to the Wastelands, screaming in shock, fright, and rage.

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, Starling, Finn, and Junko had joined Stork, Aerrow and Radarr, and Piper at the helm. Starling tucked in shoulder-to-shoulder with Aerrow and Radarr, and Finn and Junko got on the other side with Piper. They all stood still, listening intently to the signal coming in and watching the needles on the scopes spin. Violin music floated in through their sensors. Aerrow narrowed his eyes. "I know that tune," he said. "Ravess!"

Suddenly, there was a whirling, pinging sound that, despite the innocence of it, sounded sinister, making Finn and Junko cringe fearfully. No sound like that was made in nature.

Starling knew what the sound probably was. "And that must be her blaster," she told the Storm Hawks. "Working."

* * *

Back at Polaris Pointe, Ravess's orchestra continued on with their _Symphony of Ruin_, although the Sonic Mega Masher remained quiet for the moment. Ravess smirked as three more supply ships came into view, traveling in a squadron. "Another audience?" Ravess said softly. "Perfect!" She chuckled in amusement as she dropped more than an octave, moving into her solo which was gently joined by the others as the cannon was aimed.

The notes rose on the scale, going up in thirds and sliding down steps or half-steps. And then, just as Ravess reached the climax of her musical sentence, wavering on a high, screeching flat, the Devastator blasted one of the supply ships. As the note dropped an interval, the next supply ship was shattered. Then at last the scales dropped to the tonal center, and the third ship was blasted . . . all in less than three seconds. All the survivors were sent parachuting toward the Wastelands just like the first, screaming in shock and fear as they went.

But then, to Ravess's dismay, the Sonic Devastator spun away from the floating survivors, and with a whirling sound, it shut off completely. "Why is it stopping?" Ravess asked Snivelle testily.

Snivelle looked up at her with a frightened expression. "The crystal charge has run down," he answered, cringing away from her and gasping. He knew she could be angry.

And she was. She was furious. Drawing her bow across one of her strings sharply so that the note screeched, Ravess took in a breath as if to yell. But then she regained her composure. It wouldn't do to yell, especially at Snivelle. He always worked better when he wasn't nervous. Besides, Ravess didn't want to lose her cool. But she also had to make herself clear.

So, after closing her eyes and taking a deep sigh, she glared down at Snivelle again. "Fix the power," she growled to him. She held up her bow. "It's a matter of time before some do-gooder Sky Knight tries coming to the rescue!" She pointed her bow at Snivelle threateningly, making the hunchback cringe and whimper like a puppy. "I want this machine invincible!" Ravess demanded.

* * *

The _Condor_ was closing in on Polaris Pointe, just entering the little strip of clear skies in between the two storm systems. Starling and the Storm Hawks strained to hear more of the sonic cannon and Ravess' eerie music, but the scopes picked up nothing after the first four shots were heard. It was time.

Starling congregated the Storm Hawks at the round table. Even though she was not their Sky Knight, this was her idea and her mission; therefore, she was in charge. "With the blaster quiet, we only get this one chance to strike the target," she said, punching her fist into her palm. She pointed around at them. "We need to go straight in. Cover me so I can make the shot and get out of there."

Thank goodness, the kids didn't stop to play or joke. All of the Storm Hawks wasted no time in getting down to their rides (except Stork, who stayed to drive the ship). Their faces were serious, and their Sky Knight's eyes were blazing. This is the squadron that Starling had hoped to work with.

Once they were down there, with the _Red Streak_ and Aerrow's Skimmer in front, Starling gunned her engine. Aerrow looked around at them with a raised eyebrow, looking cocky. "Pound that target fast, and we'll be gone before Ravess even knows she was hit by the Storm Hawks Seven."

Starling looked around at the Storm Hawks with a raised eyebrow, taking a head count and including Radarr. "Um, there are only six of you," she corrected Aerrow.

The boy Sky Knight just smiled at her. "Not today." Without another word, he gunned his engine and drove out of the hangar bay. As his squadron followed him, they all shared the same smile for Starling.

Starling paused a moment, mulling over what Aerrow had said. The Storm Hawks Seven. He was calling her a Storm Hawk. Starling waited for some kind of aversion from her loyalty to the Interceptors. She waited for the fear that she was getting too close to these kids, pilot, and their furry sidekick. But all she felt was a warm glow in her heart. A Storm Hawk . . . She wouldn't mind that. Besides, it was just for now. It can't hurt for one day.

With a smile, she joined the rest of _her_ squadron in driving off the landing strip and taking to the air.

The Storm Hawks Seven made a beeline for Polaris Pointe off in the distance. "This is it!" Piper exclaimed.

But just as they could see Polaris Pointe, Polaris Pointe could see them.

Ravess laughed as she looked through the periscope and saw the five skyrides approaching. "The Storm Hawks!" she exclaimed. She folded up the arms of the periscope and let it pull itself up out of the way. She turned to Snivelle before her. "Prepare the orchestra," she said, holding up a finger. "It's time for our second movement."

"Uh, but, Commander, uh," Snivelle exclaimed, at first sounding panicked, but before he went on, he calmed himself and his tone, "the power isn't back up to full."

Ravess just put her hand on her hip, not at all upset. "We'll make it a short-range accuracy test," she said. "Even at low power," she clenched her fist, "they will suffer!" An evil chuckle escaped her as she smiled coolly.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, the Storm Hawks Seven were edging ever closer to it. Starling and Piper were up front. Piper had out her spyglass, and she peered through it at Polaris Pointe, aiming it at the weak spot. "Target is wide open," she told Starling.

Starling pulled out the geyser crystal piper had given her, smiling at it. "Let's give Ravess' new toy a good shakedown!" she said, smirking as she shook the crystal in the air. With the press of a button, the _Red Streak_'s bow opened up, and a blaster poked its muzzle out, aiming at the Pointe's hole. Starling loaded the geyser crystal into the blaster, and the crystal moved to the end of the barrel, ready to shoot out toward the Pointe. As Starling took aim, she was amused by the situation. "In range!" she said to herself. "Too easy!"

And with that, she flipped up a lid on her right handle to reveal a button underneath it. One press of the button and the crystal was launched. It whistled through the air . . . only to smack into a transparent wall between itself and Polaris Pointe's vulnerable hole. Starling gasped. "Force field!" Oh no.

Ravess only smiled from where she watched on her stand, her violin in one hand and her bow in the other. "I bet they weren't expecting that," she said. She chuckled, waving her bow. "Fools thought I didn't know Polaris Pointe!" She addressed her Talons without taking her eyes off the skimmers out the window. "Narrow the beam and destroy the Storm Hawks."

Immediately, the orchestra was playing. The Sonic Masher was swung around and began to glow as its beam was getting ready to fire.

Aerrow was the first to notice. "Scramble!" he ordered. Everyone had sense enough to follow that order.

As the orchestra reached their highest note, the cannon fired . . . and struck Finn's crystal converters. Finn glanced back as his engine puffed out smoke. Turning back, he groaned. "Always me!" he moaned.

With a cry, Finn jumped up off his crashing ride. Although he knew it was futile, he flapped his arms like wings twice, grunting as he did so, as if trying to fly, but of course, he fell with a scream.

But luckily for him, Aerrow and Radarr were there to catch him. Radarr squawked in alarm and jumped out of his cockpit to avoid Finn landing on him. Finn's eyes rolled and he groaned as he landed astride the tiny cockpit.

Another wavering note from the orchestra, and Aerrow gasped and Radarr squawked simultaneously as a blast from the Devastator struck the Vulcan's top portside wing. Finn stared at the smoking wingtip in exasperation. _Of course_ it struck the ride he was on. "I'm tellin' ya, it's like I'm cursed or something!" he exclaimed to no one in particular. He gasped, ducking a shot at his head.

Junko came in for the save. As the Devastator fired off three more blasts, Junko scowled and pressed a button on his handle. In response, the Storm Hawks symbol on his top portside wing lifted straight up, revealing two Blue Ticklers underneath. With another press of the button, the missiles were released, speeding toward the Mega Masher.

But Junko could only gasp as the Ticklers slammed into the force field, never having reached the Masher.

The Devastator was still at it. It fired two more shots. Piper screamed as she ducked a blast, which slammed into her helicopter blades' stand. The helicopter blades stalled twice, giving off black smoke, before they leveled off again.

Driving up beside Piper, Starling made sure the Heliscooter was still operable. It was damaged but not fallen. That was quite enough for Starling. She had to call them back before someone got hurt. Sighing in aggravation at their new dilemma, she shouted to the others. "We're wasting our time here. Fall back!" Without waiting for the others to respond, she turned the _Red Streak_ about and headed back through the fog toward the _Condor_, the others following her lead. Three shots followed them out. They flew out of sight just as the orchestra ended its second movement.

Under the Devastator, Snivelle stood quivering before the conductor's stand. He was sure Ravess was going to be furious because his blaster had not shot down the Storm Hawks.

But Ravess was smiling as she watched the Storm Hawks leave. "Not to worry," she told her Talons, holding up her bow. She stepped down from the conductor's stand, walking in Snivelle's direction. "They'll return for another beating. And when they do, make sure the Megaphonic Mega Masher is up to full power." She stopped in front of Snivelle, casting him a glare. "Am I clear?"

Still quivering, the hunchback saluted her, cringing in fear.

Satisfied, Ravess said nothing and walked away. Snivelle stared after her, putting a hand to his chin and swallowing fearfully. He could only imagine what she would do to him if he failed to do as she asked.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks Seven were all in the hangar bay. Not planning on going back out to face the Sonic Devastator again anytime soon, the boys had stripped themselves of their armor. Everyone was working on their own rides. Well, almost everyone. Stork was helping Junko with his ride. And Finn . . . He had gotten his guitar, something Starling wasn't sure she could stand any more of.

With the electric guitar hooked up to the amplifiers, Finn began to play horribly and sing in a grating growl, characteristic of a rock star, while off-pitch, which is only _sometimes_ characteristic of a rock star. And no big time rock star is nearly as off-pitch as Finn.

"_We tried to knock down Polaris Pointe,_

_But it knocked us down instead!_

_We tried to knock down—"_

"Finn!" Piper interrupted. "Please stop!"

Finn's face dropped in irritation, but luckily for the rest of them, he listened. He cast Piper a superior look. "Someday you will all be begging for the musical stylings of Finn," he stated.

Piper just shook her head at him and glared as if she couldn't _believe_ he'd just said that. Starling believed he'd said it, but she didn't believe it would happen.

But unlike Piper, Starling was focusing on things more serious than Finn's bad rock. Twisting a last loose screw in on the _Red Streak_, Starling sighed. "Only two geyser crystals left," she said. She stepped forward toward the others, and Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper turned their attention to her. Starling was thoughtful, trying to organize some sort of plan. "If Piper and I infiltrate the garrison and shut down the force field," Starling stated, pointing her screwdriver at Aerrow, "we'll only have to worry about that sonic blaster."

Aerrow gave a small smile of agreement and looked like he was about to contribute to the plan when the loud groan of an electric guitar cut him off. Cringing, they all covered their ears as Finn began to play again. Aerrow and Piper glared angrily at their sharpshooter. Radarr, who held his long rabbit ears in his paws, even growled at Finn, but the wingman was too in-tune with his rock (or trying to be) to notice their glares.

Starling was irritated. Here they were trying to make a plan to stop Ravess from taking over the quadrant, and all Finn could do was play his guitar . . . badly. There was no pretending he was any good. The sound was loud and excruciatingly painful, especially with the sound bouncing off the walls of the echoing hangar bay. She'd bet it's a loud as Ravess's orchestra and not nearly as pretty . . .

Wait. That was it!

When Finn stopped playing, Starling raised her head, a smile on her face. She walked over to Finn, suddenly excited. "That sound!" she exclaimed. "This hangar is like a big amplifying chamber! With Finn's guitar and some creative wiring," she put her hand to her chin thoughtfully, "maybe—"

Finn cringed away, putting his guitar behind him and lifting up a leg to cover all of it protectively. "You're not gonna hurt the rock machine, are you?" he asked nervously, his eyes wide.

"Hardly," Starling answered, pointing to him. "We need you to play your, um—" How could she put this? "—lovely music," she managed.

Finn raised an eyebrow at her. At first, he looked suspicious. But then, he stood up straight again and turned back to them without protecting his guitar. He had a big, silly grin on his face. "Sweet!" he exclaimed.

That's when Stork entered the conversation. He came up beside Finn and snatched the guitar out of his hands, accidentally plucking a string and making it ring out over the hangar bay. The Merb looked the instrument over quizzically. "Oh yeah," he said. "I think I know where she's going with this one."

Starling pointed at the guitar again. Now, more ideas were coming in like a flood. She was on roll. "If Aerrow and Junko can keep that squadron busy with some fun, aerial distraction—"

Aerrow interrupted, leaning against his ride and pointing his screwdriver at the older Sky Knight. "Did you just suggest 'fun' as a battle tactic?" he asked her with a grin.

Starling returned his smile. "Apparently I did," she answered. And she was not the least bit ashamed. Aerrow's smile said he thought their influence in this way had been an improvement. Starling didn't contradict him. Fun and games worked for the Storm Hawks; why couldn't it work for the Storm Hawks Seven?

* * *

Back at Polaris Pointe, Ravess was in the room under the Sonic Devastator, standing on the stand looming above the controls. She hand her hands on hips as she stared out the window, marveling at her own brilliant weapon.

She heard Snivelle's voice before she heard him coming up behind her, and his voice was confident. "The Sonic Megaphonic Mega Masher is back to full power," he said, stopping just behind her. Ravess looked over to see him smirking, obviously thinking the same thing she was.

She turned back to the window and stated, "Then this quadrant is as good as ours."

* * *

Author's Notes: This trivia is really short and obvious.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Snivelle gets his name from the word "snivel." This could mean to sniff repeatedly or to have a runny nose, both of which could describe Snivelle, considering his nasally voice. "Snivel" could also mean to behave in a whining, tearful, or self-pitying way. It's unlikely this definition has anything to do with Snivelle; it's well known that Ravess hates these finds of snivelers.

And now, for much more interesting news: I have located a site that has the original _Storm Hawks _idea! We are talking the very first storyline before it was edited into the edition that we watch on TV. There were such fascinating facts there! Here's some examples:

Terra Nimbus is the birthplace of air travel by machine. It is also Aerrow's home terra.

Aerrow's original name was Sparrow. Piper's original name was Oriole. Finn's original name was Finch. Junko's name was originally spelled "Junco." Ravess' original name was Raven. Master Cyclonis' original name was Master Anarchis.

In the original version, Stork had a limp; you can thank the Cyclonians for that.

In the original version, Aerrow (Sparrow), Finn (Finch), Junko (Junco), and Stork were escapees from the Cyclonian prison mines in the Wastelands and came upon the _Condor_ by chance.

In the original version, Piper (Oriole) could talk to birds.

The White Hawk was a bird that appeared as a guide to Aerrow (Sparrow) and Piper (Oriole) once the _Condor_ was found. Apparently, this was the idea that developed into the Mynall bird-shape shifting Guardians of Atmos of the published version.

Originally, the Helix was an artifact made up of 8 powerful crystals.

Originally, the Storms of Atmos had names, personalities, and intelligence!

Originally, Finn (Finch) was the heavy ballistics expert!

The Dark Ace was originally an assassin instead of being a traitor Storm Hawk!

In the original version, Master Cyclonis (Master Anarchis) loves fashion!

And there's much more: More information on characters, crystals, storms, and the history of Atmos; a link to the _Storm Hawks_ online squadron game; and cool downloads! This site won't let me type the address, but I'll put it up on my profile. But before you do that, please review!


	87. The Storm Hawks Seven: Power of Rock

Chapter 3: Power of Rock

Below the rocky outcropping where the Sonic Megaphonic Mega Masher stood, the controls for the force field sat on a stand. Three Talons were guarding it, talking amongst themselves. What they did not know is that they were not alone.

Two creatures poked their heads out from behind the rocks beyond the Talons, a large, pink pig, and a white-wool, black-faced sheep, who baaed quietly. But closer examination showed something strange about them. They were about the same in size and their ears and smiling faces appeared rather stitched together.

Satisfied that they could see but not be seen, Starling and Piper ducked behind the rocks again. The Sky Knight felt a little ridiculous dressed as a pig; she would rather have been the sheep, but she given Piper the option of choosing which one she had wanted to wear. Of course, Piper had chosen the sheep. Besides, Starling thought, the pig's head wasn't as heavy as the sheep's.

Starling turned to Piper. "I see the force field switch," she informed her, "but before we do this, can I ask you something?"

Piper lifted her head so that Starling could see her true face. "Of course."

"There are no animals on this rock," Starling said, lifting up her own face and gesturing around them. "So why are we dressed as a pig and lamb?" She gestured to Piper's outfit.

Piper answered hesitantly. "Because it's, um, fun?" She chuckled nervously at her own answer, as if she wasn't sure Starling would approve.

But Starling was beginning to mind it a bit less. "Fair enough," she answered. "Go time."

Reaching into a pocket in her pig costume, Starling pulled out a diamond makeup case. She flipped up the lid and studied her pig face in the little diamond mirror. She smoothed back one of her floppy ears. What do you know? She didn't look half bad in this. Satisfied, she turned the mirror out toward the clouds beyond, shifting it constantly so it glittered with reflected light.

Far off in the clouds, Stork was looking through the periscopes when he saw the glitter from the little mirror. Pulling back from the periscope, he pulled down a cup on a tub, which broadcasted his voice to Finn's headset. "Piper's givin' the signal!" he said.

Finn stood down at the end of the landing strip with his headset over his ears and his electric guitar in his hand. The guitar was connected to a special amplifier specifically created by Stork for this mission . . . a mission whose plan still confused Finn. "Stork," he asked into his headset, looking back over his shoulder and gesturing toward the bridge's wide window, "what exactly am I doing again?"

"_Well_," Stork's voice answered back, "_sound waves at a certain frequency and volume level cancel each other out._"

"Right," Finn answered. Whoa, wait. That didn't make any sense. Not to Finn, anyway. He turned back around to look up at the bridge. "What exactly am I doing again?"

On the bridge, Stork slapped himself in the face at Finn's stupidity. How could he say this in a way Finn understood? He answered back, "Saving the world with your . . . rock."

"_Su-weet!_" Finn exclaimed as he spun back around. He needed no further encouragement to begin to play. The sound of badly played scales and some form of melody rang out throughout the strip of sky between the storm systems.

Aerrow and Radarr and Junko were flying in the _Condor_'s wake. Aerrow smiled when he heard the rock music. "That's our cue!" he told the other two. He kept his eyes on Polaris Pointe as he and Radarr and Junko headed toward it.

As they passed over the hangar bay where Finn was playing, firecrackers on either side of Finn lit and sent four fireworks in the air, each a different color . . . something that Finn had gotten arranged for himself. Finn made a rock sign with his hand as he watched his three friends fly over him. "The rockin' power of Finn goes with you, dudes!" he called after them, pointing at them with two fingers.

The plan was now set in motion.

And Ravess had only just gotten wind of it.

The sound of the electric guitar grating on her nerves is what alerted her. She pulled down the periscope above her, folded out the arms, and peered off at the skies to see what was making such an awful racket. What she saw didn't surprise her. The _Condor_. She pulled away from the periscope, her brow furrowed. "They're back for more."

Letting go of the periscope so it rose to the ceiling, she picked up her violin and violin bow. Setting the violin's end under her chin, she told her orchestra, "Let's give the Storm Hawks our final movement!" The beautiful, eerie music of the violins filled the chamber below the Sonic Devastator. The cannon's mouth began to glow violet as the power from the music built up, readying itself for a blast. Ravess smirked as she played. The Storm Hawks would not escape this time!

While the Bluster Chapter Talons were building up charge for the Sonic Mega Masher, Finn was building up charge for a blaster of his own. He planned his guitar harder, trying to drown out the violin orchestra completely. Behind him, the doors to the hangar opened up to reveal four loud speakers, all wired up by Stork to create a powerful, forceful blast much like the Mega Masher. Yellow crystal energy formed at their disks the harder Finn played.

Guitar and violin matched in frequency, and both began to escalate in volume and scale. Then, it began.

With a yell, Finn strummed all his strings, giving maximum volume. A blaster of sound energy and light sprang from the speakers behind him toward the Masher. The Devastator did the same, firing to consecutive shots.

"Whoa," Finn whispered when he saw the lighted blasts of energy heading toward each other. The two blasts slammed against each other, creating a brilliant flash of light that made Finn slam his eyes shut and cover his face with his arm.

Once the flash was over, he glanced up again. The two blasts had canceled each other out! "Oh, yeah!" Finn exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air. He had stopped Ravess's big, bad canon! _Oh, yeah! Who's the man?_ Finn chanted to himself. _I'm the man! I'm the man!_

Within the bridge, Stork stared out the window, just as amazed. "It's working," he said. "Finn's music is actually saving lives!"

But Ravess wasn't so thrilled. She frowned as she peered through the periscopes to see what damage her blaster had done. The Vulcan, the Skimmer EL, and the _Condor_ were still coming her way, untouched. "Impossible!" she exclaimed. She pulled away from the periscope, blinking in amazement and rage. "Launch the Talons and play faster!" she ordered. She turned around, gritting her teeth as she said, "I want them destroyed!"

The Talons were quick to follow orders. It wasn't long before Aerrow saw six Talons coming their way from around the other side of Polaris Pointe. But he was not surprised.

Scowling, Aerrow stood up and drew his right blade, holding it out and igniting. He and Radarr and Junko had expected this; even better, he and Radarr had a new stunt in mind just right for this mission.

The six Talons were approaching closer, and they were joined by three more.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes at them. Without looking away, he ordered, "Radarr, on my mark!"

With a chirp, Radarr saluted him in acknowledgement.

"Now!" he cried.

Immediately the two were in motion. Radarr leapt into Aerrow's seat while Aerrow ran out on his top portside wing, and with a "Yaw!" he jumped down on his knees on the tip, holding his blade out beyond the wingtip. His jump sent the skyride spinning like a whirligig. Radarr clung to the controls for dear life, his tongue hanging out, whimpering as he grew dizzy.

At first, the Talons didn't know what to make of it. "Huh?" the lead one said.

Aerrow's blade was making a ray of blue light that circled around as the Vulcan spiraled forward. At the last minute, as the two lead Talons realized what they were doing, and the lead one gasped as they tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late. As Aerrow and Radarr spiraled among them, Aerrow's blade struck seven of the nine Switchblades, wrecking them.

Once clear of the Talons, Radarr steadied the spinning ride. Not the least bit dizzy, Aerrow glanced over his shoulder at the falling Talons with a smirk on his face. What do you know? It worked!

On the surface on the Pointe, near the force field switch, the three Talons standing guard there shouted angrily and waved their spears at Aerrow as he and Radarr passed overhead, but Aerrow didn't pay them any mind.

That was Starling's and Piper's job.

The Talons were distracted from trying to annoy Aerrow when two rocks rolled down from the slope, striking the force field. The Talons turned around. A tanned Talon with green eyebrows furrowed his brow. "Hmm," he said, raising an eyebrow. "That's kinda weird."

Up on a steep slope above the force field border were a pink pig and a white-wool, black-skinned sheep. They seemed to be the ones causing the trouble, as the sheep demonstrated by pushing another rock down the slope with its head. The rock disturbed the force field as it struck it, just like the others had.

The tan Talon started walking toward the field switch. Since they were on opposite sides of the force field, they would have to open it up to run the livestock off. "Move those animals along," the tan Talon ordered the others, pointing a finger to them. "They're causing a field disturbance."

Reaching the force field switch, the Talon pressed a green button on it. The pig and sheep exchanged glances as a rectangular break in the force field materialized. Putting up their animal hoods, Starling and Piper grunted as they leapt down from the slope, running on all fours like the animals they were playing as.

"Huh?" the Talon exclaimed when he saw the pig and sheep charge him.

Starling wasted no time. Taking advantage of his surprise, she leapt into the air and with a "Yaw!" kicked the Talon in the face. He fell over backward, staring up at the "animals" in alarm. _Do they have rabies or something?_ he wondered.

The other two Talons stood over him, gripping their staffs tighter. "Hey, what are you doin' here?" one demanded.

"What's goin' on?" the other asked simultaneously.

But instead of answering, Piper and Starling threw back their hoods again and both displayed scary-looking, wide-mouthed, wide-eyed, cross-eyed Merbian crazy faces.

"Huh?" the Talons exclaimed together. They were so surprised that they dropped their staffs.

Piper took a running start at them. "Hi-yaw!" she cried as she leapt into the air, kicking them both in the face and knocking them out cold. She spun around in the air and landed facing them and Starling.

Starling smiled in disbelief. "I can't believe that actually worked," she said to herself.

With the Talons out of the way, Piper and Starling wasted no time of stripping out of their costumes down to their uniforms and armor. Starling's mind was solely about the force field switch. As soon as they were free from the outfits, she and Piper ran toward the force field switch, tossing their hoods behind them. Starling beat Piper to the switch. Smirking, she punched in the numbers. She knew the code.

The force field shimmered as it dissipated, leaving Polaris Pointe unprotected.

Aerrow smiled when he saw the shimmering. "The force field is down!" he announced to the others. Radarr squawked delightedly.

With Polaris Pointe open, they knew what they had to do. Aerrow and Radarr and Junko headed toward the Pointe with three Talons on their tail.

The Sonic Devastator was getting ready for another blast. But Finn was ready as well, playing liked he'd never played before. A yellow blast exploded from the speakers behind him just as purple blast shot from the Masher. Finn watched, partly anxious but mostly excited, as the blasts headed straight toward each other. They met in the middle and exploded in a violent ball of light and sound. "Sweet!" Finn exclaimed, throwing back his head and throwing his fist in the air. Oh, wasn't his music awesome?

Meanwhile, Aerrow was getting to business. He pulled out a large blaster and propped it up on his shoulder. With care, he took out the geyser crystal Piper had given him. He gazed at it. This was it. Determinedly he set the crystal over the loading hole and slammed it in with his fist with a grunt. "We're almost there!" he shouted to Radarr and Junko.

Aerrow set his eyes on the huge cave in Polaris Pointe. All he had to do was fire within, and then they would be finished. He took aim carefully, leveling out his Skimmer, tightening his grip on the trigger. He was so focused that he didn't notice the Talon flying up behind him on his starboard wing.

But just when he pulled the trigger, the Talon struck Aerrow and Radarr's lower starboard wing with his staff.

Aerrow grunted as his Vulcan lurched to starboard, dipping toward the Talon and almost dumping Aerrow off. Stunned, the young Sky Knight pulled away from the Talon and looked up. "No!" The geyser crystal was spirally away, missing Polaris Pointe completely by many lengths.

Junko looked back at Aerrow uncertainly. "What do we do now?" he asked.

Aerrow flew up alongside him. "Only one shot left," he answered. But he didn't have the other crystal. "Starling will make it." Aerrow blinked worriedly as he said it. He didn't like keeping his friends in danger for a little longer because of his mistake, but there really wasn't much choice. He and Radarr led the way as they and Junko circled around the Pointe, waiting to give support to Starling and Piper if need be.

From the ground, Starling and Piper watched open-mouthed as the shot missed. With only one shot left, they were running out of room for mistakes and deterrence. Starling knew what she had to do. She turned to Piper, gripping her hand and placing the geyser crystal in it. "Fly it into the heart of the Pointe," she ordered, pointing to her.

"Where are you going?" Piper asked nervously.

Starling smiled with the excitement of battle. "To take care of Ravess." And with that, she ran toward the hangar bay of the garrison before them.

Above her, the Sonic Masher fired off two more shots, but they were met by two blasts from the _Condor_'s speakers again. The shots met again with a resounding BOOM and an explosion of white light. Finn clenched his fist excitedly. "Excellent!" he squealed. No one could beat his rock.

But Ravess wasn't nearly so cheerful. "Nah!" she cried angrily out the window at the _Condor_.

But Finn was delighted, swept away by his awesomeness. He was playing like he'd never played before, actually making out a tune on the guitar. As he began rising on the scale, he said, "Bow to the power of Finn rock!"

He strummed his guitar loudly. And then, carried away, he leapt high into the air with his hand waving above his head. As he came down sliding on his knees, he brought his hand down and tried to strum his guitar.

But then . . . the last string broke, twanging as each end curled. With a dying static sound, the speakers' went dim of both sound and crystal light.

The _Condor_'s homemade blaster was no longer operable.

Finn cringed. "Not good."

* * *

Author's Notes: First off, although building an explosive cannon out of sound has yet to happen, what Stork said about sounds with similar frequencies and volume levels cancel each other out is true. It's called "destructive interference."

Hey, has anyone else noticed that the three movements of _Symphony of Ruin _sound awfully similar? And they all resemble Ravess's theme song. And what about Finn's guitar playing? It's the same rock that they played last episode in "Terra Neon" when he was doing air guitar. It doesn't take a music scholar to figure that out. Even my cousin callmefall (previously chocoholic4eva) noticed that, and unlike me, she doesn't study music at all.

_Anyway . . ._

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: There are real cannons of sound. Sonic cannons are basically TV satellite-like dishes that channel a narrow beam of deafening sound in a certain direction. It's not lethal in the least; the only physical harm it could ever do is deafen someone permanently. But it _does _cause great pain to those it's directed at; the earache and headache it produces can drive victims to the point where they can no longer see or hear. It can be used to drive off large numbers of attackers without critically injuring them or risking injury yourself. The most commonly known is the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), developed by the U.S. Department of Defense.

That's all I got for now. Please review!


	88. The Storm Hawks Seven: Lone Wolf

Chapter 4: Lone Wolf

Within the chamber underneath the Sonic Devastator, Ravess was playing as she'd never played before. Starling could hear from down the hall as she ran toward them, her ignited nunchucks slung over her shoulder, ready to bring them down for a glancing blow. "Crescendo!" she heard Ravess shout to her orchestra. "I want the _Condor_ out of my way!"

The orchestra did as she asked. Starling could hear as they began to ascend up the scale, growing in volume. Now she could see them, with their double basses, cellos, violas, and violins, the beautiful, eerie music almost deafening. She didn't hesitate. She ran right up the aisle toward them.

With a cry, Starling swung her nunchucks to the left, then the right, then left again and up, swinging like a mad woman. There were thuds, clangs, cries, groans, and twanging strings.

Ravess whirled around when she heard the noise. What she saw shocked her.

Her Talon musicians lay on the floor, some groaning and clenching their fist in efforts to get up, while others lay very still. Their instruments lay scattered on the floor around them, some of them broken, even shattered. And standing above them, taking a fighter's stance, was a young, fair-skinned, indigo-haired woman with nunchucks. Ravess studied her critically. "You're not a Storm Hawk," she said.

Starling only smiled. "I am today."

Ravess was quick to act. With a cry, she jumped off the conductor's stand toward Starling, threatening to bring down her violin bow on her. The violin bow was more than just a musical tool; the red crystal on its end made it a weapon as well. Startled, Starling ducked just in time.

Ravess somersaulted on the ground behind her, landing on one knee facing Starling. She slung her fiddle at her, and with a cry, Starling deflected it with her nunchucks.

Ravess came at her, swinging her arms up and down and grunting as she fired off blasts from her violin bow. With cries of her own, Starling spun her nunchucks around in front of her, deflecting the blows. Then Ravess reached her, and they fought hand to hand, nunchucks against fiddle bow. It was a new experience for Starling, being fought with musical instruments . . . but she knew the strangeness of it made it no less dangerous.

* * *

Outside, Aerrow and Radarr flew up next to Junko, flying underneath Junko's starboard wings. Aerrow peered up at the Wallop to be sure he was alright before looking around him for more oncoming Talons. For some reason, there didn't seem to be any Talons after them.

Then he spotted them, three of them all chasing a Heliscooter. "They're after Piper!" Aerrow cried.

Piper looked around fearfully at the three Talons after her on all sides. Soon they were joined by a fourth. She held the geyser crystal in her hand. Trying not to lose her cool, Piper did her best to ignore the Talons, gritting her teeth as she set her eyes on Polaris Pointe's weak spot and gunned toward it. She had to get the crystal there.

But then suddenly, she heard a man's voice say, "I'll take that!"

"Huh?" Piper gasped as the crystal was taken out of her hand. She turned to see a Talon beside her, laughing as he pulled away from her Heliscooter with the geyser crystal in his hand. The other Talons around him laughed as well, thinking they had won.

But Aerrow, Radarr, and Junko wouldn't have that. "Oof!" the Talon groaned as he found himself slammed between the two Skimmers. As he was squished, the crystal flew from his hand.

Aerrow watched it apprehensively. The crystal tumbled straight up into the air before beginning its descent toward the Wastelands. Hastily, Aerrow spun his and Radarr's Vulcan away from the Talon's Switchblade with a "Yaw!" and dived toward the crystal. They couldn't lose it! It was the only geyser crystal left!

The crystal was easy to gain on. Once they were close, Aerrow pulled up alongside it. As Radarr's paw reached out and grabbed it, Aerrow pulled up, slowing their dive and leveling out.

But they weren't out of trouble yet. One of the scar-faced Talons pointed to them. "After them!" he cried. The four Talons swirled around Aerrow and Radarr, trying to get at the crystal. Junko followed close behind.

Seeing Junko and Piper flying in to help gave Aerrow an idea. "It's keep-away!" he cried, smiling at each of them playfully.

Junko flew up alongside Aerrow and waved his hand. "Over here!" he cried. "I'm open!"

Wide-eyed with apprehension, Radarr squawked as he threw the crystal at Junko. The Wallop reached up to catch it, and his hard skin made the crystal clink as it bounced off and dropped. "Got it!" Junko called as he grabbed for it again. But he missed and grabbed for it with his other hand. "Op, don't got it," he corrected, smiling at Aerrow sheepishly as it fell below him. His heart missing a beat, Aerrow watched it fall, ready to dive after it again.

But Piper was underneath Junko's Skimmer, and she grunted as she caught the crystal in her outstretched hand. "I'll take it from here," she told the boys. And with that, she turned and sped toward the hole in Polaris Pointe. Aerrow and Radarr flew after her, followed by Junko, to give her cover. Behind them, the Talons followed after them single-file, joined by a fifth Talon.

Piper narrowed her eyes as she neared the tunnel. She, Aerrow and Radarr, and Junko flew in safely.

For the Talons, it was a different story. "Huh?" the lead one cried when he saw where they were going. With cries, all the Talons tried to swerve away. They all avoided the tunnel, but the lead one struck the rocky face of Polaris Pointe. His Switchblade shattered, and the Talon perished.

Inside the cave, the Storm Hawks were flying ever closer to the center of the Pointe. Aerrow didn't like it in here one bit. He turned to Piper. "Toss the crystal, and let's get outta here!" he shouted to her, gesturing onward with a nod of his head.

As he said it, Piper looked ahead. There was the center of the Pointe, a root-like structure of rock and ice, the only thing bearing the weight of the entire top of the tiny terra. With a cry, she flung the crystal at it as they passed it by and continued on to the other entrance of the tunnel. Piper dared a glance over her shoulder. In three huge explosions of blue light, the root-like center shattered to dust as the geyser crystal burst into water, and the walls around them began to shake and crumble.

* * *

Within the music chamber, Starling and Ravess were still going on it. Starling grunted as Ravess shoved her back into the conductor's stand. Leaping into the air, Ravess brought her violin bow down on Starling with a, "Yaw!" Starling was quick to block it with the wire of her nunchucks.

But then Starling noticed something that inspired confidence in her. The walls around them were starting to crumbled, and the ground began to shake. With renewed enthusiasm and her own, "Yaw!" Starling shoved Ravess back into the air. Ravess landed on her feet, cat-like.

Only then did the Talon commander notice anything was wrong as parts of the walls and ceil as big as boulders came crashing down around them. Ravess gasped. "What is happening?" she exclaimed in fright.

Starling could only smirk at her. "Your music struck the wrong cord," she answered back.

As she said it, three of the Talons of the floor came to, and they all stood up saying things like, "Huh?" and "Wha?" One of them rubbed the back of his head as if it hurt.

It took them a moment to notice what was happening, but when sparks flew above their heads as the crystal-powered electronics were knocked out, they noticed the falling ceiling and walls and the shaking floor. Screaming, they all made a run for the door, leaving the other unconscious Talons to look after themselves.

Ahead of them, Ravess made a break for the door, and Starling followed. She certainly wasn't going to stay here.

She made it out just in time. Behind her, a boulder from the rock walls fell down and blocked the exit, sealing the other Talons inside to their fate.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr, Piper, and Junko were still in the tunnel in the Pointe. Rocks fell all around them, and they pelted Aerrow's skin like needles. The bigger ones were sure to leave sores.

The Storm Hawks barely kept ahead of the destruction as they went. At last, Aerrow leaned forward and narrowed his eyes as he saw the light at the end of the tunnel. They were almost out.

At the last moment, his and Radarr's Skimmer sped out of the tunnel with Piper's Heliscooter close behind. Junko's Skimmer barely made it as the tunnel collapsed in on itself.

Once outside, Aerrow smiled at what he found. Starling had made it out. She sat on the _Red Streak_, waiting for them.

Aerrow turned around to see the destruction of the tunnel. "Ha, ha! Yeah!" he cheered, pumping a fist in the air. They did it! They had taken Polaris Pointe!

As if on cue, the Sonic Megaphonic Mega Masher creaked before falling from its stand and crashing into the land bridge that connected the two pinnacle points of the Pointe. This one break was all it took to shatter the entire mass of rock and ice.

Ravess had also made it out, and now she glared at where the Pointe had stood. With a loud, angry cry, she threw a shaking fist in the air, growling in frustration at the failure of her plan. But she didn't stick around to mourn. She flew off immediately, heading for Cyclonian skies. The three Talons who had survived pursuing the Storm Hawks toward the tunnel had followed her. They were a few of the only Talons to make it out.

Unaware of the numbers lost, Starling smiled as she watched the Talons disappear. They had done it! She heard the young Storm Hawks all cheering around her. They all whooped and hollered and howled. Junko pumped his fist in the air. "Alright!" he said.

"Yippee!" Piper cried, waving to Starling.

Starling didn't know whether they always celebrated a victory with such enthusiasm, but she kind of liked it. She gave them a thumb up.

In the end, it was she who led them back to the _Condor_, where Finn and Stork were waiting.

* * *

Later, as the _Condor_ was once again gliding through open skies, the Storm Hawks Seven were all on the bridge. The Storm Hawks had formed a semi-circle in front of Starling. They were all laughing, except for Stork, who stood in back, and Radarr, who hung from Aerrow's shoulder. Like Starling, they smiled, letting the kids make fools of themselves.

They had good reasons to laugh. The group was recounting the highlighting moments of their mission: dressing up in animal costumes, making crazy faces, rocking out, playing keep-away. As the laughter died down, Starling had been smiling so much that her face hurt. "That was the most fun I have ever had on a mission," she said, putting a hand on her chest. "Ever!"

Aerrow crossed his arms, smiling with amusement. "Have we got something to show you!" he said. Radarr nodded excitedly, peering over the young Sky Knight's shoulder.

Starling was instantly suspicious. There was mischief showing in Aerrow's eyes—not an uncommon sight, to say the least, but always one to be aware of. Yet he didn't seem in the least impish this time; there was softness in his face that puzzled Starling. The other Storm Hawks shared it, all looking excited about what Aerrow had said. What could they possibly have in mind for her?

They led Starling down the hallway to the living quarters. When they got to a certain door, they had her turn around and wait for the door to open. Smiling at their little game, Starling did as she was told.

As soon as the door opened, Starling turned around.

At first, she was a little puzzled. It was a room, nothing more. There was a bed at the other end with a window with shutter shades above it. On the bed lay a stuffed blue rabbit. A vase of white flowers sat on the three shelves around the room. There were drawn pictures on the wall, and above the nightstand lay some books and hung a map of the _Condor_'s interior. A crate of blue crystals sat between the nightstand and the bed. A yellow bulb hung over the room. The walls were painted lavender with a yellowish horizontal streak along the middle. There was also a closet. None of this seemed very interesting.

Then, she understood.

The Storm Hawks were ahead of her. Piper got up in front of her, pointing into the room. "I chose the color," she said, her other hand on her chest.

Then Aerrow stepped into the room, with Radarr still on his back, his front paws on either of Aerrow's shoulders and his back paws on Aerrow's hips. Aerrow pointed a yellow paint-stained brush to the walls. "And I added the racing strip," he said.

Starling raised her eyebrows. A typical Aerrow addition.

Then Stork was there, too, putting his hand up to the string of the yellow bulb. "And the Vulca bat repellent bulb will only smell for a month," he said. He pulled the string, and with a wheezing noise, a lightning bolt of electricity shot through the yellow crystal in the middle of the bulb, and a forbidding-looking green gas puffed out of the bulb. Stork accidentally inhaled some it, and once he had, he pulled away, lowering his head from the stench, holding his throat, and gagging. Making a sound of disgust, he fell over backward. Starling had a feeling she didn't want to get anywhere close to that bulb for a month.

Then Junko was standing in front of the closet. "Hey, look!" he said to Starling, motioning toward the closet. "Assorted spare parts storage!" He held a hand out toward her. "Cool, huh?"

Finn was the last to be in front of Starling, and he got right up in her face, shoving an album at her. The cover showed a picture of Finn with his guitar on him. He was walking on top of a globe of Atmos. "And here's a recording of my victory anthem," he said, lowering the album and wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Starling cringed. She didn't want to be rude, but that was the last thing she needed.

The other Storm Hawks were slightly less polite. They all got in between Finn and Starling. They faced Finn, cringing and shaking their heads. "Oh, boy," Aerrow said.

Piper was more direct. "No."

Finn slumped, putting on a pouting face and dropping his eyes. He reminded Starling of a puppy who'd been scolded. She couldn't help but smile in amusement.

The Storm Hawks all turned their attention to her, smiling hopefully. "So what do you think?" Piper asked, spreading out her hands to the room around her. "Your own room on the _Condor_!"

Starling rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. "I . . . don't know what to say," she admitted.

Aerrow exchanged a glance with Stork before turning back to Starling. "Say you'll stick around," he told her, holding out a hand.

Starling turned back to them with a raised eyebrow. They were all faces she'd come to cherish. Junko, the strong Wallop with a heart bigger than any muscle. There was Finn, leaning against Junko's shoulder. He was your average teenage boy, and he brought so many smiles, even if he could be annoying. In back, Stork looked somewhat hopeful, somewhat apprehensive. He always acted like he could care less, but Starling knew, from Aerrow's words and her own observations, that Stork was perhaps one of the most honest and loyal people she would ever meet, even if he did mostly speak of doom. In front of them all, Piper stood with her hand on her hip, her face bright with hope. Starling had grown very fond of the girl especially, seeing as they could relate. Both of them starved for girl friends; they could find that in each other. Starling was also impressed by Piper's genius; she was one bright kid.

And behind Piper stood Aerrow, with Radarr still hanging off his back. The boy Sky Knight was the reason Starling was here at all, and for that she owed him much. They had grown quite close; Starling almost thought of him as a younger brother. At age fourteen, the young orphan was already a warrior, a protector, and a provider. It was frightening how fast he had to grow up. Starling recognized the same feeling of loss in him as she had, having lost her squadron. But unlike her, Aerrow was still willing to open up and make friends.

Friends. Starling stopped right there. She hadn't realized how close she had gotten to them, all of them. It was too close, far too close, for comfort. She was an Interceptor, she tried to tell herself. But she knew better. With no true squadron and with her relationship with the Storm Hawks, she was as much as Storm Hawk as she was an Interceptor. But more than anything, she was a lone wolf.

And for now, a lone wolf she would stay.

"Thanks, Storm Hawks," she said, "but not today."

They Storm Hawks all frowned and drooped at her words. Apparently, they had been almost sure she would accept.

But Starling knew just how to cheer them up. "However," she said with a smile, "I _am_ up for finishing our little game of keep-away."

Aerrow fell into a crouch. Starling had seen that crouch in battle, where it often reminded her of a pouncing cat. He should have looked even more menacing now with Radarr still hanging on his back. But now he reminded Starling more a puppy bowing in a play invitation as opposed to a stalking tiger. "You're on!" he said, a playful smile on his lips.

Starling flashed him a smile in an invitation for a race, and with that, she ran toward the hangar bay. She heard the kid Storm Hawks follow close behind, laughing.

Only Stork was left standing in Starling's new room, holding Finn's record in his hand. When everyone was out of earshot, he pulled back on either side of the album, and then with a crack, the record and its cover snapped in half. Stork put on a face of mock innocence. But then he smirked. "Oops," he said, but he would never mean it.

* * *

Author's Notes: This really is the only trivia fact I could think up . . . That, and I've been doing some resent studies on the symbolic meanings of colors and their effect on the human psyche. The research was for a school project, I swear.

_Storm Hawks_ related-trivia: Red is a very powerful color. Humans subconsciously view this color as a dominant color. Notice how Starling's ride, the _Red Streak_, is called so even though the Slip-Wing Ultra is not actually red. It's because "Red Streak" is a powerful name due to the color that the image brings. It's a lot more effective than "Purple Streak." In fact, red has such a strong influence on the brain that, if there are two equally-matched teams in a ball game, the one wearing red has the advantage because the other team will subconsciously feel intimidated by them. So it should be no surprise that this is the main color of Cyclonia. Being the color of blood and fire, it also has come to symbolize evil, violence, and war, another thing that makes them a perfect color for Cyclonia, not to mention for the Dark Ace's eyes. However, Aerrow's and Lightning Strike's hair and ride are also red. Why? Because not only is red powerful in the bad way but also in the good. The same color for the Devil is also used for Cupid. Besides symbolizing love, red also symbolized strength, stimulates enthusiasm, and gives courage, confidence, and a sense of protection, making it an ideal color for a leader. All in all, red is energy and passion, whether it be good or bad.

Well, that sure was a lot about a single color. Anyway, please review!


	89. Talon Academy: Kid Talon

_**Part 22**_

_**Talon Academy**_

_New friends are made, and old enemies are confronted. Lies are told, and the truth is revealed. Freedom is taken, and freedom is fought for. Innocents are manipulated, work for evil, and revolt. New heroes step forward._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Kid Talons

The day after Starling left, the Storm Hawks once again found themselves in a skirmish with Talons. This time, however, the Talons had attacked them, and it was only a small group. For the Storm Hawks, it was no concern; they treated it as an elite training session. Of course, it was much more serious than a training session; mistakes here were far more costly.

A shot from a Talon's blaster exploded close to Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer as they were being chased by two Talon Switchblades. They dodged as four more shots came their way, and then a volley of them, the Talons firing four shots in a second. Aerrow swung the Vulcan left and right, avoiding them all with ease, but there were so many that they kept him wide-eyed and on his guard.

Suddenly, he heard a whirling sound over his head and turned to see Finn zip over them, scattering the two Talons chasing them. Two other Talons followed after the sharpshooter. "Finn!" Aerrow warned, yelling over his shoulder. "Talons on your tail!"

"Huh?" Finn answered, glancing behind him at the Talons. Then he turned to face forward again, smiling. He had an idea.

Finn dove below the top layer of clouds. As the clouds opened up again, Finn leveled out just underneath them. The Talons, having dived after him, continued diving once they cleared the clouds. Finn let them pull ahead of him beneath him before he descended and leveled out behind them.

The Talons looked around in confusion when they didn't see Finn. One exchanged a glance with the other. The other shrugged. They had no idea where he went. Finn smirked. His plan had been almost as good as one of Piper's! "Got 'em!" he cheered as he pushed a button. His retractable crossbow popped out of the Skimmer's bow, and Finn fired a bolt at the Talons.

Suddenly, Finn gasped as a volley of Firebolt blasts flew over his head. A Talon had flown in behind him, covering the two Talons ahead of them. "'Kay," Finn said with embarrassment, "don't got 'em." With a fearful grunt, he banked to port as the Talon behind him started shooting again.

Meanwhile, Aerrow found himself face to face with another Talon. This one came charging straight at him. His intent was obvious: to scare Aerrow and make him run or spin out of control by charging him. Aerrow leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at him. "So you wanna play chicken," he muttered aloud. He turned to Radarr, smirking. "Bet he blinks before I do!" he said.

What? Radarr stared at Aerrow in disbelief. Was he serious? Was he really going to stay a collision course with the daring Talon?

Apparently that was the plan. The skyrides were getting closer and closer. Squawking in fright, Radarr shut his eyes and covered one eye with his paw. However, he couldn't stop himself from watching; he parted his fingers and peered through them with one eye. Oh, why did Aerrow have to take everything as a dare?

The Talon was close enough now that Aerrow could see him a little more clearly. He wore a mask on his nose and mouth, like the one Starling had worn when she had impersonated a Talon. Strands of purple hair showed under the helmet. His eye color couldn't be determined due to the red Talon goggles, but the eyes were narrowed with resolve.

Aerrow smirked. Even now, he could see the Talon was scared. It wouldn't be long now.

The vehicles accelerated. They were about to hit.

Suddenly, the Talon's eyes widened, and he dove at the last minute, skimming the air right under Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. "And there's the blink!" Aerrow said as he and Radarr watched with smirks.

The Talon's mistake wasn't over yet. His dive led him on another collision course . . . with two other Talons who were flying side by side. One of the two Talons gasped as he headed their way, but there was no time for any of them to dodge. The wings of the diver's Switchblade collided with the wings in between the two side-by-side Switchblades, and in an explosion of red light, the smoking skyrides were sent hurtling toward the Wastelands. The Talons deployed their parachutes.

All but one. The Talon who had charged Aerrow patted the symbol on his uniform, which was supposed to deploy the parachute. But nothing happened. In panic, he tapped it three more times repeatedly. But it was no use. The Talon gasped and started flailing in the air in panic. He was falling.

Piper was the first to notice. "Chute failure!" she cried to the others. "I'm goin' in!" And with that, she dove after the Talon.

The Talon gasped again, trying to yell, but the wind snatched away his words. With nothing else to do, the Talon covered his eyes.

Suddenly, Piper was there. She scooped the Talon up, wrapping her right arm around his waist and leveling out the Heliscooter with her left. Then she beelined for a nearby mountain, hardly big enough to be called a terra, jutting out of the clouds. Aerrow and Radarr and Finn followed behind.

Now this was something to worry about, Aerrow thought to himself. They'd never taken a prisoner before. Even now, they had only done it to save the Talon's life. Now what would they do with him?

First thing's first: get a good look at him.

On the mountaintop, they sat the Talon down on a rock in front of Aerrow and Radarr's Vulcan. The Talon was rather small and light; he seemed too scared to try anything even if he could.

The Storm Hawks stood in front of him. Finn crossed his arms, seeming happy with this whole scenario, although Aerrow didn't know why. Aerrow put a hand on his hip, giving the Talon a stern stare, hoping to let him know that if he didn't cooperate for Piper, the Sky Knight would take care of him personally.

Piper smirked as she yanked the helmet off the Talon's head, saying, "Let's see if he's . . ."

But then she stopped. All the Storm Hawks stared. "Huh?" they said in unison.

Aerrow couldn't believe his eyes. "He's a she," he said. "And she's just a kid!"

The Talon that met their eyes was no more than a girl, younger than they were. Her skin was very pale, giving her aqua eyes a startling contrast. She looked around at them fearfully, rubbing her arm nervously.

This created a real dilemma. It was one thing to take a prisoner from the army of the enemy. It was another thing to capture a kid soldier. The thought that Cyclonia would even _use_ kid soldiers made Aerrow's blood boil.

But he didn't have time to be enraged or ponder their situation. Suddenly there was the whirling of an engine, and they all looked up to see a Talon Heli-Blade barreling toward them. It fired to shots at the Storm Hawks, and with gasps, the Storm Hawks were forced to jump away from the girl and get down low.

The girl covered her face from the brightness of the shots. That's why she gasped in surprise when the older Talon flew over her and grabbed her hand, tossing her into the seat behind him.

As the Storm Hawks got to their feet, Piper stared in surprise. Both Aerrow and Finn scowled at first, ready for an attack. But then Aerrow relaxed in surprise. The attack had been a rescue attempt for the girl.

The older Talon scowled at them angrily. "She's also one of ours!" he said, referring to the Talon girl. And with that, he flew away with the kid Talon behind him in the seat.

Even so, the girl couldn't help but take a longing glance at the Storm Hawks behind her. To her, they were an enemy, an obstacle to her success. They also represented something more: a group of kids free to do what they wanted to do . . . a freedom that she could never have again.

* * *

It took some research, but eventually, Aerrow and Piper found out where the kid Talon had come from. Anger radiated off Aerrow at the discovery. He and Piper were quick to make a plan and call a meeting.

With the Storm Hawks all gathered around the round table, Aerrow and Piper presented their findings. "This is a new low, even for Cyclonia," Aerrow began, a slight growl in his voice. He turned to Piper, letting her take it up.

"They're putting up posters to make it look like Cyclonia's cool," Piper said, "and tricking kids into joining the Talons!" She tossed a worn poster across the table toward the others. It was a picture of a kid dressed in a Talon uniform without the helmet. The kid was smiling, and he was riding a rollercoaster.

Finn leaned over the poster, looking excited. "Oh, sweet!" he said, picking it up. "Aw, no way! They have a rollercoaster, too?"

Aerrow put a hand on his hip and gave Finn an exasperated look. Piper crossed her arms and scowled at Finn. They couldn't _believe_ Finn could get excited over a Cyclonian poster.

"What?" Finn asked. "I'm just sayin'."

When they had first discovered it, Aerrow couldn't believe any kid would be stupid enough to join the Talons because it was "cool." Even Grimsley, an old enemy about their age, had a better reason for being a Cyclonian; he wanted the war to end, and he thought the winner would be Cyclonia. Junko had done it for awhile, too, thinking he was being a good guy and only repenting when he realized his mistake. Now, however, Finn had proved kids could be sucked in by being attractive as well. Making a swiping motion with his hand as if he could destroy Talon Academy by doing so, Aerrow said, "We're gonna have to shut this place down!" He clenched his fist. "Fast!"

* * *

Not long after, a yellow bus-like vehicle was heading toward a terra. The terra wasn't exactly small, but it certainly wasn't big. Its mossy, forested top was wider than its neck, which was no more than a tiny sliver of rock sticking up out of the cloud line. It looked almost like a club.

The bus had no tires, only large boosters in back that had blades attached to give the bulky bus some precision in the air. In truth, it had as much precision in the air compared to a regular airship as an Earth bus had compared to a car. It was a bumpy, unstable ride that made the kids long for a different airship.

When the bus landed, eight kids stepped down the bus ramp. They all ran out, looking excited. Four of the boys went together in a gang immediately. Two kids wandered about with smiles on their faces, observing quietly. Most of them wandered to the dusty, brown, training skyrides parked in front of the school building.

Only two of them hung back, looking about them apprehensively as the bus took off, leaving them there. It was a boy and girl. From the boy's back hung a furry rabbit-like creature, peering over his shoulder.

It was Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper. But at the same time, it didn't seem like it. Piper had always made it seem like she tried to make her hair defy gravity, but now it was pulled down in pigtails. What was even stranger, though, was that instead of its usual midnight blue, Piper's hair was pink. Aerrow thought that the pink hair didn't really go with her dark skin tone. Not that Aerrow and Radarr were much better in their disguises. Aerrow's hair was bright ocean blue. Radarr's sky-blue fur was now grayish-brown, and the tuff of fur that stuck up from the top of his head was orange like a neon Mohawk.

They were all edgy. And for good reason. This place was Talon Academy . . . the place where kids could train to be Talons of the Cyclonian army.

The first thing Aerrow noticed was the flags. They stood on either side of the courtyard, and both bore the Cyclonian symbol. It sent shivers down Aerrow's spine.

The courtyard was layered with cobblestone, and it was surrounded by a non-climbable wall, making Aerrow feel trapped. On either side of the front iron-rod gates were statues. Aerrow couldn't really tell what they were until he looked at the statue on the grassy center of the courtyard. They were statues of Master Cyclonis.

In front of them was the school building. It was a typical boarding school building made of stone. With windows that showed classrooms and dorms, a blue slanted roof, and steps leading up to the front doors, there was nothing threatening about it . . . except for the fact that it was surrounded by walls and had the symbol of Cyclonia's red raven hovering over it.

Aerrow's main concern was for their disguises. If they were found out, the results could be disastrous . . . even deadly. Especially for a Sky Knight, as Piper had pointed out to him earlier.

Aerrow dug into his pocket and pulled out a multicolored crystal. It was almost bluish in color, but it glowed with pinkish veins that made it sparkle like a rainbow. It was a chroma crystal, a crystal that can change the hair color and clothes of the one with which it had contact with. These chroma crystals were the reason for all their strange hair colors. "So how long will these chroma crystals keep us disguised?" Aerrow asked Piper, putting it back in his pocket.

"Long enough," Piper answered. Even so, she looked uneasy. "I'd just feel better if the whole team was here," she whispered to him.

"We have to keep this low profile," Aerrow answered back quietly. He shrugged. "Uh, Junko and Stork would stick out to much, and Finn—"

He was interrupted by a bunch of excited voices, and he and Piper peered over at the other kids to see what the commotion was about. All of them were younger by a year or two, some of them not even teens yet. One young boy with short, scruffy, brown hair pointed to a training skyride and exclaimed, "Wow, cool!" He clenched his hands. "This is gonna be awesome!"

Aerrow turned back to Piper, grinning. "Actually," he corrected, referring back to Finn, "he'd blend right in."

Piper giggled at the comment. Already they were enjoying themselves. They both wished the whole team was with them; it would make them all feel a bit safer. But the two had always worked well together and always had a great affinity for each other. If they _must_ work without the whole team, they wouldn't mind it being the two of them and Radarr.

Then Radarr squawked at a sound, pricking up his ears toward something overhead. The two other Storm Hawks looked up to see what had his attention when they heard it, too . . . the droning, deafening sound of a Talon Heli-Blade's engine. Aerrow glared up at the sky, narrowing his eyes at the vehicle. "Snipe," he muttered aloud to Piper and Radarr. "We should've known."

The kids all heard and saw him coming as well, and they all enthusiastically lined up beside the Storm Hawks. Aerrow and Piper kept to the left end of the line, away from Snipe. Aerrow could feel Radarr dig his claws deeper into his shoulder with apprehension.

Snipe landed his Heli-Blade in front of them before walking up decidedly. Aerrow did his best to rein in his rage. Snipe was the very man who now ruled Aerrow's home terra, Terra Nimbus. Now here he was to make more kids homeless. But this time, he wasn't taking their homes away from them; he was convincing them to leave their homes.

Snipe stepped up to the new cadets, freshmen in this school. He put a hand behind his back, studying them with a critical eye. Then, walking down the line, he said, "When I look at all of you, do you know what I see?" His face widened in a smirk as he stopped at the right end of the line, and he answered, "Future Talon fighters of the Cyclonian Empire!" He held a fist high and laughed.

"Yeah!" the six younger cadets cheered.

One of the boys said, "Awesome!"

Piper just shook her head disapprovingly at them. Aerrow raised an eyebrow at them. He couldn't believe any of them could honestly say _yes_ to that. He understood kids wanting to grow up to be adults all too soon—after all, that's what Aerrow and his friends had done—and wanting to go off into war (which Aerrow and his friends were sort of forced into), but he couldn't understand why anyone would choose being a Cyclonian unless they thought it was the only way to end the war.

Is that what these kids thought? Or were they manipulated into believing that this was the right thing? Aerrow believed it was the latter.

Snipe stood up proudly, quieting them simply by his posture. "I'm Sergeant Snipe," he said, "and you'll answer to me."

The corner of Aerrow's mouth twitched, threatening to smile and maybe even laugh. _Sergeant_ Snipe? He had to be kidding!

But what Snipe said next made him angry all over again. "Fame, riches, and glory await you in the service of Master Cyclonis!" he told the cadets, clenching his fist excitedly. He smiled at them. "Would you like some of that?"

"Alright!" "Yeah!" "Woo!" the cadets cheered.

_No!_ Aerrow wanted to scream.

Snipe stood back with his hands behind him. "Form ranks, cadets," he said to them. He motioned toward the school building's entrance. "Your future begins right through those doors."

_Yes,_ Aerrow thought, _a future of oppression and the harming of innocents._ But neither he nor Piper said anything. They simply followed the other freshmen as they headed toward the school.

Snipe put a hand to his chin thoughtfully as Aerrow passed by. "He looks familiar . . ." the Talon muttered to himself. He had a bad feeling about this blue-haired boy, his furry critter, and his little dark-skinned girlfriend. He'd keep his eye on them, especially the boy.

Fortunately, Aerrow and Piper had heard. And Piper had a plan to keep Aerrow's identity a sure secret.

Aerrow didn't like it one bit.

* * *

As the freshmen cadets filed out the back door once they were done settling in, Piper, Radarr, and Aerrow were at the end of the line. Piper walked out first with Radarr trailing behind her on two legs. Aerrow lingered just inside the door, not wanting to step out with his embarrassing new look. He groaned, giving Piper a pitiful look. "Did ya _have_ to clip the hair?"

He stepped out, running his hand through his hair uncomfortably. Or at least, what was left of his hair. Piper had chopped off his unruly mop; it looked like someone had taken a weed trimmer and skimmed the top of Aerrow's head. And all the hair that hung down beside his ears and down his neck had been cut off, too, making him feel naked and exposed.

Piper showed no sympathy as he walked up beside her, looking around nervously. In fact, she looked amused and downright proud of her handiwork. "It'll grow back," she said gesturing to him. Then she smirked, her eyes crinkling. "Eventually," she added, giggling.

Aerrow just slumped and pouted, glaring at her. She wouldn't be having so much fun if _she_ was the one who had a bulk of her hair chopped off. She didn't seem to think it was big deal. Obviously she didn't understand about guys and their hair.

But he couldn't argue. She had done what was necessary. There were bigger things at stake than a few strands of hair.

Still, this sucked.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yay! This is one of my favorite episodes!

I got to say, Aerrow looks better with red hair and a _whole _lot better with it long instead of cut. But you got to do what you got to do.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Chroma" is not something Nerd Corps made up. In English, it is actually a root word meaning "color." Chroma crystals were probably named for their ability to change hair color and the color of clothes.

Yeah, I learned that in English class just this week!

Reviews, anyone?


	90. Talon Academy: The Loss of Innocence

Chapter 2: The Loss of Innocence

Two Switchblades passed overhead when the freshman had once again lined up in front of the training skyrides. Aerrow wasn't sure whether the Switchblades belonged to upperclassmen . . . or guards. He put his hands on his hip, making himself stand taller to help him keep confidence. Piper did the same. Once again, they and Radarr stood at the right end of the line.

Snipe stepped out in front of them again. "Not everyone can be Talon," he told them. "It takes skill." He stopped in front of the boy with a carrot top. Snipe held up a fist and smirked. "It takes guts." He turned to the smaller boy beside the carrot top, putting a hand on his shoulder and yelling in his face. "It takes someone who can see past the lies that Sky Knights and their minions try to push on the rest of us!"

Aerrow's and Piper's eyes widened in surprise, and Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Lies? Sky Knights don't lie about war and government. Not the way Cyclonia did, anyway. And since when is a Sky Knight squadron considered the Sky Knight's "minions"?

Off on the side of the building, unnoticed by Snipe or the freshmen, three teenage upperclassmen peered at the lineup. One of them, with blue, suave hair and eyes to match, put his hands on his hips and glared at the freshmen. Another had long purple hair, hazel eyes, and ashy skin, and he kept his eyes on the leader of them.

The leader of them was a burly boy with brown hair, the center of which was sleeked up like a brown Mohawk. He was Top Dog. "Hey, look it," he said, peering at the freshmen lineup. He turned and smirked at his buddies. "Fresh meat."

All three of them laughed. They were the bullies of the schoolyard, the top of the totem pole, and the best flyers and fighters in Talon Academy. And they kept their eyes out for competition in any coming freshmen.

In short, they would be something the Storm Hawks had not accounted for.

Snipe was speaking to the freshmen in the lineup again. "Forget about who you _used_ to be," Snipe said, clenching his fist. "You belong to Cyclonia now!" He pointed a thumb at himself. "You belong to me."

Aerrow stiffened. He didn't at all like the idea of belonging to Cyclonia or Snipe—and definitely not _Sergeant _Snipe. Much to the Sky Knight's approval, none of the other kids looked to happy about it, either. Some of them even swallowed fearfully. They all seemed to know what belonging to Cyclonia meant: Leaving would be betrayal and mutiny. There was no getting out of this. Not without help, anyway, Aerrow reminded himself. After all, that's what they'd come to do.

Snipe walked up to a scruffy brown-haired, freckled boy on the left end of the line. Aerrow recognized him as the boy they'd seen when they got off the bus, the one who had been so excited about the prospect of being a Talon cadet. Snipe leaned toward him, getting right in your face. "You," he said, "what's your name."

"Um, Gareth, sir," the boy answered hesitantly.

"Huh," Snipe said, seeming to mull it over. Then he smirked at Gareth. "Well, now, you're Pork Chop," he told him, laughing as he straightened up. Gareth bit his bottom lip, looking away with embarrassment.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Nicknames? Snipe had just told the kids that they couldn't go home or turn back, that nothing could be the same. Now he was taking their very identities! And the nicknames didn't sound all that flattering, either.

And they weren't. Snipe went down the line, calling off names. "Flop Top," he called a blond boy with sports glasses. "Mousy" ended up being the darker blond beside Flop Top. Next was the carrot top kid, who Snipe named "Digger." The short, broad-shouldered, dark-haired boy next to Digger was "Little Pete," and then the next was a boy who appeared to be Little Pete's older brother; he looked a lot like him but was a bit taller. Snipe called him "Big Pete."

That's when Snipe got to Radarr. He stopped and raised an eyebrow as Radarr let out a small, crow-like groan to get his attention. "And what are you? Some kind of sky monkey?" Snipe asked, squatting down in front of Radarr and tapping him on the nose.

Radarr didn't appreciate being tapped on the nose. He snapped at Snipe's fingers.

Worried Radarr was about to get into an unneeded fight, Aerrow interview. "Ah, he's with me," he said.

So, the monkey-thing belonged to the likely troublemaking boy? Snipe stood up, giving him a critically eye. "Yeah?" he said to Aerrow. "And who are you?"

Names were not something Aerrow and Piper on discussed. Right on impulse, Aerrow began, "Aerroooooow . . . oh." Whoops. "Ah, Harold?" Aerrow tried out the name, seeing if it would work as a substitute for what he'd already let slip. "My name's Harold."

"Yeah?" Snipe said. "Well, now you're Barrel, like a Barrel of monkeys!" He laughed at his joke, pointing at Aerrow. "Get it? Barrel and monkey!"

Aerrow just glared at him irritably. "Yeah," he said, "I get it."

Piper was no help. She enjoyed his humiliation, smirking at him and giggling.

That one act gave her a nickname. Snipe turned and pointed to her. "And I'm calling you Giggles," he said.

Then it was Piper's turn to glare and Aerrow's turn to smirk.

Snipe walked away from them, getting back so the whole line could see him. "Now," he said, turning to them and putting his hand in his fist excitedly, "who wants to fly?"

The all the kids threw their hands in their air except for Big Pete, who pointed to himself with his thumb. They all shouted, "Yeah! I do! Me!" Even Aerrow perked up. Flying he could do!

Snipe put his hands behind his back, seeming satisfied by their reactions. "Mount up!" he order them.

The freshmen turned toward the training skyrides and started to choose among them. But just as Aerrow was headed for them, he grunted as he felt a strong hand on his shoulder pull him back.

It was Snipe. The Talon smirked at him. "Oh, uh, not you," he said. He pointed. "You're ridin' that one!"

Aerrow turned to where he was pointing over toward the endurance training course. On the cobblestone street in front of the course was a trainer. The thing was a piece of junk! Scratches, dents, and rust marked its age, and white tape held some of the parts together. Even as he looked at it, two pieces of metal the size of his hands fell off, clattering on the cobblestone.

Snipe must have felt Aerrow's resistance because his other hand gripped Aerrow's other shoulder as he turned the freshmen in the direction of the worn-out trainer. Aerrow slumped. There was no getting out of this, was there?

Once Aerrow mounted and Radarr was seated behind him, Aerrow pulled the broken-down trainer up next to the other trainers. Piper mounted the one next to them. Until they were more comfortable here, both Aerrow and Piper liked the idea of staying close.

Once everyone was mounted, Snipe addressed them again. "Just to make things more interesting," he said, rubbing his hands together, "you'll be battling a Sky Knight!"

Aerrow and Piper gasped and exchanged glances. Sky Knight? What did he mean by that? Were they discovered? Was Aerrow discovered? Or worse: did they have another Sky Knight prisoner? The thought was enough to send Aerrow's heart racing.

But there was no need for that. Four trainers drove out from behind the school. Aerrow let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. They weren't fighting a Sky Knight . . . not a _real_ Sky Knight, anyway. In fact, the Sky Knight was . . . Aerrow.

Atop each trainer were dummies. The "chests" of the dummies each bore Storm Hawks symbols, and the red, midnight blue, and blond wigs on the lighter dummies and the grey wig and horn on the nose of the darker dummy showed them to be models of Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Junko.

Snipe gave the freshmen a stern look. "Remember these faces," he said, referring to the dummies. "The Storm Hawks may want you to think they're the good guys," he said, shaking his hands as if the thought were ridiculous, "but they're nothing but renegade hooligans that wanna mess up Master Cyclonis's plans!" He shook a fist in the air angrily.

For fear of tempting his rage, most of the freshmen nodded.

Aerrow glowered. He didn't appreciate the description. In their own way, the Storm Hawks were renegades of a sort, but here the term was used rather offensively. And "hooligan" was a downright insult.

The Sky Knight crossed his arms, turning his glare toward his dummy. "Huh," he grunted. The stupid-looking training dummies were the biggest insult. "Doesn't even look like me," he muttered.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow as Radarr turned to look at him, as if judging that fact for himself. Then the furry creature shrugged, holding out a paw, as if to say, _It _kinda_ looks like you._ Before Aerrow could bug Radarr further about the intended comment, he was distracted by a bolt giving way on the folded-up wing of his trainer. His frown deepened. _This day just keeps getting better and better,_ he thought sarcastically.

Snipe mounted his Heli-Blade in front of the freshmen. "I'll be controlling these drones," he said, showing off a hand-sized, red crystal-powered remote. "That means you'll have to beat me," he added, pointing to himself.

Beating Snipe, Aerrow thought. That shouldn't be hard. He and his squadron did it all the time.

As Snipe drove off, a red light on the dashboard of the drones beeped twice and flashed. At its signal, the four drones drove off in V-formation after Snipe. Once they were in the air, the freshmen started after them on the ground.

All but two. Aerrow and Radarr tried to take off, but when Aerrow asked the trainer to go, the dilapidated skyride only lurched forward before stalling. Grunting, Aerrow tried once again to get the engine going. It growled once before cutting off like a sick dog. Aerrow tried again. Same result. He glanced up as the other freshmen, including Piper, took to the air. _Come on!_ he thought desperately, as if trying to urge the skimmer on with his thoughts.

Maybe it worked, or maybe it was coincidence. Either way, Aerrow tried one last time. The engine complained, but its growl faded to a purr rather than a stop. Aerrow exchanged a grin with Radarr. Now they would show them how it was done!

After two more lurches, the trainer finally drove off smoothly and then took flight.

In the air, Snipe flew above the drones, his calculating eyes turned to the freshmen. Smirking, he pressed a button on his controller, and the drones' sensors beeped before they flew forward, the Aerrow dummy going first and the Finn dummy bringing up the rear, firing its blasters at the cadets.

The cadets all peered over their shoulders worriedly as the shots rained down on them, now most of them coming from the Piper dummy. Piper gasped and glanced over her shoulder as a shot whizzed by her arm. There was something really ironic about being shot at by a dummy of yourself.

The freshmen split apart as the drones descended on them in a unit. Snipe only laughed evilly, enjoying his students' plight. He had the Piper dummy break off from the other drones and fly toward the cadets again, firing once more.

Aerrow and Radarr didn't mind it one bit. Slower than the others because of their ride and having been delayed by their unfortunate liftoff, they were far behind the other freshmen. As the Piper dummy pursued the cadets, Aerrow and Radarr flew up behind it, and they smirked as Aerrow opened up his blasters and took aim.

But as he pulled the triggers on his trainer, the Sky Knight could only gasp and cover his face as the old, beaten blasters gave off red sparks and smoked without firing a single pulse. Well, so much for that idea.

But Aerrow had another one. He pulled up level to the drone as it ascended slightly above the cadets. The other freshmen all watched in amazement as Aerrow leapt from his trainer toward the drone. They weren't the only ones; Snipe raised and eyebrow and said, "Huh?"

As easily as he would have leapt across a creek, Aerrow landed on the bow of the drone.

On the ground, the ashy-skinned upperclassmen laughed when he saw the stunt. He turned to his leader, pointing a thumb up at Aerrow and the drone. "Looks like you got some competition, Top Dog," he said.

Top Dog's eyes narrowed. "Yeah?" he answered. "We'll see about that." His mind was already at work. Later that day, he was going to put this hotshot rookie in his place!

But Aerrow hadn't even noticed them yet. He was busy trying to balance on the drone. Aerrow grunted as it tilted to starboard from the force of his jump, but he was able to stand up straight and balance quite well once it leveled out again. Snipe growled suspiciously. He didn't like the looks of this.

Aerrow saw him scowl and knew he was snarling, but that only encouraged the young Sky Knight. He already knew what to do. He smirked as he yelled and smashed the sensor on the drone with his foot.

As soon as he did that, the controller fizzed with red crystal energy, and the sensors on all the other drones burst as well. "What the—?" Snipe began, staring at the sizzling controller in his hand. But he was cut off by his own yell of, "Gah-ah!" as the controller spread the sizzling crystal energy to the Heli-Blade, zapping Snipe in the process.

_Mission accomplished!_ Aerrow thought smugly. And with a "Hah!" he leapt back onto his own ride in front of Radarr. They drove clear of the drone.

Still crying in pain, Snipe threw the controller overboard. Immediately the Heli-Blade stopped fizzing. The smoking controller burst to pieces in mid-air in a red explosion.

With the controller destroyed, the drones sizzled with red crystal energy before dropping out of the sky like rocks. They crash-landed in the woods behind the school, smoke rising up from their crashes.

The freshmen threw their fists in the air, cheering Barrel, their new jock.

But Snipe only shouted in frustration twice as he tried to get his Heli-Blade to listen to him. But it was no use. The dashboard was sending up yellow sparks; the zapping from the control had left everything shot. Snipe shouted in fear when he saw he was crashing.

Luckily for him, the Heli-Blade landed on its wheels before skidding on its bow, sending up broken pieces of cobblestone. "Ooh, oof!" Snipe yelled as he bounced along with it, but he was able to keep with it, using his weight to turn it sideways. The Heli-Blade slid to a stop on its wheels. "Ah!" Snipe cursed angrily once it was all over.

The freshmen all cringed. An angry Snipe was _not_ good.

Snipe stood up from his vehicle as it set off sparks. His face was enraged. "Play time's over!" he shouted to the freshmen, jabbing a finger at the ground. "Get down here now!"

Aerrow obeyed, but he just couldn't help himself from exchanging a high-five with Radarr. He'd taken out the drones _and_ Snipe! Talk about a good move!

Snipe snarled. Barrel and his sky monkey were going to pay for this!

* * *

Later, Aerrow and Radarr were both scrubbing the floor of the boy's bathroom . . . the punishment issued by Snipe.

But Aerrow didn't mind it that much. It's not like he wouldn't be doing similar chores if he was on the _Condor_. Besides, he got to humiliate Snipe! Smiling, he looked over his shoulder at Radarr. "Totally worth it," he told his copilot.

Radarr returned the smile and churred in agreement, wagging his tail.

* * *

Meanwhile, while Aerrow and Radarr were trapped in the bathroom, Piper decided to do some investigating. They still didn't know what Talon Academy had planned for these kids . . . and she was going to find out.

Piper tiptoed down the dim hallway. The metal-plated corridor was pretty much bare except for a few Talon Academy posters, fluorescent lights up above, and red emergency lights lining the edges of the ceiling. But Piper knew where she was going. Snipe's office was just down the way. She could see the light from his open doorway penetrating the dimness up ahead.

As she got closer, she heard Snipe's voice say, "Yeah, we got a great new batch of recruits."

Sidling up to the doorway, Piper peered her head around to see Snipe sitting in front of a radio, obviously talking with another Cyclonian about a plan.

Snipe continued about the recruits. "They'll be perfect for our invasion of Terra Tranqua."

Piper gasped and pulled her head back out of the doorway. Terra Tranqua? They were going to have the cadets invade Terra Tranqua? That terra was the most peaceful in Atmos. No conflict ever occurred there. One of the worst things about that was that the terra was completely undefended. How could the Cyclonian possibly be okay about tricking kids into attacking unarmed innocents?

Unfortunately, Snipe had heard Piper gasp. Just as Piper was turning and tiptoeing away, Snipe peered around his doorway and saw her. "Hey!" he said.

"Um, huh?" Piper exclaimed, frightened by his observance. She tried to feign innocence, but Snipe's eyes were narrowed suspiciously.

The Talon raised his eyebrow. "You lost, Giggles?" he asked in a voice almost like a snarl.

"Um . . ." Piper thought quickly. "Yes!" she answered at last. "I was, um, uh, looking for the kitchen!"

* * *

Piper groaned as she stared before her at the pile of spinyspuds, potato-like vegetables with prickly spines all over them. When she had said "kitchen," Snipe had been quick to show her the way, and now he expected her to peel all of those spuds. "Why couldn't I have just said the library?" Piper asked herself aloud.

Suddenly, a pair of brown work gloves was tossed onto the table behind her. "Put these on, or you'll rip your hands to shreds," a voice said.

Piper turned around toward the voice. Behind her, a girl was sitting on a barrel with a cooking crystal-powered peeler in one gloved hand and a spinyspud in the other. "I'm Lynn," the girl greeted her.

Piper gasped. She recognized the purple hair, aqua eyes, and pale skin. "It's you!" she said aloud. It was the girl she had rescued in battle when her parachute failed!

Lynn took her recognition of her to mean something else. "Heard of me, huh? The hotshot who was busted back to basic for chickening out against the Storm Hawks?" She peeled part of the skin off the top of the spinyspud as she spoke.

It was definitely her! Piper stepped toward her. "I'm here to help!" she said, preparing to tell Lynn all about who she was.

But Lynn misinterpreted again. "Obviously," she answered. "These spinyspuds aren't peeling themselves." Then her brow furrowed in an angry scowl. "If you really want to help, get me a rematch with those stinking Storm Hawks!" She clenched her fists, squeezing the spinyspud so hard that it slid right out of her hands.

Piper gulped. That was not the reaction she'd been hoping for. So much for revealing her identity.

It was sad how far these kids had been corrupted. It looked like it was going to be harder than either of the Storm Hawks had expected to persuade these cadets to change their views. But they would have to, or else these youngsters may end up doing things they will later regret.

* * *

Back in the boys' lavatory, Aerrow and Radarr stood back to look at their handiwork as they finished up. The bathroom sparkled with cleanliness. Despite the fact that it had been a chore issued to them by Snipe, Aerrow couldn't help being proud of his work. "Now _that_ is clean!" he said, gesturing out to the room.

Suddenly there was a loud clang as the bucket of soapy water behind them was kicked over. Radarr let out a frightened screech, and the two of them whirled around.

There stood Top Dog with his fists clenched and a smirk on his face. Behind on either side stood his goons, the blue-haired one with a smirk and the ashy-skinned one crossing his arms and glaring at Aerrow.

Top Dog chuckled. "Looks like you missed a spot," he said.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes at him and glared. He knew a bully when he saw one. And if there was one thing Aerrow didn't like, it was bullies. Besides, _this_ bully reminded Aerrow of Grimsley, and once he made the comparison, it was easy to detest him.

The air crackled with tension as the two stared at each other, Top Dog smirking, Aerrow glaring. They might as well have been two dogs raising their hackles at each other.

Beside Aerrow, Radarr was glancing back and forth between Top Dog's gang and Aerrow, wide-eyed and frightened. He sensed the potential fight coming, and he didn't like it one bit.

Top Dog slammed his fist into his hand and took a few steps toward Aerrow. Aerrow took that as a challenge, and he couldn't help thinking that this upperclassman didn't know what he was getting into. Aerrow had faced dangers in which he'd had to fight just like this, failure of which would have meant death. He had trained himself to be strong and quick and had built up his endurance. He'd even faced the Dark Ace in a fist fight and lived to tell the tale. If Top Dog wanted to brawl, he was messing with the wrong the guy.

Aerrow stepped up toward Top Dog, meeting him face to face. "You really don't wanna fight me," he warned.

"Oh?" Top Dog said as if he were amused. He raised his fists. "Why not?"

Aerrow leaned toward him, about to make the first move, when he heard Radarr squawk and felt the little guy pulling on his pant leg. He glanced down to see Radarr shaking his head at him and whimpering fearfully.

Then Aerrow remembered. He was supposed to keep a low profile and go as unnoticed and innocent as possible. Snipe already had his eye on him; getting into a fight would only make things much worse. Besides, what if Aerrow lost the chroma crystal in the fight? Then his identity would be revealed, and the whole plan would fall through.

Yet Aerrow had already made his warning, and it'd be very difficult to get around a fight now. If he wasn't supposed to get in a fight, then why _wouldn't_ Top Dog want to fight him? "Because, uh, well . . ." Aerrow thought quickly, grappling for some reason to give. "You'll get in trouble with Snipe."

Top Dog laughed at the suggestion. "Sarge named me Top Dog for a reason," he said.

Aerrow hadn't even seen the attack coming, but suddenly he gasped when Top Dog shoved him backward. Aerrow fell back, and his back smashed against the wall, making him grunt in pain. Shaking his head slightly to overcome the shock of the pain, he raised his eyes to glare at Top Dog. The bully was laughing, enjoying Aerrow's misfortune.

But then it was Top Dog who yelled in pain. Aerrow peered around him. There was Radarr, growling viciously as he bit down on Top Dog's rear. As soon as Top Dog sighted him, Radarr let go. "Ah!" Top Dog exclaimed as Radarr jumped up onto his back and then jumped over him to land in front of Aerrow, his claws clicking on the clean tile as he landed. The copilot's face was set in a smirk as he took a fighter's stance, ready to defend his boy.

Top Dog looked angry at first, but when his goons behind him started laughing, he was enraged. He whirled around to find the blue-haired boy pointing and the purple-haired boy crossing his arms, both of them chuckling and enjoying the show. As soon as they saw Top Dog glaring at them, however, they stopped, exchanged glances, and then got out of there as quick as they could.

Furious now, Top Dog turned back to Aerrow. "I'm the best here, newbie!" he said, jabbing a thumb at his own chest. "Better not forget it!"

And with that, he left Aerrow alone. Radarr stuck his tongue out at his back as he left.

Aerrow sat up in relief. That was a close call. Too close. He didn't know what he would have done if Radarr hadn't defended him. He turned to his little buddy. "Thanks, Radarr."

Radarr spared him only a glance in acknowledgement before turning back to the door, almost as if he expected Top Dog to walk back. He'd bite harder if he did. No one messed with his boy!

Aerrow couldn't help but frown after Top Dog. It looked like the Storm Hawks were in more than they bargained for.

* * *

Author's Notes: I did two trivia this time since they're both really short and really obvious.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Terra Tranqua's name comes from the word "tranquil," meaning peaceful, unflustered, and free from anxiety or agitation.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Terra Glockenchime's name comes from the words "clock" and "chime," having to do with the fact that the Timepulse is housed there.

For the Storm Hawks, this Talon Academy is probably as close to high school as these orphans are going to get. Hmm, wonder what would happen if all of these characters, including all the cadets, were in an actual high school with the Storm Hawks? Now _that_ is an intriguing idea for a fanfic! Of course, knowing me, I'll never do it.

So, what do you guys think?


	91. Talon Academy: Discovered

Chapter 3: Discovered

Most of the cadets had gone to the cafeteria for dinner, which Piper and Lynn were providing. It wasn't all that glamorous; the only thing for dinner was peeled spinyspuds.

Piper hefted a huge, two-handled pan of spuds off the counter and held it, leaning into a bell and shouting, "Chow time!" to the cadets. "I hope you're as hungry as I—"

Suddenly, she was overwhelmed by a mob similar to a horse stampede. Mostly it was teenage boys, but everyone was in on it in some way, shouting and grabbing every spud they could. Piper leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to keep from getting trampled.

When they ran back to the table, Piper opened her eyes and glanced down at the pan. "—am," she finished her sentence lamely, now realizing it didn't make a difference. They'd left none for her.

The whole time, Lynn had been leaning against the counter off to Piper's left, simply observing. She was experienced in this; she knew the routine and also knew how to take it to her advantage. Glancing around to be sure they weren't watched, the Talon girl down reached down a pushed open a metal cabinet in the counter. Inside were two trays full of spuds, all of which simmered with heat from having been kept inside the warm metal storage.

Lynn smiled at Piper invitingly, and Piper returned it gratefully. Thanks to Lynn, they both had full dinners. It was nice to see that Piper had a new friend to look out for her.

Maybe, just maybe, there was hope in winning Lynn's confidence in their cause.

* * *

When Aerrow and Radarr finally finished up, it was long after dinner. Stomachs rumbling and muscles weary, they headed for the dormitories without supper.

The dorm was not empty, but the company Aerrow and Radarr found there was to their liking. Gareth, Flop Top, Mousy, and Digger were all in their bunks. Aerrow couldn't help notice that Digger had a picture of Dove above the head of his bunk. Did Digger know Dove? Aerrow wished to ask him, but doing so might give him away. Besides, he too exhausted now.

Aerrow lay down on his bunk beside Gareth's with a loud sigh. Radarr pulled himself up on the bunk beside his, letting his head and long ears flop down on the bunk when he was only halfway up. "So much for dinner," Aerrow said.

"Nah," Gareth said, "it wasn't all that great. This whole place isn't all that great."

Aerrow sat up to look at him. The younger boy was sitting on his bed facing Aerrow, his head resting in his hand and his elbow resting on his knee. He looked downright disappointed. "I thought being a Talon would be fun," he said, clenching his fist, "but now I'm not so sure." He met Aerrow's eyes. "I mean, they don't even have a rollercoaster!"

"Yeah," Flop Top, Mousy, and Digger all agreed in unison.

Aerrow sat up, sitting on the edge of his bed and facing Gareth. "Then leave," he advised, gesturing to him. "What's stopping you?"

"Getting dumped in the Wasteland, for starters," a voice growled.

The voice had come from behind him. Feeling his skin prickle, Aerrow turned around to see Top Dog. He stood in front of the doorway with his hands on hips. A wooden bucket was at his feet, and his goons stood on either side of him with their arms crossed.

Top Dog glared at Aerrow, as if even _talking_ of leaving Talon Academy was mutiny. "Didn't you hear the sarge?" he asked. "We belong to Cyclonia now."

Aerrow got to his feet, glaring at Top Dog. He really didn't want to fight, but Top Dog was pushing it.

Top Dog picked up the bucket at his feet, and he and his buddies approached Aerrow with it. Aerrow stared them down, and Radarr leapt onto his boy's back, glaring at Top Dog and growling threateningly over Aerrow's shoulder.

Top Dog stopped before them and held out the bucket to them. There was a mean-spirited smirk on his face. "Sorry you missed chow," he told Aerrow. "We brought you some leftovers." And with that, he dumped the bucket's contents on the end of Aerrow's bunk. Brown, rotten, soggy peeled spinyspuds plopped at the foot of the bed.

All the other boys gasped. Gareth put a hand on his head and exclaimed, "No way!"

Aerrow and Radarr only looked down at Aerrow's ruined bed and then turned their glare back on Top Dog threateningly.

"What'd you gonna do?" Top Dog taunted. "Have your sky monkey bite me again?"

Radarr narrowed his eyes. He'd been called a dog, a rabbit, a rodent, a weasel, and now a sky monkey. He was getting tired of all the names.

Without warning, Top Dog threw the bucket at Aerrow. Aerrow gasped as he caught it on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Radarr studied him with concern, but Aerrow wasn't hurt. But he _was_ angry. Scowling, he made a threatening move toward Top Dog.

It was Gareth who stopped him. He was at Aerrow's side, holding his shoulder. "Harold, don't!" he warned, turning to look at the bully. "That's Top Dog!"

"Not for long!" Aerrow snarled in response. Radarr shook his head in agreement. They'd both had enough of this. There was a new dog in town, and this one had new tricks up his sleeve!

Gareth bit his fingernails nervously. This didn't look so good.

With a grunt, Top Dog drew back his fist, which was enough incentive for both Radarr and Gareth to flee and take cover behind Gareth's bunk. Gareth did it because he was scared; Radarr did it to give Aerrow room to do his thing.

Top Dog's fist came straight for Aerrow's chest. But Aerrow was more than prepared. He held up the bucket Top Dog had thrown at him and shoved it at the bully just as his fist was coming at him. "Dah! Ah!" Top Dog yelled in pain as his fist punched the inside of the bucket. He cradled his hand for a moment, giving Aerrow time to feel cocky and confident. Guessing Top Dog's next move, he set the bucket down between them and crossed his arms, daring Top Dog to come at him.

After whimpering about his hand, Top Dog faced Aerrow again. With an angry yell, he lunged himself at the Sky Knight. But the whole room gasped as he stepped into the bucket and slipped backward on his way there. He landed heavily on his back, knocking the air out of him. Once he recovered, he sat up, growling at Aerrow, only to have the bucket land over his head.

Radarr and Gareth exchanged glances. Then, exhilarated, they through their hands/paws up in the air and led the cheer for Aerrow. Top Dog's gang just stared at him in disbelief, and the purple-haired one rubbed his head uneasily. Everyone could see that, at last, Top Dog had met his match. Without even a single punch, Aerrow had taken him down.

Everyone's cheering stopped at once as soon as a foot stamped down on the floor in the doorway. It was Snipe. His eyes glared around at the kids threateningly. "What's going on here?" he growled, sensing trouble.

Aerrow knew he was busted, so he got caught with dignity. He gestured to Top Dog as the bully was lifting the bucket off his head. "Just teachin' an old dog some knew tricks, Sarge," Aerrow answered Snipe tauntingly.

Seeing Snipe in the doorway, getting a good look at his embarrassing position, Top Dog smiled to him sheepishly.

Snipe growled. If that was the way Barrel was going to act, then he had better get used to manual labor.

* * *

A little while later, Aerrow and Radarr were once again cleaning out the lavatory. Even as they scrubbed side-by-side, Aerrow turned to Radarr and they exchanged smiles. "Still totally worth it," Aerrow said.

Radarr churred in agreement.

* * *

Well, with Snipe already watching them, Aerrow decided to forget the idea of lying low. It they were already labeled as troublemakers, then they might as well have some fun while they were at it.

Their first prank started when Snipe was taking Flop Top, Gareth, and Mousy out for a ride. Beside Flop Top's ride was Snipe's Heli-Blade, and the boys watched with interest as Radarr messed around with the Heli-Blade, using his bent wrench to loosen some things up.

Not long after, Snipe showed up. Knowing what was coming, the three boys on their rides watched apprehensively as the Talon headed for his ride.

Radarr pricked his ears up at his approached and leapt off the Heli-Blade just before Snipe showed up, disappearing into the bushes where he met with Aerrow. The two exchanged smiles, and Radarr held up his wrench and pointed to it gleefully to show to Aerrow what he had done. Aerrow nodded, and they both settled down to watch. This was going to be fun!

Snipe started up his ride, driving forward. But before he could change to flight mode, his wheels, wings, and handlebars fell right off his ride! Snipe stared in astonishment. What the . . . ? How could . . . ?

Then he heard laughing.

Growling, Snipe turned to see Barrel and his "pet monkey" by the bushes. The creature was lying on his stomach and beating the ground with his paw, squawking in laughter. Barrel was lying on his back and laughing so hard that he had to wipe a tear away from his eye.

* * *

They got punished for that, too. When their boots are off, students are required to set them in front of their bunk to be cleaned. Aerrow and Radarr's chore was to clean them.

From the doorway, Aerrow stared at the line of sweaty, dirty, stinky boots on either side ahead of him, holding a toothbrush in each hand. Radarr hung on his back, peering over his shoulder. Already Aerrow could imagine the stomping sound of the cadets marching and knew where those boots had been. He exchanged glances with Radarr before they both turned back to the boots. They were supposed to clean all these with toothbrushes?

However, in the end, they did. It was not pleasant.

* * *

Later, the freshmen were sent to combat training. Their task was to stand on a beam not even wide enough to put both feet together on it and to fight with a weighted bar with cushioned ends. It wasn't bad enough that most of the freshmen couldn't balance that well on the beam or even hold their weapon properly due to its weight; the worst part was that the cadets had to fight Snipe.

Gareth was the first one up. He let out a moan of uncertainty as he sidled along the beam toward Snipe. Snipe just smirked at him as he met his approach. He cried and jabbed his rod into Gareth's stomach. Gareth groaned as he landed flat on his back on the mattress behind him. When the boy recovered enough to open his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Snipe laughing at him.

Aerrow set his jaw. In his short stay here, Gareth had become a friend of his, and _no one_ taunted his friends like that! Snipe shouldn't be treating his own students like that, anyway.

Mousy was next. Before Snipe even took his attention away from Gareth, the blond boy had picked up a training rod of his own, and with a battle cry, he leapt up onto the beam and ran along it with his rod raised above his head, charging Snipe. Aerrow couldn't help smiling. He liked this boy's spirit!

But it all seemed for nothing. Upon his approach, Snipe got rid of him by a simple swing of his stick, knocking the legs out from under the boy. Mousy cried as he fell and grunted when he landed flat on his back on the mattress below the beam.

Flop Top was next. He clambered up onto the beam. His knees were shaking and banging together, and he clutched his rod fearfully, as if not sure what to do with it. His teeth chattered together in nervousness as he looked up to meet Snipe's smirking face.

Snipe didn't even bother to fight the boy. He simply stamped his foot on the beam, causing it to shake. That movement was all it took to unbalance Flop Top and send him over backward.

Snipe put his rod over his shoulders and laughed. There was nothing like beating up on kids who were bound to amount to nothing.

But Aerrow had an idea to get revenge for them. He was next.

Snipe glance over when he heard someone else clamber up on the beam in front of him. "Huh?"

Aerrow smirked at him and spun his rod around, taking a fighter's stance and pointing the rod at Snipe. Sensing the challenge, Snipe slammed his rod down into his palm and prepared for an actual brawl.

Then, as if they had made a silent agreement, the two warriors charged each other.

Snipe yelled a battle cry as he approached with his rod pointed out toward Aerrow. Aerrow remained quiet, and his gentle smirk never left his face.

Just when the two should have collided in the center, Aerrow pointed his rod to the beam and stood it vertically. Using it to push off of, he leapt right over Snipe. Snipe stopped in confusion when he didn't hit his mark.

Now standing on the other side, Aerrow peered over his shoulder, and his smirk widened. Barely sticking out above his pant-line were Snipe's white and red poka-dot boxers.

Snipe gasped as he felt someone grab his boxers. He glanced over his shoulder to see Aerrow smirking at him from ear to ear as the boy gave him a major wedgie!

Snipe dropped his rod. Golly, that _burned!_

The kids sure had a fun time with it. All of them couldn't help but burst out laughing at the spectacle.

Snipe growled in rage.

* * *

Needless to say, Aerrow didn't get away with that for free.

This time, Aerrow and Radarr had to clean Snipe's Heli-Blade, each with only a soupy toothbrush in hand.

Even as they scrubbed, however, they exchanged smiles. Still worth it!

* * *

Things continued as such. Aerrow and Piper talked when they could, but they tried to stay away from each other. They didn't want to both be caught if one of them was compromised. The strategy didn't work; a school has its way of finding out when a boy and girl are spending time together.

During one of the few times they _did _talk, Piper told Aerrow about how Lynn was the Talon kid they had saved and, more importantly, about the Cyclonians' plan to have the cadets invade Terra Tranqua. It was a situation that made Aerrow call for urgency; however, he didn't mind not being hasty. He was getting along well, other than the numerous chores, which weren't too bad. He was getting rather fond of the other freshmen boys who bunked with him and became rather protective over them, especially Gareth, who was starting to look up at "Harold" as his role model. And, Aerrow admitted to himself, the looks the girls were giving him were . . . gratifying, to say the least. Although truth be told, he didn't really notice unless a girl purposefully he caught his eye. But then again, a guy couldn't have a better compliment than having girls even _try _to catch his eye.

Piper's outreach, meanwhile, was not as widespread, but it was more progress. She had spent most of her time with her new-found friend Lynn, gaining her trust.

But before long, everything would shatter.

It started with a run in which the cadets had to carry a backpack of gear while they ran it for endurance training. When they finally quit for the day, everyone plopped down and rested, tearing the bags off their backs.

Top Dog was one of the first to take off his gear. He was slinging his bag over his shoulder to the ground when he heard a quiet voice behind him. "We probably ran twenty miles in this gear!"

Top Dog glanced over his shoulder. It was Giggles and Lynn. Giggles sighed as she stretched her back after complaining about the run.

Lynn was hunched over and panting, resting her hands on her knees for support. Even so, she answered back, "Beats wrangling skoats." She stood up straight with a look of disgust. "That's what I'd be doing back on _my_ terra."

Piper frowned at that. "But don't you ever think about what you'll have to do as a Talon?" she asked Lynn. "Do you really wanna harm innocent people?"

Lynn scowled at the suggestion. "No!" she retorted. "But I can't go home now." She turned her head away. "I don't have a choice."

Piper felt now was the time. Lynn trusted her and not the Cyclonians. Piper leaned closer to her. "What if I told you that you did?"

Lynn turned back to her. She put a hand on her hip and raised her eyebrow skeptically, but she said, "I'm listening."

Piper glanced around first to be sure no one else was listening before she spoke. At last, she turned back to Lynn and quietly revealed her secret. "I'm Piper of the Storm Hawks."

Lynn's wide-eyed expression was shocked.

Piper continued in a rush. "I saved you when your chute failed, and I wanna save you now!"

Lynn tilted her head to the side and squinted an eye at her, as if judging her credibility. Piper waited with fists clenched nervously, wondering if revealing her identity was a mistake.

But in the end, Lynn drew her conclusion . . . and she smiled.

They were interrupted by a malicious laugh. "Ha, ha, ha!"

The two girls whirled around, and Lynn gasped.

Top Dog was smirking at them. He had heard every word. "Storm Hawks spy!" he muttered. "Sarge!" he shouted to Snipe. "Sarge!"

Snipe was about to talk to Big Pete, who was still in the middle of giving the Sergeant his salute, when Snipe turned around to face Top Dog.

Top Dog gestured to Giggles. "She's Piper from the Storm Hawks!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" Snipe grunted, his face twisting into a scowl.

"I heard her say it!" Top Dog proclaimed, as if to boast.

Piper clasped her hands innocently next to her face, trying to think up an excuse. "Um, uh, just a little misunderstanding," she said. "Uh, nothing to worry about—"

But Snipe wasn't buying it. "Storm Hawks?" he exclaimed. "I knew there was something about _you!_"

He whirled around, his eyes resting on Barrel. "And that must make the other one Aerrow, the Sky Knight!"

The kids parted way for him, and there stood Barrel and his "sky monkey." The two were smirking at him. Radarr growled in amusement. They weren't worried. The game was up. They'd been compromised. That was that. Seeing no point in pretending any longer, Aerrow pulled out the crystal on them and let it fall.

The cadets all gasped when they saw it. "A chroma crystal!" they gasped in unison.

In a flash of light, Harold/Barrel and his "sky monkey" became Aerrow and Radarr.

Exclamations went up around the group of cadets. "Ooh!" "Whoa!" "A Sky Knight!"

Then Lynn had to protect her eyes as there was another flash of light beside her. Giggles had also dropped her crystal, and in an instant, she was Piper.

This was met with more exclamations. "No way!" "That's cool!"

The Storm Hawks had officially arrived at Talon Academy.

Aerrow and Radarr smirked at Snipe. Even though Aerrow had no armor and no weapons, he and Radarr were confident that this would end in favor of them.

Snipe snarled. The cadets' enthusiasm for the Storm Hawks had just made him even angrier.

Chirping to Snipe in a dare, Radarr leapt off Aerrow's shoulder to let the Sky Knight do his thing.

But Snipe knew how to remedy the cadets' enthusiasm. "Gather 'round, class," he said. He slammed his mace into his hand. "You're about to learn how to _smash_ a Sky Knight!"

But Aerrow just kept smirking. "I have to warn you, Snipe," he said. "You're making a big mistake!" He held out the only vaguely weapon-like object he had—a toothbrush—and pointed it at Snipe. And with that, he motioned Snipe closer with his finger, daring the Talon to strike first.

Snipe charged Aerrow with a mighty battle cry, swinging his mace at the Sky Knight. With a grunt, Aerrow leapt out of the way just in time, flipping in the air and pushing off the top of Snipe's head before landing in a crouch behind him.

When he landed, out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw another attack coming. It was Top Dog, charging with one of the training rods in hand. Aerrow just smirked. That boy didn't even know how to use that weapon to its full potential!

Just before Top Dog was about to stab the rod down on top of him, Aerrow spun around and kicked the Talon cadet's legs out from under him. With a cry, Top Dog fell flat, dropping the rod.

At last, a _real_ weapon! Aerrow caught the rod. "Thanks," he said to Top Dog. Deciding that it was only fair if they trade weapons, he stuck the soapy toothbrush in Top Dog's mouth.

While the other cadets laughed, Top Dog pulled the bubbly toothbrush out of his mouth and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh!" he complained.

Aerrow was enjoying the scene when suddenly he heard an angry yell behind him. He whirled around just in time to use a rod to block a blow from Snipe's mace.

As metal clanked against metal, Aerrow realized now was the time to get the cadets' attention. Without their support, their plan would fail, and his, Piper's, and Radarr's futures would be on the line.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, that would make quite a cliffy . . . if you guys didn't already know what was going to happen.

I have two trivia this time, both retaining to Gareth.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: Gareth is a Welsh name that means "gentle."

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Sir Gareth was a knight of the Round Table in the tales of the legendary King Arthur. Sir Gareth is often portrayed as a giant of a man but one with the biggest of hearts, always willing to help others and show mercy. This brave and modest knight was King Arthur's nephew, brother of Sir Gawain (who, in some tales, is Arthur's greatest knight; often times second to Sir Lancelot), and half-brother of Arthur's son, Mordred, the villain who brought about the end of the Round Table and the death of King Arthur. Although knighted by Sir Lancelot and a good friend of his, Gareth was killed by Lancelot when the latter came to rescue Guinevere, whom Gareth was guarding.

Wow. Little Gareth has a lot to live up to.

Now for my favorite time: review time!


	92. Talon Academy: Mutiny

Author's Notes: In a review, Shelby asked me how I know Aerrow came from Terra Nimbus. Well, I found this website that gave me an inside view into the original _Storm Hawks _plot before it was revised into the later version. The link to this webpage is on my profile. Aerrow's home terra is mentioned there. I know it's the older version, but it seemed like something that wouldn't change just because the main storyline did. After all, Aerrow's home was invaded by Cyclonians, and Terra Nimbus is Cyclonian.

* * *

Chapter 4: Mutiny

As Aerrow pushed against Snipe's strength, he looked around at the stunned cadets. Piper was watching him fearfully, as if wondering if she should help him in his duel. The cadets only stared, many of them having been great admirers of Harold before they knew he was Aerrow. Hopefully as a Sky Knight he still had influential power.

He might as well start with facts. "They made it seem like being a Talon was cool!" he shouted out to them. "But you know what they have planned for you?"

Piper glanced at Lynn and was glad to see that she and the other cadets were listening intently.

Snipe only grunted in effort as he tried to shove Aerrow down. "To be heroes in the service of Cyclonia!" he answered Aerrow's question.

Aerrow grunted as he shoved back before he addressed the cadets again. "You're gonna be leading an invasion of Terra Tranqua, innocent, unarmed people!"

And with that, he shoved Snipe back. Roaring in frustration, Snipe swung his mace at Aerrow with a, "Yaw!" as the Sky Knight charged. The rod and mace met in a contest of strength once again.

But the cadets were still mulling over what Aerrow had said. "My cousin lives there!" Top Dog's blue-haired goon gasped.

"And don't you think your cousin would be better off ruled by Cyclonis?" Snipe snarled in response.

The Talon didn't wait for a response before he shoved Aerrow off him. Before the Sky Knight could recover, the Talon swung his mace as the boy's stomach. Aerrow gasped as the mace collided with him and sent him sprawling on his back on the ground.

Piper turned to see how Lynn could respond to the question. This was it. If the cadets didn't rise up now, then Piper would have to help fight off Snipe and escape before Aerrow was hurt.

But Lynn only had to glance Piper's way before she turned back to Snipe, face set in a scowl. "No!" she cried.

Snipe was looming over Aerrow now. The Sky Knight held the rod above his chest protectively, but Snipe knew he had him. All he had to do was swing down at him with his mace. Aerrow wouldn't be able to completely stop the blow; broken ribs were the best case scenario, the worst being death.

But before Snipe could strike, a cry made Snipe whirl around. "Down with Cyclonia!"

It was Lynn. And she was soon joined by Gareth, Digger, and Flop Top. They all threw their fists in the air and shouted, "Down with Cyclonia! Down with Cyclonia!"

Now, it was one thing to have a rebellious teenager on your hands. It was another thing to have a whole mob of them against you. Knowing this, Snipe began to back away.

But Aerrow was ready. He rolled over onto his hands and knees just as Snipe was backing. Snipe cried out in surprise when he tripped over Aerrow and landed flat, his metal armor clanking on the ground.

Aerrow stood up and got out of the way just as a screaming group of kids swirled around Snipe, coming in with fists and restraints. He couldn't help but wince in a bit of sympathy as the first punches were thrown, but Snipe did have it coming.

Piper was also standing off and watching, glad to see the kids were on their side, at least.

But not all of them. One of the cadets went running right in front of Piper. It was Top Dog, racing into the back doors of the school. Snarling, Piper hurried after him. She was going to make him pay for revealing her little secret!

She snuck through the hallway, listening for any sign of him. And then she heard his voice. It was coming from Snipe's office. Piper tiptoed to the office doorway just as she had done before.

Top Dog was there with the radio in hand. "Cyclonian command," he called, "this is the Academy. The Storm Hawks are here!"

Piper peered around the corner and smirked. If that was the way Top Dog was going to be, then she had a surprise for him.

Top Dog caught her peering in at him, and he turned around, wide-eyed with fright. "Uh oh," he muttered.

It wasn't long before she had Top Dog knocked out. With Aerrow's help, they locked him outside in one of the Academy's cages, a rectangular prison with a triangular door.

Moments later, the ex-cadets came cheering, marching up to the cage with their own catch. On their shoulders lay Snipe, bound by rope from ankle to neck. The Talon was looking down at them frantically, knowing this probably wasn't going to end well for him.

Top Dog was coming to, and he got to his feet, holding his head. Aerrow merely opened up the cage, and the kids threw Snipe on top of Top Dog. Snipe groaned as Top Dog tried to shove him off. Aerrow couldn't help smirking as he shut the door on them. Looks like the bully's name should be changed to "Underdog" now!

All the ex-cadets were cheering now, saying, "Yeah! Alright! Whoo!" and throwing their fists in the air. Aerrow and Piper stood before them proudly. Aerrow crossed his arms. Amazing who will follow you when you point out what is right.

Piper swung her fist enthusiastically. "Way to go, guys!" she cheered on the ex-cadets.

Then she stopped and drew such a deep breath that Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Knowing her, something was up. "Just so you know," she said, "there's a squadron of elite Talons on the way here to wipe us out."

All the kids' jaws dropped in shock and panic.

Aerrow scowled, putting a hand his chin thoughtfully. A squadron of elite Talons. Well, that wasn't good.

The boy with the ashy skin looked around nervously. "Talons, here?" he exclaimed, pointing to the ground. "Oh, let Sarge go and beg for mercy!" He exchanged a glance with his blue-haired friend, who nodded in agreement.

"Now you're talkin' sense!" Snipe exclaimed enthusiastically.

Aerrow, on the other hand, couldn't believe they had even suggested that! "Come _on_," he exclaimed to the boys. "They're just Cyclonians." He gestured to Snipe and Top Dog, reminding them that most Talons were no better than them. "The Storm Hawks kick their butts all the time." He pointed a finger at Snipe. "_He_ taught you all their moves. Now it's time to use them," he clenched a fist, "on them!"

With this speech, he got the confidence of the kids once more. "Yeah!" they all cheered, throwing their fists in the air.

At once, everyone began scurrying around, looking for materials to fight back with. Top Dog's ex-goons searched through crates. Gareth found a sack of possible weapons. Lynn checked out the kitchen. Piper studied the training skyrides. And while everyone else was searching for possible weapons and armor, Aerrow went around seeing what they found.

"Okay, what've we got?" he asked Lynn when she got back.

"I've got some cooking crystals from the kitchen," Lynn answered, giving him out a black, yellow, and red crystal that looked like a chunk of burning coal. "They're pretty weak," Lynn said, "but they still have some juice."

Most people wouldn't think that was much help. This crystal comes in various grades and commonly used in kitchens throughout Atmos to generate heat for food cooking. Nothing that is worth anything in a battle. However, Aerrow wasn't most people, and he knew something most people didn't; cooking crystals can also be used as makeshift explosives in large quantities, producing a bright yellow light that can blind opponents. Aerrow didn't know _how_ to make the crystals do this; but that's where Piper's expertise came in.

Before Aerrow could answer Lynn, however, they heard someone exclaim, "Gah!" from behind them, and they both glanced backward.

Gareth met their eyes and shrugged. "I have a bunch of spineyspuds!" he announced proudly. He already had eight unpeeled spuds on his shirt, and in his hand was a whole sack of them, to which two spuds were sticking to it on the outside.

Okay, cooking crystals and spineyspuds. That took care of weapons. "What about the trainers?" Aerrow asked Piper, who was studying the dashboard of a trainer.

Piper stood up straight. "They only have stun blaster," she answered.

Only stun blasters. But still blasters.

Aerrow smiled at the kids. "I've seen what you can do," he told them. He tossed the cooking crystal from one hand to the other. "This is more than enough." He held the cooking crystal high and said, "Prepare for battle!"

"Yeah!" the kids shouted once more, throwing their fists in the air.

And once again, the Academy was a flurry of activity.

The mutineers brought out crates of cooking crystals, spineyspuds, and pots, pans, and silverware.

Piper started working with the cooking crystals, trying to make them into explosives. Even as she worked with one, however, it blew up in a small puff of smoke. Piper groaned and rested her head on her hand. If there's one thing she didn't like, it was working with crystals as useless and tedious as these.

Meanwhile, the revolters were putting all kinds of pots, pans, cutting boards, and other such pieces of wood and metal as makeshift armor, and they all put on their training gloves. Some even hung shovels on their backs to use as swords later in battle. Pots and buckets became helmets.

Once everyone was armored, the next step was to hang sacks of readymade cooking crystals and raw spineyspuds on their rides.

At last, everything was ready. Aerrow had claimed Snipe's Heli-Blade as his own. Now he mounted, revving the engine as Piper drove up beside him in a trainer. The kids lined up their rides behind Aerrow's and Piper's. Everyone wore pots, pans, and slabs of wood for armor except for Aerrow and Piper, the experienced fighters, and Lynn, who had her own Talon breastplate. She refused to wear her helmet, however; she would no longer wear the symbol of cowardice typical of a Talon.

Dark specks appeared on the horizon. Exchanging an encouraging smile with Aerrow, Piper held up her x-ray peepers to see who it was. A line of Talon Switchblades was soon seen on the horizon. Piper did a rough count of more than thirty of them, but that may be just the lead unit. "Talons, incoming!" she exclaimed, anxious by the number.

But Aerrow wasn't worried. He was confident in his side. He just had to keep the others confident as well. He looked over his shoulder at the ex-cadets. "This is it," he said, surveying them. "You all know what to do." His eyes rested on Gareth. The boy met his eyes and, drawing in a shaky breath, gave Aerrow a confident smile. Aerrow was glad to see the feeling was mutual among the others.

Turning back to face the Talons, Aerrow slammed his fist into his hand. "Time to shut this place down for good!" he exclaimed. He threw his fist into the air. "Fight Cyclonia!"

"Fight Cyclonia!" the kids echoed, throwing their fists in the air. And with that, Aerrow, Piper, and the kids all sped down the red landing strip of the Academy and rose into the air to meet the oncoming Talons.

At their approach, the lead Talon, an old scar-faced commander, held up his arm before bringing it down and pointing toward the kids, the Cyclonian signal to attack. The first five Switchblades behind him sped past him and descended toward the Storm Hawks and the revolters.

But it took only one glance at the sack of cooking crystals hanging off her ride for Piper to get an idea. She picked one up and shook it, listening to it make a rattling sound. It was not the preferred crystal for the job, but it would work. "Everyone, shut your eyes!" she shouted to the others. And with that, she took the lead from Aerrow and sped toward the Talons.

Seeing her, the first three Talons all shot a volley of pulses at her, but all missed. Ignoring the shots, Piper threw the cooking crystal at them with a grunt.

The crystal knocked harmlessly against the first Talon Switchblade, but upon impact, the crystal itself exploded in a fierce bright yellow-white light. The lead Talon yelled as the flash stung his eyes, and he held up his arms to cover his face, taking his hands off the handles. His ride veered into the Switchblade beside him, wrecking them both in a cloud of black smoke and sending their drivers parachuting toward the Wastelands.

With Piper's success inspiring confidence, the ex-cadets sped forward as four more Talons came to meet their charge.

Surprisingly, it was little Gareth who struck first. With a grunt, he threw a large spineyspud at the lead Talon. "Ah!" the Talon cried as the spineyspud's thorns found their way into his back. Then Gareth smirked as he dumped a bunch from his sack down on the Talon. "Oh! Ah! Oh! Ooh! Ah!" the Talon cried as he was bombarded by the thorny vegetables. He screamed in pain as he found himself covered in them, and with no one controlling his vehicle, the Switchblade was sent crashing toward the Wastelands.

"Hah!" Gareth exclaimed as he watched the Talon crash. He pointed a thumb to himself, proud at how well his idea to use spineyspuds had worked. "Spuds one, Talons none!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

Then the kids broke off into groups just as the Talons did, turning the battle into many mini-battles, as is the tendency of battles. Lynn followed alongside Aerrow. It wasn't long before two Talons began to approach them side-by-side, one in front of Aerrow and the other in front of Lynn. Aerrow smiled; this was perfect! "Okay, Lynn," he said to her, clenching his fist excitedly. "This I your chance to do it right!"

Lynn looked unsure. "I couldn't do this before, Aerrow," she answered.

Aerrow grinned. Sure, she couldn't do it before, but that had been up against _him_, a Sky Knight who never blinked. He pointed to the Talon ahead of her. "This is just a Talon," he said. "They'll blink first. They always do." He motioned toward her to go on.

Lynn stared at him uncertainly at first, but Aerrow stayed with her, letting her know he would be with her every step of the way. Lynn's face hardened in a scowl, and she faced the Talon, leaning forward and gunning her engine. Aerrow did likewise, keeping with her.

The Talons were getting closer. Aerrow hung back just slightly, as did the Talon in front of him. This challenge was not between them; it was between their partners.

The moustache Talon in front of Lynn glared as they got closer and closer. Lynn returned it. They got closer, and the Talon waited for Lynn to pull up. But she didn't. And it didn't take long for the Talon to figure that out; however, by then, it was too late to pull up. "Yah-oh!" the Talon cried in fright as he dove below Lynn. And just as Lynn had done before, his dive drove him straight in between two other Switchblades, tearing off their wings and sending all three of the riders parachuting to the Wastelands.

Lynn turned around and stared in amazement at her feat. She clenched her fist. "I did it!"

As the kids and Talons kept fighting, the crashing Switchblade kept falling, heading straight for the terra below.

Down on the terra, Snipe and Top Dog had their hands on either wall of their prison. Snipe was staring at the window, and Top Dog was trying to see under his arm. When at last he did, his eyes widened at the oncoming Switchblade. "Uh oh." It was heading straight for them!

With a yell, Snipe whirled around, leapt to the back of the cage, and lay flat. Top Dog followed suit.

All around Top Dog noise erupted as the top of the cage completely shattered, sending pieces of broken metal everywhere. Smoke filled his nostrils from the burning Switchblade. Afraid to lie down any longer, he sat up abruptly, gasping, whimpering, and on the verge of crying. First the revolt, now this! He and Snipe were going to die for sure!

Snipe grabbed his head and forced the boy to look at him. "Get a grip, cadet," he growled. He motioned toward the spot where the door had once stood; now nothing was blocking their way out. "This is our ticket outta here!"

Oh. Top Dog studied the opening, tilting his head to the side like an actual dog. Well, that certainly made the situation a little better.

In the battle in the skies, Aerrow was zeroing in on a Talon that was chasing Flop Top. Looking terrified, Flop Top banked right, flying out of the Talon's line of fire just as Aerrow descended from above. Smirking at his trick, the Sky Knight poured his bag of spineyspuds on the Talon. The Talon howled and swerved away out of control.

Amusing as it was, it wasn't all good. Aerrow had to throw his useless sack behind him. "That's it," he said. "I'm outta spuds."

Piper flew up beside him, looking concerned. "I'm outta juice, too," she said.

Meanwhile, Lynn was a chasing a Talon, shooting at him with her stun blasters until she had scared him away. She was forced to pull off quickly, however, when two Switchblades blocked her path. Ascending above them, she swerved around to get on the other side of Aerrow. "Too many!" she said, trying not to be nervous.

Indeed, they had taken out many Talons since the beginning of the battle without even being touched, but over twenty-five Switchblades still barred the path in front of them.

But to Lynn's surprise, Aerrow and Piper were smiling. "Don't worry," Piper answered Lynn. "We never planned on beating all of them."

Lynn put her hands up in the air in puzzlement and aggravation. "Then what are we doing?"

"Stalling," was Aerrow's short answer. And with that, the Sky Knight put his hands behind his head and leaned back leisurely in Snipe's Heli-Blade.

Lynn raised her eyebrows. What did he mean "stalling"? And why was he lounging in his ride when a swarm of Talons was almost upon them?

She gasped as the she heard the drone of more approaching rides. Laughing at what they saw as their triumph, seven Talons barred their way. Lynn stared at them fearfully, wondering what to do and turning to Aerrow for guidance. But the boy Knight just caught her eye and smirked, seeming to find something very humorous.

Then from within the depths of the clouds below came the loud sound of a carrier's horn.

The Talons' laughter stopped, and they stared wide-eyed beyond the kids. A shadow fell of Lynn. Frightened, she looked back over her shoulder.

There before her loomed a ship . . . none other than the legendary _Condor_. The Storm Hawks had brought reinforcements.

One of the Talons screamed. That was all they had time to do before the _Condor_ started firing.

Both Finn and Junko were out on either turret with either cannon. Most of the Talons escaped the first few shots, but Junko struck one on the wing. With a cry, the Talon spiraled below the clouds on his falling ride.

The kids cheered and threw their fists in the air. With the _Condor_ here to help, they were winning!

Most of the Talons had gotten the sense to flee the vicinity of the ship, but one Talon lingered. He was soon driven away, only to stop and say, "Huh?" as two of the Switchblades in front of him were shot out of the sky, their riders sent parachuting after them. Not long after, it was his turn to cry out in shock as the back of his Switchblade was struck.

Finn struck two more, and one of them went careening into a third. Another one of Finn's dead-on shots sent a screaming Talon right off his smoking ride, only to deploy his parachute below. One Talon even almost got away, pointing his bow to the sky and ascending far above him, but the Talon cried out in surprise as a shot hit his stern. "Yes!" Junko cried in success, throwing his fists in the air triumphantly before returning to his shooting.

"Whoa!" the Talon cried as he fell with his ride.

At last, it was too much. The lead Talon sped away from the _Condor_ crying, "Retreat! Retreat!" The Talons fled, not even stopping to pick up the ones stuck on their parachutes.

Lynn couldn't believe it. They had beaten the Talons!

Down below, both Snipe and Top Dog had found unused trainer skyrides. They had mounted the skimmers and were about to drive down the landing strip when Snipe saw the Talons flying overhead, fleeing from the Storm Hawks and revolters. "Oh," he groaned. "There goes my promotion."

As punishment for his failure, he hit himself three times in the head with his fist as he descended down the landing strip with Top Dog. Together they took to the skies, fleeing after the Talons.

Snipe had failed. The ex-cadets had freed themselves. And Top Dog had chosen his fate.

With the battle finished and without Snipe and Top Dog to deal with, the kids all celebrated once they landed, smiling and cheering and complimenting each other. However, a hush fell over the crowd when Aerrow and Piper stepped forward.

Lynn came to meet them. "You were right, Piper," she said. "There is another way."

Then she turned to Aerrow, admiration shining in her eyes. "I want to be just like you," she said, almost whispering in her excitement. Then she raised her voice so it rang out over the courtyard. "I want to be a Storm Hawk!"

From behind her came another voice Aerrow had come to recognize easily. "So do I!" Gareth exclaimed, putting his hands behind his back.

"Yeah! So do I!" all the other ex-cadets agreed, cheering from behind Gareth.

It wasn't a very realistic idea, but with the kids' enthusiasm and with Lynn and Gareth staring at him eagerly, waiting for an answer and smiling almost in adoration for him . . . Well, how could Aerrow say no? "Well," he said, "we could always use a reserve team."

"Really?" Lynn exclaimed, looking excited. But then, to Aerrow's surprise, she shrugged. "Maybe after some time at home first," she answered. She turned to Piper. "Now that I think about, herding skoats isn't all that bad."

Skoats? Aerrow's eyes darted to Piper to see if she knew what Lynn was talking about, but Piper was smiling at Lynn with a glint of pride and approval. It appears this was something they had discussed earlier.

But Lynn wasn't done yet. She walked past Piper toward the wall and pulled a poster of a Talon off of it. Then, taking it in both hands, she ripped it in half. Every other ex-cadet followed suit, ripping in half posters they had found. With cheers of "Wahoo!" "Yeah!" and "Alright!" they threw the torn pieces of paper in the air.

Aerrow smiled. They'd done it, all of them. The kids had not only fought against, instead of for, Cyclonia, but they had also decided to go home to their families, away from the war, where they belonged. And Talon Academy was shut down for good!

* * *

With sunset so close at hand, everyone decided to stay one last night in the dormitories. In the morning, everyone left for their own destinations. Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper all rode back on the Heli-Blade Aerrow had stolen from Snipe. As soon as they landed and dismounted, Radarr leapt off the ride, eager to be home. Aerrow and Piper, however, were caught by Finn, who greeted them immediately on their return.

But the first thing he said wasn't a greeting. The first thing he did was look at Aerrow, raise an eyebrow, and say, "Dude, what's with the hair?"

Aerrow rolled his eyes up to look at his clipped hairdo. In all the excitement, he'd forgotten all about it. Now, embarrassment came crashing down on him.

But Piper was smirking. "That's nothing," she told Finn, laughing. Then she leaned toward the sharpshooter, shielded her mouth with her hand, and said, "Wait till you hear his nickname."

Aerrow groaned. Piper wasn't going to let him off easy.

Thank goodness Finn didn't beg for details. Instead he said, "They gave you guys nicknames?" He stamped his foot. "Ah, I should have gone, too! I always wanted a nickname." His face brightened as he thought up nicknames he might have. He slicked back his hair. "Slick," he suggested. "No, no." He did his pistol fingers. "Hotshot. Yeah!" Aerrow and Piper, with her hands on her hips, just gave him a hopeless look as he rambled on with name suggestions. "Master Blaster! Chicka-Cha Dude."

Piper just shook her head before turning to Aerrow. As soon as she met his eyes, she smiled warmly. "You did something great today, Aerrow," she said, gesturing toward him.

Aerrow smiled smugly. He had done a great deed, hadn't he? He put his hands on his hips proudly. "Trashed a Cyclonian academy and made some new friends," he summarized. "I'd say mission accomplished!" And with that, he sat down in the seat of his trophy, the Heli-Blade Elite.

Then, his eyes widened. "Ow!" he yowled in pain. Oh, he sat on something!

Leaping to his feet, he pulled something sharp out of the seat of his pants, gasping as he did. Piper watched him with alarm, but her concern was unnecessary. In his gloved hand, Aerrow found himself holding a spineyspud. "Huh," he said. "Guess I had one left after all."

His and Piper's laughter peeled through the hangar bay as the _Condor_ drove off into the northern skies.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The name Lynn could mean many different things. It can be of English origin, in which it could come from Flann, which is Irish and Gaelic for "ruddy-complected" (ironic since Lynn was pale), or it could also be Old English and Gaelic, meaning "lake," "waterfall," or "pool" (and Lynn _does_ have aqua-colored eyes). Normally it comes from Linda, which is Spanish for "pretty."

I feel the quality of this one was lacking in some way. I don't know why; I just do. What do you guys think?


	93. Siren's Song: The Great Expanse

_**Part 23**_

_**Siren's Song**_

_The way is lost, and the way is found. A strange new enemy appears. Illusions overpower, and illusions are overpowered. Deepest desires must be resisted to prevent the deepest fears._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Great Expanse

A little while after the Storm Hawks had left Talon Academy, Piper stood on the balcony outside the bridge, her arms crossed and her hair waving as the cold wind buffeted her. She stared out at the seemingly infinite stretch of craggy cliffs jutting out of an eerie mist. Dark clouds covered the sky, although sunlight still penetrated, bathing the already dreary, ghostly world in blue and gray. Observing it all, Piper thought back to how happy she'd been when she left that stupid Talon Academy. She would rather be there now than here.

She took out her squadron log and began to write.

_Squadron log,_

_Date: unknown_

_We've lost all track of time. Instruments nonfunctional. Timepulse Beacon is lost. We're trapped in the one place in the Atmos you never want to find yourself, the one place from which no ship has ever returned. We're stranded in the Great Expanse._

Back on the bridge, Stork glanced up from his ever spinning gauges on his helm; they had been like that since they had entered the Expanse, so there was no point in trying to read or fix them. Stork peered out at Piper standing on the balcony as she put up her squadron log. His eye twitching, he muttered, "Stork's log: Yep, we're doomed."

* * *

Aerrow was tucked away in his room, getting some much needed sleep. Recently times had been trying, to say the least, and it seemed the mental stress alone was taking everything out of the Sky Knight. On the plus side, at least his hair had grown back since his time at Talon Academy.

He awoke gradually, blinking awake. Hopefully everything that had happened recently had been a dream and he would wake up to find the _Condor_ sailing happily through blue skies.

He lay there a moment, staring around his room. His room was rather bare, compared to what most teenage boys would have. There were no posters or music records to be found, and the only thing close to a toy or model was the model Air Skimmer III Ultra on his shelf, one that looked like a small duplicate of his own. His blades were hung in an X formation on the wall beside the bed. Aerrow kept them there to keep them close at hand should anything happen.

The only true decoration hung above the head of his bed. A large, round sheet of metal bore the symbol of the Storm Hawks upon a red background, a decoration that had been there when Stork had found the ship; apparently it was Lightning Strike's, perhaps his own personal way of saying, "This is the Sky Knight's room." Or at least, that's what it always said to Aerrow. But even this metal had its purposes, for if taken down, the bulging sheet of metal could be used as a shield. However, Aerrow would find it heavy and hard to hold in battle; besides, it looked good up on the wall.

Below the shield hung the only other decoration: photographs. Just below the shield was Piper's smiling face, followed by a picture of Junko and Finn side by side at Tropica. Closest to the head of the bed was a picture of another friend, which also a souvenir of their first mission: the picture of Dove that Wren had given them.

But Aerrow only studied these briefly before he sat up and looked at his nightstand, which was bare except for his three-face clock. Picking up the clock, he studied it in dismay. This was no dream. The hands on all faces of the clock were still spinning. They were still stuck in the Great Expanse. A wave of guilt washed over him as he remembered how they had ended up there in the first place.

With a grunt, he threw the useless clock aside. It would do his team no good if he were to dwell on the past or wallow in guilt. Shaking his head and gasping, he tried his best to summon up his courage. He put his hand to his forehead. "Come on, Aerrow," he said to himself. He clenched a fist. "Ya gotta keep everyone goin'." Quickly, before he lost his nerve, Aerrow strode to the door to see if anyone else had good news.

The first one he went to was Stork. When he came to the bridge, he walked up to the railing behind the helm, gripping it. "Hey, Stork," he called to his pilot. "How's it goin'?"

Stork glanced down at the spinning gauge needles all around him. "You know, same old, same old," he grumbled.

So no good news here. Aerrow peered out the front window to see the swirling tornado-like storm just off to starboard. The vortex had been dogging them for some time now, and each time Aerrow looked at it, it seemed like it had gained on them. "Any idea what that thing is yet?" he asked Stork.

"Something I keep steering _away_ from," Stork answered back testily.

"But it keeps getting closer," Aerrow prodded.

"Yeah," Stork answered, peering over his shoulder and chuckling sinisterly. He smirked as he narrowed his eyes at the Sky Knight. "Weird, huh?"

Okay, that was creepy. Aerrow studied the Merb with concern. "You sure you don't need a break?" he asked, pointing to him.

Stork sidled up to him. "No," he answered with a smile, giving Aerrow a thumb up. "It's cool, man." He slid back up to the helm, still smiling, now whispering. "The monotony's broken up by the whipping debris and the occasional volcanic outbursts." His eye twitched.

"Okay," Aerrow said uncertainly, turning away. Stork _was_ being strange, but he figured it was mostly Stork being Stork. "Next stop," he said to himself, pointing a thumb toward the door.

The next stop was Finn's room.

From the moment the automatic door opened upon his approach, Aerrow could hear Finn's frustration as he tried to get anything on the radio. The sharpshooter groaned. "Come on!" he urged the radio, holding it up to his ear and turning the dial wildly.

Aerrow crossed his arms and leaned against the side of the door as he peered inside the room. Unlike Aerrow's room, Finn's room was more like what a teenage boy's room should be. Posters of strange designs, dramatic places, logos of hardcore music bands, and pictures of Finn himself hung on the wall. Clothes were strewn about here or there. Finn's surfboard leaned against the wall beside his bed.

Finn looked about as clean as his room. Eyes wide and bloodshot, pupils dilated, hair completely in disarray, and talking to the radio like a maniac, Finn looked downright crazy. Aerrow studied his friend with concern. "Hey, Finn," he greeted him, hoping he could help calm him down.

He was about to ask him how he was doing when Finn stopped him by holding up a finger to him and saying, "Don't ask!" He slammed the radio on the table irritably. "I haven't been able to pick up anything yet, okay?" He clenched his fists in despair. "The radio's dead!" He groaned, putting his head down on the desk and burying it in his arms.

"It's okay," Aerrow answered, hoping his answer would sooth him. "I know you're trying."

"Okay?" Finn said in disbelief, raising his head up to look at him. "Huh! Okay?" He clenched his fists again. "The Nimbus Nimrods are playing for the Championship, man, and I'm missing it!" He turned back to the radio, desperately turning the dial.

What? This whole time Finn was trying pick up a signal for some _ballgame?_ "Finn," Aerrow scolded, "you're supposed to be calling for help!"

"The 'Rods don't need any help," Finn answered back. "They're on a winning streak!" He turned to him with a crazed look in his eyes. "What do you say about that?" He pointed a shaky finger on him.

Aerrow just gave Finn a sad look and held up a fist as if to cheer. "Go Nimrods," he answered unenthusiastically as he turned to leave. There was no point in trying to reason with Finn right now. It was clear that he wasn't quite all there at the moment.

His next stop was the kitchen, where Junko was supposed to be looking at the food supplies. There he found Junko getting a plate and putting their last berry on it. The Wallop stared at it longingly, which gave Aerrow the feeling that the report on their food shortages was not going to good. Even so, he kept a brave face and approached as if nothing was wrong.

He popped up beside the Wallop. "Hey, Junko," he greeted, waving to him. "Uh, how we doin' on supplies?"

Junko gestured behind him sadly to a large stack of crates. "I found Stork's emergency rations. We got food to last awhile."

Aerrow tried to understand Junko's depressed tone. "But that's great." When Junko didn't perk up, Aerrow shrugged. "Isn't it?"

So Junko showed him the rations. Using a metal rod as a lever, he peeled off the lid of one of the crates. Aerrow peered down over his shoulder to see as flies gathered around the crate. Junko lifted up the crate for the Sky Knight to see. As if the flies and the nasty green color of the food wasn't enough, the stench is what got Aerrow. Leaning away with disgust, he said, "Ah, please," he pointed to the crate, "tell me that's not—"

"Yup," Junko interrupted. "Merb cabbage."

Aerrow held his nose and gagged. Merb cabbage was some of the worst food in the world! Merbs, however, absolutely loved it.

Junko, the lover of food, just stared at the leafy, stinky vegetables. "Even I don't eat Merb cabbage," he said. As if to prove it, he picked up a head and stuck it into his mouth, trying to chew it. He ended up making a sound of disgust and spitting it out. The spit-covered cabbage hit the cabinets and slid to the counter.

Aerrow slumped. "This just keeps getting better and better," he grumbled sarcastically.

And with that, he left for a destination that he hoped would give him some good news. If there was anyone who could give him a light in this darkness, it was Piper.

Piper was in her room, which was laden with crystals, maps, and charts, as always. However, when the doors opened, Aerrow noticed that her worktable had been cleared off for the _Condor_'s huge compass, which had stopped working ever since they'd entered the Expanse. Piper's crystal notes, which were compiled into a huge book, lay on the table beside the compass for reference. Eight crystals were set around the compass, crystals of varying colors: orange, yellow, lime green, dark green, blue, violet, and white. In each hand she held a crystal, one red and one violet. She held the red one over the compass, and the needle started spinning. Curious and hopeful, Aerrow stepped forward to see what she was up to, not even bothering to announce himself.

Of course, he didn't need to. Piper knew he was there without even looking at him. "You're just in time," she told him when he had stepped up beside her. She held up the crystals in her hands. "I think I've finally found a way to counter the effects of this place!"

It was the best news Aerrow had ever heard! "Ah, I knew you'd come up with something, Piper!" Once again, they could be saved by the girl's ingenuity.

Piper held the two crystals over the compass and began to rub them together gently. Curious to see if it really worked, Aerrow leaned forward toward it, watching anxiously. As the two crystals were rubbed together, they began to glow. The eight crystals surrounding the compass levitated in the air, glowing as well. As far as Aerrow could see, it was as if the crystals had created a shield from the effects of the Great Expanse. The needle of the compass began to spin, first slowly, then faster. At last, it grew still, pointing north once more.

Aerrow was elated! "Yes!" he exclaimed. With the compass working, they could navigate their way out! Aerrow turned the crystal mage, smiling. "Piper," he said, bumping shoulders with her, "you're a genius!"

No sooner did he say it when sparks began to fly from the compass. Gasping, Piper leaned away and protected her face. After the sparks went out, Aerrow and Piper turned back to the compass. The face was cracked in many places, and the eight crystals around it had fallen back to the table and were melting.

Piper groaned. All that hard work, even gratitude from the Sky Knight, and she'd failed.

Aerrow just stared at the compass in amazement as his hope drain away. A side glance at Piper was enough to tell him she was more than upset. He held up his finger and opened his mouth to say something, but then he thought better of it. He backed away silently and made his escape, knowing she'd be better off with him gone. He glanced back only once as he walked through the automatic door to see Piper swallow, still staring at the cracked compass.

Aerrow faced forward again. "One last stop," he said to himself.

If Piper couldn't bring a smile to his face, Radarr could.

Aerrow went back to the bridge, where he found Radarr down by the big, frontal window. He was peering out at the skies through a telescope set on a stand. The Sky Knight stepped up beside him. "Anything, Radarr?" he asked.

Radarr turned to him, whimpering and shaking his head before turning back to the telescope.

Aerrow turned away. There was nothing going their way, was there?

Just then, Radarr focused his telescope on a distant orb of light disappearing over the horizon.

Aerrow could see the shadows lengthen as darkness descended over the ship. It couldn't be. He whirled around, excited. "The sun!" he exclaimed. "It's actually setting!" The sun had not set since they had been here.

He, Radarr, and Stork peered up at the sky hopefully as little dots of light began to twinkle in a sky free of light pollution. "The stars!" Aerrow exclaimed. He turned to Radarr. "Uh, quick! Take a bearing!"

Radarr saluted him, and in a flash, he was a gone. A moment later, he was back with a sextant in his paw. Then, working with haste, he peered through the spyglass of the sextant. Even then, it was hard to see the stars, so he put down two of the three magnifying glasses on it to get a better view.

No sooner had he done it when light returned to the Great Expanse. Radarr squawked in confusion and alarm as the sun rose above the horizon once more. Even worse; it had risen above the _same_ horizon.

"Ah, man!" Aerrow groaned. They'd lost their chance to take a bearing by the stars. What's worse, they couldn't even navigate by the rising and setting sun. If the sun rose and set on the same horizon, than how could they possibly tell where was east or west?

They were truly trapped here.

With nothing else to do, Aerrow called everyone for a meal, since they hadn't eaten in awhile. The only problem was the only food left was Stork's Merb cabbage. Aerrow had them all get plates (mostly not to offend Stork), but everyone pretty much left theirs untouched, expect for the flies and for Stork; the Merb ate with obvious pleasure.

As they sat around the round table, Aerrow took a seat towards the edge of the couch, next to Piper. While he worked up the courage to eat the atrocious food, he tried to organize his thoughts, hoping to think up a plan or to think up something that Piper could attribute to. He rested his elbows on the table and interlocked his fingers, resting his head on them.

Stork stuck a forkful of cabbage into his mouth and chewed before he said anything. "Navigation's useless without markers," he said after he swallowed. Glancing around, he noticed that even Junko hadn't touched his cabbage. Stork pointed to Junko's plate. "Um, you gonna finish that?"

Junko had a piece of cabbage on his fork, and he held the fork in front of his open mouth, his hand trembling. When he heard Stork's question, he started to say, "Uh . . ." but then thought better of it. With his fork, he pushed the plate in Stork's direction.

But Aerrow was still thinking about the first thing that Stork had said. He raised his head and set his hands down on the table. "Stork, what was that about markers?"

Stork scraped the cabbage off Junko's plate onto his own as he spoke. "The stars, the Timepulse." He tapped his fork on his plate. "They're markers that show where you are." He pointed his fork at Aerrow. "Then you can figure out where you're going."

A glance at Piper told Aerrow she was thinking the same thing he was. Putting a hand on her chin thoughtfully, she said, "So if we leave some markers of our own," she smiled at Aerrow, "we can move away from the vortex!"

"And out of the Expanse!" Aerrow finished, punching his fist into his palm excitedly.

"Yes!" Finn exclaimed as he leapt up from his seat. He pointed his pistol fingers at Aerrow and Piper before crossing his arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an actual plan!"

And so they went about it excitedly. They quickly found their balloon markers, which act like buoys in the air. Strong and long-lasting, these balloons had weights below them that kept them from floating away. The Storm Hawks began to leave a trail of balloon markers, hoping to use them to create a path out of the Expanse.

With a grunt, Junko shoved another balloon out one of the _Condor_'s side hatches. "There goes our last balloon," he said, pointing to it.

"Wait!" Stork yelled from the helm. He pointed out the front window. "Something dead ahead."

"Land?" Finn asked excitedly.

"Another ship?" Piper exclaimed.

"The way out?" Junko breathed.

Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper went to the front window. Desperate to see, Aerrow pressed his hands against the glass as he got as close as he could to it without fogging it up.

The round, looming shape finally was close enough for him to see. "It's . . . our first balloon."

Everyone's faces fell. The balloon's weight banged against the _Condor_'s front deck as she ran into it, and the balloon was shoved out of the way by the ship. The banging became rhythmic as the _Condor_ continued to run into balloons along their trail.

Finn turned to them in disbelief. "You mean we're back where we started?"

Aerrow slumped as he stared out the window in despair. "I'm starting to think we'll _never_ get outta here."

Everyone looked around miserably. Aerrow was supposed to be the one who never gave up. By giving up now, he'd let them down. He didn't like doing that to them, but he just didn't know what else to do.

Junko's ears drooped, and his eyes got as big as a begging puppy's and began to fill with tears. Suddenly, he broke out into sobs. "I'm sorry, everyone!" he sobbed, wiping his eye. "This is all my fault! I'm the one who got us lost!"

Everyone stared at him in surprise. Even Radarr churred questionably.

"And how do you figure that?" Finn asked, echoing everyone else's thoughts.

"Well," Junko said, holding up a finger, "remember back when we were taking that shortcut through the Scylla Passage?"

_Junko could remember it quite well. He'd been doing his yoga, which he did to try to calm his Wallop instincts. He'd sat on floor of the bridge with his legs crossed and his pointer fingers touching his thumbs, saying, "Ummmmm, ummmmm." He was broken from his concentration when he heard something roar. "Huh?" he'd said, looking around. Then the roar came again, this time shaking his whole body. It was his stomach. Junko clutched it. "Whoa," he laughed. He was really hungry._

"And that's when I saw it," Junko continued his tale.

_The clouds had parted outside the _Condor_ to reveal a little restaurant on top of a tiny terra within the Great Expanse, which bordered the Scylla Passage. Fireworks went up around the terra._

"King's Castle Burger," Junko narrated, "my favorite fast food chain!"

_Junko remembered staring at King's Castle, his mouth watering. "Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo!" he said excitedly. He was on his Skimmer headed for King's Castle in minutes._

"I know, I know," Junko said. "We said never go into the Expanse, no matter what. I . . . I just couldn't help myself!"

"_Oh, ho, ho!" Junko had exclaimed when he flew up to the building. His tongue had been hanging out of his mouth, he was so excited._

"When I got to the float-up window, they were closed!"

_Junko remembered the dismay he'd felt at that. "Ah!" he'd exclaimed. "No!"_

_With nothing left to do, he'd tried to go back to the ship. "Huh?" he'd said as he looked around. He couldn't see any landmarks._

"I couldn't find my way back," Junko said, drawing his tale to close. "You guys had to come find me, and now we're all lost because of me!" Finishing his story, fresh tears filled his eyes, and he bit his lip to hold in more sobs, whimpering like a puppy.

The others stared at him questionably. Piper put her hand on her chin as if in thought.

Aerrow ran his hand through his hair uncertainly. "Uh, Junko," he said, walking up to him, "this place must be messing with you. That's not the way it happened." He stopped in front of him, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm the one who got us lost." He put a hand on the Wallop's shoulder. "Remember?"

"Huh?" Junko answered in confusion.

"No, it was me!" Piper protested.

"What?" Finn exclaimed, putting a hand on his chest. "No, I was the one who got us in here!"

Stork ran up beside Finn. "Um, excuse me," the pilot said, pointing to himself. "It was all me, man!"

Shaking his head, Radarr churred, pointing to himself, saying it was him.

"But," Piper said in puzzlement, "we can't _all_ be responsible." Aerrow stepped up beside her, putting his fists in his hips. Piper met his eyes. "Can we?"

Junko was the first to gasp. Radarr hissed in fear. Finn gasped, then Stork.

Aerrow glanced away, mulling the thought over before meeting Piper's eyes again. _Could _they all be responsible? And if so . . . how?

* * *

Author's Notes: This is another one of favorites. Gee, I have a lot of favorites!

Now, my grandfather was a sailor who came from a family of sailors, so I feel inclined to have a trivia just for Radarr's little navigation tool.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The sextant was used by sailors to measure the altitude of the sun or a star by measuring its distance above the horizon. If held horizontally, a sextant can also measure the angle between to objects. The object itself only measures sixty degrees. Based off the reflecting quadrant (invented in 1731), the sextant was invented by John Campbell in 1757 and has been used on the high seas as the main navigational instrument until only about thirty years ago. This "most prized possession of ship captains everywhere" now seems obsolete compared to computer navigators, but even so, it remains the number one back up navigational tool. (After all, everyone knows how unreliable a computer can be.)

Okay, that's all for now! Please review!


	94. Siren's Song: Blame Game

Chapter 2: Blame Game

Aerrow stood before the others, trying to figure out this puzzle: How did they get here? Aerrow thought he knew. Addressing them all, he said, "I don't know what you guys remember," he held up a finger, "but we're in here for one reason. We were ambushed!"

_Aerrow could remember it quite clearly. The Firebolt pulse had blasted straight through the wall beside his bed, shattering the wall. Aerrow gasped as he and his blades were sent careening across the room. Recovering quickly, the Sky Knight had grabbed one of his blades and ran to the new hole in his room, peering out with narrowed eyes to see who had attacked._

_The figure that greeted him had stood on top of a Talon Switchblade Elite, holding his double-bladed sword, which glowed red with a powerful Firebolt crystal. Black hair whipped out of the way of blood-red eyes as the villain threw back his head and laughed. "The Dark Ace!" Aerrow growled aloud._

"He blasted my room and took off into the Expanse!" Aerrow explained.

_What happened next kind of surprised Aerrow now that he thought about it. He had made a running jump out of the hole and landed on his Vulcan, which had been hovering below, despite the fact that Radarr wasn't there. When he landed and drove after the Dark Ace, Aerrow remembered finding himself clad in armor. It didn't make any sense, but Aerrow had been too concerned with chasing the Dark Ace to worry about it at the time._

_As he chased, he gained on the Talon, soon getting within striking range._

"I was just about to get the drop on him."

_Then a breeze blew mist across his field of vision. When it cleared, the Dark Ace had disappeared. "Huh?" Aerrow had gasped, glancing back and forth. The Talon commander was nowhere to be seen._

"I still don't know how he got away," Aerrow finished. "By then, it was too late; I'd led us all into the Expanse."

He looked around his friends pleadingly as he drew his story to a close. "You guys _must_ remember _that!_"

In front of him, Finn and Junko exchanged glances. "No ambush," Junko told Aerrow, shaking his head.

Finn shrugged. "No dogfight."

Stork appeared between them, pushing their shoulders aside to see over them. The Merb shook his head. "No Dark Ace."

"Hmm," Aerrow said with embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head. His story _did_ seem pretty unlikely. Maybe this place was messing with _him_, not Junko.

Piper walked up to him. "Sorry, Aerrow," she said, shrugging. "It's never been so quiet around here. In fact, I was finally gettin' around to some lingering tasks. You know, like alphabetizing my collection of famous Atmosian philosophers."

_Piper could remember being in her room putting all of sculpted heads in order when a beeping sound distracted her._

"When all of a sudden, my crystal locater started pinging off the scale!"

_Quickly, Piper had grabbed her x-ray peepers and peered out the window to see what crystal could possibly have set off the locater. And she saw it in the Great Expanse._

"There, glittering in the sunlight, was an Infinity Stone!"

_The crystal, in the shape of the infinity symbol, had sparkled as if it had been painted with a mixture of silver and gold. Infinity crystals were powerful, but extremely rare. She drove out on her Heliscooter at once to get this fine specimen._

"Only one other has ever been found in all the Atmos!" Piper told the boys excitedly. "The first was discovered during the Pre-Atollian Dynasty by Rash—"

"Uh, Piper?" Finn interrupted. "Just the high points."

Piper glared at him. "Fine," she huffed, returning to her story.

"I was almost there when I lost sight of it."

_She remembered how she'd gasped when magnificent crystal, so close within her grasp, was suddenly gone. She glanced back and forth frantically, but it was nowhere to be seen._

"Which come to think of it," Piper commented, "was really strange because it was only out of sight for a second. If you guys hadn't come after me—"

Finn, who was leaning back on the round table, interrupted. "Oh, I went after someone, alright, but it wasn't you." He put on a pair of shades and clacked his tongue, pointing to them and trying to appear cool as he told his version of the story.

_Finn could remember how he'd set out a lawn chair out on the landing strip. Beside him he had set out a crate which he used as a table where he set his pitcher and glass. At the time, he had no shirt on, but he did have his shades and his bling-bling necklace with the Storm Hawks emblem. Then suddenly he had sat up with a, "Huh?" when he heard a skyride honked at him._

"I was sunning myself topside," he began his tale, "and there she was: a totally hot Amazonian babette!"

_Her convertible skyride was pink and decorated with red hearts. She was dressed rather flatteringly, with much skin showing. Her short blond hair fluttered in the breeze as she lowered her purple sunglasses to reveal blue eyes with lids covered in pink eye shadow. Her lips were beautiful, pink, moist, and heart-shaped._

_It was enough to make Finn's stomach do summersaults. He stared at her open-mouthed, letting his shades fall down his nose._

_And then, she winked at him._

_Finn's heart fluttered. Was she winking at _him? _Excited, Finn crawled to the end of his lawn chair and placed a hand on the crate beside it. Unfortunately, the two gave way underneath him, and be fell in a wreckage among them. But despite the mess and the fact that his sunglasses were hanging off one ear, Finn kept his composure, sitting up giving the girl a wink and one of his famous pistol fingers._

"She was on the way to beach bash," Finn explained, "when she noticed this strappingly handsome blond hunk on board—"

Piper grunted at that. "At least we know Finn's story can't possibly be true," she said, smirking at him.

Finn peered at her over his sunglass open-mouthed, about to make a smart-mouth retort, when he noticed that Stork was driving and not paying attention, Radarr was also not paying attention, and Aerrow had his arms crossed and was raising an eyebrow at Finn skeptically. Deciding better of talking back to Piper when so many others were willing to back her up, Finn simply pushed his sunglasses back up his nose and acted as if he wasn't bothered. "Moving forward," he continued.

"I followed her to the party, but her convertible was fast!"

_He remembered as she drove off nearly leaving him in the dust, barrel rolling out past a distant peak. "Oh," Finn said to himself. Playing "catch me if you can." He could go along with that. He prepared to take off after her._

"Next thing I know," Finn said, "Stork shows up in the _Condor_."

_Finn also remembered when he noticed the _Condor _looming behind him. He groaned as he turned back to face forward again. So much for going to the party._

"Didn't happen to see an airtruck in there, did you?" Stork asked when Finn finished.

"Airtruck?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Stork answered without turning away from the helm. "The one from Tinhatco?"

"What-co?" Junko asked.

"You know," Stork answered, looking at him over his shoulder. "Tinhatco: Protecting brains like yours for over twenty-five years. It was carrying a shipment of the AM-3000, a state-of-the-art anti-mindworm helmet!"

Suddenly, Stork ran up to Aerrow, grasping his shirt. "I had to get one!" he exclaimed. "I'd been startin' to notice that telltale tickle in my lower medulla."

"Ah, let me guess," Aerrow said, taking a step back from him. "You followed the truck into the Expanse, and it disappeared. Kinda seeing a pattern here."

He turned to the only one of them who hadn't shared their tale. "So what's your story, Radarr?" he asked, gesturing toward his copilot.

Radarr stood up on two legs and paused a moment, as if trying to figure out a way to tell them. Then he began his communication through charades. Squawking, he flattened out his ears and held them horizontally like two wings. Holding his fists up and level as if gripping something, he growled as he ran around in a circle. Then with a screech and a churr as if to say, _Ta da!_ he stopped and landed in front of Aerrow, holding his arms out to show he was finished.

Aerrow frowned and put his hand on his chin, trying to guess what Radarr was demonstrating himself doing. "Um, you were . . . dancing?" Aerrow guessed.

Giving him a quizzical look, Radarr growled and held up his fists level again, twisting them.

"Ah, boxing!" Aerrow exclaimed.

Radarr glared at him, growling.

Aerrow put his hands on his knees leaning over him. "Shucking corn?" he guessed, running out ideas.

With a quizzical churr, Radarr widened one eye and narrowed the other. If he had been a person, it would have been equal to lifting an eyebrow.

The other Storm Hawks all stared at him, trying to figure out what he was saying. Finn rubbed the back of his neck in a clueless manner, and Stork shook his head, as if to say that it wasn't worth the trouble to figure out.

Radarr growled and crossed his arms. He gave up.

Finn sighed. "But what does it mean?" he asked. "All of our stories can't be true!"

"Wait!" Piper exclaimed. With her eyes dancing with excitement, Aerrow knew she'd just had a revelation. She kneeled down and started digging something out from under the round table, talking as she did. "A rare crystal, a burger stand," she smirked at their sharpshooter, "a girl who actually looked at Finn . . ." At this, Finn raised an eyebrow, glaring at her, but Piper didn't see; she was almost completely under the table now. "This all adds up to one thing!" she exclaimed, holding a finger up above the table where they could see.

"We've had too much Merb cabbage?" Junko suggested. Aerrow had to admit he thought of that as a possibility. But with Piper's logical mind, it was probably not the answer.

Piper huffed as she stood up and pulled a large, heavy book out from under the round table, setting it on the tabletop and opening it. "We all saw what she wanted to see!" she explained.

What? Aerrow raised an eyebrow at her as she began scanning the book. "But I don't wanna see the Dark Ace," he said. Certainly, every time the Dark Ace was anywhere near him, Aerrow was in mortal danger. Why would he want _that?_

"No," she said, stopping in her scanning to look up at him. She slammed her hand down on the book and met his eyes with a worried gaze. "You wanted to _beat_ the Dark Ace."

"Huh," Aerrow said to himself, mulling the thought over. "Well, now that you put it that way . . ." He trailed off as he thought about it. Certainly, beating the Dark Ace once and for all was one of his strongest desires. Not only had the Talon commander sworn to destroy him, but he had killed his family and left him orphaned. More than that, Aerrow also wanted to beat him simply to be . . . well, to be the hero. He wanted Cyclonia out of the way, but he didn't want to put his friends in danger to do so; he also wanted to be able to take the credit for Cyclonia's downfall. It was a desire that only just entered his consciousness now but perhaps a desire he had held for a long time now.

From the look on Piper's face, Aerrow could tell that his desire to fight scared her; he could see the fear she had for him. But it was gone quickly, and she was soon back to business. "Listen," she told them all, flipping through the book. She held up a finger. "Back in the Golden Age of Skyriders, during the First Expansion of—"

Finn, who had his arms crossed and was pretending to be bored to sleep, interrupted her, grunting, "High points."

Piper stopped to glare at him, but when she continued again, she got to the point. "There were reports of beings who could create illusions from a person's deepest desires: sky sirens!"

Junko shook a finger at her to get her attention. "Um, how'd those stories usually end?" he asked, wincing nervously, his ears drooping.

Piper frowned. "It was a pulled-to-your-doom kinda thing," she admitted.

That seemed to do it for Finn and Junko. "Uh," Junko groaned, rubbing his belly nervously. Finn seemed close to fainting, grabbing Junko's arm for support.

Aerrow put a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard of 'em, too," he said.

They all turned to him, and with a chirp, Radarr leapt onto Junko's back, cowering behind his shoulder. Junko's, Finn's, and Stork's eyes widened fearfully.

Aerrow knew the subject must be scary for them, but he pressed on. "They're supposed to take the form of—"

"—a woman?" Finn finished for him hesitantly.

"Yeah," Aerrow answered, surprised by Finn's knowledge. "How'd you know?"

Finn cringed. "'Cause she's here!" he answered nervously, pointing at Aerrow . . . actually, pointing at something _beyond_ Aerrow.

Aerrow froze, daring to try to peer around his shoulder. One glance on either side of him made him stiffen. Hands hovered above his shoulders, bluish glowing hands belonging to something . . . not quite humanoid. The fingers were long and delicate, like a woman's, but the elongated fingernails reminded him more of . . . claws.

All the hands had to do was grip his neck, and they could strangle him to death.

Grunting, Aerrow ducked out from under the hands with a gasp. Once clear, he spun around, not liking to have an enemy to his back. He held his hands up, ready to defend himself if need be.

There, hovering above him, was the sky siren.

She floated in the air, flashing her strikingly white teeth in a smirk. The creature did resemble a woman . . . a glowing, cadaverous woman in violet high heels and very immodest clothing that appeared to be made of some kind of violet cloth. Her black hair swirled around her as if caught in a wind tunnel, and her glowing white eyes bore no pupils. Streaks of blue-violet light swirled around her in an aurora.

No doubt was Aerrow frightened, and he responded to the fear of the siren in the way he responded to everything he feared . . . by fighting back. Crouching and clenching his fists, ready to fight if necessary, he cried out to the creature. "Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to her. "I don't know who or w-what you are," he clenched his fist again, "but we're on to your little game." He pointed at her again. "So you can just get off our ship and leave us alone! Now!"

At this, the sky siren made no response—Aerrow wasn't even sure if she had the _ability _to speak, much less the wish to—but instead her sinister smile widened, revealing two pointed fangs on her upper jaw. She held her arms up in the air and forcefully brought them down. It a bright flash of light, she was gone.

While Stork had gone to the helm to drive, Piper, Radarr, Finn, and Junko were clustered together, smiling in awe at what they saw as Aerrow's fearlessness and the sky siren's nervous response. Finn put his fists on his hips and puffed out his chest proudly. "Hah!" he exclaimed, pointing his pistol fingers at Aerrow. "Guess we told her!" He acted like he had actually been a key part of the whole ordeal instead of just an observer. Even so, his words made the others only smile wider.

But Aerrow wasn't looking at them. Turning away from where the siren had been, he scowled out the window. He wasn't sure whether or not he had driven her away. In fact, he was almost certain that he hadn't. And their situation hadn't changed. The whole ordeal had just given them one more thing to worry about. Aerrow bristled with irritation, cursing the situation silently.

Suddenly, with a roar like thunder, a flash of light from the frontal window spread across the bridge. Aerrow held up a hand to protect his eyes as he was momentarily blinded. "Now what?" he snarled in irritation. The last thing they needed was one more piece of bad luck.

The others were squinting out the window as well to see. Aerrow heard Junko's heavy hooves clank against the metal floor as the Wallop stepped up behind the Sky Knight.

Outside, the clouds of the endless blue-gray sky were parting, and sunlight beamed directly in front of them.

Aerrow inclined his head toward Junko when he heard the Wallop speak. "It's . . . the way out!" he gasped eagerly, pointing out the window.

Aerrow stared out the window in wonder and disbelief. The way out. _The way out!_ "Stork!" he ordered. "Full ahead!"

"Alright!" Stork answered quietly but with conviction. He heaved back on the helm and with a grunt pushed it forward, sending the _Condor_ speeding toward the way out of the Great Expanse.

The Storm Hawks all stood around delightedly, staring out the window as if their lives depended on it. Aerrow stepped up beside Stork, basking in the sun's glare, which for once was not obscured by clouds. Everyone's face glowed with relief and exultation. "Yeah, baby!" Finn exclaimed. "There's nothing I've been wantin' to see more than blue skies!"

Piper, who was standing next to him, smiled at his words, but then she mulled them over. "Nothing?" she muttered to herself, biting her fingernail nervously. Oh, no. "Wait! Stop the ship!" she shouted, running up to the helm in between Aerrow and Stork.

They ignored her, still staring in awe at the sunlight. Stork even let out a contented sigh.

But Piper pressed on desperately. "It's another illusion!" she shouted, pointing toward the "sunlight."

"Huh?" Stork said, shaking himself awake. The others all frowned, narrowing their eyes to see. Aerrow scowled, scrutinizing the view in front him.

And then they all saw it. It _was_ an illusion, and it faded into the vortex Stork had been trying to avoid ever since they had gotten stuck in the Expanse. They were headed straight for the center of the storm!

Aerrow heard Stork gulp.

There was no time to waste. "Stork!" Aerrow shouted, clenching his fists. "Hit the retros!"

Stork was quick to comply, pulling a lever beside the helm. Immediately, the _Condor_'s engines reversed direction and started pushing away. But the storm already had the _Condor_ within its grasp, and it would not let her go so easily. Despite her strain, the ship continued its descent into the whirling tornado.

Finn ran up to the front of the bridge beside Aerrow. "Um, why aren't we stopping?" he asked the Sky Knight nervously.

Stork answered him. "Um, I'm guessing it's a 'pulled to our doom' kinda thing."

The eye loomed dark and ominous in front of them. For some reason, Aerrow just knew that the sky siren must be watching them in a fanged, sinister smile.

She had them. There was no way out.

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's some trivia relating to the Scylla Passage.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In Greek mythology, Scylla was a nymph. A minor sea god named Glaucus fell in love with her, but she fled from him. Heartsick, Glaucus went to Circe the sorceress to ask her to create a love potion for him. Circe herself fell in love with Glaucus, but Glaucus had eyes only for Scylla. Angry with Scylla for keeping Glaucus's heart, Circe made a vial of very powerful poison and poured it in the pool where Scylla bathed, a pool underneath a dangerous rock at one side of the Strait of Messina. When Scylla entered the water, she transformed into a terrifying sea monster with twelve feet and six heads, each with three rows of teeth. Below the waist her body was made up of hideous monsters, like dogs, who barked unceasingly. She stood in the place of her transformation in utter misery, unable to move, loathing and destroying everything that came into her reach, a peril to all sailors who passed near her. Whenever a ship passed, each of her heads would seize one of the crew. On the other side of the strait was Charybdis, a wicked whirlpool. These two threats were so close together that sailors often risked getting to close to one or the other. They are what coined the phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" or "between a rock and a hard place."

Considering that, we don't really have to guess why Nerd Corps called the passage the "Scylla Passage," dangerously close to the Great Expanse as it is.

You know, I thought explaining the Storm Hawks' visions would be difficult, but actually it was easier than I expected.

Okay, any reviewers? Yes? No? Maybe so?


	95. Siren's Song: Evil Illusions

Chapter 3: Evil Illusions

The Storm Hawks all screamed as the storm sucked them closer and closer to itself. The engines still fought the winds and still slowed their descent, but Aerrow knew that it wouldn't be long before the winds took full control of the _Condor_ and tossed her around like a toy, completely tearing her—and her crew—apart.

Then, it happened. The engines couldn't take it anymore. They were pushed back to their original position, still pushing, only propelling the _Condor_ straight into the storm.

The Storm Hawks screamed even louder this time.

But as Aerrow stared into the eye of the storm, he thought back to the sandy twister the Dark Ace had caught him in back on Terra Saharr. It had been the same hopeless situation on a smaller scale. And yet, he and Radarr had gotten away. Which means the _Condor_ could get away from this the same way.

Aerrow turned to his pilot. "Stork!" he shouted. "Head straight for the center! Full thrust!"

Stork obviously didn't see what he had in mind because even as he complied, he answered, "I like your thinking. Let's get it over with."

The other Storm Hawks all screamed again as the _Condor_ sped toward the center even faster, spinning with such speed that objects on the ship began to float.

Aerrow clutched the railing with all his might to keep from losing his footing. To keep his cool, he concentrated on nothing but the task at hand. Timing was everything. "Wait," he muttered aloud. "Wait."

Every time he said that, Stork gulped, tense and ready for further orders.

Junko found himself holding to some pipes on the ceiling, groaning as dizziness overcame him. He had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from being sick.

Radarr was holding onto the railing with only his front paws, but his grip was slipping. With a terrified squawk, he flew across the ship and slammed his back against the closed door to the hallways.

Finn, meanwhile, was screaming as he was pressed up against the frontal window, unable to move.

But although Aerrow heard it all and felt the ship trying to toss him around as well, he held his ground with everything he had. They had to get this just right.

Wait. Wait . . . "Now!" Aerrow shouted, turning to Stork. "Hard to starboard!'

At his yell, Stork spun the ship around suddenly. He actually did the opposite of Aerrow's order, going to port, which pitted them against the winds, but the _Condor_ had built up so much momentum that the mistake didn't matter. The Storm Hawks screamed as the _Condor_ careened up the eye of the storm, going too fast for the winds to catch her to pull her back into the turbulence.

But then, just before she was free, the _Condor_ came to a standstill, unable to move forward but strong enough to resist moving back. Then, slowly, she was being dragged back.

Piper grasped the other side of the railing next to Stork and the helm. "Not gonna make it!" she shouted.

But Junko was already on it. He tried to steady his hooves on the almost vertical floor to reach the levers off to the side of the helm. "Must lighten load!" he shouted, struggling to reach it.

At last, he grasped one of the levers and pulled it back.

The very rear storage compartment of the ship opened up, and crates upon crates of Merb cabbage fell from the _Condor_'s stern. Without the extra weight, the _Condor_ was able to find the strength to haul herself straight up out of the eye of the storm and fly clear of the vortex completely.

Aerrow sighed in relief. They were alive and no less for the experience. Except for the load they lost.

Aerrow glanced at Stork, thinking the pilot would be as relieved as anyone that the danger was past. But the Merb only stared out the window in horrified shock. "My cabbage," he said softly. He whirled around and pointed at Junko. "You dumped the whole load!" He set his face in a terrifying scowl, looking like he was going to jump Junko any minute.

Junko put a finger on his lip uneasily. "Yeah," he answered nervously, clasping his hands. "Well, sometimes, you know, the tough choicest have to be," he held up a finger, "um, you know, chosen."

Stork groaned and put a hand on his temple as if he were getting a migraine.

Aerrow had to admit that it had not been the best move to get rid of the Merb cabbage. Now they had no food, which meant that they would have to rely solely on their water supplies until they could get out of here. Even so, the Sky Knight couldn't help feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to endure any more of that awful cabbage!

Finn's voice brought him back to present. "Uh, guys?" he said, cringing. "Our friend his back."

The Storm Hawks all whirled around. There, floating before them, was the sky siren once more. She bared her teeth at them, scowling and letting out an angry, lion-like growl.

Piper crossed her arms uneasily. "Is it just me, or does she look majorly peeved this time?" she asked, glancing at Aerrow out of the corners of her eyes.

Aerrow kept his glare on the sky siren, clenching his hands into fists. "We escaped her little trap," he answered Piper, "so now it's personal."

As soon as he said that, the sky siren rose higher into the air, raising her hands. Her hair began to blow widely by some unfelt wind. Aerrow knew then that she was about to attack. "Everyone, stay at your posts!" he ordered.

"Her only power is illusion," Piper reminded them. "Resist, no matter what she throws at you."

The sky siren smirked as the other four Storm Hawks turned to them worriedly. Showing off her fangs in her smirk, she raised her hands into the hair and brought them down in a flash of light.

The Storm Hawks were lost in their own visions.

_Junko found himself staring at his little version of heaven; there, sitting on a little round table that appeared out of nowhere was a humongous pyramid of burgers from King's Castle Burger!_

_Junko licked his lips, chuckling to himself, "Gah, hoo, hoo, hmm!"_

Finn, meanwhile, saw something, very, _very_ different.

_At first, it was just one Amazonian girl—the same one he'd seen in his first vision, in fact, only this time she wasn't wearing shades. She clasped her hands and stared at Finn adoringly._

_And then, something wonderful happened. The one girl then became _four_ girls, as if the first girl had been cloned by the cloning crystal. Now they were _all_ clasping their hands and staring at him adoringly. "_Ooh_, Finn!" they sighed._

_Finn clenched his fists in excitement and laughed like a fool before biting a nail in embarrassment and giddiness. Now this was a dream come true!_

However, unlike Junko's and Finn's heavens, Stork was experiencing his worst nightmare.

Mindworms.

_They first appeared in a horde on top of one of the gauges on the helm's dashboard. They were little, flat, white worms that inched forward on bodies bent in three regions. They had beady, little, black eyes; large, pinkish lips; and little, white, surprisingly human-like teeth—teeth that are meant for grabbing a person's brain. The mindworms emitted little sounds like mewing kittens, only more high-pitched and chirp-like than a cat._

_More of them kept appearing, making Stork's head spin. His heart sped at a furious rate, often missing beats. It took a moment for him to realize he was starting to tremble and hyperventilate. He gasped as he fell to his knees, his hands close to his face. The mindworms, they were everywhere! They were going to get him! This was the end of him, the worst doom of all! Except for maybe being on stage, but at least, he could turn his back on the stage. Once infected with mindworms, his fate would be sealed!_

_Then, Stork saw something glow beside him. Still on his knees and trembling, Stork whirled his head around._

_There, spinning slowly and floating before him, was a sturdy metal helmet. It had an antenna on top of it, a red crystal sticking out of the right side of its top, and a gauge on the left side of its top. On the forehead of the helmet was a picture of a mindworm with the anti sign over it._

_Stork let out a contented sigh, sure he was seeing his savior; the helmet was none other than the AM-3000._

Meanwhile, Radarr churred and squawked as he entered his own vision. He held up his fists again and flattened out his ears like airplane wings once more. Growling and making motor sounds, he ran around in circles.

When Piper saw her own vision, she couldn't help but gasp. "Oh," she breathed.

_There, floating and glittering before her, she saw a crystal shaped like the infinity symbol, only instead of being a crystal that appeared to be a blend of gold and silver, this crystal glowed as if set ablaze by its own fire. The golden and orange glow was bright and dazzling. "A Helix Stone," Piper gasped as she started walking toward it. "The most powerful crystal imaginable!" Without thinking, she reached for it._

_But then she remembered. She would not let herself give in to the sky siren. "No," she told herself, drawing her hand back from the vision of the crystal as if it were a snake trying to bite her hand. She closed her eyes and turned away from it. "I don't want it," she told herself, walking away, her eyes still closed and her fists clenched. "I don't want it!"_

"_Ah, but I do."_

_Piper stopped, her eyes flying open. That voice . . ._

_Piper turned around. There stood Master Cyclonis—or, at least, a vision of Master Cyclonis—with the Helix Crystal hovering over her outstretched hand. "No!" Piper cried despite herself._

_The image of Master Cyclonis only smiled evilly in response._

Meanwhile, Aerrow was staring at his own vision, although whether it was a dream come true or his worst nightmare, he knew not. He set himself in a fighting stance, ready to battle for his life.

_A foot stamped down on the metal floor in front of him._

_Aerrow's vision was that of the Dark Ace._

_Fire erupted behind the Dark Ace, turning his figure into a mere silhouette. "Come on," the Talon commander taunted. "Defeat me! You know it's what you always wanted!" He drew his sword and ignited it. A smirk was playing on his lips, the smirk that Aerrow had come to hate; it was a taunting smile, one that displayed the Dark Ace's belief that Aerrow was nothing more than an overly-cocky child. If there was one thing Aerrow always wanted to do, it was to prove himself a worthy opponent and to wipe that smirk off the Dark Ace's face!_

_With a "Yaw!" Aerrow drew his own blades, twirling them around in his hands and igniting them. It was strange, really. Before the vision, he hadn't had his blades, but now he not only had his weapons, but he was donning armor as well._

_Suddenly there was a "Hah!" as another figure, this one delicate and petite, stepped out from behind the Dark Ace. With a growl, a large, hulking figure came out from the Dark Ace on the other side. It was Ravess and Snipe. Ravess had three arrows notched in her bow, all three pointed at Aerrow. Snipe held a mace in each hand._

_The fire seemed to embody all the battle rage and hatred that Aerrow felt welling up inside him. The flames were all around them now, cutting off all escape. For them._

_This was it, Aerrow thought to himself. He would defeat them. He would stop Cyclonia. He would save his friends and the world. He would get his revenge._

_He would be the hero._

_With a "Hah!" he leapt into the air. Five chickens parted way for him, flying off and over the wall of flame as Aerrow rolled in the air and with a "Yaw!" brought his blades down onto the weapons of his enemies._

The sky siren simply smirked. She had them all under _her_ control now!

_In his vision, Junko was still staring at the pile of burgers before him, practically drooling. "Oh, ho, ho!" he laughed eagerly as he picked up a burger from the pile. He was just about to bite into it when Piper's words rang through his head, scolding: _Resist, no matter what she throws at you!

_Resist. Resist! Gaining back his self-control, Junko threw the burger aside and crossed his arms, turning his back to the burger. The sky siren roared angrily as the burger landed below her feet._

_Unsure what that roar meant, Junko glanced back at the burger uncertainly. The burger began to wiggle. And then, the weirdest thing Junko had ever seen happened: his burger sprouted two frog legs! And the weirdness didn't end there. With a frog-like croak, the burger leapt into Junko's mouth._

_Gasping and gagging, Junko first tried to spit it out. But as he caught the flavor of the tasty burger, his will weakened. Forgetting himself for a moment, he stuffed the burger into his mouth. "Mmm!" he said as he munched on the burger. Vision or not, this was _delicious!

_But then, Junko glanced at the siren. She hovered above him, smirking at him._

_No, he would not give in! Taking a deep breath, Junko spit out the half-chewed burger onto the floor. Smirking at the sky siren, he put his hands on his hips and looked away. Hah, let's see the siren beat that resistance!_

Growling low in her throat, the siren took up the challenge. She waved her hands in the air in a brilliant flash of light.

_Junko blinked as the flash beat against his eyelids. Blinking he opened his eyes again, wondering what happened. Then his sensitive Wallop ears caught the sound of . . . was that a bunch of little _feet?

_Then Junko looked down at his feet. _What the . . . ?

_The burgers were all walking toward him in a swarm, each strutting on two frog-like legs. When they formed an army right in front of him, they stopped. At some unseen whistle, they leapt upon him. Junko gasped fearfully as he was knocked over backwards and covered in living, croaking burgers._

Then . . . he blacked out.

The siren could feel she'd lost her victim. Her aurora faded around her, and her hair quit blowing as her strength waned.

_Meanwhile, in Finn's vision a pack of five lookalike Amazonian girls petted and stroked him. Despite the fact that his arms were crossed deliberately and he was trying to resist his crazy hormones, he couldn't help giggling at their affection._

Suddenly, he gasped. In a flash, the girls had disappeared, and he found himself staring at the _Condor_'s helm. "What the . . . ?"

Then he noticed something new and wonderful. "_Yes!_" he exclaimed as he saw the rings in the Timepulse receiver start to spin once more. "I got the Timepulse Beacon back!" he exclaimed over his shoulder at the others.

Finn's shout shocked Aerrow back to reality. He looked down at his hands. No blades. He stared back where the Cyclonians had been standing. No Talons. Aerrow scolded himself bitterly as he realized that he had given in to the sky siren without a struggle.

Piper, meanwhile, had her arms up, protecting her head from her vision of Master Cyclonis. But when Finn shouted, she opened her eyes, and she, too, found everything as it should be on the _Condor_. Their visions were fading from them. Glancing around uneasily for the siren, she advised the others, "Keep resisting! I think we're overloading her powers!"

_Yes!_ Aerrow thought. This was the chance they'd been waiting for! He whirled around so he was facing the helm. "Finn," he instructed, pointing to him, "plot our position!"

"Aye!" Finn answered, immediately turning into a loyal follower of his Sky Knight in their desperate situation. He pressed a button on the helm, shouting, "Locking on to Timepulse!"

But then Aerrow's breath caught in his throat as he watched the sky siren rise up behind Finn, surrounded by her aurora once more. She extended her hands on him once more with a flash of light, and instantly all of the conscious Storm Hawks were back within their visions.

Which meant Finn's girls were back.

_Finn first noticed when he heard a calling whistle and felt a hand crawling up either of his shoulders. He gasped at first, but then he started giggling when he realized what it was. "Oh," he said, glancing at the two girls on either side on him. The one his left began to feel his chest, which only made him giggle more. Now _this_ was a teenage boy's paradise! He turned to the girl at his left, making kissy faces at her._

_But then he remembered himself. Gasping, he tore himself away from the girls, trying not to focus on them, trying to resist. "Sports," he told himself, clenching his fists. "Sports." He put his index fingers on his temples. "Gotta think about sports!"_

_Feeling his resistance, the siren growled in displeasure, and the girls began to advance toward Finn once again._

_He started giggling as the two girls got on either side of him once more, rubbing his shoulders. But he refused to think about them, instead thinking about scores of games he'd heard on the radio. "Nimbus Nimrods, five-and-O, hoo, hoo!"_

_Suddenly, there were more girls. They cornered Finn, forcing him down to the ground so he could enjoy them. Finn kept his hands as close to his body as possible as the circle got smaller. Despite all the girls were doing, he simply kept reciting scores. "Saharr Stringers, three-and-two." All in all, five girls were upon him now. He gasped as he felt himself falling backward into their loving arms._

Darkness overwhelmed him as he collapsed on the floor.

But even though he had lost consciousness, he'd won half the battle. With his resistance, the siren grew too weak to even stand or levitate. She fell to the floor, trying in vain to sit up.

Stork had his hands over his eyes, trying not to see the mindworms that filled his vision. But then, he realized that he could no long feel the creatures crawling on him. He put down his hands and blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

He had come back to reality once more, and he was in front of the helm of his beloved _Condor_. Then something wonderfully glorious happened: The needles on the gauges stopped spinning.

Stork's face lit up. "Navigations up!" he announced triumphantly, grabbing the handles of the helm. "Setting a course!"

But while he set the _Condor_ on her path, the sky siren behind him managed to push herself off the ground and get to her feet. Summoning her power once more, she surrounded herself in her aurora, holding up her hand to Stork. Once she had done her bit, however, she stopped glowing and drooped as weariness overtook her.

But it had been enough to get visions rolling once again for Stork.

_Wondering what just happened, Stork glanced behind him, flicking one of his rabbit-like ears in the sky siren's direction. But then his blood ran cold—colder than usual—when he felt something, many things, crawling on his hand. Turning back he lifted his hand . . . and screamed._

_MINDWORMS!_

_They weren't just on his hand. They were everywhere! Thousands, millions of them swarming around him, surrounding him. He was standing in a sea of them, his legs completely immersed in them. More coated his others hand, and still a few individuals among them (a little more than a dozen) were climbing up Stork's upper body toward his head!_

No! _Stork's thoughts screamed._ Get away from me! Stay away from my brain! _He wiggled his fingers, whimpering, but only a few of them fell off, and there was still the swarm of others._

_Stork's whimpering turned into gasping screams when he felt one crawl into his ear._

_He gasped again as one began to climb up either nostril. Panicking, he grabbed the tails of each in either hand, and after a struggle, he yanked them out of his nose, cringing in pain and terror._

_And then he saw it._

_The AM-3000 hovered before him in a glowing light. "Ah," Stork sighed in awe and relief. Thank Atmos, there was a light to this darkness._

_But he stopped and cringed just before he reached out and grabbed it. No. This was the siren's doing! He could not give in. He could not . . ._

_But the mindworms . . . They were reaching his brain . . ._

_Without a further thought, he reached out and grabbed the helmet. But as he held it above his head to put it on, he lowered his arms again, glancing around in terror with gritted teeth at the mindworms mewing at him, waving their puny little arm-like appendages. He couldn't let them have him. Drawing in a breath, he raised the helmet above his head. His joints creaked as he lowered the helmet toward his head, wavering between his resistance and his want._

_But there was the siren, hovering in front of him in her aurora, made strong by his willingness to go along with her illusion. Gasping in effort, Stork lowered the helmet once again, trembling. No. He couldn't let her win. Even if they were doomed anyway, he couldn't let her win._

_Crying "Dah!" he threw the helmet away from him. It clanked against the floor at the siren's feet. Enraged by his resistance, the siren threw her hand and let loose her most terrifying roar yet._

_But Stork had more important things to worry about. The mindworms had almost completely engulfed him now._ They're just illusions, _he told himself._ They're just illusions! They can't hurt me! _Even so, his heartbeat wouldn't calm. It all felt so _real!

_The worms immobilized him completely. Stork felt himself sway. "Eek!" he began to hiss as darkness entered his vision. He realized he was fainting at the same time he lost consciousness, falling among the sea of mindworms to be immersed in them._

The last thing he thought before he black out was, _Well, we're doomed anyways._

The siren's aurora faded, and she wilted again as another triumphant victim drained her of her energy. But she was still in the game, and only Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr were left.

* * *

Author's Notes: Now for the trivia everyone's been waiting for; the one about sirens!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Like Scylla, sirens were born from Greek myth, although now they have an important place in modern mythology.A siren was originally a creature that had the body, wings, and feet of a bird but the face and upper body of a woman, like a harpy. Over the years, however, siren's form has changed to be anything from a mermaid-like creature to simply a creature in the form of a woman, such as is seen here. They are often beautiful, and almost always creatures of the sea that try to lure sailors. Sirens of mythology sing songs. Depending on the myth, these songs could allow person to have visions or be hypnotized. Once again depending on the myth, the songs could mean many things; some are said to reflect the wondrous treasures and power of the sea itself, some gave people much wisdom, some could tell people about the past and future, some could tell them about a person's fatal flaw, and some about a person's greatest desire (as is shown here). However, all sirens have this in common; their songs are meant to lure sailors toward their voices so that they may run up against the rocks where the sirens sit and sink or lure them to a whirlpool, either way drowning the sailors. Normally, however, a siren's song only works on men, playing on man's lust (hence coming in the form of a woman). Very rarely are there myths that include a siren's power working on a woman.

So that means that the sky siren is very, very different from our average mythical siren . . . or Piper is just plan weird. I'm going to go with the first one.

Wow, I feel like I wrote nearly that whole episode in italics.

Okay, so all of you better review, or I'll send my siren out to get you! So all of you better beware or else you'll be sentenced to your _doom!_ Unless, of course, you're a girl, then the siren's power doesn't work . . . Darn, most of my reviewers _are_ girls, which kind of makes this a pointless threat for most of you. . . . Well, at least I'll get more guy reviewers!


	96. Siren's Song: Greatest Desire

Chapter 4: Greatest Desire

Piper blinked in surprise when she realized the vision of Master Cyclonis and the Helix Stone were gone. Her vision had faded when the sky siren's strength had waned even more due to Stork's resistance.

She spared only a moment to glance around to realize she was free. A glance at the helm let her know that the Timepulse had locked down on their location, and the _Condor_ was set on a course for freedom. "Powering the engines!" Piper announced, pulling a lever on the helm.

The _Condor_ roared to life and started speeding for clear skies.

But her yell had alerted the sky siren of her freedom from the illusions. Struggling a bit, the siren summoned her aurora once more and lifted her hand toward Piper. Piper saw it coming, but only had time to close her eyes.

_The next thing she knew, the young crystal mage was staring face-to-face with Master Cyclonis once more. The evil overlord smirked at Piper as the Helix Crystal hovered above the Master's hand._

No! _Piper's thoughts screamed. She was supposed to be the one mage to wield the Helix, not Cyclonis. Besides, Piper could only imagine what Cyclonis would do with a crystal that powerful._

_Without thinking, Piper lunged herself at Cyclonis with a grunt. Her fingernails clinked on the Helix Stone as she grabbed it while running past the Cyclonian._

_No sooner did Piper have the crystal in her hands when suddenly a strange feeling came over her . . . a feeling of immeasurable power. As she held the Helix in one hand, she stared at the other hand, the source of the feeling, as it began to glow a brilliant, fiery aurora like that of the Helix Stone itself, a glow that had begun as soon as that hand had come in contact with the Helix. "Oh," Piper gasped in wonder. The glow began to travel through her entire body until she herself began to glow as one with the Stone. She could feel the power, the invincibility, the wonder. The power of the Helix Stone was hers!_

_But then she noticed the sky siren smirking at her with her arms crossed._

_Gasping, Piper let the power ease out of her. "No!" she told herself. It was an illusion; it wasn't real. None of this was real. She had to remember that, and she had to fight back._

_And she knew just how to fight back. She turned to face Master Cyclonis, or rather, the image of Master Cyclonis. Piper threw back her arm, the crystal in her hand. "Here, catch!" she shouted. With a grunt, she threw the crystal Cyclonis' way. Once the crystal no longer had contact with her, the glow left Piper's body completely._

_With a huff, Master Cyclonis caught the Helix in mid-air. Then, smirking, she brought back her arm and then brought it down, releasing a wave of energy from the Helix at Piper._

_There was no time to dodge. Groaning, Piper fell over backward as the pulse hit her, and she faded into unconsciousness._

Once again, the resistance weakened the sky siren.

Aerrow had his blades held at the ready in his own vision. The next thing he knew, his blades, armor, and enemies disappeared. He gasped, looking down at his own-empty hands. He was back to reality.

He glanced toward the helm, and hope flared in his chest. Everything was in place now; they knew their location, a course was set, and the engines were started up. Now all the _Condor_ needed was someone to drive her, and they would be out of the Great Expanse! Smiling, he ran toward the helm.

But then . . . the helm changed. Aerrow gasped and slid to a stop as the sky siren took the place of the helm. She growled, flashing her fangs at him. She wasn't going to let _this one_ get away! Hovering and summoning her aurora once more, she held up her hands. Aerrow held up his hands instinctively to protect himself and closed his eyes against the flash of light.

_When he opened his eyes again, the siren was gone, and everything looked as it should . . . except for he was once again clad in armor and his blades were hanging from his back. But then he heard a voice behind him say, "Mind if I join you?"_

_The voice caught Aerrow off guard. He was expecting to have another vision of the Dark Ace. Instead, he whirled around to face . . . Master Cyclonis._

_The Master's hood was open, and her short cape flowed behind her as she smirked at Aerrow, her violet eyes narrowed. She held out her crystal staff, the arm-like appendages on its end opening up to give the staff the appearance of a many-pointed spear. The middle point was the staff's end, on which there was a violet crystal._

_The staff was pointing right at Aerrow's chest._

_Without even thinking, Aerrow drew his blades and ignited them, taking a battle stance. Master Cyclonis only chuckled as if his beginning attempts to thwart her were amusing._

_But wait . . . It_ wasn't _really Master Cyclonis. Aerrow looked at his blades . . . which weren't really his blades. Letting out a sound of disgust, he let them go out. He couldn't fight; if he did, he would lose. This was a battle of will, not strength. He could not let the siren prevail!_

_Suddenly, there was more laughter, and it wasn't from Master Cyclonis. Aerrow looked up to see that the Dark Ace and Ravess had joined Master Cyclonis, walking on either side behind her. Ravess had an arrow notched in her bow, and the Dark Ace's sword was ignited. Both of them were smirking at Aerrow. Master Cyclonis joined in with their laughter._

_But they weren't_ real_. None of them were. They could laugh at him all they wanted, they could fight him all they wanted . . . but they weren't real. They couldn't really_ do _anything._

_So Aerrow did nothing._

_The three of them advanced closer. Every molecule within Aerrow was telling him to fight or run. They would kill him if he didn't. They would kill his team. They would destroy the world._

_But they wouldn't. Because they weren't real._

_And that's what Aerrow kept telling himself as the spear point got ever closer to his heart. And then . . . Aerrow closed his eyes as Cyclonis's staff's crystal point touched his chest above his heart. The last thing he heard was the Cyclonians' laughter._

* * *

The first thing Aerrow woke to was the steady hum of the _Condor_'s engine.

He half-expected to feel pain—after all, the siren did make him imagine Cyclonis nearly stabbing him through the heart—but all he could feel was heavy weariness and the coldness of the metal floor under his back, despite his leather suit.

The young Sky Knight groaned as he opened his eyes and found himself staring out the frontal window of the bridge. No gray, dreary skies and craggy outcroppings met his eyes, only the brilliant setting sun reflecting orange off fluffy cumulus clouds.

Aerrow sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings. He heard a series of groans behind him and glanced over.

Piper, Finn, Junko, and Stork were all on the floor, and they appeared to be waking up as well. Piper and Finn had landed on their sides and Junko on his stomach. Stork had already managed to push himself up on his hands and knees. "Whoa," Junko said, Piper echoing him. They all glanced around at each other in confusion. To Aerrow's relief, none of them seemed hurt.

A sudden increase in the light blinded Aerrow and brought his attention back to the window. The clouds had parted, and now the sun was beaming right in through their window.

Aerrow got shakily to his feet, blinking at the window to be sure of what he was seeing. "We're . . . free," he gasped.

He glanced over to his left as Stork stepped up beside him in front of the helm. "Um, yeah," the Merb agreed, looking at gauges on the helm. "Instruments read normal."

The others were on their feet by now, looking around in disbelief. "Maybe it's another trick," Junko suggested fearfully.

Piper grabbed a periscope, pulling it down toward her. "Verifying all visual landmarks and navigational beacons," she announced.

She swung the periscope around and found herself staring at a very familiar terra, one she knew Aerrow would not find comforting: Terra Zartacla. Swinging the periscope to the right brought into view Terra Xoam. Still further observation brought into view the Terra Tundras.

Piper let the periscope retract toward the ceiling. "Wow," she gasped. "Huh, it's the real deal! We're out!" She gestured toward the window in excitement, meeting Aerrow's eyes. "We're actually _out!_" Mind, they were on the verge of Cyclonian territory . . . but they were _out_ of the Great Expanse!

There was only one way that could be possible, Aerrow thought. He shrugged. "Someone must've outlasted the siren."

Piper put a hand on her hip. "But," she said, gesturing to him, "that would take someone with major brainpower." She glanced around as if to figure out who it was, gesturing to the others to see if they knew.

First she looked at him. "Chick-a-cha!" he said, giving her one of his traditional trigger fingers. His smug look said he thought it was him. But Piper knew there was no way.

Junko played with his thumbs. "Uh . . ." he said when he saw Piper looking at him. It couldn't be him.

"Hmm," Stork said thoughtfully. Couldn't be him, either.

Piper groaned. They were hopeless.

Then she saw what Aerrow was already looking at. "_Huh?_" she gasped

She and Aerrow each raised an eyebrow and stared open-mouthed at the helm. Junko stepped up and stared, and Finn and Stork peered over either of his shoulders. "Well, say hello to our mental giant!" Finn exclaimed happily.

Radarr was driving the _Condor_. The little hero glanced back at them over his shoulder, churring a greeting.

Aerrow stared in disbelief. He knew Radarr better than anyone. As much as he had faith in the little guy, it was highly unlikely that he beat the sky siren. Unless . . . "Wait," Aerrow said, gesturing to a smug-looking Radarr. "So that's your greatest desire? You just wanted to drive?"

Radarr churred questionably, glancing away as if considering the question. In less then a second, he was nodding his head, purring in agreement.

The others just stared at the little copilot in disbelief. Finally, it was Stork who broke the silence. "Works for me."

Radarr smirked. Worked for Stork, huh? Well, he wondered how Stork—how any of them—would feel after this!

With a happy squawk, he pushed forward on the helm, pressing the gas for all it was worth. The other Storm Hawks all screamed as the _Condor_ took off toward as fast as she dared to go.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yay, Radarr's the hero! Go Radarr! Go Radarr! Go Radarr!

Sorry. Fan girl moment.

Now for three trivia related to the Helix Stone.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #1: The English prefix "heli" comes from the Greek word _hēlios_, meaning "sun."

_Storm Hawks _related trivia #2: Helios was actually the Greek sun god. He drove his golden chariot across the sky from east to west each day.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia #3: A "helix" is something in the form of a spiral or coil. Our very own DNA is the form of a double helix.

You know, with the sky siren getting weaker with each resistance, I wonder what finally happened to her when all her victims escaped. That'd be an interesting fanfic . . . which, by the way, anyone is free to take because I'll probably never do it . . .

Next up, "Calling All Domos"! Dragons and pirates and dentists, oh my!


	97. Calling All Domos: Domo Delivery

_**Part 24**_

_**Calling All Domos**_

_A hero is called back in a time of need. Old friends are met, and old enemies are confronted. A valuable good is fought over. Money is lost, and money returns. A land falls to plague and is then restored to health._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Domo Delivery

Free once again of the Great Expanse, things soon returned to normal on the _Condor_ (once Stork took back control of the helm from Radarr). The Storm Hawks got their clocks and calendars back on track and began to go about their regular routines, enjoying good food and blue skies once more as they waited for distress calls, Sky Knight Summons, or chances for reconnaissance.

It wasn't long before the peace on the _Condor_ was shattered once more.

Aerrow gasped and Piper screamed as the _Condor_ lurched to port as it travelled through clear skies. Then another blow sent the ship reeling to starboard. Stork was at the helm, fighting to keep the ship under control.

"Piper!" Aerrow shouted as the ship lurched again, making the Sky Knight grunt in effort. He waited for Piper's analysis and plan of the situation.

Piper was clutching one of the _Condor_'s pipes for all she was worth to try to keep her footing. "We need three feet of conductive tubing," she said, "heavyweight armor plating, and—Ah!" Another lurch from the _Condor_ sent her, two potted plants, and a certain stowaway chicken sailing into the wall beside the door. Piper grunted as her back hit the wall, but she seemed fine. The poor hen went sailing past her, clucking in fright. "—a squeaky toy!" Piper cried, finishing her list.

The automatic doors opened beside her, and a panicked Finn came running, looking around for danger. "Are we under attack?" he asked, turning to Aerrow. "Is it the Cyclonians?"

Aerrow met his eyes in a scowl. "It's worse," the Sky Knight responded, "much worse!" He glanced and gestured to his left. "Junko has a toothache."

Sure enough, there was their beloved Wallop, down on the floor on his stomach, pondering the floor with his fists, and letting out Wallop roars of pain. Screaming, he sat up and held his face in one hand before swinging his fists and knocking down a stack of crates. Then he slammed his fist against the side of the ship once again, and the _Condor_ reeled once more, making everyone cry out in alarm.

Alarms started blaring. The gauges on the helm began to spin. Pipes began to expel steam as the engines started working overtime. Finn screamed. His best buddy was going to take down their entire ship!

Stork pulled the _Condor_ to port, trying to get her under control. The others were able to grab onto something, even Radarr, who was dangling from the railing. Only Finn cried out in alarm as he was sent careening across the room into the metal windowsill of the frontal window. Not that it was a new experience for Finn, but he still didn't like it.

Stork clutched the helm, his eye twitching and a terrified look on his face. "This will not end well," he whispered, hardly heard due to Junko's wails.

Another blow from Junko and the ship jerked to port again, making Finn scream. Roaring, Junko pounded against the door, and the ship continued to rock.

The pottery jar of sand-cakes spun off the round table and would have gone flying had Radarr not suddenly scrambled across the table. He squawked and smiled in surprise and pride when he caught the jar, balancing the bottom of it on the tip of his finger.

However, another roar and another jolt and Radarr and the jar were sent flying. Luckily, the jar clattered on the floor unharmed, but Radarr squawked as he slammed against the hard couch which such a force that he was dazed. To make matters worse, the lid of jar went flying toward him like a Frisbee and struck him in the forehead. Churring, his eyes spun around in their sockets. Finn couldn't help wincing for him.

With another roar, Junko pounded the door again, making Finn cringed. He had to get out of here where it was safe and where he could enjoy himself, like he was doing before he was so rudely interrupted. Drawing on his concern to win him an excuse he said, "Ah, I can't stand to see Junko like this." He gestured to Junko as the Wallop roared and bashed the _Condor_ again. Cringing as he heard something crash, Finn held up a finger and said, "So if anybody needs me, I'll be in my room." And with that, he started to walk off.

But Aerrow must have figured out what he was doing because he got right in Finn's path so that the sharpshooter almost ran into him. "This is serious, Finn," the Sky Knight said, gesturing toward Junko. "We need to get him to Terra Wallop." Leaning forward toward him, he whispered, "He needs a dentist."

Despite his trying to whisper, Junko, having the best ears on the ship besides Radarr's, managed to hear. "Ah!" he screamed, spinning around and holding up his hands to hold off Aerrow should he come at him. "Huh! No, no!" he yelled, clenching his fists. "I hate the dentist! I hate, hate, _hate_ the dentist! I-I won't go!" He turned and began to run away. "You can't make me!"

But Aerrow had other ideas. One look at Finn and the sharpshooter knew what was expected of him. He and Aerrow gave chase to Junko.

They ran out one automatic door, scrambling and running into things as the three of them ran at breakneck speed. On the bridge, Piper and Stork heard loud crashes, a cat screech, and Finn's and Aerrow's grunts of effort.

Gasping and whimpering, Junko came bounding back onto the bridge through another door with Finn right on his heels, Aerrow trailing behind. Knowing what he had to do, Finn grunted and made a flying leap for Junko, shouting as he did. He found himself hugging Junko's thick, bulky neck. The Wallop spun around as if to sling him off, and Finn found himself face to face with his terrified friend. Luckily, Aerrow joined him them, leaping and tackling Junko's waist.

Radarr was still on the couch and just coming to. The first thing he saw was a Wallop's back headed straight for him. He only had time to squawk in fright before he was pinned under Junko.

Finn and Aerrow strained as they fought to keep Junko down. Piper approached with a green crystal with a spiral on its front. The glowing stone was hanging from a string. "Hypnosis crystal," she explained to Junko as she held it in front of him. "It's for your own good."

Finn didn't know much about crystals, but he knew about the hypnosis crystal, commonly called a "hypno crystal." This crystal allowed the user to hypnotize anyone. When properly charged, it can overcome just about anyone's will. It was often used as a sleep inducer, which Finn was pretty sure was Piper's intention.

But Junko knew all that, too, and when he saw the hypno crystal being waved back and forth in front of him on its string, he ducked. His shift allowed Radarr to poke his head out from under the Wallop. With a squeak as he filled his lungs once more, Radarr found himself face-to-face with the hypno crystal just as Piper cast its spell. With a churr, Radarr's eyelids drooped. "Oops," Piper said apologetically. "Sorry, Radarr." With another churr, Radarr fell over unconscious.

Finn was _really_ getting tired of holding down the trembling Wallop, and he was glad when, at last, Piper was able to get Junko to look at the crystal. At first, Junko gasped in nervousness, knowing what would happen to him. But then he sighed contentedly as the crystal worked its magic, and he fell into a deep sleep.

With some effort, the remaining Storm Hawks were able to get Junko and Radarr onto the back of Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. Junko snored with as smile on his face as he leaned his head on his arm, which rested on the top of Radarr's cockpit. Radarr sat in Junko's lap with his head pillowed on the Wallop's chest, sucking his thumb.

Satisfied, Finn leaned against the crates stacked to the side as Piper mounted Aerrow's Vulcan. He had a skyquat fruit in his hand, a squash-shaped, crunchy, green fruit bigger than his hand that served as his snack for the morning. Stork stood next to him, picking something out of his ear.

Aerrow was in back where he could activate the doors of the hangar bay. Sunlight beamed in blindingly as the hatch opened, revealing the runway of the _Condor_.

"Wallops don't trust outsiders, so we have to travel small," Aerrow explained to Finn and Stork as he walked up to his Vulcan. He turned to Finn and Stork with concern. "Will you two be okay here by yourselves?"

After being addressed, Stork took his fingers out of his ear as if in embarrassment. Finn just bit into the skyquat casually, chewing a little before answering with a dismissive wave of his hand. "No problem!" He pointed to the Merb. "Maybe Stork and I'll test out the ship's sprinkler system like last time." While Finn chuckled at the memory, Stork slumped, giving Finn an annoyed look. But Finn pretended not to notice. "We're good," he assured Aerrow before taking another bite of his skyquat.

"We're doomed," Stork muttered.

Aerrow and Piper still didn't look happy about leaving them alone, but they didn't have much choice. The Vulcan's engine groaned under the weight of so many passengers as Aerrow drove it off the runway and let it drop a few feet off the end before deploying the wings. And with that, they drove off toward Terra Wallop.

With the others gone, Finn and Stork headed back up to the bridge. Stork was quick to decide how to past the time. He soon pulled out a book with a dark blue cover and a screaming, mournful face on the front that appeared to be painted in red. He sighed as he settled in the pilot's seat and put his feet up on the helm, getting comfortable. "Now, let's see," he said to himself as he flipped the book over. He read the back aloud, following along with his finger. "'In case of attack, this book jacket is dosed with man-eating yeti repellant,'" Stork read aloud, blinking. "Hmm," he said to himself as he opened up the book to read. _Not a bad idea,_ he thought.

Finn, however, had other ideas on how they should spend their time . . . you know, more _fun_ ways. He had his crossbow in his hand and was studying an unbitten skyquat, having already eaten his other one. "Hey," he said to Stork as he studied the skyquat, "I've got this great idea for a sharpshooting stunt we can do." He sidled up to Stork and held the skyquat out to him. "How many skyquats can you fit in your mouth?" he asked.

"Hmm," Stork said at first, as if mulling it over. But then he just swatted Finn away, saying, "Not interested."

Well, that was a bummer. Finn tried to think up something else to get them started off doing something fun. "What'cha readin'?" he asked.

"My new book," Stork answered, "_1001 Terrible Afflictions and the Hopeless Means of Fighting Them_."

Finn shook his head at the title. Of course, it was about doom. He still couldn't believe the Merb was even _reading_. "Stork," he whined, walking away from him, "we got the entire ship to ourselves!" He turned around and pointed to the Merb. "And you're just gonna sit around and read?"

"Um, pretty much, yeah," Stork answered without looking up from his book.

Suddenly, the alarms began to blare, red lights flashing all around. Stork sat up, his eye twitching. Finn knew what that meant: trouble. He beat Stork to the periscope. A huge, beak-shaped ship appeared out of the cloud cover. "Cyclonian cruiser!" Finn exclaimed.

That got Stork's attention. Finn yelped as the Merb shoved Finn onto the floor, away from the periscope so the Merb could see for himself.

Finn was too excited to be angry for that. Now was yet another chance to beat down some no-good Cyclonians! Leaping to his feet behind Stork, he clenched his fists eagerly. "Let's blast it out of the sky!" he exclaimed.

"Um, with what army, Finn?" Stork reminded him. "There's only two of us! Besides, they haven't seen us yet."

Of course. The Merb always thought they should be on the defense, not the offense. And he was right, after all; they were short quite a few people.

The light in the bridge dimmed a little as the _Condor_ ducked below the clouds, doing her best to say out of sight of the Destroyer that floated on above her.

The two Storm Hawks waited in silence. Stork looked terrified, cringing in fright, but Finn just raised an eyebrow and waited for the inevitable.

And then, there it was. "Wha!" Finn exclaimed as a shot shook the ship. Stork was thrown forward onto the floor, while Finn reeled sideways into the Timepulse receiver.

But Finn wasn't scared. When he opened his eyes, they were sparked with excitement. "Time to try it Finn-style!" he exclaimed.

Stork was at the helm already, and he swerved the _Condor_ as the Destroyer kept shooting at them, giving chase. Finn got in the seat behind the _Condor_'s starboard cannon, opening the side hatch so he and the cannon could go out on the turret. He fired two direct hits on the ship, but he could only groan as he looked at the lack of damage it did. "Not even a dent in the armor!"

The Destroyer fired two more shots at them, which shook the entire ship. Finn saw Stork glance back, eye twitching. "Yup," he said. "We're doomed."

Finn had to agree with Stork on this one. "Unless . . ." he muttered to himself, thinking aloud, "I could bull's-eye an engine." He lined the cannon up, taking aim at the middle engine on the Destroyer's starboard side. Before he could second-guess himself, he let the shot fly.

The pulse struck the engine dead-on. In an explosion of light and smoke, it was rendered useless. For this was a weakness to the heavy, barely-able-to-fly Cyclonian Destroyers; their relatively unprotected engines make this scenario an unfortunate (although Finn saw it as fortunate) weakness. And with that engine out, all of the other engines exploded in black smoke and red crystal explosions. "Yeah! Bingo!" Finn cheered himself on as he watched the Destroyer fall toward the Wastelands. Parachutes popped up all over as the Talons aboard abandoned ship, crying out in fright.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Junko had made it Terra Wallop. For Aerrow, it was a very unique experience. He'd never been to Terra Wallop and had heard very little about it . . . mostly because non-Wallops normally weren't welcome guests.

Terra Wallop was not only a mountain, but it was also part of a mountain chain that included rocky, rounded peaks. Terra Wallop itself had two peaks, both of which were connected by a series of sturdy bridges. The peaks were shaped like curled fists . . . a fitting shape considering the species that populated them. Each peak was sparsely covered in foliage that shown moss green against the craggy, brown rock. A long stairway, longer than any Aerrow could ever wish to climb, led down from the peaks to a flatter part of the mountaintop in between, which was barely above cloud level. Considering it was mostly Wallops who came to Terra Wallop, Aerrow was surprised by the number of airships there; six airships alone were simply trying to dock.

But that was the end of long observations. Once they landed, Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper rushed Junko along to the dentist's office, not eager to look at all the glares they were getting from the Wallops simply by being there.

In the dentist's office, they all gathered in the waiting room. While Radarr was busy sniffing the potted plant in the corner, Aerrow and Piper sat Junko down on the couch with a purple icepack up against his cheek to help ease the pain of his tooth. Piper sat down next to him, holding his arm in an attempt to comfort him, while Aerrow stood back and watched with his hands on his hips. Their wide-eyed Wallop was looking around nervously, trembling and muttering. Most of the time he was inarticulate, but Aerrow could distinctly make out, "Oh, no! . . . Oh yeah! . . . My . . . I . . ."

"Relax, Junko," Aerrow assured him, hoping his voice was comforting. "You have nothing to worry about."

"What?" Junko squeaked, gesturing to him. "You don't understand! Normal dentists are nice and kind, but here on Wallop, they are different."

Radarr, meanwhile, had only just noticed the fish tank. He squawked as he walked up to the tank to investigate a baby blue-and-red Atmosian jellyfish swimming around in the tank. There were no fake plants for the jellyfish to hide behind, but there was a fake fortress in the corner of the tank for it. However, the fish didn't appear frightened. Interested, Radarr tapped the glass five times to see what the fish would do. To his horror, the fish turned over on its back and floated up to the top of the tank. It was dead.

Radarr should have guessed then that something was a little off about this place.

He was so aghast by the sight of the fish he may have accidentally killed that he screeched in alarm when the automatic sliding metal doors opened to the office.

That's when the Storm Hawks got their first view of the Wallop dentist Dr. Brutus. Despite the fact that Aerrow knew he was only a dentist, his eyes widened, and his heart leapt in his throat. Glancing at the frozen Junko and Piper, he was pretty sure their expressions mirrored his.

Dr. Brutus wore a brown apron and dark brown work gloves instead of elastic ones, as if he was doing heavy-duty outdoor work, not dentistry. On his cap, he had a light that reminded Aerrow of a searchlight. He wore green-tinted goggles, as if headed off to race his skyride on a cold day; the only thing distinguishing the goggles from sports goggles were the two magnifying glasses that could be put down in front of the right eye, although at the moment, they stuck up in the air above the goggles. Instead of wearing a regular doctor's mask, Dr. Brutus's wore a mask over his nose and mouth that was made of metal bars. It appeared germs were free to pass to his nose and mouth and vice versa; the mask was obviously there to protect him from something much bigger. Aerrow had no doubt that it was meant to ward off the Wallop patient's fist. With the hat and goggles, along with his mask, it was hard to see his grey hair or bearded face. Even scarier, the Wallop dentist even had some armor on; Aerrow could see his left ailette, which born the picture of a tooth on it as an emblem.

One thing Junko had not gotten the chance to tell them: Since most of their patients were angry, thick-skulled thugs, Wallop dentists were not gentle either. Getting a tooth out is outright torment.

The daunting dentist before them chuckled as he clasped his hands and smirked at them. Aerrow could have sworn that the laugh sounded evil. Eyes narrowed in their direction, the dentist called, "Next."

Trembling Junko whimpered, "Heh, heh," nervously through gritted teeth. This would _not_ be fun.

* * *

Out by the _Condor_, there could be heard a shrill cry of a bird of prey. Announcing its arrival, a blue, nearly white falcon made its way toward the _Condor_.

Inside, Finn was still celebrating their recent victory. "Ha, ha, yeah!" he cheered. He pointed his thumb to himself. "Who needs an army when you've got . . . Hey!" He was going to say _Finn_, but he was startled when a blue falcon flew in over his head, its talons barely missing him.

Suddenly he was startled by Stork shouting, "Get it off! Get it off! _Get it off!_"

The falcon had landed on Stork's head. It peered down at him with its blank yellow eyes, flapping its wings as if it was curious about Stork, perhaps even a bit amused by the Merb's reaction.

Instead of helping Stork, Finn took a moment to look on in amusement. As he studied the falcon, he realized it must be at least semi-domesticated; two rings were hooked into its left leg. And on its right leg was a piece of paper tied to the leg by a red band. "Hey," Finn said, "there's a message."

As gently as possible, Finn took the note from the falcon's leg. The falcon glanced at him as if to acknowledge he had taken it but was quick to return to studying Stork and pecking at the Merb's head. Ignoring Stork's terrified look completely, Finn unrolled the note and read aloud. "'To the hero known as Finn.' Huh," he said to himself, pleasantly surprised and even more curious now. He read on: "'The people of Vapos request the urgent return of their Domo. Signed his royal highness, King Agar!'"

Wonderful memories flooded back to Finn as if they happened yesterday. "Terra Vapos," he murmured to himself, rubbing his chin. "I remember when I saved the day and became their chosen one, the great Domo."

He could remember how he'd fought off the Verrocs and had been dressed in the finest robes and had even given a crown to wear. And if he wasn't mistaken, he also had a memory where he had each arm around a Vaposian girl, both of which were staring at him adoringly and rubbing his torso. Finn giggled to himself at the memory, imagining himself there at that moment. He made kissy faces at the imaginary girl next to him.

Watching him skeptically, Stork seemed to know what Finn was imagining. "Um, I don't remember this part," he commented.

But Finn ignored Stork as he pretended to kiss one of the imaginary girls. So maybe this event _didn't_ happen. Why did Stork have to ruin his fantasy life?

Suddenly, he was brought back to reality when the piece of paper in his hand dissolved into gold dust and disappeared. On Stork's head, the falcon did the same, dissolving into blue dust and disappearing in mid-peck. Finn looked at his hand that had held the paper questionably, wondering what just happened. Stork rolled his eyes up to see above his brow, where the falcon's head had just been. "Ooh, yeah," he said. "That's never a good sign."

Good signs or not, Finn knew what he had to do. He slid up beside Stork and held up a finger. "We gotta go to Vapos!" he exclaimed. He clenched his fist and placed it against his chest before putting his other hand on his hip, standing up straight proudly. "They need their Domo," he said as elegantly as he could.

Stork just glared at him. "Uh huh," he said, "and while you get the royal treatment, they'll make _me_ sing songs. No thank!" He pointed to his pilot's seat. "I am staying right here." And with that, he sat down in the seat with a scowl, cleared his throat angrily, and opened up his book to continue reading.

But Finn knew just how to get him to come. "Stork," he told the Merb, "you can either come with me to Vapos," Stork rolled his eyes, "or you can stay here evading Cyclonians . . . by yourself." He pulled down the periscope to Stork's eyes so the Merb could see two more Destroyers coming their way through the clouds.

When Stork let out a heavy, agitated sigh, Finn knew he had him convinced. Smiling, the sharpshooter let go of the periscope.

Stork drooped, and his eye twitched. "I'm going to regret this."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: For as long as mankind has had domesticated creatures and mythology, birds have been seen as messengers. Many birds, real or unreal, were seen as messengers to gods and/or heroes of many religions. In the Christian Bible, it was a dove that gave Noah the sign that the great Flood was over. And as is common with visions in people, humans made those myths a reality when they domesticated a type of rock pigeon that has become known as the homing pigeon. Wild rock pigeons have a natural homing ability that has them return to the same nest and the same mate each year. Honing that instinct to humans' own needs made rock pigeons, later homing pigeons, ideal messenger birds. When a homing pigeon is used as a messenger bird, it is often called a carrier pigeon. A carrier pigeon carries messages that are written on very light, slender paper that is put into a tube tied to the pigeon's leg. This tube is called a "pigeon post." They only deliver messages to one place: the place they have come to think of as home. Egyptians were the first to use carrier pigeons over 3,000 years ago, and they have been used ever since, although not always very extensively due to the limited locations they can be sent to. However, carrier pigeons did play a big part in World War I.

Great. I right about a cool scene with a falcon, and then I do a trivia on a pigeon. Figures. Personally, though, I think pigeons are sweeter, even though falcons are cooler.

Okay, the faster you review, the sooner I might update!


	98. Calling All Domos: Playing Pirates

Chapter 2: Playing Pirates

The sun was about mid-way up the sky when the _Condor_ began its descent on Terra Vapos. It was strange to see the terra in the day; Finn had only seen it at night. In the daylight, the city seemed to glitter.

Stork landed the _Condor_ on the hill overlooking the city. He and Finn wasted no time in getting to King Agar's palace.

Once they entered the main hall, the old king was quick to greet them. "Great Domo," he said, reaching a hand out toward them before rising from his seat. Gasps of awe, murmurs, and whispers went out around the room from the kings' attendants and the warrior guards lining the carpeted path to the throne about the return of their hero.

King Agar walked down the steps of his throne stand to stand before Finn. In his right hand, he held his staff, which seemed to bear more of his weight than usual. "We feared you might not come," the old monarch said Finn.

Finn just smiled smugly. "Would your Domo let you down?" he countered. Showing his respect, he bowed before the king.

While still lowered in a bow, he happened to glance over to one of the attendants who stood off to his left. She was a pretty, white-haired girl that Finn was pretty sure he'd flirted with before. Finn just couldn't help himself. He winked at her, giving her a cocky smile. To his pleasure, the girl giggled.

But King Agar snapped his attention back to him by speaking again. "Since time is of the essence," he said, walking past Finn, "I must dispense with formalities."

Seriously? "But I kinda like the formalities," Finn answered quietly, shrugging. It was just his luck. So much for getting the royal treatment.

The king ignored him as if he hadn't heard and simply continued on with an explanation. Stopping in front of Stork and facing the Domo, he said, "Vapos is held together by fragile energies. As long as we can remember, these energies have kept us well." Finn was distracted momentarily as a worried Stork began scratching at his ear, but once again, he snapped himself back to reality. "But now the people of Vapos are falling ill," King Agar said.

Finn's eyebrows rose up in surprise. Ill? He glanced around the room, studying the other Vaposians. He felt guilty for not noticing it before. All the people were sickly and ghostly, drooping as if exhausted. Perhaps he hadn't noticed because the people had been sickly even when he met them because of the plague of the Verrocs. But now they looked even worse than they had then.

"The energies are fading," King Agar explained, noticing Finn's gaze, "and the people are fading along with it . . . literally."

That's when he held up his own hand. Stork gasped. "Huh," Finn gasped, his heart missing a beat. The king's right hand was _transparent!_

"Ooh, yeah," Stork said, shrugging as he met Finn's gaze. "I didn't see that one comin'."

But the king was pacing again, heading toward a book that was laid open on a stand. "We are mystically tied to our terra and cannot leave it," he explained.

Finn finally understood his reason for being here. "That's why you need the Domo," he said aloud, following after King Agar. He needed to get something that the Vaposians could not get themselves.

"There is only one cure for our plague," King Agar said as he stopped in front of the book. The illustration in the book showed a four-legged, winged, snake-like creature with smoke curling out of the nostrils of its long snout on its crested head. A dragon. The dragon illustration included red stone-like objects that looked like crystals. "You must receive the serpegris," King Agar explained, tapping the illustration, "a rare element only produced in the stomachs of dragons."

"Wait," Finn interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "You mean dragon barf?" Now that was disgusting. He glanced around at the sickly people, wondering how far he would go to save them and wondering how a whole terra could be reliant on _barf_ for existence.

Stork interjected, cutting in between Finn and King Agar and holding up a finger to the king. "But," he nearly squealed before getting control of himself, "no one's ever seen any serpegris in, like, a thousand years."

In response, the king just tapped his staff on the floor twice.

Behind the book's stand, a red curtain opened to reveal a grayscale map of what appeared to be an underground system of tunnels. "This map leads to an ancient den that holds the last known deposits of serpegris," King Agar explained. Finn and Stork squinted at the map, trying to picture the tunnels in their heads.

King Agar started walking toward one of the statues in his room. Ironically, the statue was that of the legendary Domo, who stood wearing a crown and traditional Vaposian robe and bearing a shield and cup. Before him was a bowl of water. "The serpegris must be placed in the Flame of Vapos," King Agar said, gesturing toward the bowl, "before we fade away forever."

Stork placed a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Yeah, well, uh, good luck with that, Finn."

Finn blinked in surprise. Stork was making him go it alone?

King Agar, whose back was to them, whirled around to face them. "No!" he exclaimed. "But you must help the Domo! Your part is almost as important to us."

Finn and Stork exchanged glances. "It is?" they asked in unison. How could Stork's part be as important as his? Finn wondered. He was the Domo who was supposed to be saving them. Nothing could compare to that.

"The minstrel must write an epic poem to document the Domo's heroic quest," King Agar explained, "so that we may honor his success for generations to come."

As he said this, one girl attendant gave Stork a feather pen in one hand and a scroll in the other. An armored guard came and placed a comical minstrel hat with a feather in it on Stork's head. "But, but, ah . . ." Stork protested vainly.

Finn couldn't help but smile at the Merb's distress. That's what he got for thinking of sending Finn off alone. Smirking, he put a hand on Stork's shoulder, eager for them to go off on a mission together, just the two of them.

Stork sighed and slumped in defeat. Glancing up he muttered, "There's no way out of this, is there?"

* * *

So that's how Finn and Stork ended up following the map to an ancient dragon den.

The terra they end up on was a forested terra. The sunlight filtering through the leaves turned the forest floor a pretty shade of emerald. Birds sang all around. Finn thought it was quite pretty. He could see why the dragons must have liked it here so long ago . . . assuming it was had been the same that long ago.

But as they headed toward the rocky peak on the terra, he got out his crystal-powered lantern as they started to climb over beautiful blue-and-white-streaked, smoothed boulders in the mouth of a dark, dreary cave. He could see Stork cringe at the sight of the mouth of the cave. In his minstrel hat, the frightened Merb looked even more comical than usual.

As they headed inside, Finn was surprised to hear Stork actually starting his poem.

The Merb gestured to Finn and sang:

"_For the people of Vapos,_

_An epic poem about Finn._

_You think he knows what he's doing,_

_But who are we really kiddin'?"_

Ignoring the insult, Finn led the way into the cave. He'll see. Finn _did _know what he was doing. Soon they'll have the serpegris, and then they can all go home and live happily ever after.

The first thing Finn noticed was the constant sound of _drip, drip_. He kept his hands away from the walls to keep his gloves and fingers from getting wet and grimy.

Then his lantern light fell over something: bones.

Stork shivered at the sight. "Oh," he said in a shaky breath, "this does not look safe."

They were large bones, looking as if they could belong to creatures as big as a horse, others larger. Some of the incomplete ribcages suggested four-legged beasts; no two-legged lay here, which was a relief. Finn felt himself relax as he studied the bones further; they were white and soiled with age, some stained brown. They had probably been sitting here many hundreds of years before the two Storm Hawks had disturbed their grave sight.

Finn smile cockily. "Relax, dude," he told Stork. "Dragons have been extinct for thousands of year—Ah!" He yelped in surprise when Stork grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. He dropped his lantern, which spun in the air and clattered to the ground, leaving them with only the dim light from the entrance . . . and another faint glow just beyond them.

Stork had pulled Finn down behind some boulders right in front of a large crater in the floor of the cave. He watched the Merb questionably, wondering what was going on. Stork peered over the boulders with a frightened expression on his face. Curious and frightened, Finn did likewise, glancing at Stork one last time to be sure the Merb wasn't imagining things.

"Here it is, boys."

The voice sent a chill down Finn's spine. He'd heard it before.

Down below them in the crater was an open treasure chest. And standing all around it were scaly humanoid creatures that were all too familiar. The lot of them wore headbands and scrappy clothes. One was holding the chest open, one had a hook for a hand, and another had a shovel in hand. The one holding the lantern was a brown-skinned Merb with a mechanical arm that had a skull for a hand. One of the ones standing off to the side was a large, porky man with an eye patch. Finn recognized him almost immediately. _Eyeball_. In his hand he held a drill. Obviously, these intruders had dug this crater.

Then the one digging through the treasure chest, the one who had spoken, stood up. Finn felt his blood run cold. Black hair waved out of the way of a scared face missing one eye. _Captain Scabulous_. And in his mechanical hand, a small vile gave off an eerie red-orange glow.

Stork turned to Finn. "I'd prefer the dragons," he whispered.

Captain Scabulous held the vile up for all his present men to see. "The plunder we've been looking for!" he proclaimed. Then men threw their fists in the air and cheered. Finn's grip tightened on the rock underneath him. He knew what was in the vile.

"Murk Raiders!" Stork whimpered quietly.

"And they have the serpegris," Finn whispered back.

As quickly as they could, Finn and Stork made their way back to the ship. They knew they couldn't take on the Murk Raiders in the cave, especially not Captain Scabulous. They needed a plan.

No sooner had they gotten back on the _Condor_ when they saw the _Blood Crow _take to the skies. Obviously, the Murk Raiders hadn't wasted time in getting back to their ship, either.

As stealthily as she could, the _Condor_ followed behind the _Blood Crow_.

Finn watched through the periscope as the ship with the skull-shaped prow disappeared into the dark storm clouds surrounding Terra Deep. Pensively, he let go of the periscope and paced back and forth behind the helm, his hands behind his back.

Stork glanced back at him from his place at the helm. "Murk Raiders," he said nervously, his voice quivering. "We barely got away from them last time!"

But Finn was determined. "They have the serpegris, and we gotta go get it!" he answered, clenching his fist. "And it's too late to turn back now," he added.

"Yeah," Stork muttered in reply. "Somehow I knew you were gonna say that."

And with that, the _Condor_ followed the _Blood Crow _into the fog of Terra Deep.

* * *

Back at Terra Wallop, Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr watched as Junko had his arms strapped to an examination chair with metal clamps. The examination room was metal on three sides and glass on one side; it was through this glass wall that the three Storm Hawks watched their friend anxiously.

On one side of Junko was a rolling tray covered in a white tablecloth. On the other side of Junko was a metal table with what Aerrow found to be a strange assortment of tools for a dentist. There was a pair of glasses, some pliers, a spatula, a screwdriver, and other such objects. On the floor between the table and the chair was a red toolbox. Aerrow simply couldn't believe his eyes. The dentist didn't really use all this stuff on Wallops' _teeth_,did he?

In the chair, Junko was trembling and muttering. Most of the phrases were inarticulate, but Aerrow caught phrases such as "Ho!" and "Oh, no! Oh, yeah!" His trembling was so hard that the instruments on the table were shaking, and one of them fell off with a clank. The young Wallop's wide eyes darted around the room in terror. "I-I tried to tell ya," he said to them. "This is the way dentists _are_ on Wallop!"

Radarr watched with drooping ears. Piper had her hands over her mouth in shock. Aerrow could only stare and press his hands up against the glass. What in the world were they going to _do_ to Junko that required all _this?_

If his dentist was like this, Aerrow knew he'd be terrified of his dentist, too.

Inside the room, Dr. Brutus was just getting ready. He placed his mask back on, for he had taken it off before to introduce himself. After that, he went to a machine beside Junko and started flipping switches for it. The needle on its gauge began to spin toward the top number.

Apparently, this machine controlled a mechanical arm-like lever on the ceiling that had a screw in a glass case on its end. When the machine was turned on, the screw began to spin dangerously fast, as if ready to drill into something. "Ah!" Junko exclaimed as the mechanical lever lowered and stuck its glass case against Junko's open mouth. Aerrow didn't know what this drill-like instrument was supposed to do, but it did not look comforting.

Dr. Brutus turned to him. "Ah, oh," he said as if he had almost forgotten something. He held up a tiny, bronze-colored bell. "You ring this bell if you feel anything." And with that, he chuckled evilly, set the bell on the rolling tray beside Junko, and put down his protective mask as if he were about to drill into a wall or road instead of a tooth.

"Ah!" Junko exclaimed as the drill increased intensity, and he tapped the bell. "Ooh! Ah! Ah! Wooh! Ah! Oh! Wah!"

As Aerrow watched Junko's pain heighten, he could only stare wide-eyed. The whole thing was horrifying.

Hands still covering her mouth, Piper hid behind Aerrow, peering over his shoulder. Radarr groaned and fainted.

Junko tapped the bell three more times so vigorously that the bell bounced. Then he began pounding the bell repeatedly with his fist until the thing was smashed to bits.

Never again would Aerrow be able to view a dentist the same way.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the fogs of Terra Deep, the _Blood Crow_ had docked beside one of Terra Deep's craggy, jagged, pinnacle towers. Similarly, the _Condor_ was docked on the next one over . . . just out of sight of the larger ship.

It was all part of a brilliant collaborate plan. Stork and Finn tiptoed along the top of the _Blood Crow_, heading toward an entrance through one of the pirate ship's gun ports, through which a giant cannon was already run out.

Both were clothed in puke green and brown suits that were awfully similar to their Storm Hawk uniforms, only with tattered sleeves ripped off halfway. They each wore various pieces of wooden armor on their arms and legs, just as a lowly Murk Raider would wear.

Finn had put on a white bandana on his head, which bore the Murk Raider skull-and-three-cross-bone symbol in red. He'd also donned a makeup job to give himself the appearance of a stitched scar on his cheek and bristles on his chin, which added some years on him.

Stork, meanwhile, had painted the Murk Raider sword-through-the-eye-of-the-skull in yellow the front of his shirt and on his minstrel hat, which he still wore. In addition to his usual piercings, he had put a ring in his nose and put a couple beads in his long, jet-black hair. Stork had said he thought it looked fierce, but to Finn it just looked comical.

As they climbed into the giant porthole, Stork grunted as he leapt off the ledge and into the ship next to Finn. He still looked at Finn pointedly, as if questioning the boy's insanity and wondering what they were doing here.

"If I were a Murk Raider," Finn exclaimed in a harsh whisper, "I'd keep the serpegris here on the flagship."

"Hold it right there!"

The exclamation made the two Storm Hawks cringe in surprise. Heart beating widely, Finn turned to face . . . Eyeball, the first mate.

The heavy pirate stomped right up to them, his arms swinging at his sides. He stopped in front of them and put his hands on his hips, eyeing them critically. "Never seen you two here before," he grunted. His tone demanded an explanation.

Thinking fast, Finn blurted, "We're new."

"Huh, really new," Stork agreed, pointing at Eyeball.

"From another ship," Finn added, putting his hands on his hips like Eyeball.

"Yeah," Stork agreed, nodding. "Far away."

"Really far."

"Probably haven't heard of it."

Eyeball looked back and forth between them as they spoke in turn. When they were done, he leaned forward and studied them with his one eye. Finn found it kind of creepy.

Drawing away, Eyeball said, "You don't _look_ like Murk Raiders."

Finn's heart beat widely. Oh, no. This is it! They were going to be exposed before they even had a chance to pretend!

But Stork didn't seem scared at all. In fact, he seemed insulted. The Merb crossed his arms and tapped his foot irritably. "Oh, and is your job to give people fashion tips?" He paced in front of Eyeball, still sounding irritable. "Now quit wasting time and put us up to some backbreaking work!" he demanded, holding up a finger.

Eyeball just looked him over and said, "You gotta big mouth."

Finn cringed. That didn't sound like a good thing.

Stork cried out in surprise as Eyeball swatted him in the back of the head, knocking him down. The Merb's minstrel hat spun in the air, and Eyeball caught it, placing it on his head. "You'll fit in fine," he told the Merb, chuckling evilly.

Finn relaxed. Maybe it was going to be okay after all.

Now he just wished that Stork hadn't said anything about "backbreaking work." Soon he and Stork were doing just that.

Stork started cleaning out the cannons with a mop. His action caused four rats to jump out of one of the cannon mouths. And as he worked, Stork continued with his epic poem, singing:

"_The Domo became a pirate,_

_Not as smooth as he could be._

_While looking for the serpegris,_

_He ended up doing the laundry."_

Even as he sang, poor Finn walked by with a heavy, bulging bag of dirty eye patches slung over his back.

Soon, he and Stork were hard at it, scrubbing away. Finn couldn't believe it. The Murk Raiders didn't even have proper washing machines! They had to use a bucket of hot, soapy water and scrub the eye patches on a washboard.

It was perhaps one of the most boring and _disgusting_ chores Finn had ever done. He grimaced as he poured another bucketful of steaming hot water into his laundry bucket. Groaning and grimacing, he picked up another eye patch, touching as little of it as possible, and dipped it gingerly into the water.

Stork only chuckled as he watched Finn. Ironically, the Merb seemed to have no problem with the chore. He finished scrubbing another eye patch and hung it on one of the three clothesline hung across the room, all of which were nearly full of eye patches.

Revolting as that was, the next chore was even worse. Finn and Stork had to feed Captain Scabulous' pets.

Now as they began feeding the first "pet," Finn observed it. He wasn't quite sure what the creature was. It was covered in tan scales and looked a lot like a snake you would find in the jungles of Zartacla. Only this creature was longer than three men were tall and had a body about as thick as Finn's head! And inside its mouth were jagged, pointy teeth. When it saw the two Storm Hawks in front of it, the beast growled softly and snapped its jaws at them.

Needless to say, Finn refused to do this chore. He stood off to the side, ready to run, as a quivering, muttering Stork held out a whole cooked chicken out on the end of a long wooden pole toward the beast. "Okay," he muttered, as if summoning his courage.

But the snake-like creature didn't go for the chicken. Instead, it reached through the bars of its cage and snapped its jaws in Finn's face.

If Stork ever repeated that Finn had screamed, Finn would deny it. And then he would be lying.

But then, they were saved. Eyeball stepped through the automatic door behind them. Grunting, he addressed them. "Feed the cap'ain's pets later. I need you for some'um new."

Never had Finn been so happy to have Eyeball order them around. But he couldn't relax. The way Eyeball had said "some'um new" made Finn think something bad was going to happen.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ah yes, dragons! When I first saw this episode, I thought, _I was wondering when they would mention dragons._ I mean, come on, it's a mythical world with magical creatures. Dragons had to show up sooner or later.

So since we're on about dragons, let's have a trivia about dragons!

I was not very surprised when they said dragons had been extinct for thousands of years, and you'll see why in the trivia.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: If you've ever heard or read old dragon legends and stories, no matter when they are told or written, the stories always seem to refer to a creature of the past. Asian, Native American, African, and Australian mythology all include dragons and list them as a creature of in a time of a golden, or dark, age, and maybe in a distant future but not of the present. Even back in Middle Ages of Europe, they told stories of dragons in reference to a time long ago.

I see that Nerd Corps used that same concept of dragons in _Storm Hawks._

So, are you reviewing? Yes? No? Maybe? *cricket chirps* Oh, come on! Not the cricket again!


	99. Calling All Domos: Dancing With Drunks

Chapter 3: Dancing With Drunks

The undercover Storm Hawks stared at the room around them anxiously. They were in the captain's dining hole . . . a real honor on a Murk Raider ship. However, the two of them weren't here to be invited to feast; they were here to serve.

Stork had a tray of food—or at least, something they were told was _supposed_ to be food—in his hand, and he was placing pieces of it on the plates of the feasting pirates. Finn, meanwhile, had a pitcher of grog, which he would use to fill the glasses. He was glad he hadn't been invited to feast; if he had, he would have to have had his first taste of alcohol. Cool as that would have been, he didn't want to do that in front of some of his most dangerous enemies.

The room was not much to brag about. The metal plates that made up the floor, walls, and ceiling were red-orange. If they weren't so smooth, Finn would assume they were that color due to rust. There was no overhead lighting or windows. Lighting the room were crystal-powered candles attached to skulls hanging from the wall. Fake or real, Finn couldn't tell. Each skull held three candles. The buffet table didn't have food at the moment; it only had a DJ record player. Above the buffet table were two sabers that hung across each other in an X, much in the same way Aerrow hung his blades above his bed. In the corner hung a fishing net . . . or at least, Finn hoped it was a fishing net. It was either that or a giant cobweb.

The feast was nothing appetizing to him, either. In fact, the heap of food in the center of the table looked a lot like what Junko had described in his eating competition with the Colonel. Most of the food was stuff only Junko would dare to eat. There was decent food, however, enough decent food that, if Finn had been hungry, he might have been drooling over it. There were a couple sub sandwiches; a purple-colored pie; a box of frosted donuts; bowls of delicious-smelling, yellow-colored soup; a large, watermelon-like fruit; a pitcher of tea; and a whole cooked chicken simmering in stew.

Needless to say, the pirates were feasting with vigor, stuffing as much into their mouth at once. It was like watching Junko eat. Finn couldn't help thinking that if the Wallop didn't have a toothache, he'd have a lot of fun at such a feast.

Captain Scabulous had invited seven other Murk Raiders to feast with him. Among them were Eyeball (obviously because he was the first mate) and the one-armed Merb. Having spent much time with Stork, it was not only interesting for Finn to see a Merb with brown skin, but also to see one who wasn't paranoid and doom-oriented. According to Stork, this brown-skinned Murk Raider Merb was rather unusual.

Halfway through the feast, Captain Scabulous tapped his metal mug with his mechanical finger five times to get the other Murk Raiders' attention. He made a purr-like growl as he stood up. He said his men, "I've assembled you here today to celebrate!" He held up a hand. "We're going to be rich, filthy rich!" He clenched a fist excitedly. "Thanks to this."

Finn set his pitcher down next to Captain Scabulous when the captain grabbed the strap hanging around his neck with one of his mechanical fingers and held it up so everyone could see what dangled from it. Finn's eyes lit up when he saw the glowing vial. He heard Stork gasp from the other side of the table.

"Oh, serpegris!" he heard Eyeball exclaimed excitedly at the sight of the vial. "Ooh, hoo, hoo! We'll be able to name any price we want! How're we gonna spend that much money?"

As he was talking, Finn decided to take a risk. Hesitantly, he reached out toward the serpegris. Just when he was about to grab it, Captain Scabulous pulled it back. Cursing his luck, Finn glanced around anxiously, making sure no one had seen his attempt. Frustrated, he picked up his pitcher and walked away.

"As your captain," Scabulous told his men, "I've decided that the Murk Raiders are getting . . . the new kitchen upgrade!"

Huh?

At first, there were only murmurs among the men. Finn was sure he heard a pin drop. But then suddenly, the table erupted in cheers from the men, who threw their fists in the air excitedly. Apparently, they liked the idea of new kitchen equipment. Finn just blinked. It was totally unexpected, totally practical, and totally . . . un-evil.

Captain Scabulous held up one of the dirty, beaten-up, and cracked wooden spoons, which had a fly buzzing around it. The spoon had jagged edges that looked more than uncomfortable. "New wooden spoons, so no more tongue splinters!" he announced. The men cheered and threw their fists in the air again as Captain Scabulous threw the wooden spoon over his shoulder.

"New non-stick pots and pans!" Captain Scabulous announced, clenching his fists. More cheers and fists thrown in the air. "An energy-saving dishwashers!" Same response. "And a spice rack with plenty of oregano!" Again, the same enthusiasm.

Finn was surprised by such enthusiasm over such . . . _ordinary_ things. He had known that the last few years of the war had hit the Murk Raiders hard, what with the Atmosian terras growing poorer, which meant less plunder for the pirates. However, Finn had no idea it was _this_ bad.

Finn quickly pushed his sympathies aside. However much the Murk Raiders may need some of the money, the people of Vapos needed the serpegris more. Besides, Finn reasoned, the pirates were evil; the Vaposians were not.

Finn walked up beside Stork. The two Storm Hawks exchanged glances and turned back to the cheering pirates. A small, quick plan was forming in Finn's head as Captain Scabulous laughed and lifted his mug and toasted with the others, clanking his mug with theirs. As Finn concentrated on the serpegris, he squared his shoulders. "I'm gonna swipe it," he whispered to Stork.

"You're gonna die," Stork whispered in response, but Finn was already walking away. Quietly, the Domo slipped under the table.

While Eyeball got the camera, the other six Murk Raiders gathered around the laughing Captain Scabulous. As they got ready to take the picture, they all held up their mugs of grog, except for the one-armed Merb, who held up his mechanical arm so the metal skull that replaced his hand could smile into the camera. "Say cheese!" Eyeball told them as he held the camera to his face.

"Cheese!" they all said, smiling heartily.

It was at that very moment that Finn was reaching up from under the table to grab the vial. That's when he realized they were about to take the picture.

Oh no.

Quick as he could, Finn ducked under the table again just as the flash of the camera went off. He didn't have the serpegris.

Well, so much for that.

After Stork was sent away, he came back with a highly decorated dish with a lid (no doubt a product of plunder). Perfect! Finn sidled up next to him and whispered, "Time to go to Plan B." He snatched the tray out of Stork's hands and held it proudly as if he was meant to hold it.

Stork rubbed his hands together nervously. "Do we even have a Plan B?" he asked in response.

Ignoring him, Finn walked toward the dinner table with the dish, taking the lid off on his way there. Inside were sky-dogs and a pair of tongs. He sidled up next to Captain Scabulous, pretending to serve the sky-dogs with the tongs. He was so busy watching Captain Scabulous tear into a rib that he didn't notice that he had put a sky-dog on top of the Murk Raider's head on the other side of him. Luckily, the Murk Raider was so drunk on grog that he didn't even notice.

And thank goodness for that grog, too. Captain Scabulous picked up his own mug and proceed to drain it completely. It was the perfect opportunity. Trying to look nondescript, Finn reached over toward the serpegris with the tongs.

However, as the tongs clanked against the glass vial, Captain Scabulous paused in his drinking.

Before Finn even knew he was suspected, he felt his bones in his wrist being crushed by Captain Scabulous's firm grip. The Murk Raider captain yanked his arm, pulling the Domo right toward his face. "And just what do you think _you're_ doing?" he demanded.

The other Murk Raiders tensed and cringed, their eyes filled with fear. Obviously, they expected the worst for Finn.

Finn cringed and whimpered. Oh boy. Now what?

Stork looked around frantically. There had to be some way to help Finn . . .

Then, over on the banquet table, he saw the record player. Both needles had an album on them.

It was a long shot, but it just might work.

Finn raised an eyebrow when he the sound of a record player's needle being place on a record. What in the . . . well, whatever Stork was doing, Finn decided to play along.

Chuckling nervously, he held out his hand to Captain Scabulous and answered his question with, "Asking you for a dance?"

The other Murk Raiders all stared with wide, fearful eyes . . . or eye, depending on how many they had.

Captain Scabulous turned his head to the side to study Finn closely with his one eye, as if to judge his credibility. Finn waited, gnawing his teeth together nervously. Would the captain buy it?

At last, the captain's face lit up. "Don't mind if I do!" he exclaimed happily, laughing heartily. Finn could smell the grog on his breath.

Stork watched, dumbfounded, as the Murk Raiders partnered up and began ballroom dancing. It was obvious from their dumb expressions that all of them were at least a little buzzed from the drink. Stork was soon pulled in by Eyeball.

Captain Scabulous was no better. With a goofy expression on his face, he danced with Finn, lifting the Domo completely off his feet. Laughing wholeheartedly, he said to Finn, "You are very light on your feet!" Apparently, he was completely unaware that he was completely carrying Finn.

It was probably one of the scariest, most disturbing, and most _disgusting_ instances in Finn's life. Seeing Stork dancing with Eyeball, he glanced over his shoulder at him and whimpered, "Help!"

But there was nothing Stork could do but bear it so long as Eyeball held his hands in those big, fat fists of his. "I would have preferred the trip to Wallop," Stork grumbled to himself as he was spun around again.

* * *

If Stork had any idea what was going on at Terra Wallop, he wouldn't have said that.

Aerrow, Piper, and a recently woken Radarr watched with dread as Dr. Brutus examined Junko again under the bright light. Seeming to spot what he wanted, he moved the light aside and brought out the saw-toothed pliers. Junko screamed as Dr. Brutus snapped them together in the younger Wallop's face.

Much to Aerrow's horror, Dr. Brutus got up on top of Junko, putting one foot on the chair and the other on the metal clamps around Junko's arm to steady himself as he used the pliers to pull at one of Junko's teeth. He was using no numbing drugs.

Piper kept her hand over her mouth, and Aerrow figured she was imagining the pain herself. Radarr, meanwhile, put a finger to his mouth to keep from being sick with horror and disgust. His face turned green, and the little guy fainted again.

As Dr. Brutus pulled at his tooth and stared down into Junko's pain-filled, watery eyes, he said to him, "This is what happens when you don't brush and floss like a good little Wallop."

If his dentist was doing this to _him_ and then had told him that, Aerrow would brush and floss three or four times every day.

At last, with a final strain on Dr. Brutus's part, the tooth came out with a stringy POP! Junko squealed in pain.

Dr. Brutus held the pliers up high, examining the tooth. "See?" he said, taking the tooth from the pliers. "Look how bad this tooth looks!"

But Aerrow couldn't see anything wrong with the tooth. It looked pearly-white and healthy.

Then Dr. Brutus drew in his breath. "Oops," he said. "I pulled the wrong one."

Aerrow's and Piper's eyes widened in horror. All that, and he pulled the wrong one?

"I hate when that happens. Well, third time's the charm!" Dr. Brutus said happily as he tossed the tooth over his shoulder into a small bowl where another tooth lay . . . the first tooth he had pulled from Junko, which had also turned out to be the wrong one.

Dr. Brutus leaned over Junko. "Say 'ah!'" he encouraged cheerfully.

Junko screamed.

* * *

Back on the _Blood Crow_, Finn, Stork, and the Murk Raiders at the feast were still dancing to the music. At last, as one, Captain Scabulous and Eyeball spun both their partners. Once they were done spinning, Finn and Stork turned around and grabbed each other, dancing away from their former partners, who became partners with each other.

That was their chance. Swiftly yet cunningly, Finn and Stork danced to the door and made their escape.

Captain Scabulous and Eyeball still danced, unaware of any trouble. Captain Scabulous was so content and so buzzed from the grog, he didn't even noticed slightly drunk Eyeball sing, "Do, da, da, do, do, do," horribly off key to the music.

Then suddenly, Eyeball cut off. "Huh?" he said, staring at Scabulous's chest. "Captain!" he shouted, pointing toward his chest.

Captain Scabulous looked down at the strap around his neck. Rage filled him as he took the object off the strap. The needle was taken off the album as the captain held up, not a vial of serpegris . . . but a chicken leg from dinner.

Captain Scabulous set his face in a snarl as he stared at the chicken leg. His serpegris was stolen! And he knew just who had done it! He whirled his head to the door and shouted, "Thieves! After them!"

His outraged yell rang throughout the _Blood Crow_.

* * *

His yell was so loud that Finn heard the faint murmur of it from where he stood on the bridge of the _Condor_. He and Stork had changed back into their Storm Hawks informs, and Finn was wearing his armor. They were getting the ship ready to take off when they heard the yell. Stork's more sensitive ears stood straight up at the sound, and he wasted no time in starting up the _Condor_ and speeding away. Of course, this brought them right into view of the _Blood Crow_, which sped after them.

As Finn took off his Murk Raider-decorated bandana, Stork said to him, "I could lose 'em, but it's gonna take some time."

Finn sighed anxiously. "We don't have time," he answered nervously. "The people on Vapos are gonna be goners!"

Keeping one hand on the helm, Stork turned around to Finn, taking off his minstrel hat and pointing it at him. "Then take your Skimmer and get the serpegris to Vapos," he told Finn. "The Murk Raiders will follow me. I'll ditch them," he took a breath and turned back to the helm, "then meet you back on the terra."

Finn slipped the vial of serpegris, still on a strap, around his neck as Stork was talking. He couldn't believe that _Stork_, of all people, had thought up such a brilliant plan. "Oh, Stork, you're a genius!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists. He pointed his trigger fingers at Stork. "See you back on Vapos!"

And with that, Finn sped down to the hangar bay as fast as possible, mounted his Skimmer, and took off into the fog of Terra Deep, avoiding detection from the haunting _Blood Crow_.

He had not flown long before he was coming in for a landing on Vapos. He felt his blood run cold as he heard the wails and moans of the people below rising in a hideous pandemonium. He looked down to the people lying in the streets, too weak to get up. They were already so far gone that their skin was translucent.

Not bothering to slow down, Finn landed on the terra's dusty ground, which had yet to recover fully from the damage done by the Verrocs. Switching to bike mode as he landed, he drove right up to the steps of the palace, turning his Skimmer sideways to come to a sliding halt. He had hardly stopped when he leapt off his Skimmer, his fist clenched. "Hold on!" he shouted to the Vaposians. "I'll have you back before you know it!"

Suddenly there was a whirling, thundering sound that made some of the people look to the skies. Finn looked with them. What was it _now?_

Thank goodness. It was the _Condor_. Letting down her wheels, she landed right in front of Finn.

Finn ran toward her as the hatch underneath her runway opened, and the ramp came down. "Back already?" Finn asked in surprise when he saw Stork in the doorway.

Stork just gritted his teeth together nervously, not answering. Typical Stork.

"Ha, ha!" Finn laughed, clenching his fist excitedly. Holding up a finger he said. "You must've shown those Murk _Losers_ a thing or—" He put down his hand and his words died into a nervous, "He, he, he," when he saw another figure appear in the doorway behind Stork.

It was Captain Scabulous, holding his glowing saber.

Uh oh.

Stork pointed to Finn. "Uh, yeah," he said to Finn, holding up a finger, "about that—"

But he was cut off when Captain Scabulous shoved Stork aside with a, "Yah!" Three more Murk Raiders appeared behind him. Finn recognized Eyeball and the one-armed Merb among them.

Finn gulped.

Captain Scabulous gazed down at him with his one eye. "They say the streets of Vapos are paved with gold," he said. "That'll be ours, too!" He laughed evilly, holding his glowing saber up high. Four cutlasses were held in the air as the Murk Raiders behind him joined his cheering and laughing.

Finn's eyes widened. Stork was in trouble. Vapos was in trouble. _He _was in big, big, _big_ trouble!

Captain Scabulous made his way down the ramp, pushing Stork in front of him. The other Murk Raiders, of which there were seven, followed. They all came down to stand in front of Finn. Captain Scabulous shoved Stork down in front of him on his stomach while the other Murk Raiders laughed at the two Storm Hawks' predicament.

Finn was too scared to move. Even if he thought he could escape by running away, he couldn't leave Stork.

The Murk Raiders held their glowing swords loosely in their hands, smirking at Finn. "Hey, blondie!" Captain Scabulous called out. When Finn nervously met his eyes questioningly, the captain said, "Yeah, you! Hand over the serpegris or your friend gets it!"

Finn glanced down at the serpegris around his neck, cupping the vial in his hand. He couldn't give it up; the people of Vapos would fade away forever without it! But what about Stork?

Stork yelped as Captain Scabulous brought his sword down just above Stork threateningly. But even so, he looked up and met Finn's eyes. "Don't do it, Finn," he said. "They're gonna plunder Vapos! And I'm doomed anyways." He put his hand on his forehead, striking a dramatic pose as if he was about to faint.

Captain Scabulous just smirked at the frightened pilot as Stork rolled onto his back to face him. "That you are, matey," Captain Scabulous agreed.

Finn felt like his heart was being ripped in half. How was he supposed to choose between all of Terra Vapos and Stork, one of his best friends? More than that, what Aerrow always said about them was true; Stork was family to Finn (although he would never admit it).

Trembling, Stork held his book _1001 Terrible Afflictions and the Hopeless Means of Fighting Them_ between him and Captain Scabulous's saber. "Oh, come on, book," he murmured to it. "Don't fail me now!" Turning away and shutting his eyes, he pressed a red button on the back of the book.

"Ah!" Captain Scabulous cried as he lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the green fog of man-eating yeti repellant.

Seeing that it had worked, Stork swung the book around so that the yeti repellant was sprayed on the other Murk Raiders as well, making them cough and temporarily blind.

Finn stared in surprise. Way to go, Stork!

But before he could comprehend what to do next, Stork was on his feet and running past him, tossing the book behind him. "Run for your lives!" the scared Merb pilot screamed.

Finn thought that was very good advice. He released all the panic that had been building up in him to run with Stork into the palace.

Meanwhile, the Murk Raiders coughed, groaned, growled, and wiped their eyes, trying to rid themselves of the repellant spray. One Murk Raider even fell over on his back.

Captain Scabulous cleared his one eye and looked up in time to see the two Storm Hawks disappear into the grand doorway. "To whoever gets them first, extra chocolate pudding rations for a month!" he declared to his men.

He could not have had a better motivator. With battle cries and lit swords, the Murk Raiders started after the Storm Hawks.

Oh, yeah, Finn thought. This was a problem.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: In dragon mythology, there is often a kind of magical object about them. Sometimes this object really is magical and powerful; sometimes it's just valuable. Whatever the case, many dragon myths include a "dragon crystal" or a powerful bodily fluid. Dragon body parts are said to have many magical properties; blood can be used as medicine or to protect someone from stabs, a dragon's heart can give humans the power to talk to other animals, a dragon's tongue can help a human win any argument, dragon dung scares away savage beasts and can be used as skin treatment, a dragon hide can be used as a shield, and a dragon tooth can produce a race of fierce warriors. Sometimes there is another part of the dragon that is described as well. The "dragon crystal" can come in many forms. In Chinese mythology, a crystal ball or pearl is often carried around by the dragon. Although not a physical part of the dragon, it is essential to their image and is often said to be rolling thunder, the sun, the moon, "the pearl that grants all desires," or, more practically, the dragon's egg. Legends from Africa, eastern Asia, and Europe also include stories of dragons that have precious gems in their skulls or guts. Sometimes called "Draconce" or "Draconium," these jewels may or may not have magical powers. In myths, these jewels may sometimes be magically linked to the dragon who bears them or may even contain the dragon's sole.

It appears _Storm Hawks_ uses the idea of a powerful, magical part of a dragon just as many modern works have. It's hard to say, though, whether this "dragon barf" (serpengris) harks back to the idea of dragon crystals and Draconce or whether it's simply based off dragon fluids that have magical properties.

Okay, now my brain hurts a little. Too much smart talk. Time to watch mindless television!

And don't forget to review!


	100. Calling All Domos: Nothing Can Leave

Chapter 4: Nothing Can Leave

Panting and running so fast that their legs burned, Finn and Stork sped down the hallway toward the throne room. But Finn knew, with the Murk Raiders right behind them, that they'd be hard-pressed to get the serpegris in the Flame of Vapos in time. It was time to be the Domo. He slid to a stop. Looking confused and panicked, Stork stopped and glanced back at him.

Before Stork could even ask what he was doing, Finn pulled the serpegris off his neck. "Get this into the cauldron!" he told Stork, handing it to him. "I'll buy you some time!"

As Stork continued running down the hallway with the serpegris in his hand, Finn spun around and held up his fists, ready to fight . . . at least, as ready as he ever would be.

Four Murk Raiders were just ahead, shouting and charging with lit cutlasses. But Finn had an idea. With a "Yaw!" he took his crossbow, which he had hung on his back, and fired at one of the pillars lining the side of the hallway.

The bolt struck the top head-on and sliced through it, and the pillar toppled to the floor, taking out the pillar on the opposite wall as well. "Whoa!" the Murk Raiders yelled as the pillar fell in front of them and crumbled. Now a pile of stone blocked their way deeper into the castle.

"Ha, ha!" Finn cheered himself on as he put his crossbow on his shoulder proudly. "No way they're gettin' through that!"

But then he heard a snarl from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder without turning around. "Uh oh."

Five more Murk Raiders had come in the large, open windows down the hall, and four of them were now charging at Finn with their lit swords. One of them had a peg leg, and he had an unlit dagger clenched between his teeth. He growled at Finn viciously.

Finn strapped his crossbow to his back once more. The windows. Why hadn't Finn thought of the windows?

Thinking quickly, Finn leapt for the pile of rocks before him with a "Yaw!" and then another "Yaw!" as he hopped frog-like to one even higher. He huffed as he leapt higher still, getting to the top, but this one hop held disaster for him. A weight left his back. He glanced down to see his crossbow falling toward the Murk Raiders. On the plus side, it _did_ knock out one of the Murk Raiders when it hit him in the head.

There was no time to try and retrieve the crossbow. A Murk Raider leapt up onto the rocks just below him. He had to think fast. What would the others do? What would Piper do? And Aerrow?

Piper would scream. Aerrow would . . . do an amazing and probably stupid stunt.

Well, there was a stupid stunt staring him in the face. A crystal-powered chandelier that looked a lot like a gigantic spiked dog collar hung almost head-level with him. _I always wanted to try this, _he thought.

With a "Dah!" Finn leapt for the chandelier and grabbed hold of it. "Wha!" he cried as he was sent spinning. His momentum sent him spinning around until he was facing the Murk Raider. With a "Yaw!" he kicked the Murk Raider right off the rock pile.

"Whoa!" the Murk Raider groaned, spit flying from his mouth as he fell backward.

Finn didn't stop there. Letting go of the chandelier, he landed in crouch with a grunt. Gasping in wonder, the two Murk Raiders chased him as he ran down the hallway again. The third one was forced to scramble down from the rock pile, which he had been climbing, before he could join the chase. Once the Murk Raider who had been knocked down had recovered, he, too, joined the chase.

* * *

Stork, meanwhile, slid to a stop, panting, as he found himself beside the entrance to a smaller hallway, which led to the throne room. Whimpering, he spun on his heel and headed down this new hallway as fast as possible. All the people of Vapos were depending on him getting to the Flame of Vapos in time!

* * *

Finn was still being chased by the four Murk Raiders. Even though the Murk Raiders had been stupid enough to drop their swords, it was still four against one.

The chase continued into the ballroom. One look sent made Finn's heart skip a beat. Right in front of him was another group of four Murk Raiders, three of which had swords.

Finn stopped before the stairs leading to the stand where King Agar would sit during dances. He glanced over his shoulder at the Murk Raiders behind him and then back again at the Murk Raiders in front of him. He was stuck right in the middle of the two charging groups.

Without a moment to spare, Finn spun around and ran up the steps. The two groups of Murk Raiders crashed right into each other.

When he reached the top of the steps, Finn turned around to see all the Murk Raiders sprawling on the ground. He smiled in amusement. "So long, suckers!" he teased them, saluting them.

But his fun ended right then. "Wha!" he gasped as he felt warm metal pressed up against his chin. Captain Scabulous's unlit saber was pressed up against Finn's throat. And standing right beside Finn, holding the sword, was the captain himself.

The captain turned slowly to look at him and smirked. "Going somewhere?" he asked Finn.

If he hadn't had a sword at his throat, Finn would have swallowed. This was definitely not good!

* * *

In another part of the palace, Stork slid to a stop as he came to the end of the hallway. He found his bare feet sliding on the red rug leading up to the throne itself.

He gasped when he glanced around.

All of the guards and attendants were lying on the ground, too weak to get up. Their bodies were almost completely translucent. One of the girls lifted her hand at Stork, but she wasn't strong enough to do anything else.

Stork turned to the throne. King Agar sat slumped in his chair, his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open. Like all the others, he was translucent. His staff lay on the ground beside his throne.

This was it; Stork was their last hope. He held up the serpegris before King Agar. "This is for Terra Vapos!" he shouted. He turned and threw the vial of serpegris toward the Flame of Vapos.

The serpegris sailed across the room, plopped into the water of the cauldron, and sank to the bottom.

Stork waited.

Nothing happened.

Stork slumped. "Ah, crud."

* * *

In the ballroom, Finn had been able to wiggle away from Captain Scabulous and his saber. They both still stood on the platform, facing each other. Captain Scabulous lit his sword.

Feeling brave now that there was distant between him and the saber, Finn said to Captain Scabulous, "Huh? Oh, yeah?" He pointed at the captain. "Well, you were an awful dancer! Waltz like you have two left feet! Huh!"

Looking hurt, Scabulous gasped and looked down at his feet. Then, shaking his metal, claw-like hand at Finn like a fist, he snarled, "You'll pay for that remark!" With a loud battle cry, he ran at Finn, drawing back his arm to swipe the Domo with his saber.

The platform had a huge doorway beyond them, the opposite direction of the stairs. On either side of the doorway were round Vaposian shields, each with a Vaposian sword across them. Finn found himself backed up against one of these shields. When he saw Captain Scabulous coming at him with a saber, he knew he had to move fast. He was also well aware that he needed a weapon and that there was one right behind him. In one swift movement, he grabbed the handle of the sword, tore it off the shield, and rolled out of the way of Captain Scabulous's saber.

He ended up behind the Murk Raider. As Scabulous's turned around to glare at him with his one eye, Finn grunted and faced him, holding the sword at the ready the way he'd seen Aerrow do before. Captain Scabulous snarled.

With a cry, Finn swung the sword and beat it against the ground. But the sword was feeble and used only for decoration. He stared at the handle in shock as the metal blade shattered to pieces, and he was left only with a stump beyond the handle. Realizing his mistake, he smiled sheepishly at Captain Scabulous.

Uttering a cry, Captain Scabulous made for him again. "Dah!" Finn squealed. With nothing left to fight with, he wheeled around, planning on making a run for it. Inspiration hit him, and he leapt onto the stone railing. Captain Scabulous's saber clanked against the railing where Finn had just been just as Finn began sliding down, screaming.

It might have been a sweet move had he not landed on his face at the bottom. And if he had not pushed himself up to see himself surrounded by laughing Murk Raiders, some of which had glowing swords in their hands.

"Ah, ha, ha," he laughed nervously. "I hope Stork's doin' better than me!"

* * *

But Stork wasn't doing very well at all. Even with the serpegris in the Flame of Vapos, they were still doomed. He should have known.

Stork peered down into the cauldron angrily. "Well, serpegris," he said, "I'm not very impressed.

Even as he said it, the water in the cauldron began to boil as the serpegris grew brighter. Stork laughed nervously as he realized something was about to happen.

There was no time for him to react before the Flame of Vapos shot out a stream of flame that rose to the ceiling and sent out a horizontal wave in all directions. Stork screamed as he was blown across the room.

Light flashed through the castle, and a magical wave of light swept over the land. The Vaposian all sat up and gasped, studying themselves over to be sure of what they saw. They had been healed.

But even though he had succeeded, Stork was not happy. He was still lying on his back where he had fallen, his fists clenched in pain. His hair was thrown wildly out of place, and his face now was colored red due to the first-degree burn he had just received. "It figures," he grumbled.

* * *

Finn, meanwhile, had been chased all the way across the ballroom by the group of Murk Raiders. They had him cornered now, backing him up toward a balcony, forming a wall in front of him so he couldn't run. There were six in front of him, including Eyeball, who held a lit sword.

Just then, a wave of yellow energy swept over all of them. The Murk Raiders gasped, unsure of what to make of it. But Finn knew what it meant; they had succeeded. "Alright, Stork!" he cheered, pumping his fist in celebration.

When he focused on the Murk Raiders again, he gasped.

Captain Scabulous was right in front of him. With a yell, he drew back his fist and punched Finn so hard that the Domo was pushed out onto the balcony. "Whoa!" he cried as he bounced over the balcony. "Ah!" he cried when he found himself slipping over the remaining slopping platform jutting out beyond the railing. He grasped for a hold and was able to stop his sliding momentarily as his legs dangled over the edge. But his fingers, trembling with effort, had nothing to grip on, and he slipped further down. With a grunt, he slipped the last of the way. It was only his hand gripping the edge that kept him from falling to his death.

Finn glanced down at the ground before him and rocks tumbled over the edge. The ground shifted in and out of focus. Finn's heart beat a mile a minute. It sure was a long way down!

Groaning with effort, he was able to reach up and grip the edge with his other hand as well. But he cried out in pain and surprise when a scaly foot stepped on his fingers and caused him to loose his grip.

Trembling, Finn looked up to stare into the face of Captain Scabulous, his glowing saber in his hand. Three more lit swords came into Finn's field of vision as more Murk Raiders approached behind their captain. "You won't be dancing your way out of this one!" Captain Scabulous proclaimed. He raised his saber above his head, preparing to strike Finn down once and for all.

"Stop!"

Finn blinked in surprise. King Agar?

Captain Scabulous glanced over his shoulder hesitantly.

The old monarch was on the balcony behind the railing. "The fighting must stop!" he proclaimed, pointing a finger at Scabulous.

Captain Scabulous glanced to his left. Six archers with blue crystal-tipped arrows notched in their bows were glaring down at the Murk Raiders, their arrows aimed for them. Finn was sure he heard one of the Murk Raider's teeth chattering.

There was another sound of notching arrows, and all the Murk Raiders glanced to their right to see two rows of similar archers doing the same thing. All the archers pulled back their arrows until their bows were taut.

Taking advantage of the situation, Finn reached up and grasped the edge of the stone balcony with both hands once again.

But Captain Scabulous wouldn't give up that easily. Snarling, he turned to face King Agar. He would _not_ stop fighting. "Not until I get back the serpegris!" he declared.

"That is impossible!" King Agar answered back. But then his tone turned pleasant. "But perhaps we can _pay _you for it."

Captain Scabulous purred in pleasure.

"Huh?" Finn said aloud, raising an eyebrow. King Agar was actually going to _pay_ the Murk Raiders for the serpegris? Was he crazy?

But King Agar was serious. He convinced the Murk Raiders to not harm Finn, and once the Domo was safely behind the balcony railing once again, King Agar and his guards took the Murk Raiders' captain and his first mate to see their treasure volt. Finn accompanied them, feeling uneasy with the situation.

The Murk Raiders gasped when the doors of the volt were opened before them. There were mounds upon mounds of gold here, mostly coins, some golden dishes and cups and utensils. There was even a golden sword.

Captain Scabulous cleared his throat. "Well," he said to King Agar, "uh, yes." He gestured to all the gold in the volt. "This should about cover it."

King Agar chuckled. "I thought it would."

Finn couldn't believe what he was hearing! King Agar was going to let the Murk Raiders just _take_ all of Terra Vapos' wealth! He ran up beside the king and put a hand on the monarch's shoulder. "You can't do this," he said. He gestured to the Murk Raiders. "You shouldn't pay off pirates."

But King Agar just smiled at him. "Trust me," he assured him in a whisper.

Trust him? He was letting the Murk Raiders plunder Vapos!

But there was nothing Finn could do to change Agar's mind. The king had his guards helped the Murk Raiders load up the gold into the _Blood Crow_. Once it was finished, the Murk Raiders loaded up themselves to leave.

Captain Scabulous cackled as the _Blood Crow _started her engines and rose to the skies.

Finn, Stork, King Agar, and the king's guards watched from the balcony as the _Blood Crow_ headed off into the skies. Finn and Stork were clutching the railing, both uneasy. Anxiety rose up in Finn as he watched the ship disappear. "Uh," he stuttered nervously as he turned around to the king. He pointed to the skies. "They're getting away!"

"Um, incoming!" Stork cried, pointing to the skies.

After the day he had just had, Finn whirled to see, expecting some sort of attack. Instead, he grunted, ducked, and covered his head with his hands as a bird swooped low, almost running into his forehead.

King Agar smiled to the bird and offered his arm as a perch. The bird accepted.

Finn looked the bird over in surprise. "The falcon," he said. It was the messenger bird. But they had seen him disintegrate into nothing!

King Agar just laughed at his confusion. "You see, Finn," he explained, "Nothing can ever really _leave_ Vapos."

The falcon clapped its beak as if in agreement.

* * *

In the _Blood Crow_, a group of Murk Raiders, including the captain, Eyeball, and the one-armed Merb, were celebrating in Captain Scabulous's dining hall. But instead of eating, they were pouring all the gold onto the table, laughing as they did so.

Captain Scabulous was at the head of the table, smiling in delight. "All the gold in Vapos!" he exclaimed joyously. He laughed evilly, throwing his hands in the air and spraying gold coins everywhere.

Eyeball walked up to him, a huge grin on his face. "And we took it without a fight!" he added, clenching his fists excitedly.

The cheering and laughing grew quiet at the comment except for Eyeball's rumbling laugh. Captain Scabulous glared at his first mate and held up his fist threateningly. The way they had obtained the gold was nothing to be proud of it; it was actually rather shameful for them.

Eyeball stopped laughing as soon as he realized his mistake, and he cringed away from Captain Scabulous's fist. "There were a lot 'em, cap'ain," he mumbled in his defense, "a-and those arrows looked pointy."

But before Captain Scabulous could deal with Eyeball, his attention was caught by the gold beginning to glow. "Huh?" he gasped.

Right before their eyes, the gold dissolved into dust . . . and disappeared.

The faces of the Murk Raiders fell in sorrowful shock. They began grumbling and whining, scraping the table in a desperate attempt to find the gold.

Captain Scabulous and Eyeball just stared open-mouthed in stunned silence. At last, Eyeball turned to the captain. "Does this mean we don't get the new kitchen?"

Captain Scabulous slumped and bit his lip, his face sad. All his beautiful, wonderful gold . . . gone. And all his dreams for new kitchenware . . . gone.

His scream of frustration rang throughout the _Blood Crow_.

* * *

Back on Terra Vapos, the guards and workers of the palace were gathered in the throne room. King Agar sat on his throne, and Finn stood off to the side as Stork took center stage. The Domo couldn't feel more pleased with himself. He was wearing a golden medal around his neck, he was listening to his minstrel read a poem about his _awesome_ heroics, and on either side of him was a teenage girl admirer who was holding him close. Now this was the life!

Stork, having put his minstrel hat back on, stood with a piece of parchment in front of him, writing finishing touches to his poem with a feather pen as he finished singing the final part of the poem. He sang:

"_The Raiders left with nothing._

_They got their just dessert,_

_And despite the terrifying mortal danger,_

_The Domo never got hurt."_

Finn smiled proudly for the girls at that verse.

King Agar had his head propped up on his arm. He was about to fall asleep.

"_And once again, Vapos is safe._

_The Domo saved the day._

_And in the words of this humble poet,_

_Great Domo did okay."_

The ending of his poem was met with many cheers and clapping, which woke King Agar from his sleep. The smiling king began clapping as well.

A woman stepped forward and put a medal around Stork's neck, much like the one Finn was wearing. He smiled at Finn, but his smile turned into a smirk when he saw Finn.

Finn didn't know what he was smirking about. There was nothing wrong with enjoying putting your arms around two girls who were snuggling up to you, one arm per girl. Finn found it rather cozy.

Unfortunately, they couldn't stay much longer. Aerrow and Piper had promised that they, Junko, and Radarr would be back soon, and Finn and Stork still had to meet them at the rendezvous point. So they reluctantly said their goodbyes; well, Finn was reluctant, anyway.

* * *

When Aerrow, Piper, Junko, and Radarr came back to the _Condor_, they met Finn and Stork in the bridge. Stork was sitting on the couch at the round table, his legs crossed and his hands in his lap. Finn leaned on the side of the couch near Stork, his hand on his hip. They both looked very poised and smug. After all, they were about to tell them how they saved the day without them!

Junko walked right up to his best friend, holding a green balloon that had a tooth picture on it with an ugly smiling face. The Wallop smiled at them, and Finn was taken aback to see that he had many gaps in his mouth, at least four, two top, two bottom.

Noticing his gaze, Junko ran his tongue over his teeth. "Ah, it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," he told them. "Plus I got a sugar-free lollipop." He held up the big, disk-shaped lollipop for Finn to see, chuckling, "He, he."

"It's no big deal," Piper assured them, walking up behind Junko and putting a hand on the Wallop's shoulder. "Wallop teeth grow back. He just has to take better care of them."

As she walked away, Radarr came up and took the balloon from Junko, holding, not the string, but the actual balloon in his paws.

Aerrow, meanwhile, stepped forward where Piper had been. Finn could see he was running his eyes over them and the rest of the _Condor_, making sure things were more or less as he had left them. He seemed pleased with what he saw. "Anything happen when we were gone?" he asked them casually.

Finn and Stork chuckled. Did anything happen? Not much, really . . .

"Oh," Stork said, still chuckling. He coughed, clearing his throat. "Maybe," he said, casting the Sky Knight a sly grin.

Finn chuckle some more. "Possibly."

Aerrow narrowed his eyes as if scrutinizing them. Then he actually looked confused and little concerned. "What's so funny? What happened?"

Finn and Stork began in unison. _"Well—"_

But they were cut off by a loud Wallop howl of pain.

Everyone's head snapped up in surprise. Radarr chirped questionably and squeezed the balloon so hard that it popped in his paws.

They all turned to Junko. The howling Wallop was holding his long, rabbit-like ears. "Now I got an earache!" he bellowed.

All the others groaned. Stork muttered, "We're doomed."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Falcons, although not used as messenger birds, have been domesticated. They are used in falconry, also called "hawking," and there are a couple species that could be used; more commonly hawks are used. The primary falcon species used are the peregrine falcon and the merlin and the kestrel. In falconry, the falconer releases a raptor to catch game, such as a crows, rooks, magpies, grouse, skylarks, rabbits, and ferrets. The way falconry works is that the falconer takes the hood off the raptor, which is used to keep the bird calm. When the hood is off, the bird is released to take the catch, which it then brings back to the falconer or the falconer retrieves the bird with the catch.

Well, dragons are definitely more interesting than falcons, but it's better than pigeons.

Now all of you better review, or I'll send my falcon out to get you! Ready? I'm taking off his hood . . .

Hey! Ow! No! Bad falcon! Don't peck! Ow! No, _they're_ the prey, not me! Ow!


	101. The Lesson: Arygyn the Skeelur

_**Part 25**_

_**The Lesson**_

_A new power is found. Old enemies are met, and old friends are in trouble. A guide and guardian comes in a time of need. New abilities are discovered. A teacher is doubted, but a lesson is learned._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Arygyn the Skeelur

Over Terra Saharr, Blister and his Third Degree Burners were flying through the skies at breakneck speed. Their rides' wings didn't really work; instead, they had only two wings, each with a helicopter blade on its end, which was what really made the rides fly. Blister and the third Burner took the lead, with Burner in the back. Their faces were etched with panic.

Burner glanced back, gasping and panting. "Can't out run it!" he said. "It's too fast!"

The Burners all gasped as a pulse of purple crystal energy about as big as their Skimmers flew by them, barely missing their rides. Then it swung around, and they all cried out as their Skimmers were turned to shattered, smoking parts right below them. Luckily, they had their parachutes.

The energy pulse spun around once more and finally slowed down so to reveal what it truly was: the Dark Ace on his Switchblade Elite. His engines still sputtered purple crystal energy from the crystal that had given him such speed.

Smirking, the Dark Ace stopped and pulled the violet crystal out of his crystal converter, letting loose an evil laugh at the sight of it. As soon as he collected his three prisoners, he would call Ravess, Snipe, and Repton for a meeting here on Saharr to discuss a plan he had. And this crystal would be the key.

* * *

"Huh!" Snipe grunted. "A crystal?"

The three top Talon commanders and Repton were standing in a clearing on Terra Saharr that was surrounded by rocks characteristic of badlands. Their rides were parked against the rocks. Snipe was already getting unpleasant memories; this is where his army of Snipes was destroyed by the Storm Hawks. The thought only added to his foul mood.

But the Dark Ace only glared at him as he held the crystal for all of them to see. "An enhancer stone, Mister Snipe," he clarified, "forged by Master Cyclonis herself to amplify our skills one hundredfold."

The Dark Ace drew his two-blade sword from the sheath on his back with the sound of scraping metal. He stuck the enhancer crystal onto the bottom of the handle, which had been absent of a crystal until then. With a whooshing, ringing sound, the sword lit with the sizzling violet energy from the crystal. With a "Yah!" the Dark Ace stabbed the sword into the ground.

Not only did the sword cut the hard, parched earth like butter, but the energy from the crystal traveled forward from the sword, making a jagged crack along the ground that ran up to the rocky cliffs before traveling up those cliffs. The crack finally ended at the tip of the cliff. Weakened by the crack, the entire top and front of the cliff toppled in a rockslide that sent boulders rolling down to the edge of the clearing.

All that from a single strike in the ground . . . because of the enhancer stone.

Repton looked pleased with what he saw. He peered up at the cliff before turning back to the Dark Ace. "I'll take four," he said.

Ravess met the Dark Ace's eyes, smiling coolly. She knew this wasn't all the Dark Ace had in mind. "What's your plan, Dark Ace?"

The Dark Ace smirked. In his mind's eye, he could already hear the dying, tortured screams of the one person he would want to use his new abilities against. "We'll use our new enhancements to take down the Sky Knights," he announced, "including Aerrow and his Storm Hawks!"

High above them, unnoticed by any of them, a large bird-of-prey sat on one of the peaks of the cliffs, the red-violet plumage of its body contrasting against the clear blue skies. Its dark blue tail twitched, rippling the blue stripe that ran up its back, around its neck, and up to its green face and the red-violet feathers that stuck up from its head. Its flame-colored wings ruffled as it shifted its weight on its teal blue, featherless legs. At the word _Aerrow_, the bird lowered its teal beak toward the group of Cyclonians and Repton, blinking its yellow eyes at them. It narrowed his eyes at the Dark Ace as the words _Storm Hawks_ seemed to echo throughout the badlands.

* * *

Quite some time later, the bird was winging its way toward the _Condor_. Without batting an eye, it flew right in through the open hatchway to the hangar bay.

The Storm Hawks were all in there. It was not long after they had finally gotten Junko's earache fixed. Piper was talking to the others, trying to explain something to them, when she heard the sound of rushing wings. She turned around, saying, "Huh?"

But Aerrow had already spotted it, and he braced himself, clenching his fists just in case.

The others turned around and saw the bird, too, as it landed on top of a stack of supply crates, folded its wings, and peered down at them with those piercing yellow eyes. "Whoa!" Finn exclaimed, and Junko echoed him and then repeated it. Piper gasped.

Aerrow recognized the bird on sight for what it was: a Mynall bird. The last time Aerrow had seen a Mynall bird, they had been the shape-shifting Guardians of Atmos. However, Aerrow highly doubted a Guardian would appear to him in this fashion. Besides that, Mynall birds were rare, and having one fly right into your hangar bay was unheard of. Aerrow wasn't going to take any chances.

But Junko didn't have the same caution. Like the softie he was, he looked upon the bird as something very cute. "Aw," he said, clenching his hands together as he approached the bird. "The little guy must be lost!" He stopped in front of the stack of crates and reached out a hand toward the bird. "Come here, birdie!"

The Mynall bird tilted its head toward the Wallop, as if regarding him. Then, without warning, it reached out its beak and snapped at Junko's fingers, its beak closing just millimeters away from them. "Ah!" Junko exclaimed, drawing back from the bird.

The bird rose into the air straight up before dropping. Once it reached the ground, there was a flash of red light.

A man stood in the place of the Mynall bird.

The Storm Hawks all gasped. "Huh?" Junko exclaimed and then gasped, looking embarrassed.

The other Storm Hawks all looked scared. Piper and Stork cringed. Radarr was hanging off Aerrow's shoulders, and he hid behind his boy's back, peering over his shoulder. Finn also took refuge behind Aerrow, grabbing his shoulder and hiding behind him while peering around to see what was going on.

But Aerrow wasn't frightened by the transformation. He'd seen it all before. What made him nervous was the fact that this man was obviously _not_ a Guardian.

The stranger wore a tight-fitting outfit. His shoes were narrow, he wore pant leggings, and his top had spiky shoulder covers but no sleeves. His gloves ran all the way up to his elbows, and the tips of his fingers on his gloves were pointy, long, and sharp-looking, as if he had long, talon-shaped nails. He wore a hood that was about as spiky as the plume on his head as a bird. The front of the hood tapered off like a beak in front of his nose. The entire outfit was colored the way his plumage would be in bird form. He had a short beard that was red-violet. All and all, his outfit and appearance made him look like he never really left his Mynall form behind.

Aerrow's curiosity and suspicion alone allowed him to speak. "Can we help you?"

His speaking seemed to help Finn calm down. Or maybe the sharpshooter thought Aerrow would be attacked. Either way, Finn let go of him and got out from behind him.

The man put his hands on his hips. "Depends," he said, gesturing to them. "Know any good pie joints? I'm feeling peckish!" He smiled broadly, as if expecting them to laugh.

Aerrow and Radarr exchanged confused glances before turning back to the man with raised eyebrows. Was that supposed to be a joke?

The man slumped as if he were disappointed that they hadn't found his pun funny. "Ah, take that as a no," he said. "Actually," he pointed to them, "you're the ones needing the help." And with that, he smiled and pulled out a staff with a glowing, orange glass sphere on its top.

"Huh?" Aerrow gasped, unsure of what was going on.

Before he could react, the stranger turned and pointed his staff at the Storm Hawks' hatch controls. A pulse was fired from the sphere and struck the machine, sending bolts of crystal energy pulsing all through and over it. The thing let off sparks and then smoke as the pulses stopped, and the hatchway door slammed shut, leaving the Storm Hawks and the stranger in the darkness.

Aerrow's heart started beating a mile a minute. Too many times he'd been attacked in the dark. He now expected a surprise attack any minute after the display the shape-shifting stranger had put on. "Stork, hit the lights!" he ordered.

A moment later, the red emergency lights came on overhead. Once his eyes adjusted, Aerrow glared ahead of him at where the man stood, and Radarr did the same, mimicking Aerrow's angered snarl.

But Aerrow raised his eyebrows in surprise and gasped, "Huh?" Radarr churred questionably in his ear.

The man was gone.

"Ah, huh?" Junko said, glancing back and forth.

Looking frightened, Piper turned to Aerrow expectantly.

"Split up," Aerrow ordered. "Whatever this thing is, find it!"

Immediately the Storm Hawks fetched their weapons and began the hunt.

Finn made his way to one end of a hallway with his crossbow. The red emergency lights made even the familiar hallways seem eerie, but with his crossbow in hand, Finn wasn't scared a bit. After all, he had the best eyesight of any human on the ship, and no one could escape his bolts once he sent them flying!

Then to his luck, the bird man appeared at the other end of the hallway. The man stood there, just smirking at him, as if waiting, no, _daring_ Finn to do something.

And that was a dare Finn was willing to take. He lifted up his crossbow and took aim at the stranger. "And when the Finn's got you in his sights," he said aloud, "it's time to say goodnight! Chica-cha!"

But then suddenly, the man was gone, having run on down the hall. Finn's jaw dropped open, and he lowered his crossbow in surprise. How did the man _do_ that? Even Aerrow couldn't move that fast on foot!

Suddenly he felt a force pulling on his crossbow, as if some invisible person was trying to tug it out of his hands. Finn gasped as he was jerked forward, trying to keep a hold on his weapon. But his fingers slipped, and he exclaimed in surprise when his crossbow clattered to the floor.

Finn cringed and looked around fearfully. Now he truly _was _scared.

"So—" a loud, cheerful voice said in his ear.

Finn gasped and started trembling as the voice kept talking.

"—you're a cocky one."

Finn whirled around and screamed when he found himself face to face with the bird man, who was hanging upside down from the ceiling. Finn tried to scramble away, but he ended falling backward on his side.

The werebird just kept smirking at him from where he hung from the ceiling. "But don't squawk the squawk," he said, "unless you can drop the bop."

"Huh?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow. That didn't even make sense!

But there was no time to question the man. He zipped over Finn with a _whoosh_. "Junko!" Finn cried. "He's headed for the engine room!"

Junko's sensitive ears heard his shout from the hall. Bracing himself, the Wallop walked through the engine room's automatic doors, his Knuckle Busters held at the ready. The door closed behind him with a clang, leaving him in the dark, red-lit room all alone.

Junko looked around and flicked his long ears, checking the place out. "Hmm," he said when he detected nothing. Maybe the stranger had already escaped into another part of the ship.

He gasped as he felt air whish behind him. With a frightened squeal, he whirled around in time to see something fly past him; whatever it was seemed to be moving too fast to be a guy on foot, but it had to be, for it was far too quiet to be anything else.

Then Junko felt the whoosh of air behind him again. But this time he didn't hesitate. With a Wallop-like roar that rose into a "Yah!" he whirled around and grabbed at the bird man. "Gotcha!" he cried when his hands gripped something.

But then he blinked in surprise. The object he had grabbed was not the intruder but rather one of the many pipes in the engine room. He groaned as the now-dented pipe sprayed a stream of hot, stinging steam in his face.

He coughed and let go of the pipe just in time to hear a voice over his head. Cocking his ear toward the ceiling, he heard the intruder say, "Somebody needs to work on their finesse." Suddenly the man appeared behind him, pointing a finger at him. "And that somebody is you."

Junko growled. If this man was trying to get on his last nerve, he was succeeding. The Wallop whirled around with a raised fist to punch the bird man in the face . . . only to find he wasn't there. "Huh?" Junko gasped. Where did the shape-shifter go now?

His voice drifted to Junko from the direction of the doorway. "And by the way, a manicure wouldn't kill ya!"

Junko glanced at his ugly, rhino-like fingernails and then raised an eyebrow in the shape-changer's direction. Why would a _guy_ even care about how someone's nails looked? Junko didn't even want to ask.

However, that comment gave Junko a good idea where the intruder was headed. "Stork," he said over the intercom, "he's coming your way!"

Stork was in his own personal "safe zone": the bridge. He was dressed in his own homemade suit of armor, which he wore in the Black Gorge. At hearing what Junko said, he grabbed a pot off his shoulder, which he was using as a shoulder plate, and held it up, ready to smash things with it if need be. His hope was that the intruder would run into one of Stork's carefully prepared traps on the bridge, and he wouldn't have to fight him.

He narrowed his eyes and growled, staring at each of the many doors that led into the bridge. Any second now . . .

He squealed in alarm as he heard a rope rub and some kind of clang come from beside him. But it was only a cage he had set to fall should anything trip up the wire. He smirked. "You're mine!" he declared, holding up the pot to hit the intruder with it.

But then he blinked as he looked at the cage. The only thing within the little cage was the bird man's hood, which was still fluttering to the ground.

"Or not," Stork muttered in surprise, lowering his pot.

Suddenly, he heard another mechanical clank. Letting out a nervous hiss, he stared ahead of him to see one of his own traps turn on him. The vent opened up to the punching glove that he had once used on a Murk Raider when the pirates had tried to board their ship.

There was no time to dodge it. Stork let out a cry of pain and surprise as he was slammed against the metal door behind him. He groaned as he fell forward on his stomach.

Then suddenly there was another clank, this one softer still. Stork looked up to see the bird man getting his hood out from under the cage. "I'll take that back," he said, slipping it over his head before Stork could get a good look at his face. The man waved a hand at him, saying, "You know how hard it is to fine genuine glitter silk these days?" And with that, he was gone, laughing as he disappeared out one of the doors.

But Stork saw where he was going. "He's headed for the foredecks!" he shouted, his cry echoing throughout the ship.

Hearing his cry, Piper got ready to intercept the intruder, stepping into the entrance of the hallway connecting the foredecks to the bridge and pointing her staff down the hallway. A blue crystal glowed on the tip of her staff, its glow turning red-violet in the red emergency lights. She braced herself, glancing back and forth with narrowed eyes, ready for the attack.

Suddenly something sped by her as fast as a Skimmer and as quiet as an owl. Piper gasped as she realized the figure had ripped the staff right from her grasp before she knew what happened.

And there he was. The intruder stood a few feet in front of her, holding the staff and looking up at its point. "Ooh, crystals," he said, as if he knew Piper's amazing abilities were based very much on the glowing stones. "But rocks aren't always gonna be there for ya, princess," the bird man said, gesturing to her dismissively. He wrapped his gloved hand around the crystal, and Piper watched with horror as the crystal went dim. Whatever the man had done, he had rendered the crystal, and for the moment, her staff, completely useless.

Piper gasped as he tossed her back the useless weapon. She cringed, not sure what the man was going to do next. If he tried anything, Piper wasn't sure she could stop him now.

But instead of attacking, the man just said, "And you may want to rethink that outfit. Seriously!"

Piper raised an eyebrow in disgust. First, this guy takes her staff, then he calls her princess, then he insults her and gives her _fashion tips?_

But there was no time to think of that now. In a blur of motion, the man sped down the hall and turned right. Piper knew just where he was going. "Aerrow!" she cried up at the intercom. "Hangar bay!"

But Aerrow and Radarr, who were in the hangar bay, had already heard the intruder's coming and were ready to intercept him. "I know," Aerrow answered back to Piper, raising his lit blades so that he was ready for an attack.

He was concentrating so hard on listening for the bird man that he heard it when it began: a strange rattling sound right in front of his feet. He looked down to see a bucket full of water at his feet, the bucket of water they had been going to use to clean their skyrides. The water rippled and splashed and the bucket rattled as the intruder ran ever closer, making vibrations along the floor.

Aerrow smiled to himself as he got an idea. With a nimble kick, he knocked the bucket over and sent water all over the floor in front of him.

Just as the blurred figure was coming in the doorway, Aerrow cried, "Radarr, now!"

Radarr, poised on top of a pipe beside Aerrow, was crouched on all fours, his legs bunched up under him like a cougar waiting to pounce. At Aerrow's yell, the furry creature leapt forward with snarl just as the blurred figure of the bird man slowed over the wet floor.

"Ow!" the bird man cried as he stopped when Radarr bit his leg and didn't let go.

At the same moment, the rest of the Storm Hawks came running in. As Aerrow edged closer toward his opponent, holding his powered blades expectantly, Piper ran up beside him. With a grunt, she spun her staff around and pointed it at the stranger. Finn, likewise, joined them by pointing his retrieved crossbow at the stranger. Stork was still inching up to them, cringing slightly, still dressed in his "armor" but not holding a weapon. "Hiyah!" Junko grunted as he ran up next, raising his hands toward the man threateningly. They had the intruder surrounded now.

But instead of looking angry or scared, the man only looked satisfied. He clapped his hands slowly in a half-hearted applause, and magically the bright, white, overhead lights came back on, and the emergency lights faded out. Aerrow blinked as the brightness stung his eyes. "Gotta say," the bird man said, "not too shabby." He gestured around them. "But your place is an entirely 'nother story."

Okay, this was getting annoying. Lowering his blades—but not putting them out—Aerrow said, "Excuse me again, but _who are you?_"

The man pulled off his hood to reveal wild, spiky hair that was purple in the middle and green on either side. Weirder still, Aerrow stared at the man and was surprised that he seemed to wear a bit of eye shadow. Odd. Unsure of what came next, Aerrow raised his blades again.

"It's your lucky day!" the man said, sounding excited. He put his hands on his chest proudly. "Arygyn has arrived!" Glancing down at his leg, he pointed to Radarr, who hadn't let go yet. "Do me a favor, will ya, Fluffy?" he said. "Watch the slacks."

Churring in confusion, Radarr let go of his leg, staring up at him in puzzlement. Then the furry creature scampered away and hid behind Aerrow's leg.

Aerrow just stared at the man, wide-eyed and jaw dropped open. Quickly, he put out his blades. Did the man just say he thought he said?

Piper gasped and pulled her staff away from the stranger, looking equally shocked and very pleased. "You mean . . . you're _Arygyn?_" she gasped with a smile.

"So you've heard of me!" Arygyn exclaimed with a laugh, clutching his staff in both hands. "Now look, you're making me blush!"

Aerrow just simply couldn't believe it. "Wow!" he said, putting his blades in their sheaths on his back and offering Arygyn his hand. "It's an honor to have you on board, sir."

Confused by his leaders' behavior, Finn put up his crossbow. The sharpshooter put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously," he said, pointing at Junko to clue him in, "did I just miss something?"

But it wasn't Junko who answered. It was Piper. She leaned over, and, laying a hand beside her mouth, she whispered in his ear, "That's Arygyn the Skeelur."

"_Okay,_" Finn whispered back, still confused. Who was _that _supposed to be?

Piper groaned, as if she couldn't _believe_ how stupid he was. "World-famous warrior trainer and shape-changer!"

Oh. _Now_ it made sense.

But after accepting Aerrow's greeting, Arygyn's playfulness fell away. He turned away from them all, his short, half-length cape fluttering as he spun around. "I've had my eyes out there, kids," he said gravely. "Trouble is coming . . . for you."

* * *

Far from where they were, four skyrides sped through the skies, a Switchblade Elite followed by another, then a Heli-Blade Elite and a Bone Wing. It was Repton, Snipe, Ravess, and the Dark Ace. The Dark Ace led the way, his sword glowing and rippling with the powerful energy of the enhancer stone. The Dark Ace narrowed his eyes, his smirk never leaving his face. Soon, Aerrow and his Storm Hawks would be finished!

* * *

Author's Notes: I know, I know. It's been a long time. I'm sorry. Soccer season started. What can I say? I'm an athlete. I train.

Now I have a sprained ankle, and I'm on crutches! *sarcastically* Yay me.

Storm Hawks related trivia: The word "Mynall" is a word. It is a surname that has many various spellings: "Mynall," "Minall," "Mesnil," "Menil," "Meinil," "Manel," "Minald," "Mynold," "Minell," and "Minill." In Old French, the name meant someone who lived in an isolated country dwelling rather than in the main village. (In this case, the name for this type of Atmosian bird may indicate it a solitary animal, a bit of a loner and a wild animal.) In Old German, the name means "strength, might, and battle" (which may refer to the bird's magnificence and/or supernatural power.) In various Indian languages, it means, "pure" or "precious gem." In some Native American languages, it means "fruit." However, the Tamil meaning seems to go more along the lines of the Mynall bird of Atmos; in Tamil, the name means "lightning." In my opinion, the most befitting name for a Guardian of Atmos is found in the Arabic meaning: "Gift of God."

Never knew a simple name could mean so much, did you? Neither did I!

Anyway, that's all for now! More soon! Don't forget to review!


	102. The Lesson: Training

Chapter 2: Training?

Arygyn began his description of the danger the Storm Hawks were in by telling them first of the things he had seen.

_He told them about three of the Absolute Zeroes, who had simply been speeding across the snow-covered mountain, whooping and hollering and doing their stupid stunts and heading down toward the village of their people when the sound of villain music floated in the air. Suzi-Lu glanced behind her and grimaced._

"It was Ravess," Arygyn explained. "She never missed a shot."

_Ravess was behind them, standing on a snow-covered rock on the mountain. She was pretending to play along with her theme-song playing Talon, rubbing her arrow along the string of her bow. Then with a sigh, she pulled out two more arrows and strung all three in one simply movement. All three arrows had enhancer stones on their tips._

_And then she released them._

_All three arrows struck an Ice Grinder. The three Absolute Zeroes were sent sprawling in the snow, where the Cyclonians were quick to pick them up. And soon the rest of their squadron joined them._

"And then there's Snipe," Arygyn explained, "stronger than ever."

_Snipe had been hovering over one of the craggy, brown cliffs of Terra Blusteria. When two of the Buff Buzzards, including the Sky Knight, had come driving up, Snipe had let out a battle cry and struck the top of the cliff with his mace, which was studded with enhancer stones. The cliff broke apart and sent a rockslide tumbling down toward the Buff Buzzards, blocking their path. They slid to a stop and stared in astonishment._

_Then they heard an engine roar behind them. Snipe had landed and dismounted, and now he stood barring their only escape, smirking at them, his mace in his hand._

"Buff Buzzards didn't stand a chance," Arygyn explained. "Same starring for the Screaming Queens."

_He told how three of the Screaming Queens had simply been flying through the air on their rides when the Sky Knight, out in front, had drawn up with a gasp when she found Repton blocking her way on his Bone Wing. With a hiss-like grunt, he swung his boomerang in her direction. The boomerang looked like a disk of purple energy from the enhancer stone in it as it sped toward the Queens._

_The Sky Knight gasped as the boomerang spun around all of them and went back to Repton faster than they could see it. With black smoke billowing from their rides, their bi-wings fell right off, having been cut off by the boomerang. With the wings gone, the rest of their rides fell away from them. They all cried out in surprise when they had to release their parachutes to keep from falling, and soon they, too, were captives._

_Then it was the Rebel Ducks, Arygyn explained. They had been trying their best to escape the purple energy pulse chasing them, but there was no getting away. Using the power of the enhancer stone in his crystal converter, the Dark Ace pulled up beside the Rebel Ducks, passed them and pulled up in front of them. The Sky Knight of them gasped as the Dark Ace's Switchblade, himself standing on his bow, appeared in a flash of light as the enhancer crystal's glow died down._

_But the Dark Ace still had another in his sword. He leapt into the air and brought his sword down on the bow of the Sky Knight's ride, quickly defeating the entire squadron and taking them as prisoners._

"That's what you'll be up against," Arygyn finished explaining to the Storm Hawks. "Which is why I brought you to the best place in the entire Atmos for training. Okay, you can take off the blindfolds."

The Storm Hawks all reached up to the blue clothes covering their eyes and pulled them down. "Huh?" Aerrow said as soon as he saw where they were. Radarr, who was hanging off his shoulder, looked just as confused.

"Ta-da!" Arygyn cried, spreading his arms wide with his staff in one hand.

Bright, neon lights flashed before them. Carnival music floated through on intercom speakers. Rides spun and zoomed on their regular courses. Animated pictures moved on signs and posters. The air had the smell of cooked sky dogs, candy, and pastries.

Aerrow stared in shock. The first thing he wondered was how Arygyn was somehow able to conceal the sounds and scents from them before they took off the blindfolds. The next thing he did was realize where they were.

Overwhelmed by it all, Radarr dropped off of Aerrow's shoulder, landing on all fours in a crouch like a nervous cat with eyes peeled for danger. He peered around suspiciously, sniffing the air.

But Junko said it for him. "Whoa . . . Terra Neon?"

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed, exchanging smiles with him.

But Aerrow was not amused; in fact, far from it. "Wait a second," he said, walking up to Arygyn and pointing a finger at him. "If the Talons and Raptors are causing this much trouble, ah, shouldn't we be out there," he pointed to the skies, "trying to stop them?"

Aerrow wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't having Arygyn lean toward him so their faces were inches apart and having the shape-shifter speak to him in a calm, frightening voice. "Do ya like losing?" Arygyn asked. "'Cause that's exactly what's gonna happen if you go after them." Though it was kind of creepy, Arygyn said it gently, and his blue eyes were filled with a tenderness that Aerrow could only describe as concern.

But Arygyn straightened up, and his playfulness came back. "You need to be prepared," he said, tapping Aerrow's shoulder with his staff's bulb. "You need . . . this!" He spread his arms out wide toward all of Neon just as a rollercoaster rolled by overhead.

"I pulled a few strings so we could have the whole place to ourselves," Arygyn explained, laughing. He tucked his staff under his arm and said, more to himself than anyone, "It's good to be famous." And with that, he turned his back to them and strode away, his short cape flapping behind him.

Aerrow watched him go, trying to judge his credibility. Piper sidled up to him. "Is this guy really for real?" she asked him softly.

"He better be," Aerrow answered back.

Aerrow followed behind Arygyn, hoping he wouldn't regret it. His squadron followed after him, Piper walking close beside him as if she planned to trust Aerrow's judgment _before_ she trusted Arygyn's.

The first place Arygyn took them to was a booth. It was a shooting gallery where competitors had to shoot wooden ducks using wooden crossbows that fired wooden arrows with plunger-like suction cups on their ends. The ducks quacked as they "swam" through the "waters," being pulled along by a wire.

Finn let out a sound of excitement as he stepped forward. "Oh, I love this game!" he said. He picked up a wooden crossbow and began firing at the ducks, hitting three in a row easily. The ducks quacked each time they were hit.

Looking pleased that Finn was enjoying himself, Arygyn put his staff on his shoulder. "Well, then," he said to the sharpshooter, "win me a prize. A big one!" he added, laughing and spreading his arms to illustrate what he meant.

Aerrow just raised an eyebrow at Arygyn and frowned. He had to be kidding, right? "Arygyn," he said, stuttering a little in his need to be polite, "I-I don't mean to be rude, but I _thought_ we were supposed to be _training._"

Looking smug, Arygyn answered back, "Lesson one." He put a hand on Aerrow's shoulder, slipping around behind him. "Trust me," he said softly almost in the Sky Knight's ear.

Aerrow glanced back and forth between the Skeelur's hand on his shoulder and his face (which was too close for comfort) and scowled. From what he'd seen, he knew this guy was obviously gay, and this touching habit he had was too far out of Aerrow's comfort level. Besides that, the man was really starting to annoy him.

Acting like he didn't even notice Aerrow's scowl, Arygyn slipped away as quickly as he had come, which seemed to be a habit of his. "Oh, and, ah, do something about that hair!" he called over his shoulder toward Aerrow.

"Huh?" Aerrow said, reaching back to rub his hair subconsciously. His hair wasn't _that_ bad, was it?

Leaving Finn, Arygyn led the Storm Hawks to another game. "This'll be fun!" Arygyn exclaimed when they reached it.

It was a game of "Test Your Strength," where one uses a giant wooden hammer to hit a platform, which sends a metal object (normally a ball, in this case, a fist) up a pole. The lights on the side of the pole light up whenever the fist passes them, but the main object of the game is to ring the bell, which is at the very top of the pole. The harder you hit, the higher the fist goes.

Arygyn picked up the giant hammer, which was as big and round as a barrel, and dropped it in Piper's hands, saying, "Give it a whack." Piper, who could hardly lift the supply crates without difficulty!

Piper let a sound of surprise as the hammer fell into her hands and didn't stop until it reached the ground again, taking her with it. Aerrow cringed in sympathy. Arygyn was out of his mind if he thought this was a good idea for her. At least the shooting gallery had made _some_ sense for Finn, but _this?_

But Piper tried to be polite. "Ah, it's okay," she began. "I don't really like—"

But Arygyn cut off. Holding his staff in both hands, he said, "Bells won't ring until ya swing!" He laughed at his own joke, perhaps a little too much since he was the only one laughing. "Ah, I crack myself up," he muttered, wiping a tear away from his eye.

Piper looked up at the bell, looking unsure. Even so, Aerrow could tell she was going to give it a whirl if only to satisfy Arygyn. She heaved at the hammer, but it wouldn't move. She tried again, putting it over her shoulder and trying to swing it downward, but she could hardly get it off the ground. At last, with a final heave and cry, she swung the hammer over her shoulder onto the platform, staggering forward after it.

There were ten lights on the pole to light up before the fist would reach the bell. The lights came on each with a ping as the fist shot upward past them. At only the seventh light, the fist began to fall back down again. It landed at the bottom with a bang.

Piper sighed as she looked up at the bell longingly. And much to her dismay, Arygyn left her at the game while he took the others elsewhere.

The next event Arygyn took the rest of the gang was the Bumper Pods, which he put Junko on. The Wallop looked rather comical to Aerrow, sitting on the little tiny pod, as big as he was. On the plus side, Junko seemed happy about it.

The pods looked like miniature bi-wing Skimmer skyrides in flight mode, only they rolled on the ground and had rods that hooked them to the ceiling of the tent and moved them around.

Junko tapped the pod's wing with his hand. "I haven't flown a Bumper Pod since I was a little Wallop," he said with delight.

Not pleased with where he saw this going, Aerrow frowned and put his hands on his hips, turning to Arygyn. Beside him, Stork crossed his arms and did likewise. Radarr, who was hanging off Aerrow's shoulder, was the only one of the three of them who didn't look annoyed. He only pricked his ears toward Arygyn in interest, looking intrigued by what Arygyn might do with Junko.

Arygyn just smiled and pointed his staff at the rides' controls. The bulb on his staff began to glow, and then a bolt of energy shot out of it and fizzled on the knob of the controls, turning the needle from green to yellow.

"Whoa!" Junko exclaimed as the pods rose off the ground and began to move around. "Whoa!" He spun his pod around, saying, "This is fun!"

"Whoa!" he cried in delight when he ran headlong into another Bumper Pod. Before he could react, another pod rushed in and rammed into the side of Junko's, sending bolts of blue crystal energy coursing through the Wallop. Still another one rammed him from the other side and had the same effect. The effect, which might have been painful for a human, only tickled Junko. As the bolts stopped, Junko smiled, looking satisfied. "Cool!" he said.

Somewhere between the Bumper Pods and the next stop, Radarr took off on his own. Aerrow wasn't sure where he was headed or why, but he thought the little guy might be looking for some entertainment of his own. Obviously, Arygyn had nothing in store for Radarr, seeing as the Skeelur did nothing to stop him.

The next place Arygyn took them to was the mechanical bull's tent, where he stuck a cowboy hat on Stork and made the poor Merb ride the bull. "Whoa!" Stork cried as he rode it out. Letting out a jolting breath with every plunge, Stork asked in between plunges, "Why . . . am . . . I . . . doing . . . this?"

"Be- . . . -cause . . . it's . . . fun!" Arygyn answered back, mimicking Stork's speech. Then he leaned over to Aerrow, putting his hand beside his mouth and adding quietly, "And I'm a cruel, cruel man."

Just as suddenly as he had leaned toward Aerrow, he straightened up and put his arm around Aerrow's shoulders, which did not make the Sky Knight feel comfortable at all. "Come on!" Arygyn called joyously, tugging Aerrow along without letting go of him. "I've got a great idea!"

Aerrow's event was the rollercoaster.

Aerrow and Arygyn stood on the deck by the conductor's booth as the blue and orange rollercoaster went racing by them. Arygyn had the thing set so it would keep going at its breakneck speeds around the track without stopping.

"Don't ya just love these things?" Arygyn asked Aerrow. "It's like butter on a biscuit." He laughed at his own joke once more, and again Aerrow didn't find it funny. But Arygyn ignored that and simply gestured to the rollercoaster, a smile playing on his lips. "Hop on."

Aerrow raised an eyebrow at the Skeelur as the rollercoaster passed them by again. "But Arygyn," he argued, "it's going like a hundred miles an hour. Now can we _please_ start training?"

"I'll tell ya what, kid," Arygyn said, and Aerrow was reminded once again how he hated being called "kid." Arygyn pointed to the rollercoaster with his staff. "If you can get on that moving coaster, I'll teach you something that's _guaranteed_," he held up a finger, "to stop the Dark Ace in his tracks."

Stop the Dark Ace . . . A smile lit Aerrow's face at the thought of it. Now _that_ was something worth getting. Not bothering to wonder _how_ Arygyn knew about his vendetta with the Dark Ace, Aerrow turned to him with a smirk and told him, "You're on!"

And so Arygyn left the young Sky Knight to work through his dilemma.

Smiling with amusement, the Skeelur went to check on Finn . . . in secret.

* * *

Finn was still having fun shooting the wooden duckies at the shooting gallery. He shot five with ease and then. Feeling cocky, he put his hand over his eyes and shot again. Feeling proud of himself, he laughed, saying, "Ooh, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo! Yeah! That's right! Finn can't miss!"

In a flash of color, Arygyn sped up behind him faster than a Skimmer can drive and silent as light. Without making his presence known to Finn, the Skeelur stood right behind him and studied the scene, his hand on his chin, just as Finn cried, "Woo!" again. Then, making a quick decision, the Skeelur twirled his staff in Finn's direction. Sparks that seemed generated by magic flew from his staff toward the shooting gallery.

As the sparks of "magic" touched the ducks, they started moving and quacking faster, going so fast that they were almost a blur. "Hey!" Finn cried, irritated by the sudden increase in speed that threw off his shots. He raised the wooden play crossbow and tried to shoot, but his shot missed. "Hey!" he said in frustration, shooting again. But once again he missed. "What?" He shot again, only to miss. "Hey!" He tried a forth time . . . and missed. "Ah, come on!"

Satisfied with his work (and a bit amused by it, too) Arygyn headed off to his next victim . . . ah, I mean, _student_.

He found Piper at the "Test Your Strength" game and hid just around the corner of a building, watching her.

Piper was actually starting to get a little better, even though her arms were starting to feel a little weary. She had giant hammer over her shoulder again, staring at the stand with a smile of determination. "Okay," she said to the bell. "This time you're mine!"

Arygyn smiled to himself. She didn't think she was going to win _that_ easily, did she?

But Piper did. Feeling every bit ready to achieve this goal, she leapt into the air with a yell and brought the hammer down on the platform.

At the very same moment, Arygyn raised his staff toward the pole, sparks emitting from the crystal ball on its end. Sparks flew around the pole as well, and magically it lengthened, growing to about twice its original height.

Piper, not noticing the change, watched the metal fist with anticipation and anxiety, hoping that this time, she had done it. She _knew_ she had done it.

But the fist passed the last light on the pole and came just short of the bell before falling back down to the bottom.

Piper clenched her fist and growled in frustration. She _had_ it that time. Or she _thought_ she did. Well, she wasn't going to let a stupid bell beat her that easily!

Greatly entertained by Piper's angry response, Arygyn moved on to the next Storm Hawk on his agenda.

He ended up going to the Bumper Pods. Once there, he put his staff over the controls, magically turning the knob so that it was in the red. Again, he did everything so quietly that the Storm Hawk did not notice.

But Junko did notice it when the Bumper Pods sped up. He gasped as one drove and rammed into him from behind, causing blue tingling bolts to ripple through his body again. "Hoo!" he cried as another did the same on the other side. _What the . . . ?_

He screamed when he saw another one speeding at him for a head-on collision. He grunted as he punched it out of the way. No sooner did he do that when another came at him, and he punched _that_ one out of the way. "W-what's going on?" he gasped.

He saw a lineup of four headed right for him head-on, and he screamed. This wasn't fun anymore!

Holding back snickers, Arygyn then went to the mechanical bull's tent.

Stork was still trying to ride out the bull. He was doing it bull rider style, with one hand on the handle in front of him and one waving in the air. And his insides were lurching and churning with the bull. Stork was gasping for breath, thinking any minute he was going to be sick. _And people actually do this for _fun? he thought. There was nothing "fun" about it! "Why me!" he muttered as the bull continued to pitch and plunge.

Unnoticed by Stork, Arygyn came in the tent and leaned on the controls, bored by the lack of difference and excitement here. It was time to kick it up a notch. He held his staff's crystal ball over the knob on the controls. With magical bolts from the bulb hitting the knob, it turned from yellow to red on the gauge, going up to full power.

In response, the bull stopped just a moment. Its red, mechanical eyes glowed even brighter, and it let out an enraged-sounding bellow like that of a real angry bull. The next moment, the bull was plunging even higher, lower, faster, spinning around in circles. Stork felt his insides bouncing around, and his neck popped more than once as his head bobbed helplessly. "Why me!" Stork cried again, following it with a scream of, "Whaaaaa!"

Arygyn simply looked on with satisfaction and thought about going to check on Aerrow. However, he was sure the Sky Knight was probably not doing so well, which meant Arygyn didn't have to interfere just yet. So, instead of letting Aerrow get an even harder bashing, he decided to go back to the shooting gallery to have a little laugh first.

* * *

Back at the rollercoaster, Aerrow _was _having plenty of trouble with his task. He grunted and huffed as he ran as fast as he could alongside the track. The blue-and-orange rollercoaster was headed his way down the track, and Aerrow planned to make a running jump into it.

As the rollercoaster sped by, Aerrow leapt for it with a grunt. He was able to grab hold of the back of a seat as it went by, but he couldn't make it into the seat, and his grasp was slipping as the rollercoaster sped on. "Whoa!" Aerrow cried as the rollercoaster went up and over a hump in the track, making him almost loose his grip. He struggled to keep a hold on the seat, but at last, the rollercoaster flung him from it.

"Whoa, wah!" Aerrow cried as he spiraled through the air, flying backward from the rollercoaster. His heart beat wildly; he knew that if he stunk on the landing and hit the ground the wrong way, he could easily break a leg . . . or his neck. With cat-like reflexes, he was able to somersault and land on his feet in a crouch, landing on the platform where the controls of the rollercoaster were. He slid across the deck about a yard before he came to a stop.

He should have been proud. After all, very few people could survive a stunt like that, much less never lose their footing. But Aerrow hadn't succeeded in the stunt he wanted. He put his hands on his hips and huffed as he watched the rollercoaster speed away from him again, only to loop around and head toward him once more. How was he ever supposed to get on a vehicle that was going about a hundred miles an hour?

And if that wasn't enough, he hadn't noticed the banana peel lying on the ground behind his feet. "Wah!" he cried as he stepped back and slipped on the peel, landing on his rear.

His arm, however, landed on a lever that was pushed down with Aerrow's fall. Aerrow glanced at the lever curiously as the ride's bell rang in response. He wasn't sure what he just did, but he hoped it wasn't anything bad.

But what he had done was summon another rollercoaster, this one green and purple, to come up to the platform on the other track. Aerrow studied it as the blue-and-orange one went speeding between him and the other. The young Sky Knight smiled and said, "Hmm." This second rollercoaster gave him an idea.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: "Arygyn" is not a word in itself, but it bares a lot of resemblance to the word "argyn." "Argyn" is Turkmen for "tired." (Kind of ironic, considering Arygyn's character.) It also is very similar to "Aragon," which is not only the name of a region in Spain but was also once a kingdom on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Aragon, it was called. The Kingdom of Aragon existed from the 1000s into the very early 1700s. In the 1100s, the king of Aragon began conquering and uniting with other lands. This "alliance" (or a better word would be "empire") was ruled by the king of Aragon and became known as the Crown of Aragon. The Crown was abolished after the War of the Spanish Succession. One of the things characteristic of the king of Aragon was that he and his family wore richly-colored clothes. (Sound familiar?)

Okay, that's a wrap! Review for me!


	103. The Lesson: Dire Straits

Chapter 3: Dire Straits

Finn was still at the shooting gallery, trying to shoot the ducks that ran along in almost a blur. He fired six more times at the ducks, grunting in frustration every time. After the sixth shot, he couldn't help but let out a cry of vexation.

Then the ducks did something really, _really_ weird. They stopped moving all of a sudden, and one of the wooden ducks opened up its wings and actually _flew_ out of the booth!

Completely caught off guard, Finn ducked just in time as the duck flew over his head, going about as fast as it had been going on the wire in the booth. However, he wasn't prepared for the duck to come back. It doubled back on him and whacked him right in the head as it flew on by. Having the breath knocked out of him, Finn fell to the ground.

More angry then hurt, Finn jumped back up to his feet, his head pounding. "Hey!" he shouted at the wooden bird angrily.

In response, the bird simply swooped for his head again.

"Whoa!" Finn cried as he ducked this time. "Dah!" He looked after the duck, a little nervous now. The last thing he wanted was another whack on the head.

Arygyn, however, was watching with a wicked smile of amusement on his face. He was peering at the scene from behind a tent. It was him who had caused the duck to fly—after all, it _was_ a wooden duck—and now he was controlling its flight with his staff's crystal ball, which was glowing and sending off bright yellow, blue, and purple sparks.

He caused the duck to fly high into the air before turning around and diving at Finn's head again. "Dah!" Finn cried as he ducked once more.

Watching it go the other direction, Finn let out a growl of frustration. He would not be beaten by a _flying wooden duck!_

Closing his eyes a moment to get a hold of his anger and to concentrate, he opened his eyes again, narrowing them at the duck. He raised the wooden crossbow and took aim, keeping both eyes open to get a good look at his target. The duck was turning around again, diving back toward him, beating its wooden wings. Finn fired.

The wooden bolt struck true. With a last quack, the duck fell to the ground, its wooden wings broken off and falling with it. The bolt fell beside it straight down, its suction-cupped end sticking on the ground.

Now _that_ was the way to shoot! Feeling proud and cocky once more, Finn did his signature, "Chicka-cha," making a trigger finger at the fallen duck. He lifted up the wooden crossbow and blew away the fake smoke, just like any sharpshooter in the movies would do. After all, _no one_ could match the Finnster!

No longer having a duck to play with, Arygyn decided that _now_ he could go check on Aerrow.

* * *

At the Bumper Pods, Junko still wasn't doing so well with the pods. They all seemed to be out to get him now, and they were only getting more aggressive.

As he sped away from another collision course, he glanced over his right shoulder to see a Bumper Pod coming at him from behind. Glancing over his left shoulder, he gasped. Another Bumper Pod was doing the same on the other side of him.

Then he screamed when he faced ahead of him again. Nine Bumper Pods were headed toward him in a V-formation, ready to pound him in between them and the two behind him.

Wait a moment . . . Pods coming at him from the front, pods coming at him from the back . . . Junko smirked and sped up his Bumper Pod. He knew what to do!

Just before the pods were going to hit him on all sides, he swerved left. The pods all collided with each other. "Wah!" Junko cried as he was sent sailing out of the covered ring where the Bumper Pods were and landed outside the ring, sliding about a yard before he came to a stop.

Once he had stopped, the old Bumper Pod showed itself worse for wear from the amount of abuse it had gotten that day. Immediately it fell to pieces, leaving only Junko's seat, the pod's stand, and its front hood intact. Even the steering wheel fell off in Junko's hands. He held it up in one hand, examining it, surprised that he had gripped it that hard.

But even though that had been kind of scary, that ride had been so _fun!_ Junko threw the useless steering wheel aside and clenched his fists excitedly. "Oh, let's do it again!" he exclaimed.

* * *

Piper, meanwhile, was preparing once again to strike the bell. She took a deep breath to ready herself before lifting the hammer up over her shoulder with a grunt. She narrowed her eyes at the bell. This time, she would strike it!

She took a running start. Then with a yell, she leapt into the air, did a flip to build momentum, and brought the hammer down as hard as she could on the platform.

The fist sailed up the pole and struck the bell, making a resounding ring and sending the bell flying off the pole.

"Huh," Piper said, looking down at the hammer in her hands. She looked in the direction the bell had sailed. "Wow." She never knew she could do _anything_ like that. Hah, and Arygyn had said she always needed crystals! She wondered what he would say if he saw _that!_

* * *

Stork was still on the mechanical bull, whimpering and letting out distressed sounds with every lurch. About every time the bull reared back, it would let out a loud, angry snort.

Stork gasped as his neck and back ached from the jostling, and his legs and arm ached from clinging onto the bull with all his might. Forget the bull riding rules, he thought. He was going to use _both _his hands. He leaned forward on the bull and wrapped his arms around the bull's neck in an effort to stay on. The possessed bull only let out another snort.

Stork glared down at the bull, setting his jaw. Alright, he thought. That was _it!_ This evil, metal contraption had thrown him around enough!

Easing his way up and moving with the bull to keep from losing his balance, Stork clamped his hands on either of the bull's horns. Then with a "Hah!" he leapt forward and straddled the bull's neck, pressing his legs around its head. Time to show this bull who's the boss of this outfit!

With a grunt, Stork lurched backward, clinging to the bull and forcing the bull back. Then he shoved downward on the bull's head, forced it to almost touch the ground. He huffed as he did it again. With a "Hah!" he did it a third time. Yeah, the bull thought it was so tough! _This _is what a _real_ ride was like!

Finally, with a wild howl of delight from his revenge, he pulled the bull back so far that it stood almost vertical. It was much farther than the bull was ever supposed to go. Sparks flew from the mechanical arm on the stand that held it up, and under its thick neck sparks flew as well, and the burning red eyes went dull.

Stork leapt up onto the bull's face on all fours. "Teh!" he exclaimed in delight. He was free of the horror of the mechanical bull. Overjoyed, he leapt off the bull and landed softly on all fours a few feet away from the mattress that was under the bull for soft landings.

However, as soon as he landed, Stork heard something rip.

Stork stood up straight as he felt a draft. It couldn't be . . . He turned around and peered down over his shoulder.

Right in the middle of his seat, his pants had ripped to reveal his light blue skull-and-crossbones-marked underwear.

Stork let out a sound disgust. Great. He should have known. Something _had_ to ruin his day.

* * *

Meanwhile, Arygyn was at the rollercoaster. He had not seen Aerrow upon his arrival, but he wasn't worried. He stood on the platform, leaning on his staff as the blue-and-orange rollercoaster went by, fluttering his cape. Arygyn just watched in satisfaction, waiting for Aerrow to show up.

As he watched the rollercoaster rolling away from him, he caught the sound of a rollercoaster coming _toward_ him. He turned to see the green-and-purple rollercoaster coming down the second track. Aerrow sat unbuckled in the front seat, grasping the windshield and peering over it. Guessing what he was up to, Arygyn watched casually.

Aerrow could see his track running below the one with the other rollercoaster. The two coasters were running almost side by side. He smiled when he looked ahead; there the tracks ran parallel only inches from each other. There is where Aerrow planned to make his jump.

As the two rollercoasters pulled alongside each other, Aerrow stood up and put one foot on the seat, preparing to launch himself toward the other rollercoaster. The young Sky Knight felt cocky. If only Arygyn could see this!

But Arygyn could, and he wasn't going to let the Sky Knight have it so easy. Unseen by Aerrow, the Skeelur lifted his staff and swirled it in the direction of the green-and-purple rollercoaster. Sparks flew from the crystal ball on its end.

Aerrow cried out in surprise and almost lost his balance when his rollercoaster suddenly put on a burst of speed.

He glanced back at the blue-and-orange rollercoaster, which was not only behind him now, but whose track was taking it in a different direction. So much for his awesome jump. Unless . . .

A smirk crossed his face. His plan was so crazy, it just might work.

With a grunt, he flipped backward off the green-and-purple rollercoaster, his arms outstretched. When he began to plummet, he was going head-first. But he was prepared. Angling himself a bit more horizontally, he opened up his battle glider. The momentum from his ride propelled him so quickly that the rest of the track was a blur of blue-painted metal around him, and it was only quick reflexes that kept him from running into any steel poles or bars. And the whole time, he kept his eye on his target.

At the last second, he brought in his battle glider and flipped so he could land feet first. With a grunt, he landed in the front seat of the blue-and-orange rollercoaster.

Aerrow looked down at the handlebar he gripped with amazement. He couldn't believe he actually _did_ that! He smirked. Wait till Arygyn sees this task complete!

As the blue-and-orange rollercoaster headed toward the platform again, Aerrow felt it slow. He looked ahead to see Arygyn at the controls, leaning on his staff insouciantly with a smile on his face. At last, Aerrow thought maybe the werebird would listen to reason and do his job.

Feeling cocky, Aerrow leaned back against the seat, putting his hands behind his head and putting his feet up on the windshield of the rollercoaster. The bell rang as the rollercoaster rolled to a stop in front of the platform. No sooner had the bell rang when Aerrow said, "Now about that training . . ." He re-crossed his legs the other way, waiting expectantly.

"Oh, that," Arygyn said, waving it off as if it were a fly. He shrugged. "Nah!"

Aerrow frowned. _What?_ After all this, Arygyn wasn't going to train them? Was he not going to keep his word? Have they wasted all this time for _nothing? _Red-hot anger pulsed through his veins, and he felt his hands tighten into fists.

Aerrow hadn't had a chance to boil over just yet, however, before the four other humanoid Storm Hawks were seen walking their way, stopping below the platform. Stork was scowling at Arygyn, his hands behind him on the seat of his pants to protect his embarrassing new hole. Piper glared at Arygyn with an almost pricking irritation, one of her hands on her hips. The other arm hung weakly beside her as if she was too weary to lift it. Finn just stared up at them blankly, holding the prize Arygyn had asked for; it was a teddy bear that was half Finn's height.

Only one of them looked happy: Junko, who had a wide smile on his face. However, even the Wallop had his own problems. His hands were clenched together as if grasping the steering wheel of a pod, and they appeared to be stuck like that.

Aerrow glared at Arygyn, getting to his feet. Hopefully now the Skeelur would see reason.

But Arygyn only looked over the other Storm Hawks with a delighted smile and asked, "Anyone up for a snack?"

"Am I!" Junko exclaimed back excitedly. Junko was always hungry. Arygyn blinked in appreciation for Junko's enthusiasm.

_What?_ Aerrow scowled. A snack? Alright, that was it! "Now hold on just a minute!" he said to Arygyn, standing right in front of the man. "This has gone long enough." He jabbed a finger in Arygyn's face accusingly. "You're supposed to be this great warrior trainer, but you haven't taught us a thing!" He gestured to the skies, glaring at Arygyn as if he could send daggers from his eyes. "The Talons are out there after our friends, and we're on Terra Neon wasting time! So what's it gonna be?"

The entire time, Arygyn seemed to be egging Aerrow on, just smiling at the Sky Knight as if in amusement. Now, however, the Skeelur put a hand on his chin as if considering something. Then at last he said, "Well, I here flame corn here is excellent."

_Snacks_ again. Aerrow huffed. He couldn't take any more of this. "Come on, guys," he announced to the others. "We're leaving." He stomped off the platform and past the others, his hands still clenched in fists. The others followed behind obediently, none of them completely sad to follow his order.

"What about cloud candy?" Arygyn called after them with a laugh. "Everyone loves that!"

He got no answer. But Arygyn just laughed. They'll see.

* * *

It didn't take them long to pick up Radarr and get their ship underway, Junko loosening up his fingers while they were at it and Stork getting a new pair of pants. As soon as they were off, they headed for open skies.

While Stork drove, Aerrow and the others were stood at the round table. "Piper," Aerrow commanded, his hands on the table, "send out an all-channel call. Find out who's left." He clenched his fist. "If we join forces, it might not be too late for the rest of us."

No sooner had he said that when the alarms started going off, blaring and flashing red lights about the _Condor_. Knowing all too well what it might be, Aerrow turned to Stork for the Merb to tell him the news.

Stork peered through the periscope. Six biplane skyrides and one helicopter skyride were headed their way. Stork magnified the periscope on the lead skyride, a biplane, and was met with the burning blood-red eyes of the Dark Ace. Which meant the other skyrides were Ravess, Snipe, and the Raptors. "Oh, yeah," Stork said to Aerrow. He pulled away from the periscope, head drooping. "It's too late."

Aerrow narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed. This was it. "Battle stations, everyone!"

At his order, he, Radarr, Piper, Finn, and Junko all ran down to the hangar bay and wasted no time in mounting their skyrides. Finn was in such a rush that he started heading out the opening hatch before Aerrow and Radarr did. Piper followed after her leader, with Junko trailing in last.

Once in the air, however, Finn pulled up to let Aerrow and Radarr take the lead. Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the Talons, trying to assess the situation. His face fell to an angry scowl when he heard Ravess and the Dark Ace laugh at them, as if amused by their show of bravery. A sinking feeling in the pit of Aerrow's stomach told him that's not all they were laughing about.

And he proved right. A Cyclonian hauler rose up from the clouds behind the oncoming Talon commanders and Raptors. Aerrow gasped. The hauler was dragging two barges that were strung together and held upright by boosters. And on the barges were cages. Aerrow saw them all in the cages: the Rex Guardians, the Absolute Zeroes, the Screaming Queens, the Buff Buzzards, and the Rebel Ducks. They peered about of the bars worriedly, some of them clutching the bars fearfully. It didn't look like they were entirely afraid for themselves; mostly they seemed to fear for the Storm Hawks.

"Take a good look, Storm Hawks!" the Dark Ace taunted them. "In just a few moments, you'll be joining them!"

Aerrow narrowed his eyes, anger raging through him. If that is what the Dark Ace thought, he was wrong. This had turned from a head-on onslaught into a rescue mission.

The others were looking at Aerrow, waiting for his plan. "Split 'em up and draw them away from the barge!" Aerrow ordered his team. They responded as soon as he had spoken, breaking off into different directions and leaving Aerrow to head straight for the barges.

But the Dark Ace just smirked. "And they play right into our hands," he told the others. When it came to rescuing others, Aerrow was so predictable, and this time, he had done exactly what the Dark Ace had expected him to do. Now, without the protection of each other, the Talons and Raptors could pick each of them off one by one. The Dark Ace pointed his glowing sword at the Storm Hawks. "Now go get them!" he ordered the others.

With battle cries, Snipe and Ravess flew off, followed by the Raptors. Snipe went for Piper, Ravess for Junko, Repton for Finn, and Repton's brothers toward the _Condor_, where Stork was driving. Which left the Dark Ace to at the barge to face Aerrow and Radarr.

Aerrow kept his eyes on the barge as he and Radarr headed in for it, avoiding running into Snipe on the way. The other Sky Knight squadrons watched with worried eyes. "Hang on!" Aerrow cried to them. "We're getting you out!"

The two Talon guards on the barges both glared at Aerrow, lowered their staffs, and shot energy pulses at his Skimmer. He avoided them with ease, moving swiftly and fluently without ever wavering from his path.

But then suddenly a flash of violet light went by Aerrow and Radarr so fast that it sent their Vulcan spinning. Aerrow cried out in surprise, unable to react until his Skimmer had stopped whirling. Slowly, trying to straighten out his blurred vision, he raised his head to see what had caused it.

The light, which looked like a giant, violet crystal energy pulse, hovered before him like some strange phantom or witch light. However, as soon as the pulse came to a complete stop, the light faded. Aerrow gasped. There was the Dark Ace on his Switchblade, holding his sword high above his head. Aerrow couldn't believe it. How did he _do_ that?

But the Dark Ace just glared at the boy, his face twisted in a snarl. "Don't make promises you can't keep!" he scolded him.

Aerrow glared and tightened his grip on his handlebars in rage. So maybe the Dark Ace had some new power, but if he thought Aerrow was going to abandon the other Sky Knight squadrons, he had another thing coming!

* * *

However, while Aerrow was about to face his arch-enemy even if it meant death, Junko had decided that maybe this time around it would be better to flee.

He was being chased by Ravess. Normally Ravess wasn't much of a problem, other than the fact that she could attack from far away. But now it was even worse!

Junko glanced back in time to see Ravess notch three arrows in her bow at once. Junko cried out fearfully and tried to swerve to avoid them, but the arrow's _followed_ him! Junko had never seen anything like it! "Whoa!" he cried out as he tried to avoid them again. The arrows followed. He gasped and barrel rolled. The arrows followed.

Screaming, Junko rolled again and then dove for the terra below him. The arrows followed him straight down, and Ravess followed her arrows.

Junko hit the ground in the middle of his transformation from flight mode to bike mode. He took off through the forest, trying to outrun the arrows. With a gasp, he swerved right, hoping the arrows wouldn't make the tight turn. But they did. And behind them, Ravess had landed and transformed to bike mode, and she drove after them.

Junko tried again, turning left. But there was no avoiding those arrows. The only way to stop them, Junko realized, was by putting something between himself and the arrows. He banged his fists against each other to ignite his Knuckle Busters, and with a Wallop roar, he punched down a tree on his right, and then with another roar, he did the same on his left, all without slowing his pace. The trees fell over the path he had just taken. Junko glanced over his shoulder to see if it worked.

And it did! The arrows ran right into the trees and exploded. Junko smiled, glad to be rid of them.

But then he gasped as a Switchblade broke through the fallen trees' branches, a smirk on the driver's petite face. Junko may have escaped those three arrows, but he hadn't escaped Ravess.

* * *

Meanwhile, Piper wasn't doing so well herself.

Snipe was chasing her, twirling his mace above his head on its retractable chain. Then with a yell, he swung it toward Piper. Piper only had time to let out a small squeak of fear before the mace crashed against the side of her Heliscooter, which started emitting black smoke.

Great. Not only was she being chased by a Talon she could hardly fight back against, but now her Heliscooter was damaged! She flew on toward the terra, further away from the _Condor_.

* * *

All things considered, Stork and his precious _Condor_ were doing pretty well. The _Condor_ was simply getting a few new scratches.

It was Repton's three brothers. They circled the ship, laughing as they lashed at her with their energy whips. Wondering exactly what they were doing and hoping to get a shot on them, Stork lowered the periscope so he could see what was going on outside.

As soon as he peered into the periscope, he was met with a face. "Huh?"

It was Spitz. "Bleh!" the Raptor taunted him. And with that, he slashed his whip at the periscope.

Stork gasped and hissed as the sizzling crystal energy traveled up the periscope like electricity, shocking him. The Merb leapt back, letting go of the periscope and letting it rise to the ceiling once more.

Stork's eye twitched in rage. First they started _whipping_ his ship—his precious, wonderful ship!—and then they laugh in his face? Stork huffed. "I have had it!" he declared, stomping down to the hangar bay.

Outside, Lugey laughed as he slashed his whip across the Storm Hawks' emblem on the _Condor_'s side. He didn't have long to enjoy himself, however, before he was cut off by a metal fist coming out of nowhere and punching him on the side of the head.

The fist retracted into a grate that belonged on the bow of a three-wheeled vehicle, which was flying do to helicopter blades on either of the front wheels and another helicopter blade behind the seat. It was the Stork-Mobile. And in the seat was a fuming, enraged Stork. "Get away from _my_ _ship!_" he shouted at them.

But instead of cringing in fear, like they were _supposed_ to do, the Raptor brothers only leveled their Bone Wings in line in front of Stork and laughed at him viciously. Did a silly, young Merb think he was really going to get the better of _them?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn was circling the battle skies, glancing around anxiously with his portable crossbow in his hands. "Target, target," he muttered to himself. "I need a target!" He peered through the scope on his crossbow as he swirled in all directions, ready to fire as soon as he found something to aim at.

Suddenly he saw something through his scope, something small and glowing violet, spinning as it approached at lightning speed. And whatever it was came at Finn on a collision course. Gasping, Finn ducked and screamed. The thing flew over his head.

Finn glanced back after it . . . in time to see a hand reach out and grab it from the Bone Wing behind Finn's Switchblade. The item was Repton's energy boomerang, which was being powered by an enhancer crystal. And the hand belonged to Repton. The Raptor hissed at Finn, smirking in amusement.

Finn cringed. "Now I'm the target!" he exclaimed aloud.

There was no doubt in his mind that they were _all_ in trouble now.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: "Skeelur" is not a real word, which does not help when we have no idea what "Skeelur" is supposed to mean, even in the _Storm Hawks _universe. However, "skeeler" is a word. It is Dutch for "an inline speed-skate." Perhaps this is in reference to the quick, skimmer-fast way Arygyn gets around. "Sheeler" or "Sheely" are also Gaelic surnames that mean "mysterious" or "eerie."

_Wow_. You know, I never would have known that stuff if I hadn't used Google. Let's give it up for Google!

I know you're just dying to review! Right? _Right?_


	104. The Lesson: Watched

Chapter 4: Watched

As the battle raged on before them, the prisoners on the barge watched anxiously. They were all worried about the Storm Hawks, and many of them knew very well that the Dark Ace probably didn't plan on keeping Aerrow alive. And they had a full view of the battle between the Sky Knight and the Talon commander.

Suzy-Lu, Harrier, and Blister looking particularly worried for their friend. Unable to take it any more, Blister slammed himself against the front of the cage's locked door vainly, instinctively wanting to escape and help the boy. He tried again, grunting. It wasn't helping their situation, or Aerrow's, but at least it gave him something to do.

Aerrow wasn't doing so well, and for the opposite problem: The Dark Ace wasn't letting him _do anything!_

He and his copilot were trapped. The Dark Ace was spinning around them, his ride a blur of violet light in its speed . . . certainly too fast for Aerrow to get a shot or swipe at him with his blades, much less make a flying leap onto his Switchblade. The Talon made such a tight circle that Aerrow and Radarr couldn't make a move without ending up in his Switchblade's path, and at his speed, that would certainly mean a collision. Sure, a deadly collision like that was a surefire way to kill the Dark Ace, but it would be a surefire way for them to die, too. Not to mention that it would do nothing to help the other Storm Hawks or the prisoners, which kind of defeats the point.

Aerrow grunted as the Dark Ace's Switchblade flew by so close to his face that he could feel the heat from it. Then suddenly he heard a laughing sound from up above him. Gasping, he looked up in time to see the Dark Ace stopped above, upside down, his head inches from his own. And that's when Aerrow _knew_ the Dark Ace was only toying with him for his own pleasure.

Looking back on it, Aerrow realized he should have been grateful that the Talon had decided to have his fun. If the Dark Ace had decided to kill him outright, Aerrow wouldn't have been around later to look back on it. But now, all he felt was boiling rage, mingled with desperation to do something to stop the Talon.

When the Dark Ace flipped around so that he came level with Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer, facing them, Aerrow leapt up from his seat with a grunt, pulling his blades from his sheaths and igniting them. He stood on the bow of his Vulcan in a battle stance, ready to do _real _battle with the Dark Ace.

But the Dark Ace just smirked at him and said, "Goodbye, Aerrow!"

Now was his chance! With a grunt, Aerrow leapt for the Dark Ace, drawing back his right blade to bring it down upon the Talon. But he let out a cry of shock as the Switchblade was overcome with violet light and had sped away before Aerrow ever reached it. Overcome with bewilderment, it took a moment for Aerrow to realize he was falling to the Wastelands.

But Radarr wasn't going to let that happen. Diving low, the little copilot brought the Vulcan underneath Aerrow as he fell. Aerrow landed right in the seat, gasping in surprise.

A large, violet pulse of energy zipped past him, circled around, and stopped in front of him, the light once again fading to the Dark Ace on his Switchblade. Aerrow gasped in astonishment at his speed. His heart beat wildly in his chest, and he could feel it pulse in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time he was this afraid of something. He hadn't even been this afraid during his first real battle.

But it wasn't the Dark Ace who he truly feared. It was the fact that, for once in his life, Aerrow felt truly helpless.

* * *

Beyond them, beside the _Condor_, Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz had split up to take on Stork. They circled around the Merb's ride, cutting off all escape. For the first time, Stork realized just what a pickle he had gotten himself into. Now he knew _for sure_ that this would not end well for him.

With a grunt, Spitz struck out with his unlit energy whip, which wrapped itself around Stork's front left axle. With a grunt, Lugey did the same on the other front axle. A roar and another cracking from a whip from behind Stork told the Merb that Hoerk had wrapped his whip around the back axle. Seeing that they had him trapped, the Raptors laughed.

Stork chuckled nervously. He was doomed.

* * *

Beyond them, Snipe was still chasing Piper, flying low over the terra's surface. With a yell, the Talon brought back his mace and then swung it in front of him, releasing a powerful pulse at Piper. Normally the mace couldn't generate a pulse like that; it was the enhancer crystals that now studded it.

Piper screamed as her Heliscooter was stalled by the blow and dumped her over its bow. Flipping in the air, Piper landed on her feet and did another flip, landing in a crouch with a grunt.

She looked up, and her heart plummeted; Snipe had landed just a few yards in front of her, and he was smirking at her. Mustering up all her courage, Piper lifted a hand toward him. "You better stay back," she warned him. She cringed after she did it, realizing she hadn't done a good job of masking her own fear.

But Snipe's grin just widened. "Or what?" he asked her, laughing evilly.

Piper watched as he tapped his mace against his palm. At first, it frightened her. But then the tapping mace reminded her of something: the large, barrel-sized hammer being tapped on the platform of the "Test Your Strength" game. Piper felt a twinge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, she knew a way out of this.

* * *

On the other side of the terra, Junko was still trying desperately to escape Ravess. Jaw clenched in fear, he stared ahead desperately as he cleared the forest and started driving toward the edge of the terra. Maybe _now_ he could escape Ravess. He glanced back at her just to see what she was up to.

Clear of the trees now, Ravess seemed to know that there was nothing to stop her arrows. She strung nine on her bow at once and with a yell released them all at Junko. Junko yelped fearfully. How was he supposed to escape _that?_

Even as he thought it, his Skimmer drove off the edge of the terra.

For a moment, he hung their, suspended. But instead of deploying the wings and switching to flight mode, he kept in bike mode and dove bow-first alongside the terra, down toward the Wastelands.

He glanced back and squealed again fearfully. Even though he had completely changed direction, the nine arrows had still followed him! There was no getting away!

But then Junko blinked and studied the arrows closer. They reminded him of something: the line of Bumper Pods that had threatened to smash into him on Terra Neon. Junko gasped joyfully. He knew what he had to do!

* * *

In the skies above them, Finn was still trying to dodge Repton's boomerang. He squealed in fright as it came dangerously close to his head, forcing him to duck. He grunted as he ducked again when the boomerang came back around.

But this time, Finn watched it as it zoomed away from him, beginning its circle back. Suddenly he wasn't seeing the boomerang anymore; he was seeing the quacking, flying wooden duck that had annoyed him on Terra Neon.

Finn chuckled as he ducked away from the boomerang. "Oh, yeah!" he said as he raised his crossbow to take aim. Now he knew what to do!

When the boomerang spun around again to come back at Finn, the sharpshooter fired.

The bolt hit the boomerang head-on, slicing it in half. Repton grunted in surprise when he saw his boomerang fall to the Wastelands in two pieces.

Not missing a beat, Finn leveled his Skimmer out in front of Repton's Bone Wing, facing the Raptor. Repton let out a sound of surprise when he saw Finn's bolt headed his way, and the reptile lifted his armored arm to protect his face. His movement saved his life, but he still let out a cry as he was cast overboard, saved only by his parachute.

Feeling proud and cocky, Finn blew out the fake smoke coming from his bolt and pointed a pistol finger at Repton, saying his signature, "Chica-cha!"

* * *

Down below on the terra, Piper prepared to face off with Snipe, stepping closer to him. Remembering her experience on Terra Neon gave her confidence she didn't know she could have in this situation.

Snipe just laughed evilly at her as he tapped his mace against his palm. But even this didn't deter Piper. She punched her fist into her palm, preparing herself.

Snipe only smirked. "Tell ya what," he said. "Because you're a _girl,_" he leaned toward her and pointed to his cheek, "I'll let ya take the first shot." He closed his eyes as if preparing for it, and all the while he was still smirking.

But Piper just raised an eyebrow at him and smirked back. "Hmm, my pleasure," she answered through clenched teeth.

With a yell, she swung back her fist. Hearing her, Snipe opened his eyes, saying, "Huh?"

But it was too late to rethink his offer. Treating Snipe as if he were the platform from "Test Your Strength," she slammed her fist against his face with all her might. She imagined the bell sounding as Snipe flew backward from her, sailing over the treetops. She heard him land, crunching through tree branches, sending four crows into the air, cawing as they flew away from the commotion.

Piper stared at her fist. "Wow," she whispered in amazement. She had no idea she could ever do _that!_

* * *

Just beyond the terra, Junko smirked. The arrows were still after him, followed by Ravess herself, but now Junko knew what to do. "Yeah!" he cheered as he made an abrupt U-turn, flying right past the arrows. He glanced back as he did. Just as he had hoped and expected, the arrows made the same U-turn and came after him.

He turned back to see Ravess. He was flying straight toward her. Her mouth was agape, as if she couldn't guess what the Wallop was doing. Oh, this was going to be so much fun!

Shouting, "Wahoo!" Junko flew straight over Ravess's head, so close that Ravess had to duck. The next moment, he heard her yell in fright as the arrows that were after Junko came straight toward her. But there was no time to dodge.

As her smoking Switchblade spiraled toward the Wastelands and she parachuted after it, Ravess bellowed in rage and shook an angry fist in Junko's direction.

Junko just smiled. "Yes!" he cheered himself on, pumping a fist in the air. He had beaten Ravess, and he hadn't even gotten hurt!

Junko didn't watch Ravess's Switchblade as it fell, but perhaps he should have. The skyride spiraled through the air toward the barge.

On the barge, the Sky Knight squadron members were all glaring at the two Talon guards who stood guarding the cages, their Cyclonian staffs in their hands. Harrier, Suzy-Lu, and the Sky Knight of the Buff Buzzards in particular glowered in the Talons' direction. Harrier even went as far as to grab the bars of the cage threateningly.

But then all of them, Atmosians and Cyclonians, had their attention drawn to the sky by the sound of something exploding. The Talons turned their spears toward it, expecting a rescue attempt. Their eyes widened. "Huh?" they said in unison.

Ravess' fallen Switchblade was headed straight for them, looking like a shooting red star with a black tail of smoke.

One of the Talons cried out in alarm, and they fell flat to avoid being hit by the skyride, dropping their staffs in the process. From behind them, they heard the loud, ringing sound of the Switchblade crashing into the top of the metal cage.

When they turned around, they heard boots clanking against the metal flooring of the barge, and their heartbeats quickened. They watched, their fear mounting, as the three Sky Knights who had been glaring at them stepped out of the smoke from the crash, freed from the broken cage. Stopping only a few feet away from them, the Sky Knights glared down at them as if deciding how they would "deal" with them.

One Talon got up on his knees and turned to his comrade, who still lay on his stomach. "Maybe we oughta get back to Cyclonia," the kneeling one suggested evenly.

His comrade didn't think that was such a bad idea at all.

The next moment, the two got to their feet, whirled around, and yelled as they leapt off the barge, deploying their parachutes before they fell too far.

The Sky Knights set out for the engine room, ready to take over the hauler.

* * *

Back by the _Condor_, the Raptors held Stork's Safety Buggy with their whips. "Let's give him the ride of his life," Hoerk suggested to the others, smirking evilly.

The next minute, Stork let out sounds of distress as he felt his ride being jerked back and forth and side to side. He could hear the three Raptors cackling, and he knew what they were doing. They were pulling on the whips, making Stork's already sore body jerk back and forth. His neck felt strained from whiplash, and his arms were nearly jerked out of their sockets with each plunge. It was just like riding the mechanical bull on Terra Neon . . .

Wait . . . That was it! Stork began to picture himself not in his Stork Mobile being tortured by Raptors but on the angry, screaming mechanical bull (which he was sure must have been possessed).

Without even realizing it, Stork cackled. "You call that a ride?" he asked the Raptors as they continued to jerk him.

The Raptors didn't stop or even pause in their whip tugging, but Spitz, being the smartest of the three, did show a bit of unease. "Huh?" he asked.

Stork just smirked at him in response and said, "I'll show you a ride!"

And with that, he plunged downward in his Stork Mobile, saying, "Woo, hoo, hoo!" As he plunged, the Raptors' arms jerked down with him. Then, just as suddenly as Stork had plunged, he bucked, rising straight up into the air, pitching like some wild horse and crying, "Yaw!" Then once again, he plunged downward, and this time, he didn't stop.

The Raptors all let out frightened yells as they were pulled down after Stork. And as they were dragged down with him, completely losing their rides, all three of them moved closer inward . . . until they had collided with each other.

And so they ended up as a Raptor ball in the air, Spitz sandwiched in between his two larger brothers. And then they began to fall, crying out in fright. They were so tightly tangled that they couldn't release each other before a single parachute had deployed . . . a single parachute to hold all three of them. Stork couldn't tell whose parachute it was. Not that it mattered.

Stork flew back up to be level with the _Condor_ again as he looked down at the parachute, smirking. _And _that, he thought, _is how it was done. _He saluted the Raptors, saying softly and smugly, "Yippee-yi-yay."

* * *

Aerrow and Radarr were being circled by the Dark Ace again as the Talon commander swept around him like one huge energy pulse. Aerrow grunted as he ducked to avoid the Dark Ace, relying on his intuition to tell him if the Talon's Switchblade or sword was getting too close to his head. He began to get the impression that, although the Dark Ace was only toying with him by simply spinning around and not actually slowing down to fight, the Dark Ace couldn't aim very well at such speeds.

That theory was proved when Aerrow saw his wing start to smoke where the Dark Ace's sword had struck it. The damaged area was dangerously close to the Vulcan's hull, as if the Dark Ace had been going for Aerrow, not his Vulcan. If so, though, then his aim had been way off.

Aerrow scowled as he watched the Dark Ace. If only he could get on the Talon's Switchblade, they could duel it out like they normally did. That would still leave Aerrow with a fifty-fifty chance (well, more like seventy-five to twenty-five favoring Aerrow, in his opinion), but fifty-fifty was still better than the chances he and Radarr had now. No matter how bad his aim was, if the Dark Ace kept taking shots and slashes at them that they couldn't avoid, eventually one would hit, and one of the two Storm Hawks would be hurt . . . or worse.

But how could Aerrow possibly make it onto the Dark Ace's Switchblade? It must have been going at least two hundred miles an hour! If only this were some sort of game, like jumping on the rollercoaster at Terra Neon had been, instead being a real, dangerous situation. If it were game, Aerrow might not quit, but he would have all the time in the world to figure it out and all the room for failure.

Wait, the rollercoaster! Aerrow studied the Dark Ace's Switchblade, consumed by the glow of the enhancer stone, and instead of seeing that, he saw the blue-and-orange rollercoaster. This _was_ just like that game! And Aerrow already knew how to win it!

Aerrow pulled out a crystal he had been carrying around with him for awhile, waiting for the right time to use it. It had a glowing appearance, with a range of colors and shades, mostly green and yellow. Around the middle it glowed a bright white light, deepening to a yellow around the base of the crystal and to a bright blue toward the top. The very top of the crystal was dark green. The multi-colored crystal was surrounded by various projections of dark green and blue that tapered into many points in a flame-like shape. The rest of the crystal was covered in swirling decoration.

Radarr studied the crystal, as if trying to figure out what Aerrow was up to. "Nitro crystal," Aerrow clarified as he looked the crystal over. It was like a velocity crystal, increasing a vehicle's speed, but it was much more powerful than a velocity crystal; it could increase a vehicle's potential speed ten-fold! However, it only worked for a few seconds before it burned itself out. "Only good once," Aerrow murmured. He tossed the crystal in the air and then snatched it back, casting a glare at the ball of light that was the Dark Ace's Switchblades. "Let's make it count!"

Radarr smirked. He seemed to know what Aerrow was planning. Aerrow was not surprised. It wouldn't be the first time the two had seemed to be of one mind.

Before he could think twice about his decision, Aerrow dropped the nitro crystal into his Skimmer's crystal converter. "Wah!" he cried as the Vulcan shot forward, going so fast that he had to strain to keep himself upright in his seat.

But it was having the desired effect. As if seeing what he was doing, the Dark Ace pulled away from his circle that he was making, but Aerrow pulled up next to him, keeping pace. Then he swerved toward the Ace. The Talon spiraled around him to avoid him and do the same thing, but Aerrow likewise spun around the Talon. They played the whole thing over again before the Dark Ace pulled away, spun around the opposite direction, and came to a stop.

The Dark Ace watched with satisfaction, a smirk on his face, as Aerrow's Skimmer sped away from him. By the time the Sky Knight realized his mistake, it would be too late; the battle would be won, and the Dark Ace would get the pleasure of showing Aerrow his defeated squadron before he killed the punk. "Pleasure doing battle with you, Aerrow," the Dark Ace hissed smoothly after the Vulcan.

But then he froze when he heard something land with a thud on his Switchblade's hull behind him. "Actually—"

The Dark Ace gasped at the sound of the voice and whirled around.

"—the pleasure's all mine!"

There he stood, like a ghost come back from the dead, his battle glider folding up on his back like angel wings, his blades glowing like the heavenly light sent to strike down the wicked. Aerrow held one blade above his head and the other toward the Dark Ace's throat, grinning at the Talon's astonished look.

But then the Dark Ace got his composure back so quickly that it was almost scary. Almost. "Just one question," the Talon said. "How?"

Aerrow just smirked. "How else?" he answered. "We've been training!"

And with that, he let the power of his blades consume him and rose in the air, blue, glowing wings widening from him, making him look once again like a vengeful angel. With a cry and one mighty wing beat, the pulse was released from Aerrow's Lightning Claw.

The Dark Ace lifted his arm up to protect his face, but there was no time to dodge the blow. Once it hit, the Dark Ace would be done for forever.

When the power left Aerrow, so did his levitation, but he let himself fall, hearing the reassuring sounds of his Skimmer's engine. Radarr, having doubled back after the nitro crystal burned itself out, drove the Vulcan underneath the Sky Knight to catch him. Aerrow landed lightly in his seat, rolling on the balls of his feet on the footrests to soften the overall landing.

He couldn't help but cast one more grin at the Dark Ace as his damaged Switchblade fell toward the Wastelands, billowing black smoke, and the Talon parachuted after it. The Dark Ace let out a frustrated yell after Aerrow . . . his way of saying this wasn't over.

Yes, Aerrow had struck the Switchblade, not the Dark Ace. Even now, the young Sky Knight couldn't find it in him to intentionally take another's life . . . even for someone as horrible as the Dark Ace. Even so, Aerrow couldn't help wondering if he would regret his decision for mercy.

Now that his battle was over, Aerrow went to the barge, only to find that the prisoners had freed themselves _and_ taken over the hauler. So instead Aerrow went to help his squad mates, only to find, not surprisingly, that they had already won their battles as well.

Finding nothing else that needed their attention, the Storm Hawks all went back to the _Condor_ and drove away, the other Sky Knight squadrons cheering them on as they flew off into the distance.

The Storm Hawks all congregated in the hangar bay, having not bothered to go up to the bridge except for Stork, who had to drive. However, once they were clear of the battle scene and heading away from Cyclonian skies, Stork came back down to join them.

Piper caught Aerrow's eye, and they exchanged smiles, like they always did after a dangerous mission together. And it was then Aerrow realized that he wasn't the only one who had seemed to learn a thing or two from his experience at Terra Neon with Arygyn; Piper had the same look of epiphany, and Aerrow bet it wouldn't be stretch to say all of the Storm Hawks had learned something from the crazy Skeelur.

Piper's expression changed, her look questioning what Aerrow was thinking about. Aerrow shrugged. "I have to admit," he said with a sigh, "I may have doubted him, but all the time Arygyn actually knew what he was doing."

Piper smiled in agreement.

They both had their attention drawn by the sound of hard objects shifting around. They looked over to see Finn digging through the Stork Mobile. Aerrow wasn't quite sure how Stork felt about that, but since the Merb was here and wasn't scolding Finn, Aerrow let it go.

Whatever Finn was trying to get loose must have finally been freed. Finn held up his prize. It was one of the Raptor brothers' whips. "Hey, check it out," Finn said, pointing to it. "We even got a souvenir from our _stunning_ victory." He pulled the whip's wire taut, saying, "Chica!" All the others studied him uncertainly as Finn let the hard, weighted tip of the wire drop on the floor. Aerrow could sense disaster.

Grinning, Finn slashed the whip in their direction.

Stork closed his eyes as the whip came straight him. At first, it didn't seem to have touched him. The Merb opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. Then, just when Aerrow had decided Finn had missed Stork altogether, Stork's pants fell down. Everyone else could only stare in astonishment at his light blue, skull-and-crossbones-marked boxers.

Stork cringed and used his hands to hide his boxers, bringing his legs so close together that his knees banged against each other. "Uh, yeah," he said, his long ears drooping in embarrassment. He seemed to take a lot of interest in the floor.

Finn looked at the whip in his hand sheepishly. "I think I could use a little more training," he admitted with a sheepish laugh.

Stork just stared at him soberly, his eyes half-lidded, as he pulled his pants back up.

More training, huh? Aerrow shrugged. "Terra Neon, anyone?"

All of them turned to Aerrow and cringed. "Oh, boy," the guys said apprehensively.

"No," Piper answered immediately.

Even Radarr didn't seem to like the sound of it. Cringing like the others, he shook his head at Aerrow vigorously.

Aerrow just grinned. He had a feeling that would be the answer.

* * *

Outside the _Condor_, a great multi-colored bird glided on the breeze, every now and then flapping his wings that flashed in the sunlight like golden flame. The Mynall bird watched the ship as headed north. Whether or not Aerrow knew it, there would always be someone looking out for the young Sky Knight and anyone in his squadron, visitors that would only make themselves known when the time was right.

As the legendary _Condor_ grew smaller in the distance, Arygyn winked and flew off in its general direction, angling just slightly away from it. The time to show himself would eventually come again, but for now, he and the others like him would simply watch over the boy and his friends in their mission to save the world.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, dramatic ending . . .

Almost done with the first season! Yay!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Shape-shifting has been a popular part of religion and folklore/stories/media for thousands of years. Shape-shifting has defined many religions: Greek mythology, in which many gods trick or are tricked or deal out punishment by turning themselves or others into animals; Celtic mythology often included the heroes shape shifting, whether for punishment or as a means to help them succeed; Norse mythology used all those mentioned above; and even Judaism and my own religion, Christianity, have shape-shifters in that God can appear in any form and that Satan and other angels/demons supposedly can take on other forms. Folklore is filled with stories of shape-shifting wizards, sorcerers, and genies that may also cause others to shape-shift; of werecreatures, the most famous being the werewolf; of animorphs, humans which can become more than one type of animal. Sometimes the shape-shifters are not originally human, such as the kelpie, the evil water horse of Scotland and Ireland that can take a variety of forms to lure in his prey; the selkie, also Scottish and Irish, a seal that sheds her skin and becomes human; and other rare examples such as beloved pets becoming human, especially dogs, as seen in _Finn on the Fly_, or tales of magical creatures becoming human, such as tales of shape-shifting dragons or stories such as _The Last Unicorn_ in which the unicorn becomes human. The reason shape-shifting is so popular is said to be because it allows humans to escape the boundaries of their own limitations within their imaginations or to personify other animals. However, in some stories, such as _The Princess and the Frog_, shape-shifting is a boundary and prison in itself . . . if one cannot change back to their original form.

Enough of that. Your turn. Go ahead. Talk to me! That little review button is calling you!


	105. Dude, Where's My Condor?: SSL550

_**Part 26**_

**_Dude, Where's my _Condor_?_**

_A ship fails, and a ship pulls through. The old is proven better than the new. An old enemy comes back. A love proves too strong to be broken._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: SSL-550

Not long after the Storm Hawks had freed the other Sky Knight squadrons, they come upon more Cyclonians: a group of five Talons on Talon Switchblades. There didn't seem to be a high-ranking commander that they recognized among them. But the important thing was that they were out of their territory, and that made them fair game for the Storm Hawks.

The _Condor_ chased the five Talons, who immediately went on the retreat. All the Storm Hawks were on the bridge. Most of them were watching anxiously, including Radarr, who was hanging off Aerrow's back and looking over the boy's shoulder. Aerrow was gripping the railing so hard that Stork would bet the Sky Knight's knuckles were white under his gloves. The boy's face was twisted in a scowl, his eyes never leaving the Talons. It was times like this that Aerrow didn't look at all like his happy-go-lucky self; he looked dangerous, like a predator out for blood.

Stork was at his favorite spot: behind the wheel of the _Condor_. And unlike Aerrow, he wasn't worried about catching the Talons. He knew their little Switchblades could not outrun the almighty _Condor_!

Aerrow's scowled deepened as the Talons began to grow smaller in the distance. "They're getting away!" Aerrow cried, his tone indicating that Stork better do something about that.

But Stork just smirked. "Not for long!" he answered. "Strap in everybody."

At this, Aerrow looked anxious, and Radarr chirped questionably. They exchanged glances, as if not sure what the Merb was up to.

"I'm about to hit the high-speed impeller!" Stork explained. "Watch this!"

He slammed a red button in the middle of the helm's wheel.

But then Stork's eyes opened wide in surprise at a strange sound. Instead of shooting the engines into overdrive, he could swear he heard the engines _shutting down!_ And over the loudspeakers came some classic music, something that Piper might like to listen to. All the others looked up at the loudspeakers questionably. Junko closed his eyes and started nodding his head with the soothing music. Aerrow and Piper exchanged questioning glances. It seemed as if _that_ was what the stupid button had activated instead of the high-speed impeller!

_No!_ Stork thought. That was _not_ what the stupid ship was supposed to be doing! Muttering angrily and inarticulately, he pressed the button frantically three more times. The ship's only response was to come to a standstill, and the Talons escaped into the clouds.

Stork screamed.

The _Condor_ groaned as her engines let out one defeated puff of black smoke and came to a standstill.

The world seemed to fade away from Stork. Whimpering, he put his hands to his head and massaged his temples, staring ahead of him wide-eyed and unseeing.

Nervous, the others backed away. Junko headed off to find the bathroom.

Radarr, looking to see if he could get a reaction out of Stork, leapt up onto his shoulders, his front legs balanced on one shoulder and his back legs balanced on the other, much like a cat. Radarr waved a hand-like paw in front of Stork's face, trying to get his attention. Stork didn't even blink. Radarr leapt off the Merb's shoulders and started toward Aerrow on all fours and stopping halfway to stand up on two feet and shrug. Whatever was wrong with Stork, Radarr didn't know what to do about it. Hoping his boy had a better idea, Radarr padded up to him and clambered up onto his back, hanging off his shoulder with one paw and lifting the other paw in the air questionably.

In front of them, Stork's eye had started twitching.

Aerrow and Piper weren't sure what to do. The two stood side by side in front of the round table, watching Stork. "I'm worried about him," Aerrow said.

"I know," Piper agreed. "Every time the _Condor_ breaks down, _he_ has a breakdown. But this?"

Stork just groaned and leaned his head against the helm.

Aerrow stepped up behind him with Radarr still hanging off his shoulder. "Stork," the Sky Knight said, "I'm sure we can find a way to patch up the impeller."

_Patch up the impeller? _"Dah!" Stork cried in frustration, making Aerrow and Radarr cringe. The angered Merb whirled around to face them. "It's already _been_ patched!" he exclaimed. "A thousand times! Just like everything on this flying deathtrap!"

Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised when Aerrow retreated back to Piper with Radarr.

The Merb started pacing back and forth in front of them, letting out every frustration that this darned ship had thrown at him. "The emergency sprinklers are full of slime," he pointed out. "When you flush the toilet, it sends a hundred volts through the seat!"

As if cued, Junko flushed the toilet just at that moment. His cry rang out through the _Condor_ as the seat shocked him.

Everyone on the bridge cringed in sympathy for the Wallop. "Uh, yeah," Finn agreed with Stork. "It would be good to get that fixed."

Stork went back to his ranting. "And you know who always suffers?" he asked Aerrow quietly.

Aerrow shook his head and shrugged. Radarr glanced at the boy as if guessing Stork's answer and wondering why Aerrow was so clueless.

Stork pointed to himself. "Me!" he exclaimed. He was shouting now, he was so worked up. "I swear," he clenched his fists and then ran his hands through his hair, "if one more thing breaks, I'll—!"

At that very moment, the lights went out on the _Condor_.

Stork's eyes bulged, one of them twitching as he was overcome with frustration. And then he screamed, covering his face with his hands. He started gasping, trying to catch his breath. Why? Why did everything always have to _wrong?_ He sat down on the floor and hugged his knees to his chest, still gasping.

Radarr leapt off Aerrow's shoulder as the Sky Knight approached the frightened Merb and kneeled down beside him. "Whoa, take it easy," Aerrow said soothingly. "We just need to kick in the auxiliary power." He stood up and called, "Junko?"

Junko peered around the corner. His hair was still standing on end and still had smoke coming from it from the shock the toilet seat had given him. But at Aerrow's orders, he simply slicked his hair down again and said cheerfully, "I'm on it!"

Without another word, the Wallop went down to the engine room and stood in front of the generator for the auxiliary power. With a mighty kick, the generator hummed and flickered to life, flickering the lights back on as well. Junko smiled and crossed his arms proudly at his feat.

But on the bridge, Stork still hadn't calmed down. He was on edge, stressed, nervous and trembling. The moment he felt a hand on his shoulder, he was so startled that he screamed and pulled away. Piper winced as she drew her hand back. She had been trying to comfort the Merb, not make him worse.

Stork leaned over and held his head in his hands, hyperventilating, trying to clear his panicky brain. "Okay, okay," he muttered his eye twitching. He ran up in front of Aerrow, looking him straight in the eyes. "I need a break from everything _breaking!_" He turned away, leaned over, and held his head again. "I need to go to my happy place."

"Okay, okay," Piper told him calmly and patiently. "We'll get it for you."

Still trembling, Stork walked over to one of the couches at the round table.

Piper turned to Radarr, who was watching the Merb with interest. "Radarr!" she hissed.

Radarr turned and pricked his ears at her, faintly hearing Stork behind him muttering, "Breaking, breaking, he, he."

Piper pointed a finger frantically in the direction of Stork's "happy place." Understanding, Radarr churred and nodded frantically in response before scurrying off to go fetch it.

Aerrow and Piper walked over to Stork, who sat on the couch. Stork didn't feel so good; his head was spinning, his stomach was lurching, and he couldn't seem to catch his breath.

Just in time, Radarr popped up on the couch beside Stork and churred. The little guy was wearing a helmet that was way too big for him and covered nearly his entire head, including his eyes. It was Stork's trance helmet, a device which could send the wearer into a deep, peaceful sleep. Seeing the helmet, his wonderful "happy place," Stork snatched it off Radarr's head so quickly that Radarr was dizzy for a moment.

Aerrow spoke while Stork snatched the helmet. "Don't worry, buddy," he told Stork. "When you wake up from your trance helmet, you won't even recognize the ship. It'll be like new." He smiled broadly. "Promise!"

At those words, Stork started to get a handle on his breathing. "'Kay," he agreed, nodding. "Promise?" Well, Aerrow said so, then he was probably right. Maybe. Hopefully.

At the moment, Stork could care less. He just wanted to escape. He stuck the trance helmet on his head and waited. When no one did anything, Stork tapped the side of the helmet just underneath the red button that would activate it. He could have easily activated it himself, but he felt better if someone else did it for him.

Aerrow stepped forward the pressed the red button.

It worked almost instantly. First Stork's face lit up in surprise, then softened to a calm, sleepy expression with a smile. Then at last he fell over onto the couch and was snoring away peaceful. Safe and sound at last!

With Stork out cold, Aerrow knew where they had to go if he was going to keep his word. The Storm Hawks flew on to Wayside's Cruiser Store and Repair Shop. Once they landed, they all headed for the office, Radarr hanging off Aerrow's back and Stork slung over Junko's shoulder, still sleeping with his trance helmet on.

A man with grayish-white hair and a brown suit met them outside. "Howdy, folks," he said in a Southern American accent.

The Storm Hawks stopped in front of him. Junko must have been feeling playful because he said, "Oh," to the man's greeting and then lifted up Stork's hand, waving it at the man and saying, "Hello, there!" in a goofy, high-pitched voice.

The man gave him a weird look, as if unsure whether to take him seriously, and then turned to Aerrow, seeming to decide it was better to ignore the joke. "I'm assistance cruiser sales manager here at Wayside. What can I do ya'll for?"

"We're just looking for the repair garage," Aerrow answered, gesturing to the dealer.

"Happy to show you the way," the salesman responded, gesturing back to Aerrow. "I know a sweet little shortcut through the _new cruiser lot_."

A red flag should have gone off in Aerrow's head right then, but for some reason, it didn't, and they followed the dealer into the lot.

And that's when they saw her. Aerrow and all the other Storm Hawks stopped dead in their tracks. "Wow," Aerrow gasped.

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed.

Junko smiled. "Shiny!"

The airship before them was a cruiser about the same size as the _Condor_ with a similar design. However, this ship had headlights and cannons running down both its pontoon-like engines. The runway was larger and fuller. The sparkling red and white paint job glittered in the sunlight.

The dealer just smiled at their amazement. "I thought you folks might like this one. It's the new—"

"—SSL-550!" Aerrow finished for him. Of course he had heard of the ship. All of the boys had. They _did_ read the ads, after all.

Finn's eyes were glowing. "It's even prettier in person than on the cover of _Cruiser and Sky Pilot Magazine_!" He held up the magazine itself with the picture, just happening to have it with him.

As soon as he saw the magazine, Junko's eyes lit up, and he grabbed the magazine out Finn's hands, saying, "Ooh, hoo, hoo!" Finn just glared at the Wallop for taking it.

But Junko didn't even notice. He had opened up the magazine and was reading the article about the 550. "Oh, guys!" he exclaimed. "It comes with an air freshener!"

Aerrow smiled at that. Just one more upside to one magnificent ship!

The salesman put his hands on his hips. "Now," he said, "what's say we take a little look-see," he held up the keys, "under the hood?"

The boys stared at the keys as if hypnotized as the keys waved back and forth in front of their faces. Oh, what Aerrow would give to see the inside of that ship!

But then, Piper suddenly stepped in front of the salesman. "Now wait a minute," she told the boys, shaking a finger at them. She shrugged. "Sure, the _Condor_ may be a little past its prime—"

Behind her, the dealer started mouthing his hand as if it were her blabbering mouth.

"—but . . ." Piper continued. She trailed off when the salesman moved around her and jingled the keys again. "Hmm," Piper said distastefully, frowning at the dealer. She hated pushy salesmen.

But when she turned back to the boys, she saw they were once again hypnotized by the keys. "Hey!" she shouted, breaking them out of their reverie.

"Huh?" Aerrow gasped. He straightened his back so suddenly that Radarr was shaken clear of his shoulders and fell in the dirt behind them with a groan.

But as far as Aerrow could see, Piper was being a killjoy. "Oh, come on," he insisted. "What's the harm in looking?"

And with that, he followed the dealer toward the SSL-550, the other boys smiling and following close behind.

Piper just slouched and groaned as they passed her. Boys were _impossible!_

* * *

Not long after, the Storm Hawks all stood outside the ship except for Stork, who still had his trance helmet on and was still thrown over Junko's shoulder. The assistant sales manager approached from behind them, laughing. "Ya'll's trade-in was approved!" he announced to them, putting an arm around Aerrow's shoulders and an arm around Junko's shoulders. "You got yourselves a brand new cruiser."

Aerrow and the rest of the boys beamed. This was going to be _great!_

* * *

Once in the bridge of their new ship, Aerrow looked around in amazement yet again, even though he'd already seen it once before. The SSL-550's bridge, instead of simply having a helm, a spherical Timepulse receptor, and a large frontal window, had the same frontal window with the bottom lined with the dashboard which had the gauges, Timepulse, and trackers. Everything was so advanced, so new and high-tech, it looked like something out of a sci-fi spaceship. The dashboard itself gleamed metallic silver and was lined with bright red. The ship still had a helm, on which was attached the wheel, but that was all. There were seats lined along in front of the dashboard for the people who press appliances and monitor gauges to sit in. A high stand behind the helm looked a bit like a captain's seat on a Murk Raider ship. The bridge looked even better with Lightning Strike's old shield, the one that had hung in Aerrow's room on the _Condor_, now hanging over the doorway entrance.

The Storm Hawks all stared with the same wonder Aerrow had. "Sh-yeah!" Junko exclaimed, holding the still unconscious Stork by the shoulders.

Aerrow stepped forward and rubbed his finger along the metal relief design on the wheel. Not a speck of dust came off on his glove, and the rubbing made a squeaky-clean sound. "I can't believe we actually traded in the _Condor_," he said aloud, thinking of all the dust and grim in that ship.

Finn huffed importantly with his hands on his hips. "I know," he agreed. He put a hand on his chest. "I'm still amazed I talked that guy into swapping straight up for this beauty." He gestured to the room around him.

He looked over at Junko, who still held Stork as before. Finn tapped Stork's trance helmet. "When your trance cycle is over," he told the unconscious Merb, "you're gonna owe me a sky five!"

"Why wait?" Junko exclaimed happily, holding up Stork's hand and laughing. "Chica—"

"—cha!" Finn finished as he high-fived Stork's limp hand.

Piper headed toward the dashboard. Aerrow watched her closely, knowing that she hadn't been on board with the whole decision to begin with. He wondered if she had changed her mind yet.

"I gotta admit," Piper said at last, as she looked over the many gauges and compass, running her hand over the slick surface, "it doesn't have that mysterious smell the _Condor_ always seemed to—" She cut off as she turned around and ran into Junko, who still held Stork. Wrinkling up her nose in disgust, Piper sniffed Stork again. "Ooh," she said, drawing away. "Never mind," she said. She held up a finger. "Mystery solved."

Junko shrugged, as if not sure what she meant by that.

Aerrow bowed over the radar, placing his hands on either side of the screen. "Ah, Stork's gonna love this!" he exclaimed to Piper, gesturing to the screen to beckon her over. "Check out the scanner! It's years ahead of the _Condor_'s!"

Piper sidled up next to him to see for herself. Junko tried to see over their shoulders, settling for looking through the gap in between them. Then he held the sleeping Stork toward the scanner as if to let the Merb see for himself.

"Wow, look!" Piper exclaimed as she looked the scanner over. "It can pick up skimmers over a hundred and fifty ticks away!"

At that moment, she noticed Stork's sleeping head by her shoulder, and she glared behind her at Junko. Aerrow just grinned playfully at her, still trying to get her to admit that he had been right about the ship.

Piper turned back to the scanner, still referring to the skimmers, or skyrides, it could pick up on. "And it can even tell their being ridden by—"

At that moment, the symbol of the striking raven appeared on the scanner. "Cyclonians!" Junko screamed in fright, pointing to the scanner. He was so flustered that he forgot to hold onto Stork. Aerrow and Piper glanced down at the floor as the sleeping Merb fell at their feet.

Cyclonians in Atmosian skies. This was the perfect opportunity! Aerrow held up the SSL-550's key. "Who wants to take a test drive?" he asked, smiling cockily.

Now they would really get to see what this baby could do!

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry it's been awhile, but I'm finally playing soccer again! Yay me!

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The _Condor_, the SSL-550, the Third Degree Burner Airship, and all other Sky Knight squadron airships are referred to by two names: "cruiser" and "carrier."A "cruiser" in warship terms is a fast and easily maneuverable warship that is smaller and less heavily armored than a battleship, which explains why it is cruisers that break speed records. A "carrier" in warship terms is a warship with a long, flat deck designed to allow aircrafts to take off and land on it, sort of like a portable runway. Certainly all airships in Atmos with outdoor runways are carriers.

You guys have gotten pretty good about reviews, so instead of asking for them, I'm just going to assume you will review. Although I will say that if you do, you'll make me happy . . . very happy . . . very, _very_ happy. This isn't working out too well, is it?


	106. Dude, Where's My Condor?: Heart Hauler

Chapter 2: Heart Hauler

Five Talon Switchblades cruised through Atmosian air in a V formation, the same Talons that had escaped the Storm Hawks not long before. They didn't guess anything was wrong, seeing as they had left the _Condor_ in the clouds.

But suddenly one of them heard what sounded like the engines of an approaching airship. "Huh?" he gasped, looking around.

The SSL-550 careened out of the clouds in almost cat-like quiet compared to the roar of the _Condor_'s engines. She slid up alongside the Talons and then zoomed ahead of them before turning around and blocking the Talons' path.

Before the Talons could even react, she started firing. In a single shot, multiple red energy pulses rained down on one of the Talons. The Talon screamed as the shots turned his ride into nothing more than a mangled heap of metal surrounded by black smoke. Soon the Talon was parachuting after it. Another shot struck another Talon, causing the same thing.

Aerrow smiled from where he sat on the bridge in a seat at the dashboard. They had taken down two Talons within half a minute of their arrival!

Piper was the one at the wheel. Her smile was broad as she guided the 550. "I had my doubts," she admitted, "but this ship is amazing! Everything works—"

She screamed at that moment as the wheel sizzled with blue crystal energy and broke, hanging limply on one side of the helm.

In response, the 550's engines began to die, and with one last black-smoked cough from the engines, the ship came to a standstill.

"—perfectly?" Piper finished lamely, turning to Aerrow for instruction.

Well, this was one way to have your perfect afternoon ruined. "We're dead in the air," Aerrow said, slamming his fist on the dashboard in frustration. He leaned back in his chair and pointed to the Wallop. "Junko," he said, "lay down some cover fire!" The moment he said it, however, he heard something snap. "Wha!" he cried as he fell over backward when the chair broke underneath him.

"No problem!" Junko answered his order. He went over to the dashboard and pushed up on two levers. Instead of activating anything, however, there was a snap as the levers broke off into Junko's hands. "Uh, problem," Junko corrected, holding up the levers questionably.

Aerrow could feel his frustration mounting. "This cruiser!" he exclaimed. "It may be brand new, but it's a brand new piece of junk!" The moment he said that, he touched the dashboard. As if in response to his comment, the dashboard sent shocks of blue crystal volts coursing through him. Crying out in pain, Aerrow drew back his hand and held it gingerly, staring wide-eyed at it and the smoking dashboard.

Finn turned to Aerrow. "Uh," he said, pointing out the frontal window, "we're not the only ones who noticed that."

The three remaining Talons were back and headed their way.

Desperately Piper tried to lift the wheel and put it back on the helm. However, once she had it in place, it just fell off and hung there again. Piper turned to Aerrow anxiously. "I can't pilot our way out of this!" she exclaimed. "We need Stork!"

At her words, Radarr, who was poised on all fours on the captain's chair, leapt off the chair, off the stands, and then onto the back of the chair in front of the dashboard where the sleeping Merb was sitting. Growling with effort, the little guy tugged at the trance helmet, trying to pull it off.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Finn, who sat in the chair next to Storks'. He pointed to the Merb. "I mean, he's probably going to be a little upset at me for—"

At that moment, Radarr successfully pulled the trance helmet, using so much effort that he and the helmet went flying backward when it popped off Stork's head. Stork blinked awake.

"—trading the _Condor_ for this ship," Finn finished in a whisper, his eyes widening when he realized Stork was awake and hoping the Merb hadn't heard.

But Stork _had_ heard. At first he couldn't believe it. Then slowly his blood began to boil. He could feel the urge to hit something, anything. His hands tightened into fists, and he started muttering inarticulately. As his rage built up inside him, he turned to Finn, his voice calm and controlled and his face contorted in a scowl. "You what?" he asked, getting to his feet, his clenched fists shaking. Finn glanced the other way, looking around the bridge nervously. Stork's trembling only got worse. "I'm out of it for a few minutes," he added, pointing a trembling finger at him, his voice rising, "and you _what?_"

Before Stork had quite thought it all through, he had tackled Finn to the floor.

The entire ship shook from the fight. In fact, it couldn't really be called a "fight." It was mostly Stork beating up on Finn, who was helpless to do anything about it.

Outside, the Talons were getting closer.

Aerrow knew he had to intervene before it was too late. He stepped over to the two rolling on the floor and picked Stork up by the back of his shirt. Stork was so caught up in the fight that he didn't even notice; he still snarling in Aerrow's grasp like a wild animal, brandishing his fists wildly and his eyes darting around, searching out Finn as if he were after an arch nemesis.

"Stork," Aerrow tried to explain, "I know this maybe isn't the best time for you—"

Stork wasn't even listening. He had spotted Finn. The sharpshooter had stood up behind them, holding his head, his eyes rolling in their sockets senselessly. Stork struck out backward with his feet, trying to kick Finn over, but Aerrow held him firmly.

"—_but_," the Sky Knight continued, pointing out the frontal window as he finally gained Stork's attention, "we got impending doom at eleven o'clock!"

As soon as Stork saw the danger, the Talons fired multiple times at them. The shots shook the ship. Aerrow let go of Stork's shirt as he and the Merb steadied themselves on the dashboard.

"Ah!" Stork screamed in despair. Nothing mattered to him right now, not even the Talons. "My beloved is gone!" Stork cried, clasping his hands. He clenched his fists and screamed, "What's the point?"

Just then, another volley of shots shook the ship again. Stork was jarred off his feet, and he fell over on his stomach. He sucked in a breath of shock as a metal object fell close to his face and hand, nearly killing him. Whoa, that wasn't good. "Okay," he said, giving in. "I get the point." Immediately he was up on his feet and running.

The Talons kept firing, their shots shaking the SSL-550. Stork got his flamethrower and protective mask, setting to work on putting the wheel back up on the helm and then went about fixing the dashboard's appliances. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself as he worked. He knew it was a race against time; if he didn't finish his project soon, they were toast.

The Talons were closing in on them just as Stork finished up. With a wild, defiant scream, Stork stood up from where he was under the dashboard, lifted up his mask, and slammed his fist down on a light-up button on the dashboard.

The SSL-550 sprang to life, leaping forward at the Talons with a sudden burst of speed that took everyone by surprise. Still screaming, Stork grabbed the helm and swung the 550 sideways. "Whoa, wha!" Junko cried as he nearly lost his balance from where he sat in the captain's seat.

The Talons shouted in fear when they saw what the Storm Hawks were doing, but they had no time to get out of the way.

The 550 slammed into them, shattering their Switchblades to bits. And without a backward glance, the ship sailed away over the clouds, leaving the three parachuting Talons behind.

As they flew away, Junko sank back into the captain's seat, looking down at the others blankly as they began to argue.

A wide-eyed Stork whirled around to Aerrow. His blood was still boiling, and now that he had a chance to think, he knew he should blame. After all, Finn may have traded the _Condor_, but Aerrow _let_ him do it! Stork pointed a shaky finger at the Sky Knight. "How could you trade away our home?" he demanded to know. "The _Condor_'s the ship that won the Stussel 5000 in under twelve hours!" He turned away from Aerrow and crossed his arms, refusing to look at the pathetic boy who would _dare_ get rid of his beloved.

"That was a hundred years ago," Aerrow argued, referring to the race and gesturing toward Stork.

Stork craned his neck around to glare at him. "A hundred and _seventeen!_" he corrected. "And she still holds the record."

"But Stork," Piper reminded him, "you complain about the _Condor_ all the time."

"That's because I love to complain!" Stork shouted at her, clenching his fists.

He let out his breath. What was the point of getting mad? It wasn't going to get the _Condor_ back. Stork could feel despair rising him. If he could never see his beloved _Condor_ again, what was the point of even living? Holding up a finger he said, "Just drop me off at the Black Gorge." And with that, he dropped his head onto the dashboard, covered his face with his arms, and began to cry.

Looking concerned, Finn edged toward the Merb hesitantly. Gosh, all he had wanted was to get Stork a nice ship. He didn't know it would upset the pilot this much. He put a hand on the Merb's back. "We'll get 'er back," Finn told Stork. "Just let me do the talkin'."

* * *

As it turned out, it wasn't that simple. After having landed in the new cruiser lot and explained their situation to the assistant sales manager, the answer was a flat-out no.

"Aw, come on!" Finn exclaimed. "Why won't you trade back?"

The dealer crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the ground irritably while Finn whined. "Well, for one thing," the dealer drawled, "the ship I gave ya'll is not in the same condition as when it left the lot!"

"Aw, come on!" Finn said again. "Maybe it's got a couple of 'scratches,'" he put air quotes around "scratches," "but—"

He was interrupted by a loud crash behind them. All of them looked back to see the SSL-550's dented, punctured hull that had black stains from received blows. The crash had been the starboard pontoon-like engine falling off the ship.

Yeah, definitely not in the same condition as when it left the lot. Stork could see his point there. But that didn't make him happy about what the salesman was saying.

Finn turned back to the dealer, chuckling nervously.

"And even if I was inclined to trade ya'll's cruiser back," he said, "I can't. I already sold it."

"What?" Piper exclaimed.

Stork hoped against hope that he had heard wrong. His mind started whirling, and he felt sick to his stomach. Did that man just say he _sold_ his love? Stork held up a finger and stepped forward to say something, but all that came out was a small whimper in the back of his throat, his ears drooping. The dizziness was too much for him, and everyone else's eyes widened as they watched him fall over backward at their feet.

Only sparing Stork a concerned glance, the salesman addressed the others again. "Believe me, I didn't want to you," he told them, looking genuinely sorry. His eyes wondered to the sky dreamily. "A ship like that comes around once in a lifetime, ya know?"

Stork slowly got to his feet, angrier than ever. "Oh, yeah," he answered softly. "I know." He cast a glare behind him at Finn. After all, this was mostly _his_ fault!

Finn cringed and shrugged, smiling apologetically.

"But the buyer wouldn't take 'no' for an answer," the dealer continued. He put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Didn't give his name, but he was very persuasive."

Although his tone did not break, his eyes were widened fearfully at the mention of the man. Stork had a feeling that "persuasive" might mean something a little more drastic. Oh, what evil, malevolent person could have possible gotten hold of his beloved?

* * *

Meanwhile, the _Condor_ was flying by a tall, barren terra with a pinnacle top, her ancient engines chugging along sluggishly. Her windows were dark, her lights having gone off again.

From within the bridge, a human with Spanish accent said, "Hey, boss! I figured out how to turn on the lights."

A four-legged Macroseles stood in the light of the window, the sun beaming in on his white shirt. When his goon kicked the lights on, he turned around. "Mmm," he said with pleasure, his deep, accented voice purring with delight. "She's beautiful." His light green, reptilian-like eyes narrowed. "And she's all mine."

* * *

Meanwhile, the SSL-550 was cruising through the skies with the Storm Hawks still aboard (because whether they liked it or not, it was their ship now). The ship had been returned to her former beauty after leaving the repair garage. While there, they put in a round table like the one they had on the _Condor_. Unfortunately they had no seats for it.

Once the 550 was in the air, the Storm Hawks had set off immediately to find the _Condor_ . . . only to realize that they didn't really know how to do that.

Stork just drove like he was supposed to. He was too heartbroken to really think of plan. His poor, precious _Condor_!

Aerrow, meanwhile, couldn't stop pacing around the ship going from deck to deck and passing by the room where Piper was working multiple times. He thought feverishly, but he could think nothing and waited impatiently for Piper to come out and tell him whether or not she had an idea.

Meanwhile, Finn, Junko, and Radarr were no help. They were enjoying the nice features of the new ship, which worked just fine when they didn't have the stress and strain of battle.

At last, Piper walked out into the hallway, looking over a map. She started walking toward the bridge. The doors were open, and Stork flicked an ear in her direction, listening to see if there was any help for his _Condor_.

Piper was completely absorbed in her map, not looking where she was going. So when Aerrow stepped in front of her and asked, "Any luck?" she ran right into him.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, frightened at first to be shocked out of her reverie, but she was relieved to see it was only Aerrow. Getting over her scare, she just stared at him for a second before she continued walking past him, talking as she did. "Well," she said, "there might be a way to find the _Condor_ using its Timepulse code."

Aerrow trailed behind her, listening to her as they walked toward the bridge. "Great!" he said, glad at last to have a plan. "What's the code?"

They stepped onto the bridge and toward the table. "Who knows?" Piper answered, laying the map down on the table and leaning over it. Aerrow did the same, putting his hands on the table. "It's a forty-six digit number, and it's only written on the ship's ownership card, which is still on the _Condor_."

"Oh," Stork said, now understanding what Piper meant, "you mean," held up a hand and started reciting, "198376572894782 746738928375847 36," he took a deep breath, "7436573875643," he took another deep breath, "8?" He sighed and rolled his eyes at their ignorance. How could they not know their own ship's Timepulse number? Especially a ship so grand, so noble, so beautiful . . .

Crossing her arms, Piper exchanged a glance with Aerrow. Looks like they had their Timepulse code after all.

After much searching, the Storm Hawks all gathered on the bridge, hoping to see their ship. "According to the pulse tracker," Piper said, "this is where the _Condor_ should be."

All the Storm Hawks looked out the frontal window. "So where is it?" Finn asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at a ship outside. "The only thing here is that ugly, tricked-out—"

But Stork peered out the window at the ugly, purple-and-gold ship with a white banner between its two back engines. He knew the shape of her hull anywhere. "Uh, guys?" he said to the others, interrupting Finn. "That's the _Condor_."

At that moment, the _Condor_'s horn, which had obviously been redone, started honking, making an ugly, out-of-tune bugle sound.

"And it's hailing us!" Piper exclaimed in surprise as their radio's indicator started blinking.

Squawking questionably, Radarr went to flick the switch on the radio to hear what the new occupant of the _Condor_ had to say, but as soon as he tried to flick the switch, it came off in his paw. He churred in surprise when he found himself holding up the switch and then whimpered and smiled sheepishly.

All the same, the intercom blared the voice anyway. It chuckled. "Here for the party?" the deep, richly Spanish-accented voice said. "You're just in time."

Junko's ears stood straight up. He knew that voice anywhere. "The Colonel!"

* * *

Hearing Junko's exclamation over the _Condor_'s intercom, the Colonel just smirked. "Well, today, I'm really more of a captain," he answered, putting on a blue, policeman-like sailor's hat with the Colonel's own golden symbol on it of a four-legged spider, "of the newest addition of my fleet, the infamous _Condor_!"

* * *

If the Colonel said more, the Storm Hawks didn't hear it, for at that moment, the intercom fell off the wall and shattered on the floor. Most of the Storm Hawks stared down at it fearfully. Stork cringed in fear, his heart fluttering in terror.

Aerrow, however, looked furious. For once, Stork thought, it might be a good thing; with the Sky Knight's determination, they may just get the _Condor_ back.

His determination gave Stork the courage to be furious, too. Face set in a scowl, he insisted on going with the others to board the _Condor_ and confront the Colonel.

* * *

When they stepped onto the _Condor_'s bridge, they all stopped and stared in shock. Aerrow gasped, and Radarr, who stood on his hind legs at the boy's feet, let out a bewildered squeak.

Their disco ball was hanging from the ceiling, and with the dim lights, the light from it circled around the room. Disco music was playing. The place where the round table had stood was now covered by an uneven purple rug with gold fringe. Replacing the old couches that had sat around the round table were ugly but plusher chairs with large, brightly-colored pillows. People were everywhere; guys and girls were talking, an old man stood by sipping from his mug, and the Colonel's heavily-built goons stood around and lounged on the chairs. All but the Colonel and a few Murk Raiders were human. In fact, Stork recognized Burner among them. (He had always wondered about that man.) Many people had large, metal mugs in their hands, and the room smelled of alcohol. Pictures of beautiful places and a portrait of the Colonel hung on the walls. Dark red curtains were strapped up around the entrance to the cockpit, leaving only the main bridge as the party room.

When the Colonel had said "party," he meant it.

Finn obviously liked the looks of it. "Ooh, sweet!" he exclaimed.

Stork thought it was atrocious.

Finn's exclamation must have warned the partiers that the Storm Hawks were there. The Colonel immediately appeared in front of them, looking completely content. Two human goons stood on either side of him, their arms crossed threateningly.

His appearance went through the group lake an electric shock. Most of the Storm Hawks stared at him accusingly. Piper put a hand on her hip. Finn put both fists on his hips, standing up a bit taller. Junko punched his fist into his palm threateningly. Aerrow stepped forward in front of the others, his arms crossed and his glare critical. Stork, however, just cringed behind them and rubbed his hands nervously. The last thing he wanted to do was face the Colonel. Radarr seemed to agree with him, for he ran off to go hide.

"Ah, the guests of honor," the Colonel greeted them. He gestured around the room. "You know, none of this would have been possible without you. What do you think of my improvements?"

But Aerrow didn't even try to be subtle. "We want our ship back!" he demanded, putting his hands on his hips.

The Colonel, still looking completely unconcerned, lifted a hand toward the DJ. The music immediately stopped. Chuckling, the Colonel stepped toward Aerrow, leaning over him threateningly just as the lights came on. "I don't think you're in any position to make demands," he warned Aerrow in a calm, controlled voice.

Aerrow leaned away from the Colonel, and for the first time, he looked frightened. The Storm Hawks had not worn any armor or weapons, so Aerrow was without any protection. The others tensed, ready to jump in to help him if anything happened.

Stork watched, wondering if Aerrow could think quickly enough to think his way out of this one. Apparently he could. "Uh, demands?" he corrected. "Uh, no. I was thinking more along the lines of a deal." He punched his hand into his fist, smirking. "We'll race you for the _Condor_!"

_Oh, no!_ Stork thought. _Aerrow, what are you doing?_

The Colonel straightened up, chuckling softly. "In that thing?" he asked, gesturing out the window to the SSL-550. "You are quite the risk-taker."

Aerrow glanced out the window. For all who knew him, he looked nervous. "Maybe," he agreed. "But if we win, we get the _Condor_ back!" He shoved a fist toward the Colonel forcefully to emphasize his point, making the Colonel's goons snarl and clench their fists at Aerrow threateningly.

But the Colonel was still unconcerned. "And _when_ I win," he said, leaning toward Aerrow again intimidatingly, "I keep both!"

"Uh, uh, uh . . ." Aerrow stuttered, looking uneasy with the new requirement to the deal. But then at last, he stuck his hand out for the Colonel to shake. "Deal!"

The Colonel's huge hand cupped Aerrow's in a crushing grip and shook it once so forcefully that Aerrow was almost knocked off balance.

Stork's ears drooped. Not only could they not get the _Condor_ back, but soon they would be without a ship.

But Piper smirked the way she always did when she thought she saw Aerrow do something brilliant. "Looks like the Colonel isn't as smart as he thinks," she whispered to Stork.

"Isn't he?" Stork argued. "The _Condor_ is _way_ faster than our new heap."

"Sure is," Piper agreed, smirking and clenching her fists, "when its high-speed impeller is working!"

Stork had forgotten about that. He smirked, chuckling evilly. It looks like he was going to get his baby back after all!

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's another trivia on the airships of Atmos, this one in reference to the Cyclonian ships.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The Cyclonian ships are referred to as "Cyclonian Destroyers" and are considered a type of battleship. There is some irony to this. A battleship is the largest type of warship, which carries the heaviest armor. However, a destroyer is a different kind of ship. In historical terms, a destroyer is a fast, highly maneuverable warship that is smaller than a cruiser but bigger than the classic frigate, which is the smallest type of warship. Destroyers are extremely fast, often faster than the cruisers. They are used to escort conveys and attack submarines. In fact, the Cyclonian ships appear to be a type of battleship called a dreadnought, which is a battleship with the same caliber on all the main guns.

Perhaps the name for the Cyclonian ships imply that, although they are humongous battleships, they are fast like destroyers and just as sufficient at taking down smaller ships. Or it could be that Nerd Corps paid no attention to accuracy and just thought "Cyclonian Destroyer" would be a forbidding-sounding name for a heavy-duty battleship. I believe the latter.


	107. Dude, Where's My Condor?: Pushing Limits

Chapter 3: Pushing Limits

As the race was about to begin, the _Condor_ pulled up next to the SSL-550 at the established starting line. Aerrow glared out the window at the Colonel in the other ship, who returned it. The drivers of the ships, one of the Colonel's burly goons driving the _Condor_ and Stork driving the 550, also exchanged glares, growling at each other. If there was one thing Stork knew, it was that _he_ would win this race . . . for the _Condor_!

Both drivers revved their ships' engines, keeping their hands steady on the break. Any minute now . . .

The horn was sounded. With a grunt, Stork let go of the break and gave the gas everything. The ships leapt forward as one.

The race was off.

From the get-go, the _Condor_ had a slight nose on the SSL-550, but the 550 held on, staying with the _Condor_ head-for-head.

Stork could almost feel Aerrow's steel-hard gaze beside him. The Merb's ears, laid back against his head, flicked in the Sky Knight's direction, waiting for his signal.

Aerrow's voice was like the calm before the storm. "Wait for it," he said, his voice rising. "Wait for it . . . !"

There! "Okay!" Aerrow cried clenching his fist. "Hit the impeller, and leave 'em in the clouds!"

Grinning, Stork did just that, reaching over and pulling the lever. The SSL-550 shot forward past the _Condor_ as if the _Condor_ were standing still.

Everyone grinned. "Yes!" Junko exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air. The _Condor_ was theirs once again.

But then a familiar, blaring, bugle horn sounded. "Huh?" Aerrow gasped as something swooped past the 550.

Stork cringed as he looked out the window, too. It was the _Condor_. She flew right by them with ease, hardly straining at all to surpass the SSL-550's speed. Soon she was out of sight.

"Wait," Junko said, placing a finger on his lip thoughtfully. He pointed out the window at where the _Condor_ disappeared. "Weren't we supposed to leave _them_ in the clouds?"

Now the Storm Hawks had not only lost the _Condor_, but they now didn't have a ship at all.

Admitting defeat is certainly not easy, especially when your pride is hurt and when the one you love most is being taken away from you forever. Stork could only feel despair when they were once again back on board the _Condor_ and an annoyed, scowling Aerrow slammed the keys of the 550 into the Colonel's hand.

The Colonel just smiled at the young Sky Knight and closed his hand over the keys, pulling them toward him and saying, "Thank you."

At those words, two goons appeared on either side of the Colonel, glaring at the Storm Hawks. One crossed his arms, and one put his fists on his hips. Stork cringed. He had a feeling of what was coming next.

Sure enough, it came. "I am assuming that you where _not_ aware that the _Condor_'s impeller was broken when I bought it? Hmm?" He leaned toward Aerrow, his eyes looking confident and inviting, yet suspicious and malicious at the same time.

Stork froze in fear, his eyes never leaving the Colonel's face. Aerrow cringed as well before smiling sheepishly at the Colonel. He didn't lie and agree with him, but he didn't try to contradict him, either.

His eyes lingering on Aerrow for a moment, the Colonel ran them all over, a slight smirk on his face. Then at last, he spoke. "Well, no matter," he said, clasping his hands. "Obviously I had it fixed, so no harm done."

His other burly goon, the pilot of the _Condor_, now came over with a platter of round pieces of chopped meat on toothpicks. He held the platter up to the Colonel, who took one of the toothpicks and stuck the meat on his mouth, chewing slowly while he gazed down at Aerrow. The Sky Knight frowned and furrowed his brow, an expression borderline of an angry scowl.

Stork hoped the Sky Knight would keep his temper in check, or something could really go wrong. But Aerrow was smart enough not to get them into more trouble, wasn't he?

The Colonel just kept smirking and gestured to the platter. "Sky weenie?" he offered. The goon held the platter out to Aerrow. "They are delicious."

Looking at the flies buzzing around the platter in disgust, Aerrow shook his head politely.

_Phew!_ Stork thought. No angry outburst on Aerrow's part. Catastrophe averted. This time, anyway.

The goon with the platter then walked up to Junko to offer him a sky weenie. Looking delighted and letting out an exclamation of joy, Junko proceeded to grab the platter out of the goon's hands and dump the entire on contents into his mouth before handing the empty silver platter back to the burly man. If the Colonel noticed, however, he didn't mind.

Stork wished he could eat, too, but he had no appetite. His stomach hurt. He was about to lose the _Condor_ forever.

Piper turned to Finn, and Stork's sensitive ears picked up on their conversation. "Now what are we gonna do?" Piper asked.

"Don't worry," Finn answered back cockily. "I got an idea that will fix everything!"

Piper cringed, and Stork agreed with her; if it was Finn's idea, it probably will only cause more trouble.

Before Piper could stop him, Finn walked up next to Aerrow to address the Colonel. A lost-looking Aerrow turned to him, looking confused, as if he couldn't possibly guess what Finn was doing. Stork couldn't, either.

Finn smiled at the Colonel and held up two fingers. "Wanna go double or nothing?" he asked.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow at the Colonel, as if so bewildered by the comment that he wondered if the Macroseles might go for it.

Just as Stork suspected, Finn's idea only caused more trouble.

Moments later, the Storm Hawks, with the exception of Radarr, were all wearing green vests. Piper and Junko were holding trays of sky weenies, and Stork and Finn had to carry trays with drinks. In response to Finn's request, the Colonel had made the Storm Hawks his servants.

Junko and Piper glared at Finn, and Piper shook her head at him disapprovingly. "Okay, okay," Finn admitted, shrugging. "That didn't work out as well as I thought it would."

"Oh, I disagree," the Colonel stated as he suddenly appeared beside them, taking a mug from Finn's tray. "I am looking forward to having you as my personal flight servants."

At this, Aerrow glared at the Colonel, crossing his arms indignantly. Stork just groaned and slump, scowling in annoyance. There was just no way out of this one.

Taking the mug, the Colonel stepped in the middle of the room and tapped the mug with his claw-like fingernail, getting everyone's attention. The murmur in the room quieted as everyone turned to look at their host.

"My friends," the Colonel greeted them, holding up a hand, "it has always been a dream of mine to break the Atmos air-speed record."

Murmurs of surprise and awe went out among the people in the room. Stork was sure he picked up at least two different languages being spoken.

The Colonel nodded to everyone before he continued. "That's why I acquired the _Condor_ and restored it to its original state."

The Storm Hawks all glared at him for that. Finn crossed his arms, and Aerrow uncrossed his arms so he could ball his hands into fists. Stork just groaned and drooped, shaking his head. The _Condor_ was lost forever to the Colonel, just as he said. What's worse, Stork felt guilty; the Colonel _did_ seem to be taking better care of her than the Storm Hawks ever did.

The Colonel continued without noticing them. "I have also added a velocity crystal array that will allow this cruiser to reach speeds of four thousand two hundred ticks per hour!" His guests cheered as he held his mug high and nodded to all of them.

_What?_ 4,200 ticks per hour! "He's crazy," Stork whispered to Aerrow, who had crossed his arms again. "That kind of speed will rip the _Condor_ in half!"

"Storm Hawks," the Colonel addressed them. Stork cringed at his voice, afraid that the Colonel might finally be finished with them. Aerrow just glared in the Colonel's direction, looking angry and fearless as ever. "I have greatly enjoyed your services," the Colonel said. A nasty glint gleamed in his eye. "Now, I don't believe you need help finding the exit."

_Exiting right away!_ Stork thought, not wanting to push the Colonel too far. He headed toward the door first, followed by Finn and Junko while Radarr scurried along at their feet.

Aerrow lingered, arms still crossed, glaring at the Colonel. Anger was rising in him from what Stork had said. The Colonel had already gotten under his skin. Now he was not only taking their ship; he was going to destroy it with his recklessness! Aerrow stayed a few moments, his rage burning him so strongly that all he could do was stand there and glower.

Piper noticed he wasn't moving as the others were leaving. Looking concerned, she bumped him gently, waking him from his stare, before turning and following the others out. Brow still furrowed in resentment, he turned and followed Piper out the door, casting a glare behind him.

Behind him, the Colonel lifted his mug high and declared to his cheering audience, "I go now to make history!"

The automatic door closed behind Aerrow as the Colonel finished his speech. Aerrow's eyes narrowed as he glared ahead of him. "Not in our ship!"

* * *

Not long after, one of the Colonel's goons, the blue-haired pilot, was gazing out the periscope of the _Condor_ at the SSL-550. He peered into the window at what appeared to be the Storm Hawks on board. It even looked like the jumpy Merb was waving at them.

The pilot turned away from the periscope and toward the Colonel, who had his back to him. "All your guests and flight servants are off the ship," he proclaimed.

"Then let us make way," the Colonel said, turning around to face him and clasp his hands together, "and make _history!_"

And with that, he reached for the radio and hailed the SSL-500, or 550, or whatever-number-it-was. "Attention, Storm _Chickens!_" he taunted. "I will be expecting the SSL-500 at my palace by nightfall."

With that, the _Condor_ spun around and sped away from the SSL-550.

* * *

On board the SSL-550, there was only one living soul.

The six silhouettes in the window were the dummies of Aerrow, Piper, Junko, and Finn that Aerrow and Piper had brought back from Talon academy; the Radarr dummy Aerrow had made during their escape from Terra Zartacla's prison; and an extra dummy with a mope over his head that they had set up to be Stork. The Stork dummy's hand was held up, and attached to it was a stick that almost led down to the floor. The stick had a boot on its end. Just as Radarr had explained to her, Wren's hen, Radarr's stalker and the Storm Hawks' constant stowaway, was pecking at the boot on the stick, making the Stork dummy wave his hand back and forth. She clucked and fluttered her wings as the _Condor_ disappeared into the sky, congratulating herself on a job well down.

The Storm Hawks themselves were not to be found on the SSL-550.

* * *

Meanwhile, within the hallways of the _Condor_, a tile of the ceiling was pushed aside. Aerrow and Piper peeked out. Not seeing anyone, Piper leaned even further out, hanging out of the ceiling and peering down the hallway in both directions. Seeing no one, she leapt down lightly to the floor seconds before Aerrow did the same. Junko followed close behind, then Finn.

Stork tried to leap down gracefully like they did, but he ended up dangling from the ceiling, still holding onto it with his hands, and then letting himself drop to the floor. Radarr followed after him.

Quickly Aerrow and Piper made their way to the door and stuck their heads out, Piper on top and Aerrow on bottom, peering around at the empty hallways to see if anyone was around. There was not a soul in sight.

Piper looked down at Aerrow worriedly. "Think the Colonel has any clue we stowed away in here?"

Aerrow smiled. He wasn't worried at all about that. "He may know the _Condor_'s history," the Sky Knight assured her, "but nobody knows this ship like we do."

* * *

While the Storm Hawks crept through the hallways, on the bridge, the Colonel was looking out the frontal window excitedly, standing behind his pilot. "Engage the impeller," he told his goon. "Maximum speed!"

* * *

Just as he was saying this, the Storm Hawks were making their way toward the bridge. Aerrow was in the lead. As an automatic door opened in front of them, he surveyed the area quickly, putting a finger in front of his mouth and shushing the others. Stork was in the back, cringing with fear. He whimpered as they tiptoed through the doorway. He didn't think this was such a good idea.

Suddenly everyone froze at the sound of a door opening. Stork looked up to see the automatic door at the end of the hallway had opened due to someone's approach. Hastily Aerrow pointed to a doorway at their right which led into the kitchen. The Storm Hawks needed no further encouragement to run into the room just before one of the Colonel's goons walked past the open doorway holding a crystal-powered gun.

The Storm Hawks slid to a stop in the kitchen, nearly falling over in their haste. Aerrow and Piper grunted and stopped successfully, but Finn nearly toppled over the stove. "Huh?" he gasped when he accidentally knocked a cauldron of green soup off the stove.

The hot soup toppled to the floor and spilled all over Junko's two-toed hoof, turning his foot red. "Ow!" Junko whimpered, biting his finger to muffle his screams of pain.

He started hopping around on one foot, holding his injured foot with his free hand. Stork grunted as the Wallop accidentally slammed against him, shoving Stork's back into the wall. Stork let out a cry of pain and surprise when a pot fell onto his head, leaving him in darkness.

"Wow!" Junko cried as he hit his head on another pot. "Hey!" he cried as he hit his head again, this time on a pan hanging from the ceiling. But it was the last large pot that did it; as soon as he hit his head against it, stars started dancing around his head. "Wha . . ." he whimpered, his eyes spinning.

So far, the Colonel and his goons had heard nothing. But Junko was about to fall over, and right next to him was a tall stack of pots and pans. "Oh, no," Piper whispered.

CRASH!

Junko fell right on top of the stack and knocked it all over.

* * *

On the bridge, at the sound of the crash, the Colonel whirled around, a snarl on his face. "Someone's on board," he growled. He glared at his goons and pointed angrily at the door. "Find them!"

* * *

Moments later, the pilot and another goon dragged the Storm Hawks onto the bridge. They all cowered under the Colonel's angry glare. Aerrow rubbed his hands nervously. Piper crossed her arms and smiled sheepishly. Finn raised an eyebrow, looking terrified. Junko scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. Stork just stood there trying not to tremble, rubbing his hands much like Aerrow was doing. He had a feeling this would not end well.

The Colonel never looked so angry with any of them. "You have three seconds to explain why you are here or I throw you overboard!" Everyone jumped a little as the Colonel pointed forcefully out the window.

Then, as if he were two different people, his face went from enraged to amused. He chuckled warmly, saying, "Eh, actually, I that anyway." And with that, his expression turned solemn again as he clapped his hands twice, giving his goons the signal to deal with the Hawks. He turned around as the pilot left the other goon to deal with them.

Stork's eyes widened fearfully. He was right. This wasn't ending well.

But just as one of the goons behind them was reaching to grab Aerrow's arm and start with him, the Sky Knight held up a finger. "Wait!" he cried desperately.

Much to everyone's amazement, the Colonel did actually stop and glance back over his shoulder at him.

"We just had to be here to see it," Aerrow explained. Realizing what he was up to, Piper and Finn grinned and nodded in agreement.

The Colonel turned around, still looking skeptical.

"You're making history, Colonel," Aerrow continued, masking his voice so that it sounded breathless with awe.

Stork watched the Colonel closely, hoping against hope that the Colonel would buy it.

He did. A smile lit the gangster's face. Chuckling, he said to his goons, "He makes a point." He turned back to Aerrow and the Storm Hawks. "Very well," he said. "You may stay."

Well, Stork thought, they were all doomed anyway. At least this way, he could go down with his ship.

The Colonel turned to his pilot, pointing to him. "Maximum speed!" he commanded.

This time, there was no crash to interrupt him. The blue-haired pilot put on the gas immediately. The _Condor_ leapt forward like a bullet. Stork could hear her start to cringe as the strain got to her. "Oh," he groaned. "I can't watch." He covered his eyes.

The entire cruiser began to rattle. There was heard the screeching, creaking sound of bending metal as the _Condor_ fought to hold together under this speed. Piper glanced out the window in time to see one of the metal plates on the _Condor_'s pontoon-like engines rip right out of the ship and fly away in the wind. "We're going too fast!" she shouted to the Colonel. "The _Condor_ can't handle it!"

As if to prove her point, the Colonel's portrait fell off the wall, and the Colonel yelped as the disco ball almost fell on two of his four feet. The pilot was cringing in fear, looking ready to pull up any minute.

But still the Colonel persisted. "It's okay," he said. "Steady as she goes." The ship jolted again at the sound of a spring breaking loose. "That's normal," the Colonel insisted to his pilot as he straightened his hat. "Don't slow down." He pinched his fingers together, smiling in anticipation. "Easy does it," he murmured, watching the needles on the gauges spin toward the highest numbers. "Almost there . . ."

At that moment, the _Condor_ balked, jolted, and then leapt forward again, causing the floor to drop out from under everyone's feet. Stork heard Piper scream and Aerrow yell as they were tossed about the bridge. The three boys, Aerrow, Finn, and Junko, and Radarr were thrown against the wall. The second goon fell across the round table, and Piper landed on her hands and knees. Stork, like the Colonel, was thrown on his rear. Only the pilot kept his footing, using the helm for support. He grunted and gulped as he struggled to keep standing, looking around frantically.

As everyone else got to their feet, the Colonel sat up. "Perhaps we slow down a teensy bit," he said at last, pinching his fingers to emphasize "teensy." Stork didn't know why. He thought they should slow down _a lot!_

The pilot pulled back on the wheel to apply the brake, but the wheel would not move, and the ship did not slow. "Captain, I can't!" the pilot cried in a whiny, squeaky voice. "It won't budge."

The Colonel got to his feet, looking enraged. "So, what _exactly_ are you trying to tell me?" he cried, taking his hat off his head and hitting his pilot in the head with it twice.

The pilot just smiled sheepishly in answer, so Aerrow answered for him, glaring angrily at the Colonel with a rage to match his. "He means that if you can't stop, the _Condor_'s goin' down," the Sky Knight clarified.

Oh, Aerrow did it now. If the Colonel hadn't been planning on wringing his neck before, he looked ready to now. But before the Colonel could move or say a word, a pipe burst above him, hissing as it let out steam.

Stork couldn't believe it. Aerrow's words rang in his ears: _If you can't stop, the _Condor_'s goin' down._ "Oh, no," Stork gasped. He covered his face with his hands. "My ship," he cried. "My ship!"

The Colonel turned to glare at Stork, leaving Aerrow alone. "_Your_ ship?" he repeated. "This is my ship now, remember?"

The pipes were whistling now. They burst in three more places, unable to take the stress of the speed. Stork gasped as a pipe fell beside his feet.

He turned to the Colonel, his face set in a snarl and his fists clenched. His ship now, huh? Stork stamped his foot. "Then maybe you oughta try savin' it!" he cried angrily.

The Colonel crossed his arms, looking bored. "Psst," he said, blowing through his lips dismissively. "It's just a ship. I have plenty of ships."

_What?_ Stork could feel his blood start to boil. "Just a ship?" he repeated angrily. He stomped right up to the worthless piece of scum who called himself a captain, pointing a finger right in his face. "The _Condor_ demands an apology!"

"Oh, yeah?" the Colonel asked, his face threatening. He met Stork face to face. "Or what?"

Just then, Stork's beauty came through to show justice. One of the pipes broke again, and it struck the Colonel right in the side of the head. He fell to the ground, knocked senseless.

This was his chance. If the Colonel wasn't going to help the _Condor_, someone had to. Screaming, Stork charged toward the helm. The blue-haired goon let out a cry of surprise as Stork knocked him aside. "Wha!" the Merb cried as the helm spun without someone to hold it, making the ship list. He grabbed hold of it and groaned with effort as he righted her again.

He looked over her gauges. The needles were still spinning toward higher numbers. She wasn't slowing down and saving herself; she was going _faster!_ "Come on, baby," Stork said, jabbing a finger at the gauges. "Come on!"

Suddenly, everyone's heads whirled around as there was another creaking sound behind them. Somewhere a draft had opened up. They all turned to see that the portside gun port's hatch had been opened a crack. Suddenly the entire hatch burst open, the door having been torn away. The Storm Hawks all yelled in fright as the sudden opening sucked away much of the Colonel's added decoration and furniture.

The Colonel put a hand on his hat to keep it from blowing away. He cleared his throat. "I believe it is time to abandon ship!" he announced.

Stork couldn't believe what he was saying. Abandon the _Condor_? Never!

But thankfully for him, Aerrow didn't like that idea, either. Fixing the Colonel a glare, he jabbed a finger at the floor and said, "I always thought a captain goes down with his ship!"

"Yeah?" the Colonel responded, casting Aerrow a challenging glower. But there was no way to talk his way out of this one; Aerrow had made a point, and the Colonel did not want to appear the coward. "Well, uh," he said, putting a hand behind his head, "I am no longer captain. You can have your hunk of junk back!" And with that, he stuck his hat on Stork's head.

Stork glanced up at the spinning cap in amazement. The _Condor_ was his once more! "_Yes!_" he exclaimed. He had her back!

The Colonel and his three goons went straight to the hangar, mounting their two-winged skyrides and getting out of there as fast as they could. The Storm Hawks had their carrier back . . . only to crash and burn when the ship tore herself apart.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: Many ships have some kind of lettering before their name, just as the SSL-550 does. These initials are a way of identifying the ship's country of origin. For example, a ship called _Raleigh _in the US navy would be called the USNS _Raleigh_, USNS standing for "United States Naval Ship." Other examples are: HMS meaning "His (or Her) Majesty's Ship" (England); USS meaning "United States Ship"; SMS meaning "Seiner Majestats Schiff" (German ships of the WWI era); RNS meaning "Royal Netherlands Ship"; HMAS meaning "His (or Her) Majesty's Australian Ship"; HMCS meaning "His (or Her) Majesty's Canadian Ship"; and HMNZS meaning "His (or Her) Majesty's New Zealand Ship." These initials could also say what type of ship it is, such as MS for "Motor Ship" or even MY for "Motor Yacht." SSL, part of the name of the Storm Hawks' (now the Colonel's) new ship, means "Steamship Line."

Now don't ask me _why_ SSL-550 is a steamship line boat when it runs on crystals. That's just what SSL stands for. Although I guess it could be "stainless steel," but that has nothing to do with ships . . .

Moving on . . . Well, there's nothing else to move on to except the next chapter . . . And, of course, your reviews!


	108. Dude, Where's My Condor?: Together Again

Chapter 4: Together Forever

The _Condor_ was still going way too fast and only getting faster. Stork gazed down at the gauges as the needles rattled toward higher numbers. "Uh, the control array is fried!" he cried. Gasping, he shook the helm. "Nothing's responding." He threw his hands up in the air. "We're all doomed."

But now, even Stork could see a bright side to all this. "Still," he said, smiling, "gotta say, feels nice to be back behind the wheel." Oh, how he had missed his _Condor_!

But even with pending doom, Aerrow looked determined, as always. "Well, I'm not givin' up yet," he said, his eyes darting frantically as he tried to think up a solution. "There's gotta be a way to slow down the _Condor_."

Stork thought a moment, knowing Aerrow was talking to him. Aerrow _might_ be right, but . . . "Um, well," he said, turning to the Sky Knight, "if we could _somehow_ deploy the landing gear," he pointed to the floor, "we could create some drag, but the controls are shot. We'd have to do it manually. We could also try the safety chutes, but with the circuits fried, that'd mean turning the release knobs . . . on the outside of the ship." He held up a finger. "And also, he added, "we'd have to disable the velocity crystal array in the engine core, which is currently an inferno." He held up a finger again. "If we do all that, there's a very good chance," he slumped, feeling despaired, "that we still won't make it."

But when have Stork's dire predictions ever stopped Aerrow before?

Immediately Aerrow gave them jobs to do. Obviously Stork was to continue driving; they didn't need to hit anything while they were going nearly 4,200 ticks per hour. Junko was to try to deploy the landing gear. Piper and Finn were to disable the velocity crystal array (with Piper in charge of that operation, of course). Naturally, Aerrow gave himself the most dangerous job; he would be the one crawling along the outside of the speeding ship to turn the release knobs. Radarr refused to do anything but help out Aerrow.

* * *

Moments later, Junko was down in the lowest part of the ship. He lifted up the trap door on the floor and peered down at the landing gear, looking worried. How in the world was he supposed to let down a set of tires the size of a house through a metal hatch that wasn't even open?

Aw, well, the sooner he got started, the better. Junko leapt down on top of the landing gear and started hopping up and down on top of it, grunting with effort, hoping his sheer force of his jumps and Wallop weight would cause it to fall. Oh, if only he had worn some armor to add some extra weight!

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr had climbed out onto the _Condor_ and crawled across her portside pontoon-like engine, inching their way along on their bellies, the wind generated by their wild ride threatening to rip them off the face of the ship. Aerrow wore no armor so as to be lighter and more streamline; besides, there hadn't really been time for that.

Aerrow set his face in a determined snarl, tightening his grip on the bent wrench in his hand when he saw the first knob. Beside him, Radarr gripped with all his might, his eyes wide and fearful, his teeth clenched. _Oh,_ Radarr thought, _why did I _have_ to go with Aerrow?_

* * *

At the same time, Piper and Finn had made it to the closed door of the engine room. Finn pulled at his collar uncomfortably as they came toward the door. He was already starting to sweat. "Is it me, or is it hot in here?" he asked.

In Piper's opinion, it was hot. Way too hot. Even so, she pressed the button to open the door.

As the door opened, she and Finn both yelped and leapt backward. They exchanged irritated, terrified glances as the fire blazed before them. Stork was right. The engine core was an inferno.

* * *

So while that was going on and Junko continued jumping on the landing gear with no success, Aerrow was lying on his belly twisting a release knob on the portside pontoon-like engine with a wrench. Beside him, Radarr was doing the same to another one with a bent wrench of his own. They exchanged smiles as they finished up, and Radarr chirped gleefully. So far so good. Sighing, Aerrow said, "There's just one more crank." He started looking around. "Where is it?"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of bending and snapping metal. Radarr squawked questionably, turning his head to look and pricking his ears forward. Following his gaze, Aerrow saw a metal panel from the _Condor_'s plating had lifted off from the force of the speed and was heading straight for him.

Radarr let out a shrill squeal in warning, and Aerrow let out a cry, flattening himself against the ship just as the panel came at him. It flew over him without even touching him. Not believing his luck, Aerrow smiled as he raised his head again. "I'm okay!" he assured Radarr. "I'm . . ." He felt the metal panel underneath him start to lift up, and he could hear it bending. "Uh oh." He felt the back start to come unbolted as well. Before he even had time to react, the panel snapped out of place.

Squealing, Radarr reached out a paw for Aerrow to grab onto, not even thinking about the fact that there was no way to hold Aerrow down even if he did reach him. "Wha!" Aerrow cried as he found himself in the air on the panel. He reached for Radarr as well, but the ship had already flown on, and Aerrow was flying backward, leaving Radarr clinging to the ship.

Radarr shrieked as his friend was thrown backward. If there was one thing he knew, it's that he couldn't lose Aerrow. But all he could do was head in the direction he had flown and hope that Aerrow had not fallen to his death.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn had been brilliant enough to get a fire extinguisher and was spraying the fire. As soon as the flames were completely out, he dropped the extinguisher on the floor and narrowed his eyes toward the velocity crystal array in the engine. Now was the time. He reached toward the rotating wheel of crystals that energized the ship and grabbed one of the red crystals. "Got it!" he cried triumphantly.

"No!" Piper cried before he could pull it out, putting up a hand to tell him to stop.

Finn cringed. Now what?

"We have to pull them out in the right order, or the whole thing will blow up!"

Whoa, blowing up wasn't a good thing. Finn let go of the crystal and stepped back. "Okay," he agreed, looking over the array of crystals. "Which one first?"

"Red," Piper answered.

Finn put his hand on the red crystal.

"No, wait!" Piper cried, putting up a hand to stop him. "Blue!"

Feeling bewildered, Finn stepped back and put his hands in the air, unsure of what she was saying.

Piper put her finger on her lip, obviously unsure herself. "O-or was it red _and_ blue?" she questioned, stuttering nervously.

Cringing and gasping, Finn reached out to touch the red crystal at the same time Piper grabbed the blue one. "Here goes nothing," he said.

* * *

Scampering on all fours on top of the portside pontoon-like engine was Radarr, searching frantically for some sign of his boy. He stopped and churred when at last he spotted him. Relief flooded through Radarr when he realized Aerrow was fine. He found the boy clinging to a bulge on the side of the engine, looking down nervously over his shoulder as if realizing that the only thing keeping him from falling was the sheer air pressure and force of the _Condor_'s speed.

When he realized Radarr was watching him, he looked up and met his eyes with a nervous smile, letting him know he was okay. Ecstatic with relief, Radarr squeaked and reached paw out toward Aerrow, preparing to head for him and find a way to get him safely back up on top of the ship.

But suddenly Aerrow's face fell. "Radarr, duck!" he cried.

Shocked by his cry, Radarr stood up shakily on his hind legs to peer over his shoulder. He had just enough time to see it was another loose metal sheet heading his way and squawk fearfully before it collided with him, sending him flying off the ship to fall to his death.

But Aerrow acted quickly. Radarr shrieked in pain and surprise as Aerrow grabbed his tail when he flew past him. Stunned, Radarr tried to make sense of everything while Aerrow and the wind played tug-of-war with him.

Suddenly, Aerrow's face lit up. "There's the last one!" he exclaimed.

Radarr peered up over his head and saw the last crank not a foot ahead of him. Churring with glee, Radarr flipped himself around, ignoring the new burning sensation in his tail from doing so. Now he was able to put his paws down on the ship and cling to it. Now all he had to do is get out his wrench and reach for the knob, and then they would deploy the safety chutes!

* * *

On top of the landing gears, Junko had given up on jumping up and down to get the landing gear to deploy. There had to be another way. But what . . . ?

Of course. His Knuckle Busters!

Without further ado, Junko swung the Knuckle Busters over his fists and slammed them together to activate them. Then, with a Wallop roar, be brought back his Buster-enhanced fist and slammed it against the landing gear.

The affect was immediate. The gear jolted downward, opening up the hatch underneath it. Junko looked up when he heard the metal joints on its gear creaking and bending. Suddenly, the landing gear dropped out from underneath him. "Whoa!" he cried, flapping his arms like wings in desperation to keep from falling. It didn't work, though, and he cried out as he fell on top of the landing gear as it jolted downward to land where it was meant to. Junko landed on his belly, banging his chin against the metal covering of the wheels and knocking himself senseless. His Knuckle Busters went out as he lay there, getting his bearings.

On the plus side, he reminded himself, he got the landing gear to deploy.

* * *

At the same time, Radarr, growling with effort, stretched out his arm as far as he could, holding his wrench in his paw. And then finally, _finally, _he reached out far enough so that the wrench could turn the knob.

The affect was immediate here as well. The safety chutes on the back of the ship opened up at once, flinging wide like two large, three-feathered wings just as the landing gear came down. The _Condor_ came to a sudden, sliding halt.

Aerrow yelled and Radarr squeaked as the two were sent flying forward from the force of the stop.

* * *

Stork, meanwhile, didn't even have time to realize what was happening before he was sent straight into the frontal window, his scream cut off quickly as he slammed against it face first and slid down the glass.

* * *

Shouting (or squealing) as they fell, Aerrow was not quite sure how he and Radarr were going to get out of this one alive. The two fell right over the edge, diving head-first for the Wastelands.

Meanwhile, Junko had stood up. Pricking his ears as he heard a sound getting closer, he looked up to see what it was. "Whoa," he said to himself moments before Aerrow and Radarr fell past him. Not knowing what else to do, the Wallop lunged after them to save them.

Aerrow wasn't quite sure all that happened at first. All he knew is that he struggled to grab on to the first thing he could . . . which turned out to be Radarr's ears. Then his fall was suddenly broken, and he swayed back and forth. Still not sure what happened, he glanced up to see that Radarr, whose ears he had, was being held upside-down by his legs by Junko, who had slipped over the edge of the landing gear and was holding onto the edge with one hand. Radarr just churred in annoyance at being treated as a tug-of-war toy again while Junko smiled down at them. "Hello," he greeted them cheerfully.

Aerrow just smiled with relief in return. Talk about a close call!

Just then, two crystals, one red and one blue, fell on top of Junko's head one at a time. Not fazed at all, he, Aerrow, and Radarr looked up to see Finn standing in the opening of the hatch above them, another blue crystal in his hand. "Well, look at you three just hangin' around," the sharpshooter said. He put a hand on his hip. "How come you always get the easy jobs?"

The three just glared at him, and Junko shook his head. None of them thought there was anything _easy_ about the jobs they'd just done, especially the almost-falling-to-their-death part.

* * *

When Stork awoke, he found himself on his back on the floor. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his head where he'd hit it, catching his bearings. He couldn't believe it. The others had actually stopped the _Condor_'s high-speed run. Surely _something_ must have gone wrong.

Stork got to his feet and stepped up in front of the helm. Looking over the gauges, he gasped and blinked to be sure of what he was seeing. "It's still there," he muttered to himself, looking at the needle. "It's still . . ." He broke off in amazed laughter.

Just then, the others all walked in (Piper and Finn having helped Aerrow, Radarr, and Junko safely inside once more). They had barely stepped inside when Stork couldn't wait to tell them the news. "Not only are we still alive," he said, narrowing his eyes at the speed gauge and smiling. "It appears we've broken the airspeed record!"

The others cheered, "Yeah! Yay!" in celebration, throwing their fists in the air. Finn did his famous, "Chicka-cha," pointing pistol fingers at Stork. Even Radarr was squawking happily, pumping his front paws and sticking his ears straight up in the air.

But none of them could have been happier than Stork. He reached his arms up toward the roof of the _Condor_ and cried to her, "I knew you still had it in you, baby!" He was so happy with his beloved that he planted a kiss right on top of her wheel.

Celebration over, the shock of the whole thing finally overwhelmed him. He held up a finger and told the others, "Now, if you'll excuse me." And with that, he fainted and fell over backward, feet stuck straight up in the air.

After the others had revived Stork, they set about taking down the Colonel's decorations inside the ship, except for Stork, who went about repairing what damages he could for his baby. Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper were busy stripping the bridge of the decorations while Finn and Junko went to check out their rooms.

Soon everything was once again as it had been before. Finn and Junko came through the automatic door from the hallway as Piper was piling the Colonel's paintings on the round table. Finn was waving his hand in front of his face. "I can't believe he turned my room into a stinky cheese locker!" he complained to Junko.

But Junko just grinned. "I know," he agreed, clenching his fists. "You are _so_ lucky!"

Finn glared. That wasn't exactly what he meant.

The two of them stopped in front of the round table, where Piper was holding one of the Colonel's pictures. "The Colonel may have bad taste," she said, studying the painting of a pond, "but he did make some real improvements to the _Condor_."

Aerrow smiled from where he stood by the frontal window, his arms crossed.

But Stork didn't agree. "Actually," he corrected Piper, "after our little high-speed joyride of doom, she's in worst shape than ever." And with that, he hugged the _Condor_'s spherical Timepulse receiver, smiling ear to ear. "And I wouldn't have you any other way!" he told his splendid ship.

Aerrow gestured toward him. "I'm glad everything's back to the way you like to complain about it," he said.

Stork held up a finger. "Not everything," he corrected. He sidled over to a red button blinking and beeping on the wall. "This warning light never worked before," he corrected, pointing to it.

Looking concerned, Aerrow asked, "What does it do?"

Stork shook his head. "Don't know." But he was going to find out. He pressed the button.

Immediately the ship came to a sliding, screeching halt so sudden that Stork fell forward, slamming his face against the button. "Whoa!" Finn and Junko cried as they slid into the round table and steadied themselves against it. Aerrow was thrown forward onto the floor, and Piper screamed as she landed close to him.

Radarr scrambled to keep his footing as the ship balked. As soon as he did, he squawked loudly at what he saw out the window. Chattering to the others, he pointed out the window.

The others got to their feet and gathered at the window along with him, Finn pressing his hands against the glass. Outside, they could all see the safety chutes had deployed, and an indicator on the helm proved the landing gear was out.

They had done their dangerous acts of bravery for nothing!

Everyone groaned, and Junko said, "Oh, man!" And with that, everyone turned to glare at Stork.

Looking around at all of them, Stork felt very embarrassed. He chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah," he said, clearing his throat and referring to the button. "Now I remember."

But even his friend's glares couldn't get him upset. He and the _Condor_ were together again. And never again would they be separated.

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, that's a great love story!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The ship Ravess uses is often referred to as her flagship. A flagship, by definition, is the ship in a fleet from which the commander controls the operation of the fleet. It tends to be a ship of the line, which is a sailing warship large enough to be in the line of battle. Oftentimes it is a capital ship, which is the largest and heaviest class of warships, such as a battleship.

I can't believe it! I'm done with the first seasons. Halfway done! Now only . . . a hundred and four chapters to go.


	109. The Masked Masher: Sneak Seating

Author's Notes: I'm so sorry it's been so long! I've had soccer finals, exams, and some really, _really _annoying computer programs! And those computer problems aren't quite fixed yet and mostly effect my Internet connection. Wonderful, isn't it? Anyway, I'm back up for the moment! And now, time for the first episode of the second season!

* * *

_**Part 27**_

_**The Masked Masher**_

_A match is held, and a match is ruined. A docile creature becomes a monster. A mighty masked warrior is unmasked. An old enemy is confronted._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Sneak Seating

Soon after finding out about the _Condor_'s "super brake," the Storm Hawks had stopped on a terra to strip the ship of the Colonel's decoration on its outside. Now the ship was back to her original form and sailing through blue skies as majestic as ever.

It was a calm day for the team . . . too calm, in Finn's opinion. So Finn saw an opportunity to spice it up after meeting a certain stranger, he took his chance.

And he had success!

The others were on the bridge when Finn came to tell them the good news. Piper and Stork were seated at the round table, and Aerrow, Radarr, and Junko stood beside it when Finn came running in. "Okay, mark the calendar, guys," he told them, throwing his fists in the air, 'cause today's the day your life has changed!"

Looking amused, Piper huffed happily and asked, "You finally changed your socks?"

"No," Finn said, not angry at all. After all, she would have a very different opinion of him in just a moment. "I, Finn, have just scored six—" he pulled out six tickets from behind his back, three clenched in each fist, "—count 'em, six!—" he kissed the tickets nine times, "tickets to the one, the only," he flexed his arm muscles, "_Ultimate Extreme Mighty Mega-Warrior Championship-ship-ship!_" He echoed his last syllable to sound dramatic.

But then he couldn't believe it. No one else seemed excited. Not even Junko or Aerrow.

At last, Stork cleared his throat. "So," he said, looking at Piper, "that's a no on the socks then."

Finn just raised an eyebrow at them. Why did they care about his socks when he was talking about the _best show ever?_

It must be because they don't know enough about it. Trying his best to sound dramatic, Finn continued on in a deep, excited voice, "Today only, the toughest gladiators in Atmos go into the cage of battle! But who will come out-out-out," he unrolled a poster showing the scene and pointed to it, "the ultimate warrior! Oh yeah!"

But when Finn looked around, his eyebrows went up in surprise. The others _still_ didn't look excited. In fact, they all looked a little annoyed. Stork glanced at Piper, and Aerrow put his hands on his hips, looking skeptical. Which probably meant he was about to say no.

Well, since things couldn't get much worse, Finn decided he had to tell them the bad news, too. "Uh, did I mention I had to trade ten power crystals and our toaster oven so we could all go?" He held up the tickets and the poster again.

At this, the others, of course, looked even more annoyed. "That's almost our entire power supply!" Piper scolded him.

"What?" Junko exclaimed as Finn set down the poster. "No toast?"

"Ah, don't worry," Finn insisted, referring to the fuel. "I'm sure we'll have enough to get to the games."

Aerrow slid up behind him. "Unless it's at the other end of the Atmos," he reminded Finn, although he was grinning with excitement. The Ultimate Warrior show was held each year by a different terra, and during the competition, the entire Atmos is invited, war or no war. It's a sort of peace agreement. "Uh, so who's hosting them this year?" Aerrow asked, looking interested.

"Uh," Finn said, studying the tickets for some kind of clue, "that's a good question."

Before he had found the information, Piper snatched the tickets out of his hand and studied them herself. And when she looked up to meet Finn's eyes again, she still wasn't smiling. "Well, Finn," she said, putting a hand on her hip, "I gotta say, you really did it his time."

"I did! Hmm!" Finn agreed, hoping she was finally giving in.

But now Piper had a mischievous glint in her eye, the way she always did when she was about to get Finn into trouble. "Your Ultimate Extreme Mega-Whatever is being hosted," she held up the ticket, "on _Cyclonia!_"

"Cyclonia?" the others repeated, turning back to Finn and looking annoyed again. Aerrow even looked a little disappointed.

Finn just shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "Is that a problem?"

"Finn!" they all shouted.

Finn cringed. He was in for it this time.

* * *

He wasn't quite sure how he did it, but somehow, through his power of persuasion and pointing out that the Mega Warrior Championship was a time of _peace_ between terras, even warring ones, Finn had somehow managed to get the others to agree to try to see the show. Of course, Finn found it much in his favor that Aerrow also wanted to see the showdown. And that Piper managed to see the reconnaissance opportunities this opened up.

So they went to Cyclonia, not in the _Condor_ or their normal skyrides, for fear of the being recognized. They came instead on the trainers they had acquired at Talon Academy. Stork, instead of getting his own, decided to ride with Piper.

There were mostly Cyclonian Destroyers at the docks, but some of the ships were free Atmosian. It was hard to believe, but even Cyclonia respected the day of peace.

They landed on the docks, where many everyday people, free Atmosian and Cyclonian (even children of both), were bustling around, headed toward the pinnacle Cyclonian tower, the way lit by crystal-powered lamps.

Finn was eager to go inside. "Come on!" he said, gesturing toward the tower. "We're gonna miss the opening match."

But Aerrow stopped them all before they even dismounted their rides. "Everyone listen," he said. "Cyclonia may be opening their doors today, but we're still the Storm Hawks. We need to be careful."

"No _problemo,_" Finn assured him. He gave them all two thumbs up. "I got us all some sweet disguises."

He couldn't understand why no one was impressed when he pulled out a fake moustache and a pair of sunglasses for each of them. Even Piper and Radarr.

Even so, Finn finally convinced them to try it out.

They headed toward the doorway and gave their tickets to the Cyclonian guards, who, much to the Storm Hawks' discomfort, all had Cyclonian staffs.

But the guard just held up the tickets as he studied them and then turned to the Storm Hawks. "Hey, what're ya tryin' to pull here?" he asked, scowling and holding the tickets high. "See? These tickets are fake!" He threw the tickets down on the ground, and the Storm Hawks all gasped as the Talon's two buddies pulled their staffs on them, pointing them threateningly.

Oh dear. This wasn't good.

Immediately, they all began to back away from the guards. "Uh, we're just, uh, testin' security," Aerrow explained as Finn, Junko, Stork, and Radarr took the opportunity to disappear around the corner. Aerrow pointed to the guards. "Good job, guys." And with that, he disappeared around the corner.

"Gate crashers don't stand a chance against you!" Piper agreed, making her voice sound deeper to go along with her disguise. And with that, she followed after the others.

As soon as they were around the corner, Piper put her hands on her hips and huffed. Finn was sure she was glaring behind her sunglasses.

Aerrow, who had been waiting for Piper just around the corner, now suddenly whipped off his glasses and whirled around to glare at his wingman. "Finn?" he demanded testily.

They didn't really expect to blame _Finn_ for the tickets being fake, did they? "Uh," he said, taking off his own glasses, "but the guy I bought them from _seemed_ honest." He shrugged.

"Oh, yeah," Stork sighed, taking off his sunglasses. "Robbed of our power crystals for a show we can't see in a place we shouldn't be. But hey." He held up a big, green foam finger he had picked up at the concession stands. "At least we're having fun." As soon as he said that, his fake moustache fell off, as if to prove his sarcasm.

Finn clenched his teeth, feeling sheepish. This wasn't turning out at all like he thought it would.

But then he was distracted by something much more exciting. He gasped. "Look!" he said, staring at a burly, masked man in a scarlet and black suit holding a sky-dog in a bun at the sky-dog stand. "It's the Scarlet Screecher!" Then another burly figure beside him, this one wearing a plaid shirt, dark pants, and a white mask, turned around after getting his sky-dog from the stand. "Huh! And the Plaid Punisher!" Finn exclaimed. "Oh, man, I know all his moves!" He pulled out a pencil and his red autograph book, which had the Storm Hawks' symbol on it, and ran over to them. If he couldn't watch the show, at least he could get his favorite wrestlers' autographs!

He was in front of them in a second, holding out his open book and his pencil expectantly, a big smile on his face. But the wrestlers didn't pay any attention to him, or even notice him, for that matter. They were talking amongst themselves. Desperate to get their attention, Finn began jumping up and down, but their conversation continued anyway.

"Did ya hear?" the Plaid Punisher said to the Scarlet Screecher. "The Masked Masher ain't gonna make it."

"He got caught in an ice storm on Blizzaris," the Scarlet Screecher agreed, a heavy, elegant Spanish accent on his voice. He shrugged. "Too bad."

And with that, they walked away without ever realizing Finn was there.

Finn should have been disappointed, and he would be later, but right now he was absorbing what the wrestlers had just said. The Masked Masher was another one of Finn's favorites. The sharpshooter then noticed the stand selling masks, which was next to the sky-dog stand. "Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Finn murmured to himself as he looked over and saw five masks on the racks. And one of them looked just like the mask of the Masked Masher, red with yellow flames around the eyeholes and spikes down the head. "Huh! That's it!"

He whirled around to the others. "Guys," he said, "I'm takin' care of everything."

The others, especially Piper and Aerrow, scowled as if skeptical of Finn's "idea." Junko, however, just looked nervous because Finn was looking at him and grinning way too broadly.

Moments later, after paying for the mask, some hats, and a new outfit, Finn finished dressing up Junko and stepped back. "Huh! What'd I tell ya?" he said. "It's perfect!"

Everyone had ditched the fake moustaches, though all but Junko wore the sunglasses. Finn, Aerrow, Piper, Stork, and Radarr were all wearing red hats with yellow and black flames on their sides and had white towels draped over their necks and shoulders.

But it was Junko who had the elaborate disguise. He had on long red socks, yellow shorts with black flames, a brown and red leather shirt under which his belly protruded, and red gloves whose black and yellow flame-decorated cuffs were almost up to his elbows. Spikes jutted from the shoulders of his shirt. And on his head he wore the Masked Masher mask.

Junko put a finger to his lip in uncertainty. "No way, Finn," he said, looking over his strange new outfit. "This is a bad idea." He pointed to himself. "I'm no Masked Monkey."

"Masher," Finn corrected. "Masked _Masher._ And it's just to get us inside." He slid up next to Junko and put an arm on his shoulder. "Soon as we're through the gate, we can ditch the disguises." He put his hand on the Wallop's chest, trying to reassure him.

Junko just scowled.

But for once, Piper didn't seem to think Finn was setting them up for disaster. Instead she smiled, adjusted her glasses, and said, "I have to admit it's actually a pretty good idea."

"See?" Finn said to Junko. "Besides, it's not like you're gonna have to battle anyone." He held his fists up and shook them in a mock brawl, demonstrating.

Junko raised an eyebrow. He still wasn't sure about this.

Even so, he went along with it, and when they approached the back exit, a Talon with a staff ushered them through a large door that opened up before them. Trying to look forbidding, Junko led the way as the wrestler, and the others followed behind as his crew and trainers.

Junko, Aerrow, Piper, Stork, and Radarr stopped just inside the doors as they closed behind them, all of them staring open-mouthed. Finn just stood there beaming, his hands on his hips. Before them was the entire cheering crowd, and just in front of them was the glittering, silver, decagon-shaped cage. "Now _this_ is what I call the best seats in the house!" Finn exclaimed.

At that moment, two Talons popped up behind Junko. "Whoa!" Junko cried as the smaller Talon, the infamous moustache Talon, shoved him forward. Junko fell on his hands and knees.

The Talon didn't even apologize. He just pointed to the cage and said, "Get to the ring, Side Masher. You're on in Round 2!"

"Huh?" Junko gasped, glancing over his shoulder at them. "Me?"

"Don't wait!" the larger Talon said, shoving Junko forward. Junko groaned as he landed flat.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" a voice called.

"Huh?" Junko gasped, pushing himself off the ground with his hands and looking around before getting to his feet.

The voice had come from the announcer in the cage, his dark hair with its gray streak slicked back in a suave manner and his moustache trimmed. He had a microphone in his hand, which he spoke into. "And welcome to Cyclonia," he continued, "for this year's Ultimate Extreme Mighty Mega-Warrior Championship!"

Hearing his words, Finn stepped forward past Junko, beaming with joy. He couldn't believe that he was really here to see it!

The announcer continued. "And a special thanks to our host: Master Cyclonis herself!"

The Cyclonians in the crowd stood up, cheered, and applauded as the dark, looming figure of the robed Master Cyclonis stepped forward from a throne on a balcony above the stage. She held up her hand to quiet the crowd and then stepped up to a microphone behind the railing and said to the crowd, "Let the games begin. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important experiments waiting."

And with that, she turned around and disappeared through the doorway behind the balcony, leaving her two guards on either side of the throne.

Piper huffed as she watched the Master walk away. "They'll let anyone host of these things," she muttered.

Junko was looking at the cage apprehensively as all lights were put on it. He twiddled his fingers nervously, preoccupied with the fact that he was going to have to _fight_ someone! Oh, why him!

He was so jumpy that as soon as he felt a hand on his arm, he jumped and screamed, only to turn around and find Aerrow. The Sky Knight was smiling reassuringly. "Come on, Junko," he encouraged, holding up one finger. "It'll just be for one round. Then the heat will be off and we'll sneak back up to the stands." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the stands.

"But," Junko argued, "I'm no Monster Masher!"

Finn put a hand to his forehead. Junko was never going to get the name right. "It's Masked Masher," he corrected. "And I know all his moves." He got up under the Wallop's arm. "I'll coach you," he assured.

Piper reached into her a pocket and pulled out a very familiar green crystal that they had used on Junko before: the hypnosis crystal. "And with a little dose of hypno crystal," Piper said, "we'll say goodbye to your jitters and hello to some self-confidence!"

She stuck the crystal right in Junko's face. As Junko peered at it, he gasped and stayed fixated on it.

"You are brave," Piper told him, "strong, _invincible!_"

As soon as she was done, Junko's fixated stare was broken, and his eyes narrowed with a Wallop grunt. "Excuse me, Piper," he said in his deep voice, waving his arm at her. "I have a little clobberin' to do!" He punched his fist into his palm and then struck three different poses while flexing his muscles, grunting with each pose.

Finn smiled, delighted by the improvement. With that hypno crystal working for them, Junko would be sensational!

But Piper only smirked, obviously having something else on her mind. "And while you're doing your little wrestling thing," she said, pointing to Junko, "one of us can sneak off to do what we _really_ came here to do." She lowered her sunglasses and peered over them, looking smug. "Recon," she defined. She put a hand over her heart. "I vote me."

Finn rolled his eyes. Big surprise there. And she called _him_ egotistical!

Suddenly, Finn felt his stomach collapse as Piper shoved something into him. He looked down to see the hypno crystal. "Keep this in case you need to give Junko an extra dose," she said as Finn grabbed it in his hand. She held up a finger warningly. "But don't overdo it."

Finn looked away, feeling bored. Did she really think he would overdo it?

But Piper kept talking, even though she was being boring and wasting her time. "And if you need to snap him out of it," she said, "say these words." She leaned toward him, put her hand to the side of her mouth, and whispered in his ear. "Cyclonia, help, bad news."

"Cyclonia, help, bad news," Finn repeated dully, digging wax out of his ear as he spoke. As he took his finger out of his ear, he waved his hand dismissively. "Right. Yeah. Got it. Whatever."

And with that, Piper walked away, leaving Finn smiling at the crowd, Junko doing various poses where he flexed his muscles, and Aerrow, Stork, and Radarr looking after Piper nervously.

"And now," the announcer said, having stepped out of the cage, "for our first round matchup, it's the rogues from Terra Trixus, Mack Turtle and Clowniac!"

The two warriors were already in the cage. At the mention of his name, Mack Turtle turned to the crowd and flexed his muscles, holding his fists high. He was a turtle-like humanoid. Most of his body was light-colored and fleshy, like a turtle's body. But his hands, feet, head, and armor were all deep green and tough. His face, very turtle-like, ended in a snapper. A tuff of white hair stuck up from his head like a mohawk. And his armor was part of his shell. He had his small shell on his back, but there were also shells on his shoulders, forearms, and legs. As he turned to face Clowniac, he crouched, ready to fight.

Clowniac was a very different wrestler, even though he came from the same terra. He drove to the middle of the ring in a little clown car with a mean face painted on its front, complete with a big, red nose. The car had a loud, white horn that Finn expected Clowniac to honk. Surprisingly, he didn't. The warrior, dressed in puke green and pink, stood up to from his vehicle and out the front (for the car didn't have windows). As he laughed and held up his fists, his face looked like it belonged to a psychopath; his hair and little, almost-goatee beard was completely bright pink, his eyebrows blue, his face covered in pure white powder, and a red clown nose stuck on his nose while he let out maniac laughter.

Junko's face lit up when he saw him. "I _love_ clowns!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists.

Still laughing maniacally, Clowniac set his vehicle to high gear, drove toward the wall of the cage, and circled Mack Turtle by driving around him in circles sideways on the wall. He was moving so fast that Mack Turtle couldn't do anything but stand there and watch, still in a ready stance.

Then . . . a pie came from the whirlwind of a vehicle and slammed into Mack Turtle's face. But it wasn't an ordinary pie; it was crystal enhanced, so when it struck Mack's face, the turtle-like warrior was thrown backward from the green crystal pulse that exploded against his head.

When Turtle landed, he was completely incased in his shell. But it didn't take him long to jump out of his protection with a loud popping sound, landing on all fours. He got to his feet. However, he only fell over backward as another one of Clowniac's pies struck his face.

Clowniac stopped his car and laughed at Mack Turtle as the latter landed on his shell and kicked at the air desperately, trying to get back to his feet. But it was no use; once he fell on his back, he couldn't get up without help.

Knowing he had won, Clowniac kept laughing as he leapt up onto the top of his car, holding a crystal-enhanced pie in each hand triumphantly.

At last, Mack Turtle stopped struggling.

Finn's face was aglow. That was an _awesome_ fight!

Junko, however, thought otherwise. He was cringing, holding his fists close to his face. "I don't like clowns anymore," he said.

"The winner," the announcer said as the crowd stood up, cheering and clapping, "Clowniac!"

Finn clapped enthusiastically, reminding himself to add Clowniac to his favorites.

"Now, Round 2!" it was announced. "Clowniac back in the cage against the Masked Masher." With that, the announcer turned around and pointed to Junko.

Oblivious, Junko put a finger to his lip. "Wait," he said, "that Masked Masher's got a real fight on his hands."

"You are the Masked Masher, remember?" Finn reminded him. His excitement grew. His buddy's moment was coming! He shoved Junko in the back toward the cage. "Get in there!"

Junko stopped just short of the ramp into the cage. And there stood his worst nightmare: an evil clown laughing at his fear. Clasping his hands, Junko cringed. This wasn't going like he hoped it would.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, what do you know? Atmos has a worldwide friendly competition, an event where all terras can send an athlete and people from all over the world can attend, no matter where it's held. It's a time of peace for all terras. And yet it's wrestling, where people beat each other to a pulp. Kind of ironic, don't you think?

In honor of this, for the trivia, I have a reference to another time of sports and peace for countries, even though tensions ran high.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The Olympics has been a beautiful time of peace for all nations for many, many years now. The original Olympics were held by the Ancient Greeks. Ancient Greek societies were not a united nation; they were a bunch of city-states that constantly fought amongst each other as well as against outsiders (this is the main reason they fell from power). However, there was a time of peace every four years in which they gather at Olympia. It was part of their worship to the ruler of their gods, Zeus. After the fall of Ancient Greece to Rome, the Olympics were not held again until 1894. Now every two years, Olympic Games are held, alternating between Summer sports and Winter sports respectively for a full four-year period between the next happening of each type of sport. In the Olympics, any country that has agreed to the Olympics and has an athlete to offer that is a worthy competitor is allowed to compete. Even warring countries come together and compete against each other in the Olympics. Even while Hitler was in power and tensions were raised, the Olympics were not cancelled but were held in Berlin in 1936 (although normally they are cancelled in times of worldwide war).

Well, I guess Atmos is ahead of us in that they still hold their worldwide sports event even during a long, drawn-out war.

Thank ya'll for tuning in, despite my lack of speed in updating. I apologize. Please review!


	110. The Masked Masher: Wrestling Romp

Chapter 2: Wrestling Romp

Piper was sneaking through the hallways of the Cyclonian tower just as the second round was beginning. She didn't know it, of course; it was quiet in the hallways except for her own heavy breathing as she jogged from corner to corner, doing her best not to be seen.

She accidently backed herself right into a corner. "Oh," she said to herself, stopping her sprint by reaching a hand out to the wall. There was a gray, automatic door in front of her, but she had no idea where it led.

Then she heard humming. "Huh?"

She looked up in time to see the shadow of a Talon with his staff on his shoulder. He was walking down a hallway that turned a corner and led to her. Thinking quickly, Piper leapt through the doors in front of her. In the dark room beyond, she stayed pressed against the wall beside the open door until the humming Talon had passed.

Once he was gone, Piper relaxed as the automatic doors closed, and she looked around at the room she was in. Her mouth opened wide.

She was in Cyclonis' personal library, with bookshelves full of books on either wall. In the middle of the dark room was a desk with a spiky, forbidding chair and papers strewn all over the desk. Behind the chair of the desk, a red carpet led out to the balcony where Cyclonis had given her brief speech.

Piper tiptoed toward the desk. "This is where Cyclonis sits," she said to herself. She chuckled. "And it's my lucky day!" she proclaimed quietly, throwing her fists in the air. And with that, she grabbed the scroll in the middle of the desk and unrolled it to study it. "Let's see what the Master is up to!"

* * *

Meanwhile, the crowd was getting anxious for the show. As the match was about to begin, everyone was clapping and stomping. _Clap, clap, stomp. Clap, clap, stomp._ And they were doing it all for Clowniac and _Junko!_ Finn was loving it!

Junko, on the other hand, wished they would stop.

"Begin, and come out rolling!" the announcer exclaimed.

And with that, the bell rang.

Junko and Clowniac were standing together in the middle of the ring. As soon as the bell rang, Junko didn't know what to do. "Uh," he said, offering his hand to shake, "nice, friendly clown?"

Clowniac took Junko's hand in his, and then Junko was hit by a buzzer powered with green crystal energy. It sent electric-like bolts all through his body. "Wha! Whoa!" Junko moaned, quickly letting go of Clowniac's hand and staggering away. "Bad, mean clown!" he shouted as he held his injured hand gingerly.

Clowniac just laughed at his misfortune and pulled out a large box from behind him, one that was bigger than Junko's head. The box opened up, and a gigantic, round thing bobbed forward toward Junko. But it wasn't the smiley face of a Jack-in-the-box; it was a gigantic, weighted boxing glove. As soon as it hit Junko, the Wallop toppled over backward. Clowniac just laughed harder.

Now Finn was starting to get worried. He knew Junko could take this clown, so why wasn't the Wallop stepping up?

Junko got to his feet moaning, holding his head in his hand. Just as he stood up, he looked up to see Clowniac in his little car on the opposite side of the ring. He was starting up his engine, and the next moment Junko shouted, "Whoa!" just before Clowniac rammed him with the vehicle's round clown nose.

Stork smiled in amusement at that, putting a finger on his chin. "Well," he said, "it is entertaining."

Finn didn't know what was so entertaining about it. Junko was losing! Stepping in front of Aerrow, the sharpshooter laid a hand aside of his mouth and shouted, "Come on, Junk—I mean, Masher!" He waved his hand at Junko. "Over here!"

Junko just sat up after being pulverized by the clown's car. All he could see was three little cars circling around his head like stars. "Whoa!" was all he could say.

That wasn't good at all. "He's gonna need a bigger dose of self-confidence," he said, holding up the hypnosis crystal.

Aerrow rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "We better get Piper to do that," he said. "Last thing we need is something to go wrong."

* * *

Piper was still in the library, now sorting through papers and scrolls on the desk. She picked up another scroll and unrolled. As soon as she did, he jaw fell open. "I don't believe it!" she said. "Cyclonis figured out the matrix for a regenerating crystal!"

Just then, Aerrow's voice came over their little radio. "_Piper, where are you?_"

Eager to share her discover, Piper put her hand to her ear where the radio was and said, "Aerrow, you'll never believe it! I'm in—"

At that moment, she was cut off by the doors opening.

"—trouble!" she finished.

That might have been the wrong thing to say. She heard Aerrow gasp anxiously.

As light poured into the room, Piper looked up to see the silhouette of Master Cyclonis and a Talon guard at her side. Heart pounding in alarm, she leapt behind the desk with a grunt, tumbling in a somersault, dropping the scroll on the floor beside the desk. She then sat behind the desk, her back pressed against it. She put her fingers to the radio. "Can't talk now," she explained to Aerrow in a whisper. "Cyclonis will hear us!"

As Master Cyclonis walked toward the desk, she said to her Talon, "Remind me again why I agreed to this?" Obviously she was referring to the Mega-Warrior Championship.

Piper scooted a little further away from the side of the desk as Cyclonis leaned down beside it to pick up the fallen scroll.

"Goodwill, your majesty?" the Talon suggested in answer as the Master stood back up again.

Master Cyclonis rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine," she agreed, putting the scroll on top of her desk again.

As the Talon walked around the desk to head to the balcony, Master Cyclonis walked right past where Piper was sitting to join him . . . or rather, so he could join her.

Piper sighed in relief as they slipped out to the balcony. That was a close one.

* * *

In the auditorium below the balcony, Clowniac was still laughing crazily as he in his car chased Junko in circles around the wrestling ring.

Aerrow's eyes widened when he heard the trouble Piper was in, but she didn't ask for help. She just urged him to be quiet so she could be stealthy. She would surely say if she was in need of his assistance. Hopefully.

All the same, she was in no position to come back to them at the moment. Aerrow turned to Finn. "Uh, Piper's busy," he said. "You'll have to do the hypno thing."

Finn held up the crystal and looked at with a raised eyebrow. And how, exactly, was he supposed to do that?

Meanwhile, Junko was yelling because Clowniac had gotten out of his car, picked the Wallop up by his arm, and was now swinging the Junko in a circle. It was a wonder that the clown wasn't making himself dizzy, but Clowniac just spun faster and faster, and Junko kept yelling.

Yup, Finn decided, whether or not he knew what he was doing, Junko needed his help right now. "Okay," the sharpshooter said, holding up the crystal, "you're braver,—"

Junko gasped.

"—stronger,—"

Junko roared.

"—invincibler!" Finn wasn't sure that was a word, but he hoped it worked.

Junko roared again and said, "One clown goin' down!" He then pulled out of Clowniac's grasp, somersaulted in the air, landed on his hands behind Clowniac, grabbed Clowniac's neck with his feet, and slung the clown backward.

Huh. Guess it worked.

Clowniac was able to recover. He landed on his hands and then pushed off them to land on his feet in a squat, shaking his head to recover. When he looked up again, he was smirking and reaching behind his back.

_Oh, no!_ Finn thought. "Energy pie!" he shouted to Junko, sticking his head into the cage. "Watch it!"

Clowniac pulled out two pies, balancing one on each of his pointer fingers and laughing at Junko.

"Don't eat it!" Finn instructed, holding out the crystal. "Defeat it!"

With a battle cry, Junko lunged at Clowniac just as the clown threw one of his pies at him. The pie missed, and Junko slid under Clowniac's legs and ended up behind him. He then grabbed the clown's shoulders and shoved him aside, slamming him into the cage and catching the spinning pie in one of his hands. As Clowniac bounced off the cage walls, Junko used his own weapon against him. He threw the pie in Clowniac's face. Clowniac and his energy pie-zapped face landed headfirst into the open windshield, and then the seat of his car, hitting the horn, which sounded like children giggling.

Finn stared. That. Was. Awesome!

Junko wiped his brow. "Glad that's all over," he said. He turned to leave.

"And now," the announcer said from where he stood beside the cage, "the Masked Masher will face off against the terror of ten terras," he pointed to the entrance of the cage, "Brutus Maximus!"

Finn stared in awe. The warrior that stood before the cage was a giant of a man. Although human, he looked like he could swash Snipe into the shape of a soda can! He wore very little clothing, and his face was covered in a white mask. He had a nose ring, and his green hair stood up in a mohawk. He roared at the mention of his name, sounding ferocious. And in his hand was a gigantic iron club, with a hammerhead as big as Brutus' own torso.

Squealing like a chicken, Junko ran away from the door with his hands in the air and ran straight to the side of the cage where Finn stood. The frightened Wallop gripped the cage bars in his hands. "I'm losing confidence," he warned.

"Uh," Finn said, wondering if he should dare use the crystal again. He did alright the first time, didn't he? "Okay," he said to Junko. "Just wait till he uses his atomic flop. You're gonna need a big does of this!" He held up the crystal.

Just then, the door of the cage slammed shut, with Brutus Maximus inside. The strongman roared again, glaring at Junko.

Okay, Finn thought. It was time to use the crystal. _Now!_ He shoved the crystal in Junko's face. "You're the bravest," Junko gasped, "the strongest," Junko roared, "the total Masked Masherest!"

Letting out a mighty Wallop roar, Junko raised his fists in the air and cried, "It's mashing time!" And with that, he charged toward Brutus Maximus.

Roaring, Brutus leapt into the air and brought down his club at Junko.

But it did no good. Junko caught the club in his hand. Pushing it aside, the Wallop grabbed Maximus, picked him up, and then slammed him down on the ground, making the crowd gasp.

Junko roared in triumph, raising his hands in the air. At his feet, Brutus Maximus lay flat and motionless.

The other boy Storm Hawks stared in awed fear. "Uh," Finn said, holding up the crystal and looking at it, "maybe I overdid it a little?"

They all cringed when they heard Junko yell again, and Brutus Maximus slammed into the far wall of the cage and slid to the floor motionless.

Stork turned to Finn. "I'd say yeah," he answered.

* * *

Meanwhile, behind Master Cyclonis' balcony, within her library, Piper was now on one knee in front of the desk, the opposite side of the desk compared to the entrance to the balcony. She had the scroll of the regenerating crystal's instructions rolled out in front of her, and she was copying the notes into her red book. As she wrote and muttered to herself, she heard the announcer say, "_And the Masked Masher sends another opponent packing!_"

Out on the balcony, Master Cyclonis sighed in boredom. "As long as I'm here," she said to her guard, who stood beside her chair, "I might as well get something done. Bring the regenerating crystal scroll from my desk."

Without a word, the Talon turned around and walked back into the library, leaving his staff by the balcony's entrance.

Piper gasped when she heard footsteps approaching, her heart beating wildly. Hurriedly she put the scroll on the desk, sat down in front of the desk, and pressed her back to it. Hopefully the Talon wouldn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

The Talon approached the desk, spotted the scroll, picked it up, and walked out with it, noticing nothing. Listening intently with her ear pressed to the desk, Piper listened to his footsteps head out toward the balcony.

Just then, she had the greatest inconvenience possible. Aerrow called her over their radio. "_Uh, Piper?_" he said, his voice ringing out in the quiet room. "_We've got a situation here with Junko._"

"No!" Piper cried back at him, warning him into silence. She had meant to whisper it, but her nervous made her voice come out louder. Much louder.

He voice was so loud, in fact, that the Master, who was out on the balcony now reviewing her notes on her scroll, turned to the Talon and said, "Did you hear something?"

The Talon didn't answer, but Master Cyclonis decided to see for herself. You could never trust the ordinary Talons to get something done. Besides, if it _was_ an intruder, she didn't think the Talon could handle it even if he did find him or her.

So while the crowd outside was cheering, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Master Cyclonis was heading into her library. She stopped just short of the desk and studied the room. The desk seemed like the best place for an enemy to hide if that enemy was looking for information. Not knowing what to expect, Cyclonis tiptoed up beside the desk and peered around it.

No one was there.

"Hmm," Cyclonis huffed haughtily. She must just be paranoid. Upset with herself for getting antsy, she strode back out onto the balcony.

In the corner of the room, Piper peered around a Cyclonian-style statue, watching Cyclonis leave. Once the Master was gone, Piper sighed in relief. That was another close one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Junko was facing off against the Scarlet Screecher. Finn had been sure the Screecher would put up more of a fight, but Junko ended up holding him down on the floor on his stomach, putting his knee on him so he couldn't get up, and bending his legs back. The Scarlet Screecher screamed like a little girl and beat the ground with his fists, his eyes wide with pain.

Next Junko faced off with Mack Turtle. The still-hypnotized Wallop leapt up onto the top of the cage above Mack and growled down at him. Mack Turtle looked up at him with wide eyes. "Uh oh," he said.

And then Junko jumped on top of him in a belly-flop, flattening him.

Next up was the Plaid Punisher. The burly man tried to use a folded-up chair and slam it down on Junko's head, but Junko only stood up straighter with the now-dented chair on his head, looking absolutely furious. The Plaid Punisher whimpered as he expected what was coming.

The next instant, the Plaid Punisher was tossed right out of the building, followed by a Wallop roar.

With that match over, Junko was out of the cage and with the other Storm Hawks looking up at the scoreboard. "Masked Masher dominates!" he cheered, throwing his fists in the air and howling.

Finn cringed. That was not only painful to hear but also kind of scary. "Wow!" he said to Junko, holding up a hand in front of him to tell him to stop. "Wow, Junko, good buddy, take it down a couple of notches."

Junko only glared down at him and then leaned into him. Yikes. Junko had never looked that frighteningly at Finn before. "Junko?" the Wallop repeated, pointing at Finn. "You got the name wrong, pipsqueak! I'm the Masked Masher, and it's mashing time!" He threw his fists in the air and howled again before taking off toward the ring.

"He thinks he really _is_ the Masher!" Finn heard Aerrow exclaim.

Oh, yeah. This was not good. Finn thought furiously. "Uh, okay," he told the others. "No problem. I just say the words Piper told me, and he'll snap out of it."

He opened his mouth to say the words, but suddenly his mind went blank. "Uh . . ." he said, trying to remember. Moaning, he rubbed his forehead.

Stork frowned, looking bored and exasperated. He pointed at Finn. "You forgot them," he said, more of a statement then a question.

"Um . . ." Finn said. But there was no getting around it. He had forgotten the words. He shrugged and smiled at them. "Anybody got a Plan B?"

"Yeah," Aerrow answered. "Piper. But she's not answering." He said it anxiously, as if he was as worried about her as he was about their situation with Junko. He pointed to Finn. "You try to find the words," he instructed, pointing his thumb at himself, "while I try to find her." And with that, he ran off toward the vacant Cyclonian hallways.

* * *

Piper, meanwhile, had just tiptoed to the entrance to the balcony, curious to see what was going on. She put a hand on the doorframe and peered around to see.

There was Master Cyclonis sitting on her throne-like chair on the balcony, a guard with a Cyclonian staff on either side of her. "This Masked Masher is a wild one," Cyclonis commented with a smile. "He should be a Talon."

Wondering what she was talking about, Piper looked down at the ring. There was Junko, holding the bars of the cage and shaking them while he howled in rage before turning around and throwing his fists in the air. Piper smirked. "Yup," she said quietly to herself. "Finn overdid the hypnosis." Just as she knew he would.

And with that, she disappeared into the library again.

As soon as she left, Junko stopped and stood in the middle of the cage, his hands on his hips, all spotlights on him. "And now," the announcer said, "the winner-take-all final match of the night! It's the Masked Masher," Junko threw his fists in the air and roared, "versus the reigning Ultimate Mega-Warrior himself, the Smash Rampage!"

The doors flew open as he said it to reveal the man known as the Smash Rampage. The warrior clenched his fists and flexed his muscles, roaring as soon as the spotlight fell on him. He was a burly blond man with hairy forearms and a small, pointed beard. He wore a dark leather suit, which exposed his forearms, and on top of that he had a blue vest. Each side of the vest bore a yellow X, the same as those on his pant legs. His dark leather mask only covered his face above and around his eyes, and it had yellow streaks.

Junko leaned forward and growled determinedly as he studied his opponent. The Smash Rampage ran forward and leapt into the air, his heavy belly showing over his belt line and out from under his shirt. The warrior threw his fist in the air for the cheering crowd before leaping to one side and roaring. He then threw both his fists in the air and roared again. To end his intimidating show, he flexed his muscles, growling.

Finn could hardly contain his joy at what he saw. He laughed, his fists clenched in glee. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "The Smash Rampage. Oh, ho! He's my favorite!"

When he turned to look at Stork and Radarr to have them join in his celebration, the two only glared at him with clenched teeth. "Oh," Finn said as he remembered his job. He held up a finger. "Right. Help Junko. Yeah." But seriously, how was he supposed to concentrate on remembering a certain phrase he heard once when the most awesome Mega-Warrior ever was standing right in front of him?

The Smash Rampage had stopped to blow kisses to some of the ladies in the crowd, making many members of the crowd stand up and cheer.

The Smash Rampage approached the cage, his fists held up in the air. "It's smashing time!" he announced, his voice deep and throaty. He slammed his fists together and ran into the cage.

Junko met him in the middle, jumping in front of him. "It's mashing time!" the Wallop declared, holding up a finger.

Just then, the Smash Rampage's warrior side subsided, and he held up his finger and cleared his throat to reveal a very formal, light British accent. "Um, excuse me, old boy," he said to Junko politely, "but you can't use, 'It's _mashing_ time.' It's too close to, 'It's _smashing_ time,' which is my catchphrase." He pointed to himself and leaned toward Junko with an irritated snarl on his face, obviously not liking his catchphrase taken.

But Junko couldn't seem to care less. "Stop yakkin' and startin' smackin'!" he shouted, leaning toward his opponent. Then he beat his chest and howled right in the Smash Rampage's face before ramming into him with his fist, starting the fight.

Great, Finn thought. His favorite wrestler was wrestling in front of him, but he couldn't enjoy it because he was trying to stop his friend from fighting him even though it was so totally awesome! Fate had a horrible sense of humor.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In a world cup, a sport tournament is held between all countries of the world willing to participate. They are held every four years for that particular sport. Wrestling has its own world cup, much like that of Atmos.

Not long and not detailed, I know. Wrestling is not a large interest of mine, and apparently the Wrestling World Cup is not a big interest to the public because I could find very little on them.

Okay, well that's a wrap. New chapter up soon!


	111. The Masked Masher: Unmasked

Chapter 3: Unmasked

Aerrow was running through the hallways, trying to stay out of sight of Cyclonians and keeping an eye out for Piper. He turned another corner and flattened himself against a wall. Still no sign of Piper. Where was she?

At that moment, a fat Talon began to head toward the corner, the tip of his staff lighting up the hallway. Beside him was a smaller Talon pushing a wheelbarrow full of glowing purple crystals. "Huh?" Aerrow gasped. Heart beating a mile a minute, he huffed as he jumped off the wall and leapt toward the door in front of him before they could spot him.

The door opened automatically. With a grunt, Aerrow landed on all fours, stealthy and balanced like a cat.

He didn't really take time to examine the dark room he was in. Instead he only glanced over his shoulder, relieved that the automatic door had closed again and was concealing him from the Talons.

Trying to catch his bearings, Aerrow crawled forward on his hands and knees. He looked around him over the shades he was still wearing. The room appeared to be some sort of office or library.

At that moment, Aerrow's head banged against somebody else's.

Aerrow practically jumped out of his skin. Heart pounding, he jumped backward, landing on his rear, his back colliding with the door.

When he looked up, he couldn't have been more relieved. But startled as he was, he demanded an explanation. "Piper, what—"

But Piper, who was on her hands and knees in front of him, just shushed him, putting her finger in front of her mouth. "Quiet," she whispered, crawling up close so that their faces were inches apart. Her desperation for silence couldn't have been clearer.

Aerrow blinked in bewilderment, trying to figure out what was wrong. Piper must have seen his puzzled look because she pointed past the desk out to the balcony.

Aerrow froze. There he saw Master Cyclonis standing with her back to them, a Talon guard on either side.

Well, this was a stickier situation than Aerrow had planned for.

* * *

Junko threw the Smash Rampage on his back, letting out a mighty roar as he did so. Then Junko brought his fist back, yelling, preparing to strike his opponent in the face.

But he hesitated when the Smash Rampage held up a hand to protect his face and said in his eloquent British accent, "I say, we had a deal."

Junko lowered his fist, his face still twisted in a snarl. A deal? He didn't remember anything about a deal.

The Smash Rampage pointed to him. "Your supposed to be stuck in an ice storm on Blizzaris and—" But then he gasped, and for Finn, the worst thing possible that could happen, happened. "Wait a minute!" the Smash Rampage exclaimed, pointing to him again. "You're not the Masher!" He voice suddenly fell to his deep, throaty warrior's voice. "You're an imposter!"

The crowd gasped.

And then, before Finn could even begin to realize what he had just said, the Smash Rampage pulled off Junko's mask.

Finn, Stork, and Radarr cringed. Not good.

On the balcony, one of Master Cyclonis's guards dropped his staff and ran to the railing, gripping it hard. "That's a Storm Hawk!" he exclaimed to the Master, pointing down at Junko.

"Which means they're all here," Cyclonis said casually. "Put the guards on alert."

And with that, she walked back inside. There was a certain suspicious noise she had heard earlier, and if her hunch was correct, it was somehow linked to the presence of the Storm Hawk in the fighting ring.

* * *

In the library, Aerrow and Piper were on their hands and knees in front of the manual doors, trying to work their way out without being seen. Piper was sure they could do it. She put her hand to the door and pushed lightly. It creaked open just a few inches, and then . . . BANG! CRASH!

Piper toppled over to the side as a rolling table covered in a white cloth and containing plates, silverware and platters of food slammed into the opening door. She heard Aerrow grunt as he fell in the other direction, a sound that was followed by the sounds of plates falling and shattering as the table tipped over sideways, the sky weenie platter falling and scattering all over the floor. The fat Talon who had apparently been bringing the food to Cyclonis stood the doorway looking astonished.

Piper sat up, food in her hair and on her face. She had barely been able to take this all in when she felt a finger slide along her face, wiping away some of the food. She looked up into the haunting pale face of Master Cyclonis.

Cyclonis put her finger in her mouth. "Hmm," she said, tasting the food. "Not bad." She narrowed her eyes at Piper. "Except for the sour Storm Hawks aftertaste."

As one, Piper and Aerrow got to their feet, getting ready to fight the guards and Cyclonis if they had to. But Aerrow had no armor, and neither had weapons. And Cyclonis had her crystals.

Before either Storm Hawk could make an attempt to fight or escape, Cyclonia pulled out a bright white crystal and shot it at them. Both gasped as the blast hit them. But it didn't hurt them. It trapped them, surrounding them in a floating, glowing, violet prison with force field-like walls. As if that wasn't enough, crystal energy circled their hands like handcuffs, making them cross their arms in front of their chest. The handcuffs burned when Piper's hands touched the rims of the circles on them. "Ah!" Piper heard Aerrow gasp painfully as he struggled against them, and Piper struggled as well, but the cuffs and walls wouldn't give, and even if they did, the two Talon guards were both pointing their staffs at them, one on one side and one on the other.

Cyclonis just chuckled, staring at them with such intensity that Piper knew she had a plan that neither of them would like. The Master smirked and said, "This little competition just got interesting."

Things happened fast after that. Master Cyclonis gave the Talons their orders. Piper watched nervously as Master Cyclonis freed Aerrow of the crystal cage and the crystal energy cuffs to have him held by forcefully Talons. She watched as he was taken away, and she felt her heart beating fast with fear. It was true that Cyclonia's greatest grudge and fascination was with Piper, but an empress as smart as her knew the power Aerrow held in being the leader . . . not to mention her rage against him for ruining her first plan. Piper couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to them all, and Aerrow would be the first to suffer from it.

Soon the other Storm Hawks, minus Junko (who obviously was not in his right mind), were captured and locked in a large cage before Finn had even quite realized he and the others had been compromised. He was surprised to see Aerrow was already held captive. Of all of them, he expected the last, not the first, one of them to be captured would be their Sky Knight.

Up on the balcony, Master Cyclonis stood watching it all, her hands on the railing and an evil smirk on her face. Behind her, Piper was still trapped in the crystal force field with a Talon guard on either side of her, pointing their staffs at her threateningly in case she tried anything.

Moments later, Finn heard the announcer saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, a special matchup arranged by Master Cyclonis herself! A duel to the finish!"

A duel to the finish? _Wait, _Finn thought. The Ultimate Mega-Warrior Championship wasn't about beating people to death. It was about bringing the terras together in peaceful competition. Why would they have a duel to the finish? That's so not cool!

Oh, right. Master Cyclonis called for it.

Then the announcer was announcing the competitors. "The, um, Unmasked Masher," Junko roared at that announcement, "versus Aerrow the Storm Hawk!"

_What?_ Finn watched, panicked. Master Cyclonis was going to make his two best friends fight to the death!

Aerrow was led up to the cage by a large, strong, fat Talon who held a staff to him. Once in the door, the Talon shoved Aerrow in the back, making the Sky Knight stagger inside. Aerrow looked around at the crowd and the bright lights and blinked in bewilderment, as if he couldn't believe what was happening to him.

The crowd's reaction was mixed. Cyclonians and Raptors, who made up most of the audience, started cheering with more glee than they'd had all night. Some of those from free Atmos and those who knew Aerrow booed. Still other free Atmosians remained silent in shock.

Finn was one of those.

Suddenly a loud roar rang out, one that almost pierced Finn's ears. It was Junko's howl. He ran forward and swung his fist at Aerrow. Gasping, the Sky Knight leapt out of the way. When Junko struck for him again, Aerrow front flipped over the Wallop's arm, landing on the other side of him.

The Sky Knight had hardly ever looked so frightened. "Come on, Junko," he said to the Wallop. He gestured to himself. "It's me, Aerrow!"

But Junko only cried, "Yaw!" and charged him again. Again Aerrow dodged his fist.

The Wallop whirled to face him, looking angrier than ever. "Nobody calls me junk!" he cried, pointing a thumb at himself. He raised his fists in the air. "I'm the Ultimate Mighty Mega-Warrior," he pointed to Aerrow, "and you are about to be crushed!" And with another roar, he charged Aerrow again.

Finn felt his stomach churn. He clutched the bars of the cage, watching in terror as Junko kept swinging at Aerrow and Aerrow kept dodging. "Oh, man!" he said to Stork and Radarr. "Junko's so far gone, he can't recognize Aerrow!"

Stork turned away, looking both sad and resigned. "So," he asked, "who ya rootin' for?"

Finn glared at Stork. Now was _really_ not the time for his morbid jokes.

Up on the balcony, Piper struggled against the crystal energy cuffs to no avail. Then Master Cyclonis' plan dawned on her. "You think you can use Junko in his condition to destroy us all," she said to Cyclonis.

"One by one," Cyclonis agreed. She glanced back and smirked at the navigator. "I'm saving you for last."

Piper narrowed her eyes and scowled. Using someone's best friend as their executer? That was low, even for Master Cyclonis! And Piper knew the reason she was last was that Cyclonis wanted her to see all of her friends besides Junko die before her eyes.

Down in the ring, Junko grunted and swung for Aerrow again, but Aerrow jumped to the side. When Junko came at him again, Aerrow backflipped out of his reach, landing on his hands before backflipping again to land on his feet facing Junko. Finn could see it was getting harder for Aerrow to keep dodging. It was also pretty obvious when Aerrow turned around to Finn, looking panicked and saying, "Those anti-hypnosis words would be a _big_ help now!"

"Ah!" Finn said to himself, still trying to think. "Um . . ." He put his hands on either side of his head as he thought as hard as he could. He glanced at Radarr. The little guy was so scared for Aerrow that he had grabbed the bars of their cage with both his hands and his monkey-like feet and had been staring at the match intently. Now he was staring at Finn. But even worse than that was Stork. He stared and glowered and Finn, frowning. "Staring doesn't make it any easy for me to remember," he grumbled to them.

Aerrow had also been staring at Finn intently, hoping to hear the words. He shouldn't have been so distracted. Before either he or Finn knew what was happening, Junko had run forward with a big Wallop roar and punched Aerrow in the jaw. With a grunt, Aerrow landed a few feet in front of Junko, landing on his back.

As the Sky Knight sat up, he rubbed his jaw, making sure it was still in place. His eyes narrowed at Junko. "Easy, big guy," he said to Junko, holding up a hand at him. "I don't wanna have to hurt you."

Instead of taking his warning, Junko roared and brought his fist down. Aerrow rolled out of the way, got to his feet, and front flipped away from Junko just as the Wallop's fist came down where Aerrow's head had been just moments before. "Puny creature thinks he can hurt _me_?" Junko yelled after him. The very thought seemed to make the Wallop even angrier. He swung his fist at Aerrow twice, each fist accompanied with a yell. Aerrow grunted as he avoided each fist.

Well, Aerrow couldn't keep dodging. He'd have to go on the offensive. And only one thing came to mind that didn't involve physically hurting Junko. Aerrow stuck his tongue out, wiped both of his gloved pointer fingers on his tongue to get plenty of spit, and then gave both of Junko's ears a wet willy. Junko froze and started groaning.

Well, Finn thought, that's a very gross and ungentlemanly way to defend yourself.

But Aerrow didn't seem to care. He glanced over his shoulder at Finn, his eyes wide with anxiousness. "Finn," he said, "come on!"

_Come on!_ Finn thought to himself. _What are the words?_ He hit himself in the head with his fist twice, desperate to remember. Groaning, sputtering, he put his face in his hand.

Up on the balcony, Piper could see him struggling. "Say it, Finn," she whispered. "Cyclonia, help, bad news."

Finn groaned and put his head in his hand again, struggling to reach in his memory for the words. "Uh," he said, trying to think, "Cyclonis wears bad shoes!"

The crowd gasped. Cyclonis froze. But Junko didn't stop fighting.

Piper shook her head and groaned. "Finn!" she whispered in exasperation. She went back to struggling against her cuffs. If Finn couldn't remember, then freeing herself may be Aerrow's only hope.

Aerrow had backed away from Junko now, but the Wallop was madder than ever for the wet willy. From where he stood on the opposite side of the ring, the Wallop roared at Aerrow and punched his hand into his fist. Finn cringed. It looked like the Wallop was ready to kill the Sky Knight. Which, Finn reminded himself, was kind of the point.

Desperate, Finn tried again. "Uh, Cyclonis, uh, never," he hit his head with his fists in frustration, "shampoos!" He smiled as he held up the hypno crystal, sure he had found the words. Some of the audience laughed, but Junko still had the look of a killer in his eye.

Up on the balcony, Master Cyclonis turned around to her Talons. "Throw the rude one into the cage," she ordered, pointing down at Finn.

Moments later, Finn was thrown into the cage by a Talon. He toppled head over heels with a grunt and landed on his rear, his hat still on but his sunglasses askew. Still not quite sure what had just happened, he tried to catch his breath and gather his bearings when a shadow fell over him.

Junko, still completely under the crystal's influence, stood before Finn, his fists clenched, his face twisted in a snarl with exposed teeth, huffing and puffing and looking more enraged than Finn had ever seen him.

Oh, boy. This wasn't good.

At that moment, the announcer said, "Another foe faces the Masher's fury!"

Finn looked over at the announcer and glared. "Okay," he said, "don't encourage him!"

The announcer shrugged. It was his job to encourage him.

But Finn was interrupted from his scolding when Junko suddenly roared, grasped his hands, and raised his combined fists over his head to come down on Finn. Finn squealed as he jumped out of the way just in time, landing on his rear again.

As she watched fearfully, Piper gasped as she just remembered; in her boot, she had stashed a crystal just for sticky situations like this. She grunted, just softly enough that the guards didn't hear, as she reached down toward her boot with her cuffed hands. She smiled as she was able to get out the red crystal. One flash of light from it, and she was free of the crystal energy cuffs and force field.

Once free and on the ground, Piper didn't wait for the guards to react. With a grunt, she spun around and kicked one in the face. As he fell to the ground unconscious, Piper spun around, jumped in the air, and kicked out at the other Talon's chest with both her feet. The second guard slid across the floor and lay motionless.

Piper turned around and stared desperately out at the audience and the ring. She had to stop the fight! But Master Cyclonis was in her way.

Thankfully the Master had her back to her. Trying not to think of the consequences, Piper leapt forward, landed in a head stand behind Master Cyclonis, locked her legs around the empress' head, and flung Cyclonis behind her, landing on her feet in one fluid motion. Cyclonis slid away from her on her back.

Now the microphone was free to Piper. She ran forward and grabbed it. If she could say the words into the microphone where Junko could hear, he would break free of his trance. "Cyclonia, help, bad—!"

But she never got to finish. At that moment, two hands grabbed her shoulders, making Piper grunt in surprise as they jerked her back. It was Cyclonis. The young empress slung Piper sideways away from the microphone.

Grunting in pain, Piper landed on her back a short distance away. But she only raised her head and glared at Cyclonia, her face twisted in a snarl. Quickly she leapt to her feet, taking a battle stance, ready to face off with Cyclonis. If the Master thought she was going to win that easy when she was threatening her friends, she had another thing coming!

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The mask became a part of wrestling in 1915, a little less than a hundred years ago. The American wrestler Mort Henderson began wrestling as the "Masked Marvel" in New York. Other wrestlers began to take up their trend when their popularity and match opportunities diminished, allowing them a "fresh face" to give them a fresh start. So it is not hard to see why most masked wrestlers rarely win matches. Although not uncommon, the most wrestlers today in North America still don't use the mask.

Hmm, "Masked Marvel" sounds a lot like "Masked Masher," doesn't it? Wonder if he had a similar costume . . .

Anyway, hope you liked it. I feel like I'm jumping around a lot with these points of view, but what're ya gonna do? Change the episode?

Please review!


	112. The Masked Masher: Ultimate Showdown

Chapter 4: Ultimate Showdowns

Down in the ring, Junko was advancing toward Finn. Finn had never been more scared in his life then when he saw the snarling Wallop coming his way. The sharpshooter couldn't help it. He screamed.

Suddenly Aerrow was there to save him. Taking a fighting stance and clenching both his fists, he glared at Junko threateningly, getting in between him and Finn.

This only seemed to anger Junko more. He stamped his hoof and roared at the Sky Knight, holding his hands as if he was getting ready to grab him.

Now was _definitely_ the time to snap Junko out of it. They all heard Piper try to say the words, so now Finn knew most of them. He held up the hypnosis crystal again in both hands. "Cyclonia, help, bad . . ." He hit his head with the crystal in desperation. "Oh! Bad what?" He wracked his brains frantically, but nothing was coming to mind.

Aerrow glanced back at Finn and opened his mouth as if to say something. But that one moment of distraction cost him dearly. Just as he turned his head, Junko grabbed his shoulders and lifted him into the air. Aerrow kicked out with his legs, trying to defend himself, but Junko held him out at arm's length. "Whoa!" Aerrow cried as Junko slung him sideways. The Sky Knight landed on his back a short distance away.

Aerrow didn't have time to recover before Junko charged him again, roaring. Before Aerrow could even attempt to get up, the Wallop grabbed towel around his neck, slung him around, and slammed the Sky Knight's back against the cage bars, holding him there. Junko's other hand had curled in a fist, and he was raising it against Aerrow, aiming for his head. "Bad news!" he declared. "You're finished!"

Wait . . . Bad news. "Bad news!" Finn exclaimed happily, putting a hand on his chin. Those were the last two words to break the spell of the crystal! "Hah! Thanks, Junko!" Finn said. He held up the crystal and said loudly, "Cyclonia, help, bad news!"

He said it just as Junko was letting his fist fly, and Aerrow had cringed away and shut his eyes, expecting the worst. As soon as the words were out of Finn's mouth, Junko's fist stopped, just short of Aerrow's face. Aerrow opened one eye with a "Huh?" still seeming unable to believe he was still unharmed.

Junko pulled back his fist, looking at it questionably. Then Junko turned to Aerrow, looking very confused. "Was I about to destroy you?" he asked, letting go of him.

Aerrow dropped to the floor, landing on his feet and grabbing at the bars for support. Finn saw him rub his neck where the Wallop had picked him up and slung him around. All the same, the Sky Knight answered, "Nah. You'd never hurt me." At that, the Sky Knight straightened and slammed his fist into his palm, saying to Junko, "Now, start destroying a way outta here!"

Finn couldn't agree more. As much as he would like to see some more matches, the Storm Hawks had definitely overstayed their welcome. If you could even call it a welcome.

Up on the balcony, Piper was the first to strike at Cyclonis. She hit the empress in the chest, making Master Cyclonis grunt and stagger backward.

Angrier than ever, Master Cyclonis tore off her cape and threw it aside, the crystal-powered clip she used to keep it in place flashing as she did. She was getting ready to duel, Piper saw.

The announcer must have noticed all this himself because his voice came over the loud speaker saying, "Look at this, ladies and gents!"

In response, Master Cyclonis crossed her arms. Piper put her hands on her hips, wondering why an evil empress would strike a pose for a wrestling competition.

The announcer continued. "It's Master Cyclonis," he said, where Master Cyclonis and Piper struck battle poses again, "versus, eh—" He hesitated as he tried to think of something to call Piper, for he didn't know her name. He must have noticed the towel around her neck because he supplied, "—Towel Girl!"

Finn, who had heard the announcer, looked up at the name. Huh. He kind of liked it. Maybe he'd use the name to annoy Piper later.

Piper raised an eyebrow at the name and the laughing crowd. _Towel Girl?_ Seriously?

Even worse was having Master Cyclonis chuckle in amusement.

That was all it took to make Piper angry enough to attack first. "Huh!" she huffed at Cyclonis for laughing before leaping forward and kicking Cyclonis' legs out from under her.

Cyclonis landed on her back, and before she could get up, Piper was on top of her. Desperately trying to keep Piper off her, Cyclonis grabbed her hands, and they struggled against each other.

Piper couldn't help but gloat at her arch-rival. "You shouldn't leave a paper trail on your desk," she said, smirking. "Now I can make a regenerating crystal, too."

Her moment of gloating cost her, though. She put her guard down for just a moment, and Master Cyclonis was able to pull up her legs and wrap them around Piper's neck, using her weight to slam the Storm Hawk down so that Cyclonis was the one on top. As the Master held her fist above Piper threateningly, she said, "You're not even _close_ to having the skills for something that complex!"

Piper balled her own hands into fists. "Closer than you think," she growled in response. With a cry, she punched Cyclonis in the face, making the Master fall on her back a few feet away.

Piper stood up, smirking at Cyclonis. The Master's punches and throws hardly even hurt. It seemed that without her crystals, Master Cyclonis wasn't much of a rival in a fight at all. Cyclonis sat up and glared at her. Unable to help herself, Piper said, "And speaking of skills, you fight like a girl."

Cyclonis growled, her eyes narrowing in an angry scowl, her eye twitching with rage. But Piper wasn't worried. She knew Cyclonis would never be able to catch her.

Glancing up at the ceiling, she saw a streamer hanging above her. She couldn't help but feel a little giddy about her plan. It was so perfect, so fun, and so much a daredevil move that it seemed more like something Aerrow would do than she would. But she didn't mind having a little fun now and then, either.

Grunting, she jumped up and grabbed the streamer, cutting it off with her crystal's sharp point. Then, laughing with glee, she swung down off the balcony, watching as Master Cyclonis ran toward the railing in vain to stop her. Piper swung down and landed on her feet in the wrestling ring along with Aerrow, Finn, and Junko, smirking as she looked over her shoulder to see Master Cyclonis growling in fury.

Great, Finn thought. Now that everyone was here, it wouldn't be a bad time to exit. Like, soon. Like, _now!_

Junko got the hint. With a Wallop cry, he kicked down a side of the cage. Aerrow led the retreat out, followed closely by Piper. Finn didn't waste any time doing the same. Junko leaped out after them, and while they ran on, the Wallop stopped to pull apart the bars of the cage holding Stork and Radarr, bending them until the gap was wide enough for the two to get through. Then they were all running, Aerrow leading the way.

But before they could escape, Aerrow cried, "Wah!" and slid to a stop, holding out his arms to stop the others from proceeding past him.

"Oh, whoa!" Junko cried as they almost slammed into the Sky Knight. But they all stopped in time and saw what had made him halt.

Their way was blocked . . . by all of the previous wrestlers. They growled angrily, upset that the Storm Hawks had ruined their show.

From behind them came laughter, and then Cyclonis stepped into view. "So much for your dramatic exit," the smirking empress said to them.

They were completely surrounded and about to be squashed. Finn thought it was kind of ironic how he was about to be pulverized by his heroes. At least he knew Junko could take them one-on-one.

But wait . . . Junko only did that with the hypno crystal's help. Maybe they could use that, too!

Still feeling uneasy about his plan, Finn held up the hypnosis crystal, saying to the others, "Uh, I think we could all use some confidence right about now."

But Piper seemed to have a better idea. "Or," she said, snatching the crystal out of his hand, her fingernails clinking lightly against it, "we could always do this." She held the crystal out and said, "Wrestlers, capture Cyclonis."

A ripple of energy was sent out by the crystal in a flash of light, and though Finn couldn't feel it, the wrestlers obviously could, for they all gasped. The next instant, they blinked, looking as lifeless as zombies. Then they all swung around as one to face Cyclonis.

For the first time since Finn had seen her, Master Cyclonis looked truly frightened. "What are you doing?" she asked in disbelief, backing away as the wrestlers advanced toward her, holding up her hands. "Stop!" But they wouldn't heed her commands, and Master Cyclonis let out a cry as the wrestlers surrounded her.

With the exit open at last, the Storm Hawks made a break for it and did not stop until they reached their trainers parked on the landing dock. Aerrow, Finn, Junko, and Piper each grabbed their own, Radarr riding with Aerrow and Stork riding with Piper, and they were out of there as quickly as possible. And although Finn would have liked to see the final match, he was not at all sorry to go.

* * *

Once they were all back on the _Condor_, everyone gathered in the bridge. Finn stood shoulder to shoulder with Junko, taking comfort in being by his buddy while everyone else was glaring at him. Aerrow's and Stork's arms were crossed, Piper had her hand on her hip, and Radarr was twitching his tail like an irritated cat. They obviously all blamed him for their little misadventure.

Finn giggled sheepishly as he met their gazes. "So there were a few glitches," he admitted to them, "but you got to admit, that was a pretty good show, huh?" He gestured to Junko excitingly, referring to the Wallop's great victories.

Junko put a finger to his lip tentatively. He obviously wasn't thinking about his victories with the wrestlers; he seemed to be thinking about his attack on Finn and what he had almost done to Aerrow. "Uh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, "you don't really think I'm like that horrible guy, do ya?"

Piper stepped forward, her gaze softening as she turned to Junko. "It was the hypno crystal, Junko, not you," she assured him, gesturing to him.

Finn didn't think the crystal should take _all_ the credit for his buddy's great deeds. "But," he argued, "it's the Mighty Mega-Warrior part of him," he punched his fists in the air in demonstration, "that won the second place prize and all expenses paid for on vacation!" He held up the vacation papers and gestured to it. Aerrow and Piper, who had been glaring at Finn, looked surprised by this news.

But then Finn read the paper a little more closely to see where the vacation was. "On Cyclonia," he said, his face drooping with disappointment.

Stork face-palmed at Finn's stupidity.

"Aw, man," Finn groaned. He just wasn't meant to have good luck with this sport.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: Hypnosis _is_ very much a real phenomenon. However, it is nothing like that of the movies and TV shows, including _Storm Hawks_. In real hypnosis, those hypnotized are not slaves but have absolute free will. They also not sleeping; really they are in a state of hyperactivity. It is a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination. You are fully conscious, but you tune out most of what's going on around you. You focus intently on the subject at hand, losing thought of anything else. Minor cases of self-hypnosis include daydreaming, watching movie, reading a book, or—get this—driving! In conventional hypnosis, you actually approach a hypnotist to put you in this state. The patient becomes very gullible during this state, losing all sense of rhyme and reason, which is why it appears the hypnotist has them under their control. For example, if you tell someone during a deep state of hypnosis that they are a chicken, they may get up and flap their arms like wings and cluck because they fully believe you, not because you make them. Conventional hypnosis is used today for relaxation (if you're rich) because during hypnosis, you forget all your worries. More commonly, however, it is used when someone is troubled by something—frightening, unexplainable dreams or unexplained feelings sadness, anger, anxiety, or terror—to view the subconscious mind. Some psychiatrists believe that the deep relaxation and focusing exercises of hypnotism work to calm and subdue the conscious mind so that it takes a less active role in your thinking process. In this state, you're still aware of what's going on, but your subconscious mind is in control and completely aware.

Wow, that was a long one. It was an interesting one, though.

Okay, new episode up soon! It's already mostly written, anyway . . .


	113. Atmos' Most Wanted: Stolen Stone

_**Part 28**_

_**Atmos' Most Wanted**_

_The innocent are shown guilty, and the guilty innocent. Mistrust starts brooding, and bounties are put out. The heroes become the villains. Old enemies return, and old friends return as enemies._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Stolen Stone

Seeing as the vacation they were going to take in seeing some friendly competition at the Mighty Mega-Warrior Championship was anything but a vacation, Aerrow decided the Storm Hawks should have one of their own. A few days later, after a Sky Knight Summon issued by the Sky Knight Council (to which Aerrow was invited because he was officially Knighted), they were all out on the landing strip for a barbeque.

Aerrow, never one to stand still, had pulled out the team's soccer ball. It was a special toy, one of the few that Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Finn were able to obtain and keep in their years of living stranded and alone. So it was no surprise that when they had become Storm Hawks, Aerrow had taken the ball onto the _Condor_ along with the squadron.

Now he set it down on the hangar bay and gave it a mighty kick, sending the ball up into the air. "Head's up!" he called to everyone else.

Piper, meanwhile, was resting on a lawn chair with her sunglasses on, reading a book. Without seeming to even look up at the ball, she kicked up with her foot as it began to fall at her feet and then caught it in her hand. Smiling, she held up the ball and called, "Comin' your way, Radarr!" And with that, she threw the soccer ball at their furry friend.

Radarr had been sniffing the air, his nose held high and twitching in the direction of the grill Junko was at, when Piper made the call. He churred questionably but didn't turn in time before the ball struck him in the head, causing him to fall over with his eyes rolling in their sockets and his tongue hanging out.

Junko, meanwhile, was making sky-dogs at the grill, holding a spatula. A plate of sky-dogs in buns and smothered with ketchup and mustard already sat on the umbrella-shaded patio table behind him. Finn was picking up a sky-dog, not even bothering to use the chair at the table. Everyone had grabbed at least one already except one other member. "Stork," Junko asked, peering over the grill's open lid, "aren't ya gonna eat?"

The ball was rolling to Stork's feet when Junko asked the question. Stork put his hand-like foot on top of the ball to stop it, holding a spray can in his hand. "Um," he answered, looking around him nervously, "as soon as I'm done for lamprey flies." He lifted up the ball with his foot and threw it away from him. He sprayed a green fog from the can before adding, "They don't just suck your blood; they suck your soul!"

Finn was just about to take a bite out of his sky-dog when suddenly the ball came and knocked the dog out of his hands, taking its place. Finn had been in mid-bite, and he instead bit the ball. "Bleh!" he said in disgust, sticking his tongue out at the horrible taste.

Aerrow smiled. Everyone was having some fun, it seemed to him. It was just a normal, quirky outdoor celebration for the Storm Hawks.

But then all the Storm Hawks looked up when they heard some heavy buzzing sound. Squealing in fright, Stork sprayed a large green fog of his lamprey fly repellant, smirking at his success of appearing to have gotten rid of his flies. But when the smoke cleared, his smirk fell to a frown, and his shoulders sagged.

And Aerrow saw why. The buzzing wasn't coming from any kind of fly; it was coming from five incoming biplane skyrides.

All the Storm Hawks got to their feet and gathered around, Radarr hopping up on Aerrow's back and hanging off his shoulder. Aerrow squinted toward the skyrides. They were Air Skimmers of some sort, and as they got closer, he recognized Dove in front, wearing her usual armor of kitchen equipment. The other four Skimmers following her lead in a V formation were a Sky Knight squadron Aerrow recognized instantly as well. "The Rebel Ducks of Gale?" he said, lifting an eyebrow. "What are they doing here?"

Junko walked forward with his plate of extra food from the grill, three sky-dogs and three cheeseburgers. "I hope they're hungry!" the Wallop exclaimed happily, holding up the plate. "I made plenty extra!"

But then, just as he said it, a shot of green crystal energy from Dove's spear disintegrated the plate and its contents, making Junko jump back with a squeal.

What happened next shocked Aerrow. Dove pointed her spear down at the Storm Hawks and ordered to the Rebel Ducks, "Attack!"

The Storm Hawks gasped and all huddled together. Finn grasped Junko's shoulder from behind for comfort, and Aerrow felt Radarr's grip on his shoulders tighten. Aerrow lifted an eyebrow in astonished confusion. Why on Atmos would Dove and the Rebel Ducks, or any natives of Gale for that matter, want to attack them? Especially Dove, of all people. Wasn't she their friend?

Apparently she wasn't thinking about their friendship today. The Storm Hawks retreated as she started raining crystal pulses on them. Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr, who ran on all fours, retreated toward the hangar bay, where Stork was already headed.

Finn and Junko hid under the table. When one of the shots struck the plate on top of the table and sent the contents splattering everywhere, Finn smiled at his luck. After all, he never got to eat his sky-dog. He stuck his finger in the glob of the food and then in his mouth.

But Junko looked distraught at having his food destroyed. "My potato salad!" he exclaimed.

"Wait," Finn said, pointing to the plate in front of him. "This stuff is supposed to be potato salad?" Knowing that, he started coughing and trying to spit the stuff out, sticking his tongue out. Junko just glared at him.

At that moment, Dove and the Rebel Ducks landed on the landing strip, sliding sideways for a screeching halt. With a battle cry, Dove leapt from her ride as soon as it stopped, somersaulting in the air before landing on her feet before Aerrow, looking angrier than ever.

Aerrow stood his ground. Though weaponless and without armor, this was Dove. He had no reason to fear or fight her. But he could not for the life of him understand her hostility toward them. "Dove," he asked, "w-what is this?"

Dove stepped toward him, saying, "Don't act like you don't know!" She pointed her spear at him. "Give it back or pay the ultimate price!"

Before Aerrow could even comprehend what she was demanding of him and threatening him with, she swung her spear at him. "Whoa!" Aerrow cried as he ducked and dodged, backing up to where Piper and Radarr were standing behind him, where Junko had joined them. Aerrow held his hands up, showing Dove that he wouldn't hurt her.

Stork and Finn approached the others, looking completely confused. Junko stared in frightened bewilderment. "What is she talking about?" he asked Aerrow.

"I don't know," Aerrow answered with finality, "but we're not going to fight our friends. Not until we figure out what's going on."

So as Dove held her spear toward their leader and the Rebel Ducks all approached with their own weapons, the Storm Hawks held their hands in the air and allowed themselves to be captured.

Finn held up a finger a moment to stop them. "If this is about the last Sky Knight Summon, I didn't know the cake was for everybody and I was really hungry."

Everyone turned to him and blinked in confusion. Dove and the Rebel Ducks were so surprised that they even lowered their weapons for a moment. Aerrow searched his memory for this incident, but it didn't stick out to him.

Realizing the others hadn't known Finn was guilty of cake theft up to that point, Finn backpedalled. "I mean," he put his hand aside of his face, "pretend I didn't say that." He chuckled sheepishly, his face growing slightly pink with embarrassment.

So the entire _Condor_ was shanghaied and taken to the free land of Terra Gale: Wren's property.

Once there, the Storm Hawks had their hands tied behind their back with rope. They were set on the ground in a circle in Wren's green fields, facing out of the circle. Aerrow had Piper and Radarr were placed on either side of him. He couldn't see the others clearly without turning his head, but he was pretty sure Junko was beside Piper, Finn beside Radarr, and Stork directly behind him. Which meant they were all accounted for, at least. Not that Aerrow expected the Galians to split them up or harm them in anyway. Then again, he never expected them to capture them, either.

Junko struggled against the ropes, but at this angle, even he wasn't strong enough to break them. "Did they have to tie us up?" he complained.

"Well," Piper answered him, "Finn did eat their cake."

Hearing them, Finn turned to them and chuckled and smiled sheepishly.

Much as they joked about it, Aerrow was pretty sure this had nothing to do with cake.

Radarr was busy glaring at Finn when he heard someone churr. He turned around in front of him to see none other than his fanatic admirer, Wren's hen. Radarr leaned his nose toward her, hoping she could show some sort of explanation or at least sympathy. But the chicken only peered at him closely before turning her head away haughtily and stalking off to stand beside Wren.

Wren was standing in front of Aerrow and Piper, dressed in his kitchen-borrowed armor, his hands on his hips, glaring at all of them. Behind him were his granddaughter and the Rebel Ducks. "Storm Hawks!" he said. "Why? Pretending to be so nice. Then, when our guard was down, you do something so . . . so heinous!"

Piper shrugged in confusion. "What'd we do?" she asked.

"Huh! You dare pretend to be ignorant!" he responded, slamming his fist against his chest (or rather, the pot covering it). He gestured to them. "You know what you did! You stole our most sacred object: our Cheese Stone!" He clenched his fists in desperation.

"Yeah!" Dove and the Rebel Ducks shouted in angered agreement.

Cheese Stone? Aerrow turned to Piper, but she didn't seem to understand what they were talking about, either. They exchanged glances and shrugged.

Finn was a little less subtle in his confusion. "Cheese Stone?" he repeated, shrugging. "What, is this a joke?"

Wren ran up in front of him, leaning toward him toward him so their noses were inches apart. "This is no joke!" he scolded him. He stepped away from him. "Surely you know Terra Gale is famous for having the best cheese in all of Atmos!" He held up his hands to include all of Atmos. "Our beloved Cheese Stone is the reason why."

_Wren was soon swept away by memories. After the Cyclonians kept advancing, the Galians had given Wren, their new resistance leader, the charge of taking care of the Cheese Stone. He remembered when he first got it. He had been dressed in the same "armor" he had now, but his farm had been doing better; it included cows at the time._

_Wren had held his new Cheese Stone high in the sunlight and then kissed it, wondering how anything could be more glorious. The Cheese Stone was shaped like a triangular hunk of cheese, and it was ridden with holes. Then, eager to try it out, he pointed it at the willow tree in his pasture and sent a pulse from it. When the pulse struck the tree, it turned the entire tree into beautiful golden, hole-ridden cheese._

_Wren looked up at the tree, smiling in delight, when he heard a lowing from one of his cows. He turned to see the cow right beside him, her bell ringing slightly as she sniffed the Cheese Stone curiously._

_Unfortunately for her, that activated the crystal. Wren covered his eyes as there was a bright flash of light. When he opened his eyes again, he found his cow had been turned to cheese, including her bell._

_Well, much as Wren grieved for his cow, he certainly didn't let all that cheese go to waste._

Now the cow's bell was all that remained of the cheese cow. Wren held it in his hands now, their last piece of Terra Gale cheese before the Cheese Stone was taken. "Without our precious Cheese Stone," he said, "there will be no more Terra Gale cheese."

Behind him, the Rebel Ducks looked and sounded as if they were actually crying. Wren looked sad and on the verge of tears as he popped the cheese bell into his mouth and ate it.

Aerrow just blinked. It had never occurred to him that _cheese_ could have so much importance in a society.

Apparently, Finn was still skeptical. "No, seriously," he said, raising an eyebrow and repeating himself. "Is this a joke?"

But Piper cast him a glare that told him to knock it off and then addressed the Galians. "We didn't steal your Cheese Stone," she assured. "We're the good guys, remember?"

In response, Wren got right up in Junko's face, their noses almost brushing. "I saw you steal it with my own two eyes, Piper!"

"Uh," the Wallop corrected, "I'm Junko."

"Oh," Wren said, straightening. He shrugged. "Oh, well."

This was just a guess on Aerrow's part, but he didn't think Wren's eyesight was any proof as to who stole their Stone.

"No matter!" Wren continued. He opened up the front of his pot and dug inside it. "We found this at the scene of the crime."

Junko and Piper cringed. Aerrow cringed as well. He wasn't sure what the other two were thinking, but he was a little afraid that Wren might pull out a weapon.

But Wren didn't pull out a weapon. He pulled out a piece of brown cloth. He held it up to Piper and said, "This is your insignia, is it not?"

Piper stopped cringing and studied it. It was indeed their symbol of a blue hawk taking wing. But Piper said immediately, "It's a fake!"

Wren turned it around and examined it himself, obviously unconvinced.

"See," Piper insisted, "this emblem is stitched. All of ours are painted." Unable to move her hands, she directed her eyes to Aerrow's shoulder plate in indication.

"Yeah," Finn agreed. "Like any of us know how to sow."

Aerrow studied the Galians, wondering if they were ready to believe them.

He found hope in Dove. She was looking at them with interest, her chin resting on her knuckle. "Hmm," she mused, shaking her head. Things just didn't seem to be adding up for her. She turned to Wren. "Grandpapa," she said, gesturing to the Storm Hawks, "maybe they are innocent."

"Hmm," Wren said as he seemed to consider his granddaughter's words, glaring at the Storm Hawks.

The Storm Hawks all gave them warm smiles. Surely they would believe them now.

But it was not so. After they untied them, instead of letting them go, Wren and the Rebel Ducks loaded the Storm Hawks into a cage about the size of a chicken coup. Wren locked the cage securely and clenched his fist. "If you don't give us back our Cheese Stone," he declared, holding up a finger, "you will rot in this dungeon forever!" And with that, the Galians walked away, leaving the Storm Hawks to consider their options.

Once they turned their backs, the Storm Hawks all looked down at the top of the roofless cage's walls. Aerrow couldn't help smiling. The walls were only about three feet tall; it wouldn't be that hard for any of them to escape. And they were out in the middle of what used to be a cow pasture.

Stork face-palmed and groaned, not at their situation, but at the Galians' stupidity. Some dungeon.

It was all so ridiculous, so messed up, that Aerrow was having trouble making sense of it all, or even taking it seriously.

The others seemed to feel the same way. "Hmm," Junko said, putting his knuckle to his chin thoughtfully. "One minute we're barbequing, the next we're in jail."

"This doesn't make sense," Aerrow said, growing a little frustrated with the Galians' mistrust. He turned to Piper and gestured to her. "We didn't take anything!" Piper shook her head, but she didn't offer a suggestion. Aerrow turned away a shook his head, too, missing the days Terra Gale viewed him as a hero. "They don't believe us."

"I do," a voice responded.

Aerrow turned toward the sound with a relieved smile on his face. Someone still had faith in them.

Dove came out from behind the house, holding the metal key for the prison in her hand. She stepped forward as if to use it to unlock them when Junko stepped up to the gate. "Allow me," he offered. And with that, he flicked the wall of the cage.

In an instant, all four walls fell over. Junko chuckled sheepishly. Looks like he had broken they're "dungeon."

Seeming unconcerned about that, Dove just tossed the key over shoulder. Then she faced them again, putting a fist on her hip. "I'm still angry our Cheese Stone is gone," she said, gesturing to them, "but I believe you are telling the truth." She put a hand on her heart. "You came to my aid when the Cyclonians captured me. I am still in your debt."

Well, Aerrow still wasn't sure how something like this could happen, but he knew two things: he was going to find out what it was, and he was going to fix it. "Don't worry, Dove," he assured her. "We'll find out who really took your, uh," he still felt ridiculous saying this, "Cheese Stone."

"You had better," Dove responded. She gestured to herself. "I may believe you, but I cannot stop my family from hunting you down." She crossed her arms. "And they will."

That was all the encouragement the Storm Hawks needed to hurry to the _Condor_ and make a stealthy escape.

Piper watched behind them through the periscope as they flew away. Once Terra Gale was out of sight, she sighed and announced, "We're in the clear." She looked over her shoulder at Aerrow. "Now what?"

Aerrow stood behind her, arms crossed, Radarr hanging off his shoulder. He thought a moment. "Whoever stole that Cheese Stone left that fake patch behind. We're being framed."

"Ah," Finn said, pointing at Aerrow, "you know, that's pretty sneaky." He put his knuckle to his chin. "Whoever's behind this must be a genius."

* * *

In a hideaway cave of the Raptors, Repton was eyeing the new prize his brothers had brought him. He was surrounded by the piles of gold and crates of crystals he and his brothers had collected and stashed away in their pirate-like activities, but this new item puzzled him. It was a crystal, but it wasn't like any crystal Repton had ever seen. It was a hole-ridden triangular prism with a rounded end. It almost looked like a hunk of cheese.

While Spitz made a seat out of crates and sat there playing with his crystal gun, Lugey was holding the new crystal, also sitting on a closed crate. "Ah," he said as he studied the crystal, looking through one of the wholes. "Oh." He seemed delighted with the crystal's beauty and delicious look.

Repton snatched the crystal out of Lugey's hand. "Nobody has any clue what this thing does," he said in frustration, "so why did you take it?" In anger, he turned and hit Spitz on the head with it. Spitz turned fearfully, rubbing his sore head and looking up at Repton.

Wanting to answer Repton's question, Lugey waved his hand in the air enthusiastically. "Oh, I-I know, boss!" When Repton turned to him, Lugey put a finger to his lip. "'Cause it's pretty, right?"

Because it's pretty? They stole something because it's _pretty?_ Hissing angrily, Repton leaned toward Lugey threateningly and glared at him eye to eye.

Well, they had the crystal now, so it was best to make use of it. Repton turned back to Spitz, who was still rubbing his head. "Give me that!" he demanded, snatching the crystal gun out of Spitz's hands. Spitz looked hurt at having his gun taken away from him, but Repton could care less.

As soon as he had the gun, Repton loaded the crystal into the chamber, cocked the gun, and then turned and fired at a huge boulder on the cave floor. When hit with the pulse from the crystal, the rock turned yellow and hole-ridden, just like the crystal.

Repton looked down at the gun, irritated and perplexed. "What kind of crystal is this?" he wondered aloud.

Lugey stepped forward and studied the rock, putting a finger on his lip questionably. Then he sniffed the rock, broke off a hunk of it with ease, and stuck it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing. "Ah, it's cheese!" he exclaimed, pointing to the rock. "Good cheese!"

Repton and Spitz widened one eye and narrowed the other, in the same fashion that a mammal would lift an eyebrow. Repton couldn't believe it. This was actually a crystal that turned items to _cheese?_

At that moment, Hoerk came crawling down the wall on all fours in a lizard-like manner. "Good news, Repton," he announced to his leader. "Those Ducks think the Storm Hawks took it."

The Storm Hawks framed. That put a whole new perspective on things. "Well," Repton said, taking the cheese-making crystal out of the gun, "it seems you three did something right after all!" He smirked as a plan began forming, one in which they would really benefit and the Storm Hawks would take the fall . . .

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard, and felt, someone burp. He turned and glared to see Lugey sitting on the ground, his stomach bulging. The cheese boulder was gone. In record time, Lugey had eaten the entire thing.

He smiled broadly at Repton and gestured to him. "Can I have some more cheese?" he asked.

Repton snarled and hissed. They had the perfect way of getting rid of the Storm Hawks, and all Lugey could think about was more _cheese?_

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: There's some irony in a cow being one of the first thing being seen turned to cheese in _Storm Hawks_. Most of the cheese we eat is made primarily of spoiled cow's milk and cow stomach lining! That's right, _spoiled _cow's milk and stomach lining!You start with fresh milk that is left to sit at room temperature for 24 hours until it curdles to a sort of yogurt (which, by the way, is also spoiled milk). Another bit of milk warmed to 86°F, and then the spoiled milk is blended in. This mixture is left overnight at a temperature of 50-60°F. This forms lactic acid. Then rennet is added. Rennet contains a milk-coagulating enzyme and is traditionally made from the inner lining of a calf's stomach, although it can come from any mammalian stomach. This forms a substance that contains curb (which is solid) and whey (which is liquid). The curd is cut into small squares and stirred by hand. The substance is then slowly warmed to 102°F until the curd will hold its shape. Once this is done, the curds are then separated from the whey by draining through cheese cloth. (Cottage cheese, however, contains whey because it's not completely drained.) The curds are salted (for flavor and to preserve), mixed, and hung for an hour. The firming curd can then be shaped into a round wheel form and pressed overnight. It is then left to dry a few days as a rind starts to form. After that, the wheel of cheese should be sealed in paraffin wax and left to cure at 40-60°F. After 6 weeks of curing, the cheese will be firm and have a mild flavor. Sharp cheese requires 3-5 months of curing.

Some of those ingredients make you never want to eat cheese again, don't they? I think I prefer the way Terra Gale makes its cheese. Just go _ZAP!_ with the Cheese Stone! However, I do like cottage cheese . . .

Okay, this is getting a little cheesy. Hah, get it? _Cheesy!_ Okay, you're right. That was a cheesy joke. He, he, cheesy joke!

Okay, really, I'm done now. Really. Let's cut to the cheese . . . I mean, chase! Thank you for the reviews I know you're all going to leave. Right?

*silence*

Oh, come on! My "cheesy" jokes weren't _that_ lame! Okay, yeah, they were . . . but that's beside the point! Review? Please? _Please?_


	114. Atmos' Most Wanted: Outcasts

Chapter 2: Outcasts

After leaving Terra Gale, Aerrow thought it through and then directed Stork to head to Terra Rex. They arrived there not too long after they had "escaped" their "capture."

Stork eased the _Condor_ down beside the Rex Guardians' stadium and landing strip, and the Storm Hawks all followed Aerrow out of the _Condor_. Aerrow led them toward the entrance of the stadium, hoping to meet up with the Rex Guardians.

Piper was worried. "Dove will buy us some time," she told Aerrow, "but once Wren finds out we're gone, they'll be after us."

"That's why we need help," Aerrow answered, "someone who can vouch for us." As far as he could see, the Rex Guardians would make likely allies, especially since they helped them defend their terra from a Cyclonian invasion. From the way Piper was smiling, he guessed she agreed with his plan.

But no sooner had he spoken when an angered, testy voice said, "You have a lot of nerve coming back here!"

Aerrow and the others stopped dead in their tracks as Harrier and two members of his squadron came out of the stadium entrance and blocked their path. Harrier and the woman Rex Guardian put their hands on their hips. The other man Rex Guardian crossed his arms. They all looked almost wrathful.

"Okay," Aerrow said, cringing at their livid expressions. "Bad idea." He shrugged to the Guardians and smiled sheepishly.

The Guardians brought the Storm Hawks into their own personal Sky Knight museum, and they did it a little too forcefully for Aerrow's taste. The Hawks were taken to an exhibit that had a large glass case sitting on a stage, with two steps leading up the stage. The case was broken, shattered on one side.

The Storm Hawks stood there, waiting for an explanation. Aerrow put his hands on his hips, feeling anxious like the rest of them. Finn was the only one who seemed at ease. He crossed his arms, looking bored.

Harrier went up the stage and stood next to the case, gesturing to it. "This case," he said, "held a rare, historical artifact: the original skyride used by the very first Sky Knight." He pointed to the Storm Hawks accusingly. "And we _know_ you stole it!"

"You gotta be kidding me!" Finn exclaimed, pointing to the case. "Who'd wanna steal that?"

The Rex Guardians' eyes widened, and they all exclaimed angrily. "I say!" Harrier cried, shaking his head in rage.

Piper stepped up beside the Hawks' sharpshooter. "Nice, Finn," she said sarcastically. She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Now they aren't just angry; they're insulted."

To keep Finn from making any more bad comments, Aerrow put his hand over Finn's mouth before addressing Harrier. "What makes you think we did it?" he asked incredulously. He felt Finn nod in agreement with the question under his hand.

Harrier looked solemn at the question. "Three of my men eye-witnessed the account, and they're still in the infirmary."

The infirmary? Aerrow stomach spun. This was serious. Who would do such a thing?

Harrier stared down at him. "This isn't about getting back our treasure," he said. And with that, he and the two other Rex Guardians, who were off to the side, drew their swords and ignited them. "This is about justice!" Harrier explained. And with that, the other Rex Guardians pointed their swords at the Storm Hawks.

Nervously, Aerrow saw the others put up their hands in surrender, except for Stork. The Merb put a hand on his forehead, groaned, and fainted. "Whoa!" Junko cried as he caught him. But when the Wallop looked back up at the Rex Guardians with a sheepish, nervous chuckle, he put his hands back up in the air, dropping Stork on the floor.

But Aerrow wasn't going to surrender. They were innocent. Surely the Rex Guardians would believe them.

Harrier pointed the sword at Aerrow. "Hands up where I can see them, Sky Knight," he ordered.

Aerrow smiled sadly and sheepishly. Okay, maybe just to be safe, he'd put up his hands. Trying to appeal to the older Sky Knight, he said, "Harrier, be reasonable. Uh, why would we steal your skyride?" He gestured toward the case.

Harrier approached Aerrow, still holding the ignited sword. "Because it's the most beautiful treasure in all of Terra Rex," he answered.

Finn scoffed in amusement and leaned toward Aerrow, blocking his mouth from Harrier's view. "Right!" he said sarcastically. However, it appeared Harrier heard him because the Rex Guardian Sky Knight's sword then pointed toward him, getting very, _very_ close to him. "Uh, I mean," Finn amended, holding his hands up again, "nice."

"I've given you your one chance," Harrier told the Storm Hawks angrily. The Storm Hawks all cringed, and Aerrow heard Radarr squeak in terror and glanced down to see the little guy putting his front paws on top of his head protectively, his knees shaking. "Now," Harrier continued, jabbing his sword toward Finn and making the sharpshooter lean back, "I have no choice but to—!"

"I have it!" a squeaky, frightened voice cried.

Astonished, Aerrow turned to see Stork, once again conscious, holding up a hand in the air and then getting to his feet. The Merb gulped, looking terrified, and held up a finger. "I'm it," he said. "I mean, uh, I'm the guilty one." He pointed to himself, tapping the metal X on the chest of his uniform. "Right here, yup! It's me!" He put his hands on his chest to indicate again before clenching his hands in fists and holding them up in front of his face, shaking and looking every bit frightened and guilty.

Harrier pointed to Stork. "A confession!" he exclaimed. He turned to the two members of his squadron present. "Our allegations are being confirmed," he assured them. He lowered his still-lit sword and put a hand on his hip proudly. "The system works!"

_System?_ Aerrow thought. They call threatening someone with a crystal-powered sword until they confessed a _system?_ That can't be right!

But right now he was bothered more by something else. There's no _way_ Stork could be the thief. The other Hawks would have noticed his absence or at least would be aware if the Merb had tried to stash something that big on the _Condor_ without their knowledge. Besides, even though he liked fancy rides, Aerrow didn't think Stork had it in him to steal a museum piece, especially from allies.

Troubled by the turn of events, Aerrow leaned over toward Stork, putting a hand next to his mouth to block his lips from Harrier's view. "Stork," he asked the Merb, "what're you doing?"

But instead of answering, Stork just shoved Aerrow aside with his arm, still wide-eyed with fright and addressing Harrier. "I stashed it on the _Condor_," he said. "I'll take you to it." Then he gasped loudly and covered his mouth with his hands, as if he hadn't meant to say that.

Harrier seemed to like that suggestion. "Very well," he agreed. "Lead the way."

So with that, Stork led the other Storm Hawks and the Rex Guardians out to the _Condor_. Much to Aerrow's relief, the Rex Guardians put away their swords.

Once they were in the _Condor_, Stork led them all onto the bridge. "It's over this way," he said, motioning toward the center of the bridge. Stork held up his hands to indicate for them to stop and said, "Wait right here." The Rex Guardians stopped in the middle of the room, and Aerrow stopped right behind him, still unsure of what Stork was doing. Stork pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll open the hatch," he said.

_What hatch?_ Aerrow thought. But that's when he looked down at his feet. His feet were on the edge of the red, circular floor piece in the middle of the floor, which bore the Storm Hawks emblem. And the Rex Guardians were standing right on top of it! With a gasp of realization, Aerrow stepped back off the floor piece and turned around and smirked at the others, finally realizing the plan. Seeing his smile, the others realized, too, and Finn grabbed Piper's shoulder and pointed up to the ceiling when Stork opened up the hatch . . . above the floor piece.

When the hatch opened, the Rex Guardians looked up at it questionably. Harrier turned back to Stork with a glare. "What is _this?_" he demanded to know, pointing to the open hatch.

Stork was at the helm, his hand on a lever, smirking at them. "This," he answered, "is how we say bye-bye." He waved good-bye to them and then pulled down the lever at the helm.

The circular floor piece sank slightly, and the Rex Guardians cringed. Then the next instant, the floor piece was shoved up on its giant spring, sending the screaming Rex Guardians sailing straight up out of the _Condor_.

Harrier landed in a tree not far away. After going through some small, leaf-covered branches, Harrier landed astride a large limb, his back slamming against the truck. Fighting the new pain in his back and between his legs, he rubbed his aching head and spit out leaves he had gotten in his mouth, wiping his mouth after doing so.

Then, he gasped. The _Condor_ was rising up from Terra Rex's forest, turning about, and taking off into the skies. Harrier clenched his fists. "Don't let them escape!" he cried.

But there was nothing else he could do before he heard a low crack and felt the tree limb jerk downward under him. He only had time to look down and realize what was happening before the limb broke underneath him. With a cry, Harrier fell with it to the forest floor.

This just wasn't a good day for the Rex Guardians.

* * *

It wasn't a great day for the Storm Hawks, either. And it just kept getting worse.

Aerrow decided they should head to Wayside. You could always hear the latest news and gossip in the diner there, and they also had a bulletin board with all sorts of ads and news, so it was a good place to collect information on current events. And one thing was for sure: Aerrow was determined to figure out what was going on.

Trying to be on the safe side, after they docked the _Condor_, the humanoid Storm Hawks all put on long, brown, hooded robes to protect their identities. Junko cut two holes in the top of his hood for his long, pointed ears. To further improve his disguise, Stork put on his Masked Masher crew hat under his hood. Even Radarr decided to hide himself, biting two eyeholes in a paper bag and then placing it over his head and following the others on two legs.

Aerrow led the way into the diner. Normally playing soft music a step above elevator music, it now played an instrumental song with a heavy electric guitar, as if shading their scared-stiff mood. People glanced up at the suspicious robe figures, but no one said a word to them, and everyone was soon back to their own business. The burly cook didn't even look up at them. He just continued grilling burgers. It comforted Aerrow to know that everyone here was leaving them be.

Stork stepped up beside him, walking next to him. "Um," he said to Aerrow nervously, "I still think we should stay in the _Condor_, where it's safe."

"If we hide," Aerrow argued, "we're never gonna find out who's framing us."

Stork stopped and lifted up his hands. "My hands are too soft for hard labor," he whimpered. His eye twitched nervously. "I'd never make it on the inside."

"Guys," Piper called, making Stork gasp, "this is bad."

Aerrow turned to see that one the Storm Hawks—he knew it was Piper from the voice, but since they were all in robes, it was hard to tell by sight—was at the diner's bulletin board where it posted all its ads. As the other Storm Hawks gathered around, Aerrow got a queasy feeling in his stomach. He knew when Piper said something was bad, it really _was_ bad.

Junko seemed to spot what had gotten Piper's attention. He put his hand on the board and leaned toward the piece of paper, looking upset. Gasping, he said, "They want how much for a one-bedroom apartment?"

Wait, what? A one-bedroom apartment?

Piper gestured toward the apartment ad. "Not that!" she scolded. She pointed to another flyer. "This!"

Aerrow couldn't believe his eyes. It was a wanted poster, and the faces on it were far too familiar. The pictures were those of the Storm Hawks. Aerrow was snarling, Finn scowling, Stork sticking his tongue out, Piper smirking menacingly, and Junko looking confused. Radarr squawked in surprise to see that even his picture was up there, which showed him looking ready to bite.

Piper looked back at all of them so Aerrow could see her worried eyes. "We're Atmos' most wanted!"

Mewing in despair, Radarr buried his face in his paws.

Finn stepped toward the poster to get a better look. "Aw, that's the best picture of me they could find!" he complained, pointing. "And hey!" He pulled the flyer off the bulletin, studying it. "Why's my bounty less than Stork's?"

If Stork was competitive or had any smart comments for that at all, he didn't show it. The Merb just stood there, wide-eyed and teeth chattering.

Before Finn could start worrying anymore about unimportant things, Aerrow took the flyer from him and got a closer look for himself. He told his team, "Says here we're responsible for a dozen big thefts, and we're considered armed and dangerous."

At that moment, he heard the doors opening. Not good. What if it was someone who was after them? Quickly he and the others sat down at the nearest table and picked up menus to protect their faces from view.

Aerrow peered around his menu to see who it was. In came some of the Absolute Zeroes. Billy Rex and Davey Digger entered first, followed by Suzy Lu. The Blizzarian Sky Knight's eyes surveyed the diner hungrily as she stopped in the doorway, blowing up a bubble and popping it before chewing it hard, like she did when she was thinking. Normally bright and playful, her leaf-green eyes now looked like the eyes of a predator.

The diner was hushed and quiet, as it had been before. Although Aerrow heard some quiet conversation, he mostly heard the unnerving hissing of the burgers on the grill and the Blizzarians' bare, furry feet padding on the floor as they approached the area around the Storm Hawks' table. Much to Aerrow's relief, the Absolute Zeroes turned their backs on them as they looked around the room.

Piper, who was sitting next to Aerrow, turned to her Sky Knight. "We should talk to them," she told him quietly. "The Absolute Zeroes are our friends."

"They think we're wanted criminals!" Aerrow reminded her.

At that moment, the Absolute Zeroes began talking. "Uh, we know you're here," Davey Digger. "W-we saw your ship, eh?"

So the Absolute Zeroes _were_ here to take them in. And of course they recognized the _Condor_! Aerrow should have known better. The ship was a dead give-away.

Suzy Lu blew another bubble, her eyes still scanning.

That was enough for Aerrow. He and the others started to think about their escape for the door.

Billy Rex noticed something strange out of the corner of his eye. Five robed figures were sitting at a table behind them, their faces buried in menus.

That had to be those Storm Hawk thieves!

"Yeah!" Billy Rex agreed with Davey's earlier statement, whirling around to the table of the robed people. Suzy Lu and Davey Digger spun around with him. "Give back our snow blaster, eh?" Billy Rex demanded, knocking the menus down.

But then the Absolute Zeroes all gasped, "Oh!" as the robes' hoods fell over without the menus to support them. There was no one in the robes.

"Aw, gee," Davey Digger murmured. The thieves had slipped right through their fingers!

Realizing their error, the Absolute Zeroes ran out of the diner toward the dock of the _Condor_. But they were too late. The ship's engines were already started, and the ship was lifting away from the dock just as the Zeroes reached it. The Absolute Zeroes shouted angrily at the _Condor_ as it spun away from them, shaking their fists at it. "Hosers!" Billy Rex cried to them as the _Condor_ flew off into safer skies.

Thankfully for the Storm Hawks, they had been smart enough to take the wanted poster with them. Aerrow and Piper analyzed the information on it and mapped it out before they went to the others to show them what they found.

As Piper placed a map of the known Atmos with little red flags stuck into certain points on the round table, the team gathered around the table. "Thanks to the wanted poster," Aerrow explained, "we know where things were stolen from."

"They started here," Piper said, tapping Terra Gale on the map, "and the last one was here." She tapped another terra. Then she traced her finger alongside the flags, saying, "See, there's a pattern." Sure enough, the flags made an almost straight line. "And that means," Piper continued, "the next likely target is," she tapped a large terra on the map, "Terra Atmosia."

Aerrow took it up from there. "There's only one thing there worth stealing: the remaining shards of the Aurora Stone." Knowing that some of the team didn't keep up with the current news, he explained. "When we stopped Cyclonis from using the Aurora Stone, it was smashed pieces. From what I hear, getting them back was no small feet."

_Aerrow had heard the story secondhand, but he knew that the person who had been sent in to get the shards was very brave. He had to infiltrate Cyclonia while it was still wrecked from the explosion Aerrow had caused when he shattered the crystal. The infiltrator had succeeded in getting up to the remains of the throne room and collecting the largest shards, but as soon as he scooped them up in his hands, he had heard a voice say, "I'll take that!"_

_The infiltrator had looked up to see three Talons standing on a pile of wreckage above him, all of them pointing their staffs at him. They fired three shots, which was enough to get the Atmosian running. They then chased him, yelling as they did. "Grab him!" the moustache Talon had commanded._

_But the Atmosian had gotten away and placed the shards in metal container with glass sides and a metal handle not unlike the handle that had been on the crystal's original case._

"They put the shards back in the tower for safekeeping," Aerrow explained. He held up a finger. "Any one of those broken pieces has enough power," he clenched his fist, "to cause some major damage."

And now for the plan. "If we wanna clear our names and find out who's behind this," he told his team, "we have to catch whoever is behind this in the act." He turned to his pilot. "Stork, set a course. We need to get there first!"

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Why call a convenience store Wayside? A wayside is the side of a road or path, which is basically what the Wayside in Atmos is, a stopping place where you can buy and sell.

Yeah, I know. I ran out of trivia ideas for this chapter.

You know, I looked on the credits, and you know what? They didn't even refer to Davey Digger or Suzy Lu by name! On the voice acting credits for this episode, they were listed as Absolute Zero #1 and Absolute Zero #2 (not sure which was which). Oh, the nerve of Nerd Corps, not even referring to these two by name! Billy Rex got to have his name mentioned!

You know, I've been looking at other credits, and did you know that two of the BARF Wallops from Episode 30, "The Last Stand," are actually named? The lead one's Dag and the whiny one is Urgi. The third one who had the darker skin, however, isn't even listed. Poor guy. And he did have a speaking part, too!

And much to my dismay, in the credits, depending on the episode being watched, Lugey's name is spelled three different ways! "Lugey, Luegy, Luegey." I mean, which way are we supposed to spell it? Do I need to go back and correct every chapter with Lugey's name? I don't know! It's driving me crazy! I'm a perfectionist, people! You can't do spelling quirks on me!

Oh, yeah, and Hamish's name is spelled "Haimish" in the credits for "Escape" and "The Last Stand," whereas it's "Hamish" on the website. Talk about confusing!


	115. Atmos' Most Wanted: Proven Guilty

Chapter 3: Proven Guilty

The Storm Hawks made it to Terra Atmosia and landed the _Condor_. Then, staying out of the city streets so as not to be seen, they head toward the beacon tower.

As Aerrow approached it, he got tense and cautious. No memories he had of this place were good ones. And as he looked at the door, he had a bit of déjà vu. The door was twisted and burned, its two doors swinging in the slight breeze, just as it had been when Carver had broken in.

"Looks like they're already inside, whoever they are," Piper commented. Then she looked up at the top of the tower, saying, "Huh?"

The others looked, too. It was just like before; the tower went dark, and it was almost like dusk had fallen over the terra, signaling to them that the crystal shards had been removed from the stand at the center of the tower.

This was it. Aerrow drew his blades and lit them. "Game on, Storm Hawks!" he told his team.

In response, Finn got out his crossbow and the Storm Hawks, tiptoed to the door, hiding on either side of it. Aerrow, Junko, and Radarr guarded one side of the door while Finn, Stork, and Piper took the other. "These clowns are goin' down," Finn declared as he pointed his crossbow into the doorway. Snarling, Junko ignited his Knuckle Busters. All the Storm Hawks waited, ready to pounce.

As they peered inside, Aerrow could see a figure coming down the stairs of the tower holding the case containing the shards in his hands. Stork and Piper both cringed at the thief's appearance, but Aerrow only gripped his blades tighter and tensed every muscle, prepared for the attack.

Four figures in all came down the stairs and stepped into the doorway, unaware that the Storm Hawks were waiting for them just outside. The lead figure, the one holding the Aurora Shards, was wearing a homemade mask of Aerrow's face. The fat figure next to him wore a similar mask of Junko's face, and the burly one on the other side wore a Piper mask. The tiny one behind them had a Finn mask. Squares of cloth with badly-stitched Storm Hawks emblems were on their chests, much like the one found on Terra Gale. But below the masks and around the symbols, the armored figures were tailed and scaly, obviously some cold-blooded humanoid.

In the light of the shards, Aerrow could see their bodies and armor. It took a moment, but eventually, he placed them: the Raptors. Repton was playing Aerrow, Lugey was playing Junko, Hoerk was playing Piper, and Spitz was playing Finn.

Repton held up the case. "The Aurora Shards," he said, "quite the improvement from a Cheese Stone." He glared at Hoerk as he said it.

That's when the Storm Hawks stepped out and into the Raptors' path. "Tell that to Terra Gale," Aerrow shouted, pointing a lit blade at Repton, "and everyone else you stole from!"

Finn, apparently, was studying the homemade masks, all the while still aiming his crossbow at the Raptors. "Oh, come on!" he exclaimed. "That looks nothing like us!"

Lugey and Spitz chuckled, as if they thought they had made a good joke on the Storm Hawks and were enjoying it. As they laughed, one side of Hoerk's Storm Hawk emblem fell off and hung lopsided.

Even though Aerrow knew the Raptors were laughing at them, he couldn't help but chuckle at their ridiculous appearance and the stupid-looking, hand-drawn masks on their faces. Junko laughed even more heartily.

But Repton just cackled at them quietly before taking off his mask and smirking at Aerrow. "The Storm Hawks wanted criminals," he teased. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen!"

Aerrow scowled at the comment angrily, but he didn't lose his cool. He already knew how to make Repton pay. "Oh, yeah?" he answered the lead Raptor. "Well, now it's our turn!" He pointed his blade more forcefully Repton's direction. "We're taking you in!"

But Repton looked to the sky and noticed three classic Air Skimmers headed their way: the three uninjured Rex Guardians. It gave him an idea.

He turned back to Aerrow, smirking evilly. Pulling back the case of shards as he prepared to toss them, he said, "Why don't you take _these_ instead?"

All the Storm Hawks gasped, and Aerrow's heart skipped a beat. If any one of those shards was jostled too hard, they could set off an explosion that could destroy the entire terra! Repton wasn't really thinking of _throwing_ them, was he?

But he did. Repton tossed the container up into the air. Just as it began to fall, its lid opened, and all six shards fell out.

Stork squealed in fright.

Aerrow put away his blades immediately, and he saw Junko put out his Knuckle Busters and Finn put up his crossbow. They knew they had to catch the crystal shards before they hit the ground.

Cackling at them, Repton turned and fled, his brothers close behind. But the Storm Hawks were too worried about catching the shards to stop them.

Aerrow gasped as he tried desperately to grasp at one, which kept slipping out of his hands.

With a grunt, Piper dove for one, landing on her stomach and catching the shard in her palm just before it hit the ground.

Stork was no help. He stood quivering and muttering, bent over and covering his head. Radarr, however, took advantage of that. He leapt up onto the trembling, muttering Merb's back, gripping him with all four paws, and caught one of the shards in his teeth. Amazed at he caught it, he squawked proudly without unclenching his teeth. Then he carefully reached up a paw to take the crystal from his mouth and hold it.

Aerrow was still juggling the one crystal shard. It bounced off his fingers twice more, and although he still hadn't caught it, it hadn't touched the ground.

Junko grunted as he leapt into the air and caught one like a football, landing on his back in the bushes.

Finn, having the best aim and hand-eye coordination of all of them, simply reached up his hand and caught one shard in his palm. The entire time he stood there looking bored, with his free hand on his hip.

At last, Aerrow was able to grab his crystal shard with both hands. He smiled as he placed it in one hand.

But then he heard a whistling sound. There was still one crystal falling.

Seeing it, Aerrow dove to catch it. Like Piper, he landed on his stomach, catching the crystal in the palm of his free hand. And he slid to a stop . . . right at someone's feet. "Huh?" he gasped.

He looked up to see someone clad in kitchen equipment, a slim girl with dark hair and piercing blue eyes that were staring at him with enough accusation to make him grimace. And he knew exactly who it was.

Piper had gotten to her feet by now, and she, Finn, Stork, and Radarr (who was still on Stork's back) all stopped and stared in her direction in horror, and those who held crystal shards looked down at them uneasily. Giving Stork his crystal shard, Radarr leapt off Stork's back, getting down by the Merb's feet.

Junko, who was in the bushes, sat up with a triumphant "Ha, ha!" at having caught the crystal shard. But when he saw who was watching them, he hid the crystal shard behind his back.

"Dove!" Aerrow gasped, pushing himself up on one knee. "It's not what you think . . ."

But Dove looked more angry and hurt than Aerrow could ever remember seeing her. "I believed you," she said, "and you betrayed me!"

"Dove, let us explain," Aerrow tried desperately. He gestured to the others. "We've been framed!"

But then Dove did something Aerrow never thought he would see her do to him. She pointed her green crystal-tipped spear at his throat. "No more lies!" she declared. "You are no better than any other criminal, and you will be dealt with just the same! Your crime spree ends now!"

Aerrow felt torn. He knew how to fight back, how to make sure the spear point came nowhere near his throat again. But he couldn't even think of harming Dove. Doing his best to avoid that and still free himself, he moved so quickly that Dove could nothing to stop him before he had shoved the spear away with his arm and gotten to his feet. With his arm, he kept the spear held high and out of the way. One quick move with his other fist and he could easily get Dove out of his way, too. And Dove seemed to know it. But instead of doing anything, Aerrow just said, "I don't wanna hurt you."

Then Aerrow heard the groaning sound of approaching skyride engines, and he lowered his arm and turned toward the sound. The other Storm Hawks turned at the sound, too, and grimaced. Radarr hid behind one of Stork's legs.

Seeming to get new confidence from the sound, Dove glared at Aerrow with a look that could kill. "Don't worry about me," she growled. "Worry about yourself, thief!" She shoved the spear point in his face again.

At that moment, the three Absolute Zeroes who had been pursuing them, Suzy Lu, Billy Rex, and Davey Digger, came driving up in bike mode on their Ice Grinders. The Ice Grinders jumped a small incline from the forest path where the Storm Hawks had approached the tower from. Obviously the Zeroes had landed by the _Condor_ and followed the Storm Hawks' trail here.

The three Absolute Zeroes came in from different sides, surrounding the Storm Hawks and cutting off all escape. Billy Rex stood up from his ride as they slid to a stop. "Gotcha now, hoser!" he cried angrily, pointing at Aerrow.

Aerrow stood openmouthed, the spear point still inches away from his face. Before he could even grasp just what was happening, he heard the sound of more skyrides approaching. He looked over toward the knoll, his eyes widening, as he saw the three uninjured Rex Guardians drive over it. They joined the circle.

Harrier slid his ride to a stop in front of Aerrow and Dove, and Dove backed off from Aerrow as he did. Harrier drew his sword from the sheath on his belt and lit it; he couldn't have indicated a threat toward Aerrow any more than if he had spoken of it. The older, blonde Sky Knight was obviously the one in charge here. "There shall be no trick escapes this time, Storm Hawks," the Rex Guardian Sky Knight said as he glowered at Aerrow.

Behind him, Aerrow heard Finn mutter, "We are so busted."

The Rex Guardians and the Absolute Zeroes dismounted their rides and began to close in on the Storm Hawks with Dove. While Dove and Harrier already had their weapons out (and pointed in Aerrow's direction, much to Aerrow's discomfort), the others were reaching for their weapons. Whether or not the Storm Hawks resisted, the two other Sky Knight squadrons and Dove were determined to take them in.

Aerrow's heart beat a mile a minute. He didn't know what to think, what excuse he could give. If he were to see things from their point of view, he would probably be just as angry and determined to take action as any of them. As far as they could see, the scene in front of them would be confirmation of all they had found against the Storm Hawks. It was just a like a nightmare from which he couldn't wake up. How could something like this happen to them?

He knew one thing. He didn't want to be taken in. He didn't want jail time. And he certainly didn't want to fight a losing battle . . . and unless he and the other Storm Hawks were willing to hurt their former friends, it would be a losing battle.

How could he stop this?

Then . . . he knew. The answer was right in his hands.

But it was ridiculous! He couldn't do this. What if they didn't listen? What could be done?

But like always, Aerrow didn't stop to think through consequences for more than a second, if at all. He just went with it.

Just before Dove, the Rex Guardians, and the Absolute Zeroes closed in on them, Aerrow shouted, "Everyone stop right there," he held up the Aurora Shards in his hands above his head, "or else I set these things off!"

Everyone froze, including the other Storm Hawks. Stork covered his face with his free hand and squeaked in terror. All of them, even his teammates, couldn't believe the threat he'd just given him. Even Piper, who normally seemed to almost read Aerrow's mind and go along with him most of the time, was staring at him in horror.

Whether or not it this was a good idea, Aerrow had said it, so now he had to follow through. He stared around at the faces of their would-be captors, daring them to make him do it.

Harrier gestured his sword toward Aerrow, pointing it at his chest. "You're bluffing," he declared.

Oh, really? "Try me!" Aerrow dared. "Give me a reason, and I'll set off a chain reaction that'll turn this entire terra into a sandbox!"

For the first time, the others really started to look scared. The other male Rex Guardian's teeth began to chatter. Aerrow waited, his fingers almost itching with anticipation. If they hesitated, he planned on bringing the shards closer together, and perhaps even closer . . .

But then, Harrier caved. Sighing, he lowered his sword and ordered, "Drop your weapons."

He dropped his sword. Another sword was dropped on top of his, then Dove's spear, then a Blizzarian spear, and a handheld cannon. The last weapon to join the pile, surprisingly, was a blowup duck lifesaver float. Finn raised an eyebrow at that one.

But Aerrow had more important things to worry about then what ridiculous weapons they had abandoned. "Now," he told the Absolute Zeroes and the Rex Guardians, "I'll need you all inside the tower."

Grudgingly, they complied.

They all glared at him as they walked into the room. Harrier was the last one to step in. Once inside, he turned around and glowered at Aerrow, crossing his arms.

But the Storm Hawks just slammed the doors on them. Aerrow had Junko take Dove's staff and put it through the handles of the door, which the Wallop had already beaten back into shape. Then Junko bent the staff around easily, almost as if he was trying to tie a knot with it. Surely the Rex Guardians and the Absolute Zeroes weren't getting out until the Storm Hawks came back for them.

But they kept Dove outside with them. Aerrow kept a hold of her until the others were locked inside, not wanting her to get any ideas.

Just as Junko finished and while Aerrow was still glaring back at the closed doorway, Dove jerked her arm out of Aerrow's loosened grasp with an angry grunt. Whirling around to face him, she gave him a death glare. "Oh, you are making a big mistake!" she told him threateningly.

Aerrow couldn't deny that possibility. "Maybe," he agreed, "but it's the only way to prove we're innocent." And with that, they followed the other Storm Hawks back toward the _Condor_, Aerrow putting a guiding, gentle but firm hand on Dove's back to keep her from going anywhere.

But when he looked ahead, he noticed how quiet the others were and how they were looking at him. Piper's eyes bore into his, asking the question: Would he have done it? Would he have set off those Aurora Shards?

It had started out as a bluff, just as Harrier had suggested. But towards the end, Aerrow's fingers had almost been itching to do it. Would he have done? He didn't know. And he hoped he never had to find out.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, Aerrow looked pretty serious in those last few scenes, didn't he? I had always wondered whether or not he really would have done it if their captors hadn't surrendered. I mean, after the look on his face . . . Well, I already wrote what I thought.

This trivia is not in reference to this episode, but in reference to "Velocity," in which the Dark Ace disguised himself as the Knight of Xerxxes.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Xerxes was the name of a king who ruled in Persia in 486-465 B.C. His name seems to come from the Old Persian word _Xšayaršan_, meaning "hero among kings." _Xšaya_ means "king." Xerxes I was known as Xerxes the Great. He squashed revolts in his provinces, particularly in Egypt and Babylon, and ignored the policy of his predecessors of loosely governing conquered lands. Instead he took a tight rein on his whole empire. He then went to conquer more lands for his empire, and his most famous successful exploits were those in northern Greece. The ruthless king, who eventually withdrew to his capital in his last years, was mysteriously assassinated, and his murder not fully investigated. It has been suggested that his assassination was arranged by his own son, Artaxerxes, who seceded him.

Talk about a messed up family. Not quite sure what that all has to do with Xerxxes, since we know nothing about the terra, but surely Xerxes was no more ruthless than the disguised Dark Ace, and the Dark Ace was just as much of a traitor and as hidden as Artaxerxes.

Okay, well, ya'll know the drill. Press that nice little button at the bottom and comment on anything: the story, the writing, the trivia, whatever you wish.


	116. Atmos' Most Wanted: Forgive and Forget

Chapter 4: Forgive and Forget

As the Raptors flew away from Terra Atmosia into sunny skies, Repton had his crystal gun, still loaded with the Cheese Stone, with him. He led the way. Spitz and Hoerk followed behind, each having a snow blaster from the Absolute Zeroes and Hoerk having the bag with the rest of the stolen goods. The only stolen item left was the classic Air Skimmer used by the first Sky Knight. Lugey was in the back of the group, and he was riding on it.

Lugey was saying, "Wah, hoo, hoo!" as they flew, enjoying himself. He still wore the Storm Hawks emblem on his chest, and he had taken Repton's mask, the mask of Aerrow's face. "Look at me! Ha!" he said, laughing. He pointed a thumb to himself. "I'm a Sky Knight!"

Annoyed with him, Spitz turned around and shot a snowball from the snow blaster straight at his brother's face. The snowball knocked the mask off and hit Lugey in the eye. "Owie, owie, owie!" Lugey complained loudly, holding his eye.

But Spitz just laughed at his stupid brother, snorting each time he laughed. "I never knew snowballs were this much fun!" he said.

But for Repton, this wasn't a time for the brothers to be picking on each other; this was a time to celebrate! "Leave him alone, boys," he told Spitz and Hoerk. "As we speak, the Storm Hawks are taking the fall. With any luck, they'll be out of our scales for good!"

Just as he said it, a loud carrier horn blew . . . a very familiar, _infuriating _carrier horn. Repton's eyes widened in shock, and he peered behind him just to be sure of what he saw seeing.

He saw Lugey behind him do the same, making the Aerrow mask fly off Lugey's face and loosing it in the wind. Lugey didn't seem keen on fetching it, though. He was staring at the approaching airship and giggling nervously. And Repton couldn't blame him. He was a little preoccupied with the ship, too.

The horn blasted again twice as the ship charged up behind the Raptors. It was none other than the _Condor_.

"Impossible!" Repton exclaimed. He sped up his ride, and his brothers did the same following his lead. Repton didn't know how the Storm Hawks could possibly be after them now instead of in chains, but he knew he wasn't going to stick around to see what the young Sky Knight squadron had in mind.

The hangar bay doors opened. The Storm Hawks, minus Stork, all sat on their skyrides, ready to take to the skies. Aerrow and Radarr were out in front with Finn and Junko on either wing. The boys all smirked and narrowed their eyes at the Raptors determinedly. No way were they letting them get away this time.

Piper was behind Aerrow and Radarr, and she had Dove sitting behind her in the seat of her Heliscooter. "Let's do this, guys!" Piper exclaimed.

Growling excitedly in agreement, Radarr decided that he was going to put on his goggles for this trip out.

Just as Radarr slammed the goggles on his face, Aerrow gunned his engine, and they were off, followed by the others.

As the Storm Hawks flew on to hover over the Raptors, Piper turned to Dove, who was holding on to her shoulders for balance. "See, look!" Piper told her, gesturing her head toward the Raptors, Lugey and Spitz particularly. "The skyride, the snow blaster, the Raptors have it!"

Repton noticed them hovering over them. He turned to the runt of his family. "Spitz," he instructed, "take care of those two!"

Spitz cackled. Looking down at the snow blaster in his hand, he answered, "Sure thing, boss!" And with that, he flew off after the girls.

Repton looked back at his other brothers. "Rest of you, split up!" he ordered harshly. Following his order, Lugey took off to the right and Hoerk to the left. Repton kept heading forward, pulling his hand-held blaster out. "Storm Hawks won't know what hit them!" he muttered to himself, cackling evilly.

Seeing what the Raptors were doing, Aerrow cried over his shoulder, "Take 'em down, Storm Hawks!" And with that, he and Radarr banked low, heading toward Repton.

Finn, meanwhile, kept going straight. He pulled out one of his bolts with a Wallop-style painted face on it. Feeling cocky, he smothered the bolt in kisses before he loaded it into the retractable crossbow on his bow, which was already out. Then he aimed it at Lugey.

Lugey, realizing what he was doing, glanced over his shoulder fearfully. "Uh oh," the fat Raptor said. He banked to port quickly with Finn following close behind. The sharpshooter knew he would have no problem taking Lugey down. It was taking the Raptor without harming the stolen skyride he was driving that was the difficulty.

Piper and Dove, meanwhile, had just glanced behind them as they realized they were being chased by Spitz. They both gasped and ducked as a snowball fired by the blaster headed their way. Squeaking in excitement, Spitz shot two more at them before Piper dove for the clouds, trying to loose the Raptor. But Spitz followed right behind them, barrel rolling and leveling out after them under the clouds.

Piper and Dove glanced back again, and Piper grunted as one of two snowballs nearly smacked into her face. That blaster was made to make snowballs so hard-packed and icy that they were more like hail balls. A good hit in the right spot was dangerous. Right now the setting was low, but Piper didn't know that. That had been way too close for comfort.

In a desperate attempt to escape their pursuer, Piper swung to port so quickly that Spitz had to pull up and loop around after them. But with another growl-like yelp, the runt Raptor had them in sight and in range. Cackling, he cranked up the snow blaster using a knob on the side. Then he pointed the snow blaster at them and pulled the trigger.

Piper didn't know what he was up to until she heard the sound of cracking ice behind her. She and Dove both glanced back and screamed to see Spitz make a gigantic snowball, one giant enough to engulf the whole heliscooter and its passengers! Not good! Quickly Piper dodged.

Junko, meanwhile, was chasing Hoerk. He was gaining on the bulky Raptor when suddenly something large and white flew up in between them. "Whoa!" Junko cried as he pulled his Skimmer up so suddenly that he was almost thrown forward. The ball of white shot up in front of him, just inches from hitting and wrecking his skyride.

Junko looked up at the white boulder curiously, wondering what in the world made that happen. To his surprise, it looked to him to be a gigantic snowball. The thought made him smile. Junko loved throwing snowballs.

"Hmm," Junko said as he looked up at it. The thought had given him a great idea. He activated his Knuckle Busters and looked up at the snowball as it began to fall back down toward him, all the while smirking about his plan.

Piper and Dove were still being pursued by Spitz. Dove cried out in surprise as Piper swung toward the _Condor_, hoping to loose the Raptor runt. She drove over one of the ship's pontoon-like engines and then dove between it and the other one, right in front of the landing strip. But no matter how much Piper maneuvered, Spitz was right on their tail. He fired another snowball at them just as the girls dove in front of the landing strip and leveled out under the ship.

When they under the ship, Piper glanced back, hoping they had gained airspace. But Spitz had instead gained on them. Hissing in delighted anticipation, he aimed the snow blaster at them again, closing one eye as he aimed.

But then, as Piper and Dove drove out from under the ship, another Skimmer dove down from behind the ship, blocking Spitz's path.

Letting out a cry of surprise, Spitz pulled his Bone Wing to a halt, staring at Junko in surprise.

The Wallop had leveled out in front of him, driving with one hand. The other hand was held high, and he was bouncing the humongous snowball in it, all the while smirking at Spitz. He couldn't help himself from being giddy. This was going to be great!

With a yell, Junko launched the snowball at Spitz.

Spitz cried out in fear when he saw it coming, but he had no time to avoid something that big at such close range. It smacked straight into his Bone Wing and him, engulfing both. The snow blaster missed the snowball altogether when Spitz threw his hands up in the air, and it went spinning from his hand upon the collision.

Junko looked down as Spitz fell. "Ooh," he said in amusement, pointing at Spitz. "That's gotta hurt!"

But Piper was focused on something else: the falling snow blaster. Quickly she dove for it. After all, they wanted to make sure all the stolen items were returned.

When Piper caught it in her hand, she showed it to Dove. "Now do you believe us?" she asked.

Piper was encouraged to see Dove glance down guiltily. She took that as a yes!

While that was going on, Lugey glanced back fearfully, saying, "Uh, oh," when he saw Finn firing at him. Finn fired four bolts, all which missed mostly because Finn did not want to kill the Raptor or hurt the skyride.

Letting out cries of fear, Lugey swerved back and forth to avoid three more shots as Finn continued to fire, barrel rolling as he followed Lugey's swerves.

In desperation, Lugey flew up beside Repton, leveling out just slightly bellow the lead Raptor. Aerrow and Radarr were still pursuing Repton, and Aerrow was surprised to see Lugey there. "Uh, boss!" Lugey called up to Repton anxiously, laughing nervously. "Uh, I'm in trouble!"

Repton heard him, but before he responded, he turned around and fired twice at Aerrow and Radarr with his crystal-powered gun. Grunting, Aerrow swerved to port, then to starboard to avoid them.

Repton turned to Lugey, answering his earlier cry for help. "Then stay clear!" Repton ordered his brother, setting his sights on Finn. He aimed his gun at the sharpshooter. "One blast and this one will be snack food!"

Aerrow saw the gun pointed at his friend. Oh, no. "Finn!" he cried at his wingman.

"Huh?" Finn said, glancing around when he heard Aerrow's cry. Then he saw Repton's gun pointed at him.

Finn screamed. Just as the gun fired, Finn tilted to starboard suddenly, trying to avoid the shot.

After it was all over, Finn leveled out again, huffing in surprise, wiggling his fingers and toes to make sure they were still on. He was alive, and he was intact. Well, that was good.

Then he looked down at his Skimmer in surprise. He wasn't riding a Skimmer anymore. He was riding a gliding, slowly falling, hunk of cheese that was shaped like a Skimmer. Sniffing at the new smell, he asked himself, "Is that me or is that the cheese?"

Just then, another shot from Repton flew over his head, making him duck and cry out in surprise. In desperation, knowing that he was being fired upon and that his cheese ride was gliding on wind currents but would soon fall toward the Wastelands, he leapt for the back of the closest ride: the stolen skyride that Lugey was driving.

Lugey let out a cry of surprise when the skyride jerked under him from the jump. He turned around to face Finn, who smiled tentatively and let out a nervous giggle. Great. Now he was stuck on the ride with a huge, angry Raptor. Now what was he going to do?

Lugey decided before he did. With a growl, the Raptor drew back his fist and let out a grunt as he threw it at Finn. Thinking quickly, Finn ducked just in time. Angrier now, the Raptor stood up in his seat, facing Finn. With a grunt, he threw himself at Finn, trying to knock him down. Finn ducked so low that he nearly flattened himself against the ride's stern. With a cry, Lugey fell over the back of the skyride head-first.

Finn smiled back at him as he fell. Would you look at that? He defeated the Raptor all by himself without a weapon and without throwing a single punch or kick! How's _that_ for sweet moves? "Huh!" he said to himself, remembering the wanted poster. "And my value was less than Stork's!"

Still screaming, Lugey landed head-first on the cheese Skimmer. His head broke through the cheese wing and stopped just past his shoulders. Lugey ended up with a piece of cheese in his mouth, which he happily chewed up and swallowed. He laughed delightedly at the taste and took another bite of the wing as the cheese ride continued to slow and fall, gliding in for a slow, smooth landing somewhere below the cloud line.

Meanwhile, above them, Repton just growled in frustration at seeing his brother fall. With a snarl, he fired another shot at Finn.

Grunting, Finn ducked low, his heart hammering. Without even thinking, he jumped into the driver's seat of the skyride. But as soon as he put his hands on the handles, which were spread wide apart, he groaned in disappointment, knowing he was in trouble now. "Oh, not this piece of junk!" he said when he saw he was on the 500-year-old stolen skyride. "Should've taken my chances on the cheese ride."

But at that moment he gasped and ducked. Repton was firing at him again. Whether or not this was a bad ride, he was on it now, so he decided it'd be best to use it. With another gasp as another shot flew over his head, he banked the skyride to starboard.

It was like gliding on air! Without the extra weight and the extra wings, the classic Air Skimmer was so maneuverable! From his slight jerk to starboard, the entire ride spiraled, and with a slight touch to port, Finn slid over behind Repton with ease. And then, to be sure of no more shots, he spiraled again, slowing and backing away from the lead Raptor.

Once he was sure he was safe, he looked down at his ride in surprise. He laughed. "Hey, hey! What'd you know? This thing actually has some sweet moves!" Eager to try out more, he glided off to port.

Junko was coming up behind him. The Wallop's eyes were on Hoerk. Junko drew up alongside him. Smirking at his plan, Junko lit a Knuckle Buster, swung his ride around upside down, and then with a mighty Wallop yell, brought his upside-down skyride over and slammed a screaming Hoerk in the face!

But Hoerk was steady; he stayed astride his ride. Even so, the force of the blow sent his ride spinning, and the bag of stolen goods on the back of his Bone Wing flew off into the air.

Seeing it, Junko pulled away from him and flew up under the bag, catching it in his lap. "I got it!" he cried for the others. He peered into the bag with one eye. "The rest of the stolen stuff is in here!"

Hoerk, meanwhile, had finally gotten his ride to stop spinning, but his eyes still rolled in his sockets. He groaned from dizziness, his vision still fuzzy. When at last it cleared, he opened his eyes wide and let out a sound of surprise before pulling his ride to a stop.

Piper and Dove had flown up in front of him and blocked his path. Dove had the snow blaster pointed at him. "Freeze!" Piper cried. And then Dove fired three times.

Hoerk could only blink his eyes to rid them of snow as he found his entire face covered in a snowball, his chest incased in a bigger snowball, and his torso incase in an even bigger snowball, so that he looked like a living snowman.

Aerrow and Radarr saw what was going on, and they were not ones to be left out of the fun. Going along with the snowman theme, they drove on by. And as they passed Hoerk, Radarr dug through his strange assortment of objects until he found what he was looking for. He turned around and threw a carrot, seven pieces of coal, and a pipe in Hoerk's direction. The carrot landed right on Hoerk's nose, the coal landing to make a smile underneath, and the pipe popped itself right in that smile.

Bubbling the pipe, Hoerk dropped his head in shame while the girls giggled at him before flying on.

But Aerrow and Radarr were long gone. They were narrowing in on their goal: Repton.

Aerrow and Radarr flew up next to the lead Raptor. "Might as well surrender!" Aerrow yelled at him. He pointed two fingers at him. "It's over, Repton!"

But Repton just growled in his direction. "If I'm going down, Sky Knight," he declared, "then you're goin' with me!" He pointed the crystal gun at Aerrow.

But Radarr was prepared for that kind of threat toward his boy. He jumped up out of his cockpit, holding a toilet plunger, which he threw at Repton. Then he pulled out two more, twirling them like batons and smirking.

The plunger he threw landed right in front of the barrel of the gun just as Repton pulled the trigger. With nowhere to go, the pulse backfired and turned the gun to cheese. Repton's grip must have been one from anger, because the gun of cheese broke apart in his hand, letting the plunger and the Cheese Stone fly clear. All Repton could do was let out a cry of shock and frustration.

Seeing the Cheese Stone, Aerrow grunted as he reached out and caught it in his hand. At last everything was recovered, even the first stolen item!

Knowing Repton might try something else (and possibly because he just couldn't help himself) Aerrow dove below Repton and then tipped suddenly to port, casting his starboard wing up to knock into Repton's wing and send the Bone Wing spiraling down toward the Wastelands. Repton could have stopped it, but he fell clear of the Bone Wing, shouting as he fell backward toward the Wastelands until his parachute deployed.

Aerrow and Radarr exchanged smiles, and Radarr chirped in triumph. They had done it! They had stopped the thieves, gotten back the stolen items, and cleared their names!

Victorious, the Storm Hawks and Dove headed back toward the _Condor_.

Down below them in the Wastelands, the snowball with Spitz and his bone wing had landed on top of one of the many rocky outcroppings. Spitz was sticking out of the top of the snowball, and his head, arms, and torso were all stuck within it so only his feet shown. He whimpered and kicked his feet vainly as he tried to get out of the snowball.

Behind him, on another cliff, Repton dangled in the air, the top of his parachute hooked on the pinnacle top. Beside him, Lugey was atop what was left of the cheese ride. It had crash landed onto the cliff face, where the streams of lava running down it had melted the cheese and then cooled it again, so it remained stuck on the side of the cliff. Repton just hung there, glaring and growling at nothing, wallowing in his misfortune and failure while Lugey ate a good portion of the cheese Skimmer, cleaning off much of the stern and all but one wing. He was the only Raptor who was perfectly content to stay here and wait for Hoerk to come pick them up.

At last, Lugey let out a large belch, holding a hunk of cheese in his hand. "Oh, 'cuse me," he muttered. Then he turned to Repton, stuttering in his weariness and asking, "Uh, y-you want the rest, boss?" He offered him the hunk of cheese. "I-I think I've finally had enough."

Did he . . . what? Repton face-palmed and let out a yell of frustration that rang throughout the Wastelands. Stuck here without his plunder, without his ride, and with the stupidest of all his brothers. This was just not his day.

* * *

The Storm Hawks headed back to Terra Atmosia to let the others out and have Dove tell them all about their adventure. Everyone was really apologetic for their accusation. To show that there was no hard feelings (and to redistribute the retrieved items), Aerrow suggested that Dove, Wren, the Rebel Ducks, the Rex Guardians, and the Absolute Zeroes all join them for the barbeque that the Storm Hawks had yet to fully enjoy.

Soon the barbeque was underway. Junko was grilling again while everyone else was enjoying themselves, grabbing plates of food, stretching out on the lawn chairs, or simply standing around conversing, marveling over the day's events.

Eager to see their skyride again, one of the first places the Rex Guardians wanted to go was into the open hangar bay to see their now-recovered skyride. Finn, having been its rider upon recovery, brought them to it.

Harrier began to inspect the ride thoroughly. When he found a certain spot on the skyride, he stopped, kneeled down, and pulled out a magnifying glass. When he heard him gasp, Finn peered over his shoulder to see what Harrier was studying.

Uh oh. On the side of the Skimmer were scratch marks that looked almost like irregular claw marks.

Harrier whirled around and pointed the magnifying glass at Finn, making the Storm Hawk cringe. "You put a scratch on the crown, you . . . you uncultured adolescent!" he accused.

Finn wasn't sure what "uncultured adolescent" meant, so he let that slide without a comment. But he put a hand on his chest at the accusation, as if he couldn't believe Harrier would even suggest such a thing. "Nah uh," he denied. "It was like that when I got it."

As Harrier stood up and faced Finn, still looking annoyed, Finn thought up a wonderful solution that would make everyone happy. "But if you let me take it for another spin," he suggested, "I'll blot it right out for ya!" Oh, what he'd give to ride that ride again!

But Harrier just huffed in disgust and marched outside to the party without saying a word.

Out on the landing strip, Junko was still at the grill. Piper was busy conversing with Suzy Lu and Billy Rex while Stork and Radarr socialized with a Rebel Duck. Aerrow was surprised at the fact that the Merb was being social at all, but maybe he was just doing it for the occasion.

Meanwhile, the Sky Knight was leaning against the hatchway of the hangar bay, a hand on his hip, watching the action with a quiet smile. After a stressful day like this, it was nice to see everything turning out right in the end, all the good guys winning unharmed and unaffected and bad guys getting their just deserts. And even after all the misgivings this trouble had set up between them, everyone was able to forgive and forget in the end. It nice to know, in a warring world such as this, that such things could still happen.

He heard the quiet clinking of metal, which meant one of the two kitchen utensil-wearing Galians was behind him. He didn't think much of it until he heard a voice gulp and say, "I'm sorry I doubted you."

He turned around to see Dove meeting his eyes guiltily, her hand over her heart. "I should have known."

As far as Aerrow could see, coming and apologizing showed a lot of character on her part. None of the others had been willing to do that with him face to face. But he knew she felt terrible about the way she had treated them and couldn't see why she was so hard on herself. "You did know, remember?" he reminded her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your gut feeling said we were innocent. You were right."

He was encouraged to see Dove smile and give a small nod. His complement on her instincts seemed to help her mood.

But just then another voice, this one accusing, broke into their conversation. "Or so you would have us believe, huh?" Wren said, tapping his head and then pointing his returned Cheese Stone at Aerrow threateningly. He hadn't quite been ready to accept that his failing eyesight had tricked him and that the Storm Hawks really were innocent. "I will be watching you!"

But as he walked away, Wren looked down at his Cheese Stone with a grin, unwilling to be anything but happy at having his prized treasure back.

Aerrow exchanged a smile with Dove. They both knew her grandfather was a funny, stubborn old man who let his assumptions and beliefs die hard. He'd come around. Besides, Aerrow couldn't help but wonder if Wren's threat had as much to do with the fact that a teenage boy was talking with his granddaughter than the fact that he didn't believe the Storm Hawks' innocence.

At that moment, Junko stepped in the middle of the crowd, wearing a chef's hat and holding a plate of something that looked brown and mushy. "Hey!" he called to everyone. "Everybody stayin' for dinner? I made enough of my special potato salad for everyone!"

_Uh, oh,_ Aerrow thought. Not the potato salad!

Their guests all started exchanging nervous glances before smiling at the Storm Hawks apologetically. Making their excuses, they all said their goodbyes, mounted their skyrides, and left immediately.

Junko watched them leave, shrugging. "Ah, that's okay," he said, turning back to the table set up. "Means more for us!"

But to his surprise, the table was bare. The umbrella attached to one of the lawn chairs flew away in the wind, knocking over the one lone, empty glass on the table, making it seem even more abandoned. All the other Storm Hawks had made their escape inside the ship while they could.

But Junko's mood could not be soured. "That's okay," he said, turning to look at the plate with a spatula in his other hand and with a big smile on his face. "Means more for me! Ooh, hoo, hoo!" he said in anticipation of his meal.

At that moment, two eyes popped out of the "potato salad" on long, snail-like stocks. Looking frightened, the boneless creature, Junko's famous "potato salad," heaved its entire blob-like body off the plate and onto the landing strip, hopping across the deck and leaving puddles of goo everywhere it touched the ground.

"Hey, come back here!" Junko cried after it. He started chasing it around the landing strip. "Hey! Oh! Woo! Ha!"

He spent the rest of his evening chasing his dinner.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, once again I couldn't think of a trivia for this, so instead I did a trivia relevant to almost all episodes.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: So what is a merb in the real world? There are possible explanations for the name. A species of tree called the _ipil_ grows in the Indo-Pacific. This tree's timber is also referred to as _kwila _or _merbau_. _Merbua_'s island homes often suffer from earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Another source might be merbromin, which is a tropical antiseptic used to prevent infections in minor cuts and scraps (and it's not very effective). Merbromin is also used as a metal dye in industrial dye penetrant inspection to detect metal fractures and as a biological dye to mark tissue margins. Merbromin is a mercury compound and therefore puts anyone using it as an antiseptic at the risk for mercury poisoning and is potentially fatal. For this reason, although still readily available in most other countries, it has not been legal in the U.S. as a drug since 1988.

Well, I know one thing: if Stork knew all thought, our favorite Merb would be very paranoid about merbromin.

That's all for now. Please review!


	117. Stratosphere: A Ruined Dream

_**Part 29**_

_**Stratosphere**_

_A new invention threatens, and an old enemy is confronted. New sights and new opportunities arrive. A dream is crushed, and a dream is realized._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: A Ruined Dream

Not long after their hectic day of criminal catching and barbequing, the Storm Hawks were having some peace and quiet until they ran into some trouble going through stormy clouds early in the morning. And it's not the storm that was the problem.

Two red crystal energy pulses shake the ship, having been fired from a cannon somewhere. "Whoa!" Aerrow said as he almost lost his footing. Worried, he looked out the window to see what's going on to disrupt this relaxing day. Three more pulses explode before his eyes, but he couldn't spot the ship that was firing them.

Junko, meanwhile, had been sleeping in his cabin on the top bunk. When another shot shook the ship, the Wallop woke with a start and tried to sit up, only to hit his head on the ceiling. "Ow," he groaned, rubbing his head. Still another hit came, and he fell off the bunk and onto the floor, landing amidst an assortment of metal objects.

Three more shots came down from the ship. Junko decided it was definitely time to head for the bridge.

Apparently Finn and Stork had the same idea. There were three doors leading from the hallway of the living quarters into the bridge, and all three doors open simultaneously to a tired Junko rubbing his sore head, a bewildered Finn, and a nearly-naked Stork with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Piper, just down the hallway in her room, had just gotten ready, and she, too, started sprinting toward the bridge.

Aerrow, already there, was making a run for the helm. "Evasive maneuvers, everyone!" he ordered.

But he stopped when Stork was already headed to the wheel. The annoyed Merb was walking gingerly and using one had to hold his towel in place. "Oh, sure," he complained. "I take a nice, relaxing swamp bath, and we just _have _to get attacked!"

Angrily he grabbed the helm and worked on controlling the _Condor_, steering her through the raining pulses. He avoided most of them, but one struck the _Condor_'s top.

On the bridge, a pipe burst, letting off steam. The Storm Hawks gasped. Left unattended, the pipe could spell disaster.

But Radarr was ahead of all of them. He had already spotted something to temporarily mend the pipe. Letting out a churr, he went up behind Stork and snatched his towel off him. Stork let out a squeal as he realized he was completely naked in front of all of them. Furiously he glared at Radarr as the little furry copilot tied the pipe together with the towel. Seeing his glare, Radarr just shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

But Aerrow was a little too worried about their attackers to be disturbed by anything as trivial as nudity on the bridge at the moment. He has his hands pressed against the glass of the frontal window, trying to see the enemy ship. He couldn't see anything! If there was one thing Aerrow hated, it was not being able to locate his enemy.

Hopefully his scientist and tactician had an answer. Uneasily, he called out, "Piper, where are these things coming from?"

Piper was already at work at the round table, leaning over a map and using a compass and pencil to calculate distances. "If my math is correct—and it always is—" she said, making Finn sigh and roll his eyes, "these trajectories all originate from a point exactly twenty leagues," she looked up in astonishment, "above us!"

Aerrow couldn't believe what he was hearing. Whirling around to face Piper, he repeated, "Twenty leagues? But . . . no one's ever gone that high! Ever!"

There was just no way. Aerrow was both amazed and horrified at the same time. He pulled down the periscope just be sure and zoomed it in as much as he could just above them.

There, moving in and out of the clouds, was some sort of aircraft. It was so far away that Aerrow could barely make out its Cyclonian emblem shape.

But the Cyclonian shape didn't register. It was _where _it was that Aerrow noticed. "I don't believe it!" he exclaimed as he let the periscope retract to the ceiling. "Someone's reached the stratosphere." He turned away, still undecided whether this was the most exciting news he had ever received . . . or the worst. And his thoughts had nothing to do with the fact that they were being fired upon.

"But who?" Piper asked, coming up behind him.

At that moment, something came flying in through the ceiling at lightning speed and landed at Aerrow's feet. A few inches over would have killed him.

Aerrow pulled the long, skinny item out of the floor: a crystal-tipped arrow. He showed it to Piper, knowing just who it was. "Ravess!"

* * *

Up above them, Ravess was standing on top of the flying station, wearing a breather and a tight-fitting cold-weather suit. She lowered her bow as she glared down at the _Condor_. With this new base and what they would soon launch from it, the Storm Hawks would soon be finished!

* * *

Shots continued to rain down on the _Condor_, giving Stork quite a job in keeping her alive and dodging the blows.

But Aerrow, for the moment, was in complete and utter astonishment. His dream, to fly higher than any other flier, to reach the stratosphere had been realized . . . by someone else. "The stratosphere," he said in awe as he stared up at the hole in the ceiling, clasping his hands. He turned to Piper. "How could Ravess have—?"

"Aerrow!" Piper scolded. Now was not the time. Another shot shook the ship, jarring them all, as if emphasizing Piper's urgency. "We need a plan!" she reminded him.

"Right," Aerrow agreed, clenching his fist. First, they needed to get the cannon firing to stop. They were defenseless as long as Ravess fired from the stratosphere. He pointed to his strongman. "Junko, the emergency flares. Throw them up!"

Looking determined, Junko nodded in acknowledgement and then ran off to get the flares in their yellow crate. Aerrow had the hatch on the roof opened. Finn, anticipating what was coming next, got in the seat behind the _Condor_'s cannon on the turret.

With the crate, Junko ran out onto the front deck and, with a grunt, launched the crate into the air behind him so it flew over the ship.

Aerrow was watching through the open hatch. Just when the box of flares came in to view above them, he cried, "Finn, nail it!"

Nodding in answer, Finn wasted no time in spinning the cannon around and aiming perfectly through the open hatch to hit the flare box.

Once the pulse hit, the sky immediately lit up in a bright, blinding light that coated the top of the _Condor_. No way could Ravess' platform see through that to fire on them.

Smiling at his spark of ingenuity, Piper turned to Aerrow. "Clever," she commented.

But Aerrow's mind was in battle mode, whirling to the next step of making their escape. "Won't last," he responded to Piper hastily, sparing her only a glance. With that, he turned to the helm and called out to his pilot. "Stork, find some cover, fast!"

Looking relieved, Stork said, "Was gettin' kinda drafty." And with that, he leapt away from the helm and climbed up to reach for the broken pipe and take down his towel to cover himself with.

Coming up behind him, Aerrow gestured to him. "I meant for the ship?"

Snatching his hand away from the towel, Stork responded, "Right."

Piper sidled up beside Aerrow and held up a finger to Stork. "Actually, if you could do both," she said sweetly, "that'd be great!"

While Aerrow cocked an eyebrow, Stork just frowned in irritation and embarrassment. Then he went back to the helm.

Just as the flares cleared and the Cyclonians started firing again, Stork drove them toward a tiny nearby terra that had a hill with a plateau top that ended in a pointy cliff. The _Condor_ took shelter under the cliff, casting out her anchors to grab hold of the new rocky ceiling, the bottom of the cliff, above her. Shots continued to rain down from above them, but they couldn't get underneath the cliff.

Afterward, Stork wasted no time in fleeing to his room to get his uniform on. _There,_ he thought irritably. _Cover for both! Happy?_

While Piper did some observation on the Cyclonian platform in the stratosphere, Aerrow's mind was working a mile a minute. In order for his new plan to work, Piper needed to gather as much information as she could as fast as possible, and they needed to work fast. Thankfully the day was new and they still had hours ahead of them to work.

Once Piper told him that she had gathered enough from observation to work with and they had talked it out, Aerrow had them all gather at the round table. "'Kay, listen up," he told them, putting down Piper's charts and conclusions of Ravess' new toy on the table. "We need to modify the _Condor_ for high altitude operation: air tight bulkheads, booster rockets, the works!"

Finn, looking dubious, glanced at Stork for translation . . . maybe to be sure Aerrow wasn't out of his mind. Stork just shrugged.

But Junko was following along excitedly. "You mean were gonna g—?"

"Yup!" Aerrow answered enthusiastically. "We're goin' up to the stratosphere to stop Ravess!"

"I've analyzed her platform's energy spectra," Piper said, pointing to something on her chart. "Ravess is using gravity stones and amplifier crystals in an inverted matrix to stay aloft."

Everyone else looked at her dubiously. Even Radarr churred in confusion.

Thankfully Piper had already explained all this to Aerrow. "Great work, Piper," he praised her, clenching his fist excitedly. "We'll need some of those, too." He addressed her and the others as he said, "Now what about air? There's not much up there."

"Leave that to me!" Stork answered with a smile, pointing to himself.

"And we could all use some high-altitude training," Aerrow finished.

Finn pointed a thumb to himself. "I'm on it!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. Then he leaned over to Junko and whispered in his ear, "Sounds easiest," winking at him as he did. At this, Junko smiled. For them, easy was good.

So everything was set. The Storm Hawks got to work.

* * *

Up in the new Cyclonian platform in the stratosphere, Ravess stood on the stand on the bridge, her hands behind her back as she peered out the frontal window. She had on a breather, which gave her a constant supply of oxygen even at these heights, as all of her crew currently wore. Any minute now she expected to hear about how her own Talons had brought down the Storm Hawks.

When she heard boots clanking on the floor behind her, she didn't bother to turn around but only asked her lieutenant, "Well?"

"They've taken refuge, Commander," her lieutenant answered her.

Ravess' eyes narrowed in anger. What?

"From this altitude—" the lieutenant continued.

But he never got to finish. This had been Ravess' one chance to be on top, to show Master Cyclonis the greatest victory yet: the victory over Aerrow and the Storm Hawks. Her entire reputation had rested on the success of this mission and the overcoming of the Storm Hawks. If they got away, they could cause trouble for them. And now the lieutenant was going to make excuses because of their _altitude?_ Enraged, she whirled around and shoved the lieutenant up against the closed metal doors of the compound. "Perhaps you need a closer look!" she suggested threateningly. And with that, she pressed the red button beside the door.

When the door opened, the lieutenant gasped as he found himself leaning backward over open space, with hundreds, thousands of feet below him to fall. The wind was terrible, whipping against him as if it wanted to carry him off; only his warm suit and his helmet of a breather kept him from feeling the extreme cold, too. And it was only Ravess' hand on his collar that kept him from falling backward into nothingness. He looked up at her with wide, terrified eyes, desperately reaching for the sides of the door to pull himself back up.

At that moment, another Talon stepped up, keeping a respectful distance. "Commander Ravess," he said. "You have an urgent transmission from Cyclonia."

Well, so much for her little scare session. Ravess pulled the lieutenant back into the vessel and threw him aside onto the ground. "I'll take it in my cabin," she told the messenger.

The lieutenant let out a sigh of relief as she walked away.

* * *

On the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks were busy doing their "high altitude training." Most of them, anyway.

Stork was still busy trying to make a device that could supply them with oxygen in the high altitudes. Meanwhile the rest of the Storm Hawks were in a device that Junko, with Piper's plans, had set up for them. The machine was a round sphere with a door. It was meant to spin at extreme speeds to give anyone in the pod the feeling of less gravity and air pressure.

And currently, it was spinning. And everyone was inside it, minus Stork.

And Finn. The one who agreed to be in charge of the operation, Finn was on the couch in front the machine, snoring, sound asleep. In front of him was a book laid open on the table, which he had been reading at first.

Another snore and a gasp from a restless dream, a wave of his hand, and Finn startled awake. As soon as he did, he looked around. "Huh?" he said, trying to gasp his bearings. Forgetting all about his disturbing dream, he looked around. This wasn't his room . . .

Then he looked at the spinning pod in front of him, and suddenly he remembered. Letting out a frightened squeal as he realized he had fallen asleep with the others still inside, he picked up the pod's remote and turned it off. As the spinning came to a halt, Finn threw the remote over his shoulder and the couch nonchalantly, picking up his notebook to be official-looking.

As the door opened downward, becoming a ramp, Junko, Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr staggered out, groaning, stars dancing around their heads, their hair all astray. Junko held his head. Aerrow, who was holding his stomach, felt like he was about to be sick. The last one out, Radarr fell over and landed on his belly and chin, sliding down the last of the ramp. Junko was soon to follow suit, and Aerrow and Piper both sat on the ground, unable to keep their legs steady afoot.

But Finn wasn't about to let them off easy. "Alright, peoples," he said. "Ten second break. Then we cut the air pressure in half."

Everyone groaned except Junko, who only gasped, "Okay."

At that very moment, the doors opened up to a bulky, alien figure. It made loud, huffing sounds, like some large, angry animal. Its head appeared too bulky to be supported by its skinny legs. Lights appeared on top of its head like many huge eyes. For most, it looked like some sort of strange phantom. That seemed to be Finn's and Junko's thoughts, anyway. Finn ran to hide behind Junko, who leapt to his feet, and both screamed.

Radarr leapt to his feet, too, but only to raise his snout quizzically at the figure as it stepped into the room and headed toward them. Aerrow and Piper both raised eyebrows. What in the world . . . ?

The figure was obviously humanoid. Curious, Piper squinted at it as it got closer. She could see a ring of items hanging from its neck. They appeared to be . . . a bone, a banana peel, and two radishes?

There was only one possible answer. "Stork?" she asked.

The strange creature stopped and lifted up its bulky helmet. It was indeed Stork, in a thick, warm jump suit that went into a breather, which was connected to an air supply on his back, from which hung his metal Storm Hawks emblem. "My prototype strato-suit," he explained, "for protection," his voice took on a dramatic note, "from the dangers of the upper atmosphere."

They all raised eyebrows at him. Finn, still hiding behind Junko, pointed to two items on the Merb's collar. "Are those . . . radishes?"

Stork looked serious and solemn as he answered, "Only known defense against _strato elves!_" His eye twitched.

Finn and Piper exchanged glances. Strato elves?

But Stork wasn't done. He pointed to the white radish. "This wards off the aurora weasels." He pointed to the red radish. "This drives away the dreaded mist bunnies!" He held up his hands in a shadow-puppet bunny, sounding dramatic and scary.

Then, realizing he was missing a crucial aspect, Stork put down his hands. "Oh," he said, pointing to the helmet above his head, pushed off his face, "and that's the air supply."

Wow, that was certainly more than Aerrow was expecting. Not sure how else to put this, Aerrow gestured to him and said, "Uh, that's great, Stork, but for the rest of us, just do the air part, okay?" He held up a hand, gesturing for him to cut back a little for them.

Stork just shrugged with a wry smile. "Huh," he said. "It's your funeral, man."

* * *

Up at the Cyclonians' stratospheric platform, Ravess was in her cabin, talking with Master Cyclonis on the radio. "Uh, Master Cyclonis?" she began politely.

"_So,_" an irritated Cyclonis said over the radio, "_you've been using my platform for sneak attacks._" Ravess could picture her in front of her machine in her throne room, watching as another strange crystal was being formed by its mechanical arms.

"Indeed, Master," Ravess answered. "With the Storm Hawks out of the way—"

But Master Cyclonis interrupted, still sounding irritated. "_The Storm Hawks had no clue we were up there until you started taking potshots at them._"

"But Master," Ravess argued, surprised at the rebuke, "it's the perfect opportunity—"

"_This project,_" Master Cyclonis cut in, "_is all the opportunity we need! Focus on completing it, or I'll start taking potshots at you._"

And with that, Ravess heard the Master hang up.

Angrily Ravess threw the mouth piece down on her desk beside the radio, whirled around, and growled. She was a distant cousin of the royal family and a perfect shot, an excellent and organized commander. Yet Master Cyclonis had continued to treat her like dirt ever since the Storm Hawks had started ruining Ravess' plans. She knew one thing; she would never betray Cyclonia, but she would praise the day when someone took Cyclonia—and herself—out of Master Cyclonis' shadow.

"_Long live Master Cyclonis,"_ Ravess thought bitterly. _I prefer, "Die young."_

* * *

Author's Notes: Oh, yes, the naked Stork scene. That's the scene where all the fan girls cheer and people like me say, "It's a _cartoon!_ Get over yourselves!" And then the fan girls attack me in a rage.

What? I'm blunt. And it's just a cartoon! That's all there is to it. Don't hurt me!

Okay, now let me explain the whole "distant cousin to the royal family" thing. I found it in the _Storm Hawks_ rough draft on a webpage that no longer exists (unfortunately) back in February, the same place where I found out that Aerrow's home terra is Terra Nimbus. I didn't just pull that detail out of thin air. Although it would be a cool detail to elaborate on and right a fanfic about . . . But really, when you think about it, it does make sense. Even though they don't hold ranks as high as the Dark Ace's in the Talon army, Ravess and Snipe both control their own terras, their own individual parts of the empire. This suggests them being of the highest nobles. Besides that, Master Cyclonis left Cyclonia in the control of her "cousin" when she went to find the door to the far side with the Dark Ace. Master Cyclonis brought about her own destruction in many ways, but one way was that she did away with all of her heirs, something she wasn't concerned with since she was only fourteen and thought she would be successful. Then again, toward the end there, she was betraying allies left and right. That's why, when she did fall, she had no one left to rely on and fled to the only place left open to her: the far side.

Okay, now you have my great analysis that probably should have been saved for the last chapter. Oh, well.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "High altitude training" often means training to go to great heights on mountaintops and such, something which the people of Atmos already seem physical adapted for (or the creators just didn't consider that little detail in creating a cartoon). However, the "training" seen here for the stratosphere is not unlike some techniques used to train astronauts for space. The device used by the Storm Hawks has similarities to two devices used in training astronauts: the dreaded human centrifuge and the multi-axis trainer (MAT). The centrifuge is, as its name implies, a gondola at the end of a huge steel arm that rotates at fast speeds, giving the trainee the feeling of acceleration above those found in Earth's atmosphere, testing the tolerance level of the would-be astronaut. This is also used to train pilots for the Air Force. This machine, letting the trainee experience eighty times the force of Earth's gravity, pulls blood from the head and leads to black-outs. (Those who last longest have the "best tolerance" and continue training. Those who don't have good "tolerance" are booted out.) The machine is described by Times magazine as a "torture chamber" and by the famous John Glenn as "sadistic." It's the merry-go-round ride from hell. The other device is the MAT, a spinning chair that is spun different directions on three different axes. This device, which is even used as an amusement park ride, is used to simulate the disorientation an astronaut would feel in an emergency situation and/or in reentry. In it, the trainee should not suffer from dizziness or nausea. A lot less diabolical than the "merry-go-round" centrifuge.

Phew, that was a lot. Okay, these author's notes are long enough. Time to go! please, review!


	118. Stratosphere: Sky Walkers

Chapter 2: Sky Walkers

On the _Condor_, everything was almost in place. Aerrow was walking along the landing strip of the _Condor_ with his clipboard, pencil, and checklist, making sure everything was in place.

He passed by Radarr, who was busy drilling, wearing his goggles to protect his face from flying sparks. But Aerrow didn't even pay him any attention, too engrossed in what he was doing. "Space suits and helmet, check," he said to himself, checking that off the list. "Gravity stones, check." He spared a glance over the ship. As quickly as physically possible, the Storm Hawks had assembled a metal ramp that went straight down alongside the cliff face and then curved back upward in a half pipe. "Launch pad, check."

He came around to Junko, who also had a drill and protective goggles. He was putting the finishing touches on the jet black, humongous, releasable boosters the Storm Hawks had placed on with the _Condor_'s engines. But one wasn't quite right yet. "Junko," Aerrow addressed him, pointing the clipboard at the booster, "that booster is a little out of alignment."

"Huh?" Junko said when his work was interrupted. As soon as he contemplated what Aerrow had pointed out, he said, "Oh," and gave the Sky Knight a thumb up. Then he lit his Knuckle Busters, and with a Wallop grunt, he punched the booster a little to the left.

Aerrow smiled. "Better," he agreed, satisfied.

When he turned around, he blinked in surprise. "Uh, Finn," he asked, "do you need to do that now?"

Finn had his shirt off and was lounging on a lawn chair, wearing sunglasses, even though it was cloudy, and he was about to sip from a wine glass. Beside him was a rack on which a hunk of meat was barbequing over the Solaris Crystal. "Yes," Finn answered Aerrow with finality. "Yes, I do."

Well, that was out of the way. Aerrow made another mark on his checklist. "Barbeque spin and sunglasses, check."

Just then, Aerrow heard another whistling sound. Fearful that it might delay or endanger their mission, he looked around. One of the metal plates on one of the _Condor_'s pontoon-like engines had a corner blown off due to air pressure. It wasn't the first time that had happened, either. "Radarr," Aerrow called, pointing to the loose plating, "looks like we got another air leak over here."

Churring when he heard his name called, Radarr looked up to see the loose plating. With a chirp, he leapt toward it in one mighty lemur-like leap, jumped on it to pin it down properly, and then started using his red-handled screwdriver to secure its nail.

Aerrow watched vigilantly and somewhat apprehensively. They had to make sure all such imperfections were taken care of before they took off. Who knows what could go wrong . . .

"Aerrow, could you relax a little?" Aerrow turned to see Piper, who was still kneeling over the last air leak. "I mean," Piper continued, getting back to work, "it's not like this is the first time Ravess had a sinister plan."

And who could blame her with being a little irritated with Aerrow's edginess? He had her cleaning out in between the gratings of the two plates with a toothbrush to be sure that gunk in between them wouldn't cause another air leak like the one that had happened just moments ago on that same busted plating. She got down on her hands and knees again to finish up the work.

Aerrow knew he was being a little "up-tight," as Stork would say, but he just couldn't help it. "I just want to make sure everything is perfect," he told Piper. That came out a little petty, but it was habit to admit everything to Piper. He could always be blunt with her.

Piper sighed and sat up. She knew what was really bothering her friend: a ruined dream. "So she was the first one to the stratosphere. Big deal!"

Aerrow frowned at her. Big deal? It was a big deal to him!

"You know," Piper added, pointing her toothbrush at him, "there's always the exosphere, and that's even higher." She smiled at him warmly, letting him consider it.

Aerrow thought it over and couldn't help smiling at the idea. The exosphere . . . Now there was a goal! Piper always did know how to cheer him up and set his mind on what's important. He smiled at her. "Eh, you're right," he agreed. "There'll be plenty of time for exploring the unknown after we take care of Ravess. Are you almost finished?"

Piper got to her feet and dusted herself off. "We're ready," she assured him.

Aerrow made his last check on his list. It was time to go!

Soon the Storm Hawks were all suited up in their space suits. Stork had made the suits that not only could they put their metal emblems on the air supply, but Aerrow, Finn, and Junko could attack their armor to their suits.

Once suited up, they all headed inside the hangar bay to go toward the bridge. Every step seemed to take forever. This was it, Aerrow thought. They were going to see a part of the world that hardly anyone had ever seen before! They were going to the upper atmosphere . . . the stratosphere!

He wasn't the only one excited, he could see. Finn had a goofy grin. Radarr glanced up with small smile. Piper and Junko stepped forward boldly, their faces glowing with excitement.

But then Aerrow heard the heavy, beast-like breathing of Stork's helmet, and he glanced at the Merb with a raised eyebrow. Stork looked like he was about to say something, turning to Aerrow, putting up his hands, and shrugging, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, he turned to face ahead of him only to run helmet face-first into a pipe. The others watched quizzically as they walked by the Merb, who let out a cry as he fell over on his back.

Everyone finally got to the bridge. There they had set up five seats like those found on a space shuttle. Each seat had secured its occupant by having a bar that was brought down over the shoulders and across the chest and then locked in place. One was even placed in front of the helm for Stork.

As Junko, Piper and Aerrow sat down and buckled themselves in and Radarr got in Aerrow's lap, Stork, who had run in ahead of them, was already seated and ready. He pulled down one of the levers at the helm, turned the ship's engine dial to red, and pulled down a lever that got the fans on the boosters going, preparing the ship for takeoff.

By the time he had done all that, Finn had seated himself down, but he didn't buckle himself in. Instead he had a coconut drink, which he had just he made in the blender. He had placed a plastic bendy straw in it and smiled as he added the last part, the little umbrella, to the drink, and then prepared to sip it. To his disappointment, the cup clanked against his helmet. Frowning, Finn looked down at his drink and groaned. He hadn't thought of the fact that wearing the helmet meant he couldn't drink anything.

The alarms started going off on the ship, letting them know that she was preparing to launch. Finn gave up on the drink and buckled himself in. "Final system's check," Aerrow called.

"Crystal matrix ready," Piper answered.

"Boosters ready," Junko said, giving Aerrow a thumb up.

"Navigation ready," Stork squeaked nervously.

Aerrow could hardly contain his excitement as he reached for the lever activating the boosters. As he gripped it, he announced, "Let's like this candle."

And with that, he pulled the lever. The boosters lit up, firing blazing from them.

"Release clamps!" Aerrow cried.

Stork released the _Condor_'s anchors from the bottom of the cliff. And the ship began to fall. Fast.

The _Condor_ dove at lightning speed, gliding down the launch pad. And then the launch pad began to curve upward, setting them completely vertical.

Everyone screamed . . . not horrified screams, but the kind of thrill-driven screams that one hears on a rollercoaster ride. After all, it _was _like a rollercoaster ride . . . the fastest, most thrilling rollercoaster ride ever!

The loudest screamer of all, Aerrow thought, was probably Finn, who was screaming like a girl.

And then the _Condor_ zipped right off the ramp and straight up into the air.

Aerrow couldn't remember when the screaming stopped—perhaps after everyone got lightheaded or were unable to draw breath from the air pressing against them—but Stork started counting their assent aloud as soon as it was quiet enough. "Eight leagues," he announced. "Nine . . . Ten . . ."

Halfway there. "Drop boosters!" Aerrow ordered.

Junko pulled a lever beside him, shouting, "Boosters away!"

As soon as the lever was pulled, the boosters unlatched from the ship and fell off. As soon as they were gone, however, the _Condor_'s engines caught on, adding to her already-speedy velocity so that she could keep climbing.

Light was starting to appear on the tips of the _Condor_'s pontoon-like engines as the atmosphere tried to burn them for daring to speed through it. But they only appeared like flashes of lightning, never igniting and holding. The _Condor_ was going faster than she'd ever gone before.

"Eighteen," Stork announced. "Nineteen . . . We're at twenty leagues. Leveling off."

And at last, the ship slowed and tilted until it was right-side-up again, giving the Storm Hawks a chance to breath. Aerrow felt like he needed a chance for his beating heart to catch up with the action. He still felt lightheaded.

Piper studied the gauges of the crystal matrix. "Crystal matrix holding," she said, smiling. She lifted up her safety bar. "Flying in the stratosphere!"

It was too much to resist. The Storm Hawks were out of their safety bars and at the window in moments, pressing their hands and faces up against the glass. "It's so pretty!" Junko whispered in awe.

It was a sight to see! It was like a sea of clouds and air, making almost a bluish-white layer below them. The sky of the Atmos seemed to stretch flat below them until its curve miles and miles beyond, a rolling plain, an ocean of light. Above them the sky darkened to a bluish-black, a color that reminded Aerrow almost of Piper's hair. This beautiful sky was dome-shaped, like it could encase them. And below them, major terras that took up whole sections of the map seemed like little dots, their rivers like little slivers of silver and their land features hardly recognizable. Towns of civilization disappeared, too small to be seen; it was like stepping back in time, before humanoids had tamed it, before it had grown large, all tiny and new. "It all seems so small from up here," Aerrow commented.

Piper was pressed up against the glass next to him, her face aglow. She wasn't looking down; she was looking onward. "We can see to the boundaries of the known Atmos!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Aerrow followed her gaze. Before them were the Barrier Cliffs, the mountain chain that blocked the known Atmos from . . . well, from the rest of it. No one knew what lay beyond them; no one could go through them or over them. What lay beyond was known only as the Far Side of Atmos, a place that legend holds to have unspeakable power. And as far as Aerrow knew, no one had ever even seen the peaks of the Barrier Cliffs before this. Now in the stratosphere, they could see the high peaks jutting out of the clouds, immense and imposing even at this distance from this altitude.

Piper was giddy with excitement. "I gotta record this!" she said, picking up her camera and snapping pictures of the Cliffs. "If only we were higher," she said dreamily, "we could see what's beyond the Barrier Cliffs, to see—"

"—the Far Side of the Atmos!" Aerrow finished for her in a whisper. Oh, if only! Aerrow couldn't help fantasizing it, and he was sure Piper was doing the same. If dreams ever did come true . . .

At that moment, the _Condor_'s alarms started going off. Aerrow shook his head, woken from his reverie.

Stork, who was standing at the helm, turned around to them. "Glad you're enjoying the sights," he said nervously. He gazed out the window at a metal platform that they were heading toward. "Next stop will be the Cyclonian Battle Platform of _Doom!_"

* * *

On the Cyclonian platform, alarms started going off, flashing red, letting the Talons know that something was approaching. One of the Talons put his binoculars to his eyes to see. "Ship approaching, Commander," he told Ravess.

"What?" Ravess cried in disbelief. She stepped forward and snatched the binoculars out of the Talon's hand, shoving him to the ground. She used the binoculars to see for herself. "The Storm Hawks?" she said incredulously. "But that's impossible!"

But it was what it was. There was only one thing to do. "Open fire!" she ordered her Talons.

Immediately all blasters were aimed at the _Condor_ and began firing. Stork weaved through the blasts, all the while retaining, for the most part, a beeline for the platform.

Finn chuckled to himself as he got on the seat on the cannon's turret and then went out on the platform of the turret with the cannon, returning fire. He blasted four blasters on their side of the platform with only one shot for each.

Aerrow was at the railing by the _Condor_'shelm. With the air clear, it was now or never. "Stork," Aerrow ordered, "take us in."

Stork did just that. Looping around first so he could get a good angle, Stork eased the _Condor_ alongside the platform at an entry door in it.

Once settled, Aerrow ordered, "Lower boarding tube."

The boarding tube had been built with glass supported by metal frames around their boarding ramp while getting the ship ready for the altitudes. At Aerrow's order, Stork had it unfold from the side of the ship, lengthening until it came in contact with the side of the platform's hull. It then secured itself, making an airtight passageway to the door of the platform. This way they could board without having to rough the fierce winds and painful cold of the upper atmosphere, nor would they have to worry about falling, which would mean certain death.

Soon all the Storm Hawks had their weapons and were running across the boarding tube.

Just inside the door, four Talons stood with their staffs pointed at the door, ready for the invaders. All were a little nervous, but all held their ground as the door shook once, twice, three times. And then, with a mighty Wallop roar, the door flew open. In fact, the pieces of the door flew right out of the wall and struck one of the Talons, who cried out in surprise before he was knocked to the ground.

Junko leapt into the room, Knuckle Busters blazing. With another Wallop roar, he turned to his left and struck the Talon there, coming down right on his shoulders and pinning him.

Aerrow was right behind him, ignited blades in hand. He took the Talon to the right, knocking down his staff with one blade and then knocking him unconscious, all before the Talon had realized who had attacked him.

Piper soon followed their example, her staff held in both hands. With he cry, she jumped at the last Talon standing, kicking him in the neck at the base of his breather, knocking him out in doing so. Once he had fallen, she stood over him and spun her staff like a baton.

Finn stood in the doorway with his crossbow slung over his shoulder. He looked mighty proud of himself at seeing all the unconscious Talons, even though they all knew he hadn't even done anything.

But then they all heard cries. Aerrow held his blades up again, backing toward the others and the busted doorway. Seven more Talons had entered, and the one leading the other six was the lieutenant. They had them cornered at the doorway with their staffs point at them.

But then the Talons stopped and lowered their staffs a little, staring in shocked terror. Not sure what was wrong, Aerrow stopped to listen. And then he heard heavy breathing, like that of some large beast. But the breathing was more alien than any beast he knew.

He glanced back at the boarding tube just outside the door. There was the creepy, monster-like silhouette of Stork, the same one that had nearly scared the Storm Hawks out of their wits the first time. Stork was walking like he was struggling, swinging his arms and ambling along almost cock-kneed. The Storm Hawks knew who it was, so they were not the least bit scared.

But the Talons had no clue what was approaching them. Aerrow smirked at their horrified faces for only a moment. This had given him a brilliant idea!

"Eek!" Aerrow cried, looking terrified. "Space zombie!"

The Talons stared at him dubiously.

Behind him, Finn raised an eyebrow at him and whispered, "Space zombie?" What in the world was Aerrow . . . ?

"Oh!" Finn gasped when he realized what was going on. He decided to play along. "Run for your lives!" he cried to the Talons.

The Talons only stopped to exchange glances before they dropped their staffs and ran screaming. They all jumped into one of the many escape pods, which shot them out of the platform and back down toward the lower atmosphere in their own little safety chamber. Even the lieutenant fled.

Stork stopped in the doorway and smirked as he watched them flee. Well, what do you know? He was terrifying.

With the way clear, the Storm Hawks made a run for the bridge, Aerrow leading the way.

With a yell, Aerrow slammed his blades through the door to the bridge and led them inside. They found no one but Ravess, who was at the controls. She turned around when she heard him, seeming surprised but not shocked. "It's over, Ravess!" Aerrow shouted, pointing a blade at her. "We're bringin' this place down!"

"Then you're doing me a favor!" Ravess responded with a smirk, clenching her fist.

Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances. What?

"This was just a temporary staging area," Ravess explained, keeping a hand on a lever at the control panel. She clenched her other fist. "From this altitude, we can launch objects into a higher and more permanent position."

"The exosphere!" Piper gasped in realization.

"The very edge of space itself," Ravess agreed. And with that, she pulled the lever.

A hatch in the roof opened. And then, from the platform in the middle of the bridge, a huge metal sphere, studded with red crystals, rose out of the floor on a small, crystal-charged launch pad. Four beams around it kept it over the launch pad. Then crystal energy swirled under the pod, preparing to send it up.

"You're about to witness history," Ravess congratulated them. "When our Exopod reaches orbit, any terra will be ours to destroy . . . with the twist of a dial!"

That was one thing they could not have. "Storm Hawks," Aerrow shouted, pointing a blade at the Exopod, "shut it down!"

Letting out their battle cries, the Storm Hawks charged toward the weapon . . . only to have it launch straight through the hatch in the ceiling at lightning speed in a flash of red light. Piper and Finn screamed. "Whoa!" Junko cried. It was all they could do to stagger back after the force of the launch went off right before them.

Aerrow clenched his teeth. They couldn't let that thing remain up there. The rest of Atmos will be sitting ducks if fired upon by something from space!

In all the excitement, he had almost forgotten about Ravess. Now she raised her bow and shot an arrow right at the control panel. The damaged panel let off red sparks and started smoking.

Ravess smirked at them. "Enjoy the view!" she taunted. And with that, she jumped into one of the tubes that led into an escape pod and fled back down to the lower atmosphere, where her flagship was waiting for her.

The platform began to shake, making all the Storm Hawks cringe. Piper ran up to the control panel to see the destruction Ravess had done. "Ravess damaged the crystal matrix!" she told the others. "This won't stay up much longer!"

"Fine!" Finn cried. "Who needs it?"

"We do!" Aerrow answered quickly. He ran toward the launch pad and pointed a thumb at it. "We're gonna use this launcher to go after that thing!" He pointed up toward the hole in the roof.

"But the _Condor_ can't fit on that tiny thing," Junko protested.

"_Condor_'s not what I had in mind," Aerrow admitted. "We'll have to work fast."

According to Aerrow's orders, he and the others went back to fetch his Skimmer and some extra parts. They brought it to the bridge of the platform and assembled it right then and there. Stork got it going, making the parts needed with Junko's help and taking the Vulcan apart to put them on. Then he got to work assembling it. Piper did some help with calculations and requirements needed to make it safe, and Junko did all the heavy lifting. Aerrow did what he could, mostly following the others instructions and listening as Stork told him how everything would work. Every now and then they brought in Radarr to fit in some tight places.

And Finn got a lawn chair and set it in front of the whole procedure, watching everyone else do the work. The others were all too busy and working too fast to scold him.

When they were done, Aerrow pointed to their handiwork. "That's what I'm talkin' about."

"Yeah!" Finn cheered. Piper giggled excitedly.

Aerrow's Skimmer had been modified for high altitude travel . . . _very_ high altitude travel. The nose piece had been modified so that two of the wings—not all four—could be attached to the back of it. This was done so the airtight, see-through case, supported by a metal frame, could be put over the piloting seat to keep Aerrow incased. Radarr's cockpit had to be moved father back and raised a little, put on the same structure as one of the engines so the cockpit could separate and have separate compulsion than the main Skimmer if need be. It, too, now had a see-through cover, which was separate from Aerrow's compartment.

Aerrow and Radarr were going to the exosphere!

Piper unrolled her chart of their ascent and descent on the Vulcan's wing, having calculated the location of the Exopod. She showed it to Aerrow. "If my calculations are correct—"

Finn came up behind her. "—and they also are!—" he teased, mimicking a girl's high-pitched voice and waving a hand at her.

Piper rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored him. "—your path will directly intercept the Exopod." She traced her finger along the curved, dotted line that rose up in an arch from the Cyclonian platform and then came to its peak point at the Exopod. "Once you've destroyed it," Piper continued, "the _Condor_ will move into position to catch you." She traced her finger along the line that curved back down toward an image representing the _Condor_.

Piper pointed at him seriously. "Don't miss your reentry window," she told him sternly.

"Or," Stork explained, coming up and putting an arm around Aerrow's shoulders, "you'll drift off into _the point of no return!_"

Radarr squeaked fearfully, his eyes growing wide. He _really _did not want to drift off into the point of no return.

But Aerrow was cocky. He had been through so many life and death situations now that this one seemed kind of petty. After all, he always got out alright, didn't he? He pushed Stork away, smiling. "With Piper's calculations," he said, shrugging, "what could go wrong?"

Stork opened his mouth as if he was going to tell him all the things that could go wrong, but he seemed to decide against it.

Once they got the Skimmer set up on the launcher, setting it up vertically, Aerrow and Radarr climbed into their compartments. Radarr shut his, but Aerrow kept it open for a moment, trying to catch his breath. His heart seemed to be doing some sort of strange dance, and his stomach was doing gymnastics. It wasn't that he was scared, really. No, he was excited, more excited than he'd ever been in his whole life. He was going to go where no one has gone before, the highest point of their planet, just beyond the reaches of space . . .

The exosphere. He was going to the exosphere!

At that moment, Piper walked up to the Vulcan. "One more thing," she said to him. "You're about to get a view of the Atmos no one has ever seen before!" Like he could forget. "You have to take pictures!" Piper insisted, handing him the camera.

Aerrow took the camera and gave her a thumb up. After all, he knew she probably was wishing to go with them and see it all for herself. The least he could do was give her a glimpse of it.

And with that, she closed him into the compartment, smiling at him broadly, knowing that his dreams were coming true.

* * *

Author's Notes: Just for the record, I did not have Aerrow comparing the sky in the stratosphere to Piper's hair for pairing purposes. I just figured he would compare it to something he knew, and all I could think of was Piper's hair. They're both midnight blue!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The _Condor_'s launch was similar to the launch of a real space shuttle. On a space shuttle, there are solid rocket boosters (SRBs), usually two, necessary for takeoff. The boosters are separate from the main engines, and, as seen here in _Storm Hawks_, after the launch, the boosters must be released (a step in space protocol called SRB Separation).

And now, for a totally different topic . . . Wouldn't it be weird if there really were space zombies . . .


	119. Stratosphere: Journey of Faith

Chapter 3: Journey of Faith

As the Storm Hawks prepared Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer to launch, smoke began to billow from the engines as they revved, ready to help propel the skyride to the exosphere. Aerrow put in the settings, knowing the others were staring at him apprehensively. Perhaps they were excited; maybe they were envious. Or maybe it had only just occurred to them how dangerous this was for their friends. Either way, Aerrow couldn't concentrate on them at the moment; he had to focus on the task at hand.

Radarr was very well aware that he was about to experience one of the greatest moments of his life . . . and that there were chances of it going wrong that could easily mean he couldn't come back. Knowing this, he pulled out a picture that he had brought with him, smiling at it. With a churr, he put it on his dashboard. It was a picture of none other than his constant stalker, Wren's hen. Deep down, although he thought she was pushy, he really liked her, and he wanted to take her—or at least the thought of her—with him on this mission.

Junko was at the controls, counting down the launch. "Fifty-nine, fifty-eight," he pulled the lever that opened the hatch in the roof, "fifty-seven, fifty-six—"

At that moment, part of the plating began to pull apart from the wall as the platform started collapsing from its failed crystal matrix. The thing was about to blow. Realizing they have to leave _now_, Finn skipped ahead and finished the countdown in one breath. "Three, two, one, zero!" he cried, slamming his hand down on the button of the launcher, although his cry sounded more like something such as, _Threetwoonezero!_

In a flash of red light, the Vulcan left the launch pad.

"Whoa!" Aerrow screamed as the Vulcan shot upward with such speed that his face was literally stretched backward. Radarr's was the same, squealing, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Below them, the platform was coming apart at the seams. Piper had wanted to stay and watch her friends take off, but now that proved impossible if they expected to make it out alive. Screaming as red explosions went off around the platform, the Storm Hawks ran, heading back for the _Condor_. As soon as they were across the boarding tube, they sealed the door and took off, not even bothering to bringing in the tube. As the _Condor_ wrenched herself away from the doomed battle platform, the boarding tube broke in three pieces and fell.

Piper peered behind them as the _Condor_ sped away. The Cyclonian battle platform at last would not keep itself up any longer. Two explosions of red light went off, making two huge holes in the platform that gave off smoke, both coming from the crystal matrix, which had at last burned itself out. And then, like a limp dead bird, its creaks sounding almost like moans, the platform listed and fell thousands of miles below.

* * *

Above them, shooting higher and higher into the skies, toward the very heavens themselves, Aerrow and Radarr were straining to hold up. Aerrow felt like his entire body was being pressed and pinned, forced downward. His face was stretched so far that it was impossible for him to close his mouth or even close his eyes. He wasn't even able to draw a breath!

Then, just as he felt he couldn't take the strain much longer, the Skimmer slowed and leveled off.

With a relieved sigh, Aerrow replenished his lungs. He couldn't help smiling broadly. Difficult as that had been, it was still the most thrilling and exhilarating ride he had ever experienced!

He peered out the windshield. Below him was the sea of sky, just as it had been in the stratosphere. But now it almost seemed like there was some invisible barrier between him and the sky. And when he looked out over the tops of all clouds, he lost all sense of horizon. Every direction he looked, he could see the Atmos curving, and for the first time, although he had always been told and knew it as a fact, he could truly see the roundness of the world. Above him, even though it must be full daylight, the sky was black as coal and cloudless, and all of the stars seemed somewhat closer and had lost their twinkle. The sun's light peered down from behind them.

All this he took in within less than a second, and he didn't waste time marveling at it; when he and Radarr had left the platform, it had been collapsing. Radioing the others, he asked, "You guys get out okay?"

Over the radio, he heard Piper huff in exasperation. "_Barely,_" she answered. She sounded frightened and out of breath, but mostly she sounded relieved, which assured Aerrow that everyone was alright. "_We're on our way down,_" she continued. "_What's it like up there?_"

Aerrow started thinking about how to answer, for the first time really thinking about all he was seeing. And for the first time, he was aware of an almost weightless feeling, as if he could float.

And maybe if he hadn't been strapped in just a small compartment, he could have, for right in front of him the camera Piper had given him was floating, drifting across his frame of view. Aerrow was mesmerized. They had been told that science proved the existence of gravity, which would become less powerful the farther they got from Atmos, but never had he really given much thought to its existence. Until now. He reached a hand out toward the camera and gently touched it, barely applying any force. The camera drifted away from his touch as if he had pushed it away, floating in front of him once more.

He searched for the words to tell all of this to Piper and the others, but the only thing he could say was, "It's kind of hard to explain."

In the cockpit, Radarr let out a squeal of surprise and then a whimper of curiosity and wonder as he found himself floating, hanging upside down in his cockpit. Like Aerrow, he was enchanted by the weightlessness. Unlike Aerrow, Radarr was apprehensive. After all, humans and furry little critters were meant to stay on the ground!

But apparently no one had told Aerrow.

* * *

Below them, the _Condor_ had just done her mighty dive, and Junko told Aerrow on the radio, "We're back to regular atmosphere."

The Storm Hawks on the _Condor_ all got out of their safety-restrained chairs and took off their helmets. Finn sighed in relief. "Finally!" he exclaimed. He gestured to Piper with the helmet, rubbing the back of his neck. "This thing chafes."

As Piper set her helmet in her chair, she turned to Stork and said, "Return to normal flight mode."

"Proceeding to pickup point," Stork informed her, holding up a finger. He pulled a lever on the helm and headed the _Condor_ in that direction.

* * *

Up in Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer, Radarr let out a squeal of alarm and tapped the glass of his compartment at Aerrow frantically, pointing ahead of them.

Unsure of what had Radarr antsy, Aerrow peered ahead of him. And then he knew. "We can see Ravess' little toy," he told the others. "I think we're gonna miss." Radarr let out a squeal of alarm as they passed it by. "By a couple leagues!" Aerrow exclaimed. As they passed the Exopod, he quickly gunned his right engine, spinning the Vulcan around and stopping it so it faced the Exopod.

* * *

In the _Condor_, Piper couldn't believe what Aerrow just said. "But that's impossible," she said, "unless . . ." She leaned over the round table and flattened out her diagram. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "I miscalculated!"

Behind her she heard Finn start to laugh, only to cut off quickly. "I mean," he corrected, cringing guiltily, "pretend I didn't say that."

Piper turned around, putting her hands on her hips. "I've never dealt with distances like this before, alright?" she defended herself. She put her hand to her face and turned around, leaning over her diagram and gripping the table, trying to figure out what went wrong. "There must have a rounding error in the eleventh decimal place," she gasped. "How could I have missed that?" She was nervous beyond nervous; she was frantic. Their entire mission, and Aerrow's and Radarr's lives, had depended on these calculations, and now she'd screwed up.

Aerrow's voice came over the radio again, this time soothing and reassuring. "_It's okay, Piper. We'll think of something._"

"Yeah," someone else agreed. "We all will."

It was Finn. He stepped up beside Piper, smiling at her warmly.

She heard others approaching and looked around to see that Junko and Stork had also stepped up beside her, both smiling, both supportive.

Surrounded by her friends, Piper took a breath and calmed herself. Aerrow was right. They'd think of something. But what?

"How's your fuel, Aerrow?" Junko asked. They knew he had to be low on fuel, for they had used most of it in the climb into the exosphere.

"_Down to maneuvering jets,_" Aerrow answered.

"Oh, boy," Stork sighed, slumping. "Not enough to get them to the Exopod."

* * *

Hearing Stork's comment, Aerrow was still thinking about maneuvering jets. A plan was forming in his head. "Maybe not both of us," he answered Stork. But one of them could make it. He glanced over at Radarr.

Radarr returned his gaze, looking determined. He knew what Aerrow had in mind, and silently he agreed. But when he peered ahead of them again, the little guy swallowed apprehensively.

There were five switches on the dashboard, which controlled maneuvering in the nearly gravity-free exosphere. Knowing the consequences, Aerrow flipped two of the switches. In response, the left engine spun around backward, and with the right still pointed forward, they were turned on.

As the Vulcan began to spin, Aerrow kept his face set, forcing himself not to dwell on any possible negative outcomes. Radarr just sat there with his face set in trepidation, not looking forward to his role and definitely not looking forward to being on his own.

* * *

Having heard what Aerrow said and not quite understanding, Piper pulled down the periscope and looked up. There were two little dots in the sky above them. The bigger one, she knew, was the Exopod; the other was Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. And the Skimmer was starting to spin.

Suddenly, Piper understood . . . and it scared her. "He's gonna slingshot Radarr to the weapon!" she cried. She pulled away from the periscope, looking over at Stork. "But that would send Aerrow—"

"—straight to _the point of no return!_" Stork finished for her, sounding sorrowful and dramatic.

"_Piper,_" Aerrow's voice called over the radio, "_I'm gonna need a new calculation, this time with me going around the far side of the Atmos._"

"Aerrow," Piper gasped back, "that's never been done before!"

"I really don't think that's gonna stop him," Stork told Piper.

Piper cringed. All the same, she went back to her diagram and started doing the math, hoping, praying, that this time she didn't make a mistake. Aerrow's life was in her hands now.

* * *

With the Vulcan still spinning, Aerrow finally decided they had worked up enough momentum. He gave Radarr a thumb up, letting him know he was ready. Looking determined, Radarr returned it, letting his boy know he was ready, too.

Aerrow clenched his fist. "Radarr," he said, "go save the Atmos."

And with that, he pulled the lever that separated the cockpit from the main Skimmer.

Breaking off with the one of the engines, Radarr was slung toward the Exopod in almost a straight line. The Vulcan was left with one engine for Aerrow, and once the skyride stopped spinning, it went in a beeline in the opposite direction . . . toward the Barrier Cliffs, which were now far below.

Aerrow radioed back to the _Condor_. "Piper?" he asked. He needed the calculation _now_.

Piper's voice was panicked. "_I-I've never done this kind of math before,_" she stammered back. "_What if it's wrong? What if I—?_"

"Piper!" Aerrow interrupted. He knew that one mistake had made her doubt herself. But he didn't doubt her, and she needed to know that. "I trust you."

* * *

Piper sighed. How could Aerrow have so much faith in her, especially after that major mistake that had sent him on this crazy course? What had she done to deserve that?

Whatever it was, it had worked. If Aerrow believed in her, then she was willing to try. "Okay," she told him, straightening up. She looked down at her diagram in her hand, on which she made her new calculations. "At your current trajectory, you'll need a ten-second thruster burst at twenty-three degrees."

* * *

Aerrow listened to her instructions, noting them carefully. If he gassed the thruster too soon he might not make it back. If he let it go too late, he could overshoot the pickup point. For him, twenty-tree degrees had become his lifeline.

But just as he was preparing for the time for the thruster, he began to go over the Barrier Cliffs. Suddenly a bright light met his eyes. "Huh?" he gasped, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

While Piper and Stork were still exchanging glances, sharing their fears, Aerrow's voice came over the radio again. This time, he sounded excited. "_You guys!_" he cried. "_I can see—!_" But suddenly the radio crackled and then went silent.

Piper had been smiling, hoping Aerrow would announce some secret revealed to him from the far side of Atmos. But when he voice went out, she exchanged a fearful glance with Stork again.

Fearing the worst, she pulled down the periscope and peered up at the little dot of a Skimmer. It was just starting to disappear over the peaks of the Barrier Cliffs. She saw a flash of blue from it, like some faraway blue firefly, where Aerrow had given a burst from his engine at twenty-three degrees. And then he was gone, disappearing beyond the mountains.

Piper felt herself start to panic. "Aerrow?" she said into the radio, her voice rising as she pulled away from the periscope. "Aerrow?"

No answer.

Finn and Junko both cringed. "_Point of no return!_" Stork gasped.

Piper _really_ wished he'd stop saying that.

But Piper kept trying. "Aerrow? Aerrow?" Oh, please answer!

But Stork let out a shaky breath, drooping a little. "He's drifted out of radio range," he told them.

Piper tried to keep herself thinking positively. They just lost communication, that's all. Aerrow would come back. He had to.

* * *

Radarr, meanwhile, narrowed his eyes at the Exopod in front of him. Quickly he hooked himself up to a line attached to the inside of his cockpit. Then he opened up his compartment, and his metal rod, hooked at the end, floated out of the cockpit. Determined, Radarr grabbed the rod. Sighting the weapon, he pushing himself out of the Cockpit, floating in the air, stretching out toward the Exopod. It was up to him now. One way or another, he had to destroy this fearsome weapon.

Radarr propelled himself toward the Exopod, dogpaddling as if he were swimming. Then at last he reached the spherical weapon and placed all four paws on its crystal-studded surface.

* * *

Down below, the _Condor_ was not alone. Ravess' flagship was close behind.

Standing on her bridge, Ravess was watching the _Condor_, staying just within her blind spot. Without focusing the periscope directly behind them, there was no way the Storm Hawks could see her ship.

One of her Talons, a young blonde who wasn't wearing a helmet, stepped up behind her. "The Exopod is in position, Commander," he said, his hands behind his back.

Ravess smiled and answered, "Then the Storm Hawks are about to get a little demonstration." She lifted up her remote and pressed a button.

* * *

Radarr chirped and smiled as he found himself on top of the weapon. _This shouldn't be too hard,_ he thought.

At that moment, the Exopod made a whirling sound. Churring questionably, Radarr pushed off the weapon. That didn't sound good.

Then the bottom of the weapon opened up, revealing itself to be a hatch of some sort. And out came a long, spear-like appendage with a red crystal at its end. What in the world . . . ?

Then, to Radarr's horror, the crystal grew brighter. And with a large boom and rippling wave of energy, the crystal fired.

* * *

Piper heard the boom the same instant the red beam made a huge crystal pulse in line right beside the _Condor_. The four Storm Hawks all gasped and covered their eyes at the bright light. The pulse was blinding, with a humongous circumference, big enough to have engulfed the entire bridge of the _Condor_ and then some. Clouds dissolved and parted; the entire skies shook as the sound rang and radiated like thunder. As the pulse dissolved, the clouds swirled back in the spot where it had appeared as air was sucked back into the newly-made vacuum, making a split-second tornado that calmed just as quickly.

It was all over in less than three seconds.

Finn stared out the window, wide-eyed. "What was that?" he cried.

To Piper, it was obvious. "The Exopod!"

"And it's knocked down our crystal array!" Stork warned, looking down at the gauges on the helm.

"I'm on it!" Junko said before turning and heading down to the engine room.

Finn gestured to the helm. "Hey, how does that Exo-thingy thing know where we are?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Piper couldn't see how. Unless . . . She pulled down the periscope and focused it behind them. Sure enough, there it was: Ravess' flagship. "Uh, guys?" she warned. "We're not alone."

Instantly the others knew what she meant, and they did not like it. "We're sitting ducks!" Stork cried.

He was right; the Storm Hawks had no way of defending themselves against something so far away and so powerful. And with their crystal array knocked out, they could not attack the flagship or even flee from it. They had only one hope. "Come on, Radarr," Piper whispered aloud under her breath. "You can do it!"

* * *

On the flagship, the blonde Talon came back. "Systems calibrated," he told her. "We have a lock on the _Condor_."

Ravess held up her remote, her brow furrowing in determination. "This time," she declared, "I won't miss!"

She pressed the button.

* * *

Up in the exosphere, Radarr had climbed onto the staff-like appendage of the Exopod and was banging his rod against its point . . . to no avail. Just then, the point began to glow bright again, as if it was about to fire. Then it began to move.

Squealing in fright, Radarr pushed himself off the Exopod as the machine began to spin in the other direction. He could see that it was making a near 360 degree turn, bringing it almost full circle . . . which meant that if Radarr stayed where he was, he was going to be bashed by the appendage! Quick as he could in this near-weightless space, he tried to propel himself away from the weapon, dogpaddling through the air for all he was worth. Behind him he could hear the whirl of the machine charging itself, getting ready to fire, its point coming down toward him.

Radarr whirled around just as the crystal's point was level with him, only inches from having hit him. It was going to fire for sure, if not him, then at something down below. He had less than a second to decide what to do. In a wild panic, he struck the point as hard as he could with his rod.

The weapon went spinning just as its point fired, creating a deadly line of destruction below.

But it didn't strike the _Condor_; it struck Ravess' flagship!

Radarr's hit had knocked the Exopod's aim off just enough that as the pulse moved along, it completely tore apart the flagship.

On the bridge, Ravess was knocked to the floor on impact. She was unharmed, but she looked up in dismay as the floor listed, items in the room falling, sliding, debris joining the piles, the lights above going out, the smell of smoke from somewhere within the ship.

But Piper and Stork on the _Condor_ both sighed in relief to see the destruction, and Stork put a hand over his heart as if that would help slow his heart rate.

* * *

Up above, Radarr had reeled himself in on his cable and had just set all four paws on the edge of his cockpit once more. He glared out over the distance toward the Exopod he had just left behind. Much to his satisfaction, the weapon was starting to tilt over upside down and then start to fall. Radarr's hit had knocked it out of orbit.

As it fell towards Atmos, flames erupted around it as it tried to reenter the lower atmosphere. As it fell, it began to burn off little by little.

When at last it was in sight of Ravess' window, the Talon commander had still not gathered her bearings enough to get to her feet. When she look out the window and saw something that looked like a gigantic shooting star, she knew exactly what it really was. And all she could do was yell in outrage.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Junko was down in the engine room. He gave the crystal array a mighty kick with his hoof and then smiled, crossed his arms, and nodded proudly at himself as the lights and power came back on because of his work.

Stork was the second one to notice the success. At the helm, he saw the gauges' needles start to increase once more. "Hah! We're up!" he cried excitedly. "Let's go!"

And with that, the _Condor_ shot off into the sky, leaving the falling Cyclonian Destroyer.

* * *

On the flagship, Ravess clung to the floor more than ever, for as the ship continued to tilt, it was becoming the wall instead of the floor. Then she heard a voice behind her say, "Urgent transmission, Commander, from Master Cyclonis."

She turned around to see her messenger Talon, his voice and face calm as ever, as he clung to a crystal-tipped pole, hanging from it in a position that, ironically had ended up almost directly behind her. The messenger was holding out a hand-held radio.

Master Cyclonis? Frantically, Ravess snatched the radio out of the Talon's hand, which made him loose his grip on the pole. The Talon screamed as he fell.

Ravess knew she was in for it now, but she had always been a believer in facing the music . . . even if it was from a maniacal, teenage hormone-charged overlord. She held the radio up to her mouth and said as cheerfully and respectfully as possible, "Master Cyclonis?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Yay, they did it! _Ooh_, Ravess is in _trouble!_

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Aerrow's journey as the first person to fly around the Atmos is mirroring that of Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, the first man to orbit the Earth. Gagarin was a Russian astronaut of the Soviet Union. On April 12, 1961, he became the first human to ever travel into outer space, forever imprinting his name in history. As if that wasn't enough, his vessel, called the _Vostok I_, orbited the Earth once in an hour and 48 minutes. The Americans, not to be outdone, sent their own man, John Herschel Glenn, Jr., in the _Friendship 7_ spacecraft—perhaps a precarious name for a ship representing the space competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War—on February 20, 1962. Glenn preceded to orbit the Earth three times, being the first man to orbit Earth more than once.

I wonder, would it take longer to orbit the Earth outside the atmosphere or within its exosphere? In one you have less distance but more gravity, and in the other vice versus. That'd be interesting to know.

Okay, enough geeky talk. Please review!


	120. Stratosphere: If Only

Chapter 4: If Only

With the weapon out of the way, there was only one thing the Storm Hawks on the _Condor_ had to worry about: getting their two teammates back safe and sound.

Stork peered up at the skies through the periscope. Piper stood behind him, waiting urgently. There had been no sign of Aerrow. They should have heard from him by now, shouldn't they?

"Radarr's on course for the pickup point," Stork told them. He pulled away from the periscope and looked over at Piper and Finn, looking worried. There was nothing of Aerrow.

Finn had the radio speaker in his hand. Holding it up to his mouth, he called, "Aerrow, come in."

Nothing but static answered him.

Finn turned to Piper, looking sick with worry. Piper was feeling the same way, but she wasn't about to give up. She could never give up on Aerrow. "Keep trying!" she urged Finn.

Finn nodded. "Aerrow," he called into the radio. No answer. Finn grasped it with both hands. "Aerrow!"

All four of them waited, looking up at the speakers. The boys had their hands clenched in fists, and Stork still grasped the periscope with one hand so hard that his knuckles must be white under his gloves. Piper clasped her hands in a silent prayer. Oh, please, _please_ let him answer.

There was no other sound on the bridge but static. It seemed to last forever.

"_Like I said,_" a familiar voice radioed, "_I'll be fine._"

Aerrow! The Storm Hawks cheered in celebration, and Piper let out a sigh, not even realizing she had been hold her breath. He had come back safe and sound.

"Yeah!" Junko cheered. Piper couldn't help herself. She echoed him.

"Wahoo-hoo!" Finn whooped.

Already Piper could picture her Sky Knight, calmly smiling at their cheering. "_Twenty-three degrees,_" he told them. "_Perfect calculation, Piper._"

Piper felt Finn nudge her with his elbow, and she looked around at the three guys, who were all smiling at her. Stork put a hand on her shoulder. For Stork, that was the highest compliment. He _touched_ her, despite possible germs.

Piper thought her face hurt from smiling so much. Once more, she could feel confident in her calculation skills. After all, everyone makes mistakes, right?

* * *

Up in the exosphere, Radarr was back in his cockpit and had sealed it and, just as Stork had said, he was on course for the pickup. But Aerrow was nowhere to be seen.

Whimpering, he picked up his only source of comfort: his picture of his hen friend. But even that couldn't heal the aching in his heart. He would get to see her again. But would he ever see Aerrow?

Just then, a voice came over the radio. "_Goin' my way?_"

Letting out an excited squawk, Radarr let go of the picture, letting it float away. Eagerly he pressed his helmet to the window of his cockpit. He knew that voice anywhere!

And there he was. Aerrow's Skimmer was approaching right on course. Aerrow waved at him.

Radarr couldn't help but squirm in delight. His boy had come back!

* * *

Slowly the _Condor_ approached the point where Aerrow and Radarr would reenter the lower atmosphere. They would be coming in fast; the _Condor_ had to be there or else they could land in a fatal crash.

Every Storm Hawk on the ship was watching the skies anxiously. Aerrow and Radarr had joined their rides together again, so they should be coming in any time now. Piper had the x-ray peepers, and she kept looking in the general area where she knew the two would come from.

Then, at last, she saw it. "There!" she cried, lowering the peepers and pointing out the window.

There was the bluish dot, which kept getting larger and larger. Flashes came from it as flames erupted around it.

They had to work quickly. "Junko," Piper cried, pointing to the Wallop, "extend the net!"

Junko had taken over the helm from Stork because he was the best at playing catch and had the best chance at getting the net right under Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. The Wallop pushed the button that shot out the net from underneath the landing strip. It was stretched on a rectangular frame that spanned between the two pontoon-like engines. Junko sped the _Condor_ forward, lining it up so the net would come just under the high-altitude Vulcan.

As the Skimmer reentered the lower atmosphere, Aerrow and Radarr could feel the speed they were coming in at. It felt like they were going faster than when they took off! They had the same sensations, only this time it felt as if they were being crushed from both directions, and they were blinded by the bright flames that coated the Vulcan. Radarr squealed, although they were going so fast that he couldn't catch his breath and it came out as more of a croak.

At last, just as the _Condor_ was nearing it, a rush of cold air and a tight hold on the brake caused the Vulcan to slow and cool enough for the flames to dissipate. The Skimmer began to make a tail of smoke in the sky.

Junko liked that tail. It gave him a perfect picture of the angle they were coming in at. He would get this just right. He bit his tongue and narrowed his eyes as he concentrated. Almost there . . .

Aerrow let out a yell just before the skimmer plunged into the net. But it didn't stop; it only slowed. The Vulcan continued on, dragging and stretching the net with it.

All the Storm Hawks on the ship cried out in surprise as the _Condor_ suddenly rolled over onto her nose, slamming all four of them against the frontal window.

Then, just as the _Condor_ was completely vertical, it's net hanging down some ten yards below it, the ship began to right herself again, this time very, very slowly. Piper, Finn, Junko, and Stork all groaned as they slid down the window and onto the floor.

The net began to retract, until it hung only about three or four yards below, still stretched out far beyond its original shape. It fact, it had almost completely closed in around the Skimmer.

But inside the skyride, Aerrow was completely unharmed and finally able to get his breath back. He let out a sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted. He glanced over at Radarr to be sure the little guy was okay. Radarr churred in a smile and gave him a thumb up.

When at last the other Hawks had recovered, they came down and tossed a line down into the net, which Radarr then tied around the Vulcan once the wings were retracted. Using the wench, the others hauled the two out, with Radarr standing proudly on top of the Vulcan holding the rope. He saluted all of them, looking full of himself.

But for once, Aerrow didn't seem full of himself at all. He looked delighted and bewildered all at once. The truth was he was trying to make sense of his whole journey. Even as he opened up his compartment and took off his helmet, smiling broadly at all of them, he felt as if he were coming out of a daze.

The others couldn't be more excited to see him. Junko, who was turning the wench back to set the Skimmer down on the landing strip, smiled warmly. Finn cheered, throwing his fist in the air. Surprisingly, Stork joined Finn's cheer briefly, also throwing up his fist in celebration. Piper opened up her arms as if to embrace him and said, "Welcome back!"

Aerrow's smile widened as the Vulcan was set down on the strip.

"Dude!" Finn cried, walking up to him and gesturing to him. "You just broke the record!"

Stork pointed to him, looking serious. "You saw 'em, didn't ya?" he said. He looked up at the sky nervously, cringing a little. "Strato elves."

Piper pointed to him, looking more excited then ever. "You got pictures, right?" she asked him.

Oh. Yeah . . . "Sort of," Aerrow admitted as he handed the pictures to Piper. He kept his eyes down, knowing what was coming.

Radarr, who was climbing down from the top of the Skimmer, just shook his head. He'd already seen the pictures.

The others all crowded around Piper to see, but when they saw, none of them were smiling. They all just looked confused. Finn even pulled out a magnifying glass and held it up to the picture to see if it could give them a better view. But nothing could help. It was just one bright glare, a white light on a foggy picture, and that was it.

Giving up, Piper put up that picture and looked at the next one, with Finn still holding up the magnifying glass. This one was a fuzzy picture of Aerrow pointing at something just outside his window. But the arm holding the camera was blocking whatever it was he was pointing at.

She put that up and looked at the last one. This one had the same, bright, brilliant light off to the side, and she could sort of see the curve of the Atmos. But the middle of the picture was covered up with Aerrow's finger.

The others turned back to him, looking disappointed. Piper lowered the pictures, and Finn lowered the magnifying glass. "Aerrow!" Piper scolded.

Yup, he knew that was coming. Feeling a little disappointed in himself, he hunched forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Guess I'm a lousy photographer," he answered back lamely.

_Lousy? _Piper thought. That was an understatement. She wasn't sure she was ever going to let him borrow her camera again.

"Um," Stork said, taking the last picture from Piper, "I definitely see a strato elf right here." He pointed to the part of the picture with the bright light, at the top right corner.

Finn looked the picture over his shoulder and laughed. "Hah!" he exclaimed. He put a hand on Stork's shoulder. "That is _so_ a giant pyramid!"

Radarr climbed down and sat next to Aerrow. The two just smiled. Even with the lousy pictures, the others just seemed so excited, still trying to picture it for themselves.

Feeling happier than he'd felt in a long time, Aerrow reached over and ruffled the fur on Radarr's head. Radarr purred in pleasure and smiled up at his boy. As one, they both looked up at the skies. Only they could know what it was _really_ like. It was an experience unlike any other, one they alone could share.

* * *

Night eventually fell over Atmos, ending perhaps one of the most exciting and monumental days of the Storm Hawks' life. Or, at least, one of the most monumental days of Aerrow's life.

He had retreated from the others out onto the front balcony, where even Radarr didn't join him. He knew he was in full view of the others if they were on the bridge looking out the frontal window, but at least this way he could have the illusion of solitude to be alone with his thoughts. As he leaned on the railing, he gazed out at the dark, starlit sky until it seemed it was only him flying among the stars. It was almost as if they spiraled and ran in current along a sea, even though Aerrow knew it was the _Condor_ that was moving, not the stars. They were beautiful, playful, and silent, winking at him as if sharing a secret with him, reminding him that he had traveled closer to them than any other. And they alone shared what he had seen of the Far Side of Atmos.

"Aerrow?"

The voice was hesitant and tentative. Aerrow turned around to see Piper standing on the other side of the balcony, having just stepped outside. She just stood there at first, as if she was afraid she was disturbing him, but at last, she headed toward him. "I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.

"Uh, no," Aerrow said. "Not at all." There was nothing to interrupt but rambling, dazed thoughts. Besides, if anything, her presence had made him smile.

She joined him at the railing as Aerrow turned his eyes back on the stars. As she rested her hands on the railing beside him, she turned to him and smiled. "You really did it," she said.

"I guess so," Aerrow answered, unable to take his eyes off the sea of stars above. Once again he felt as if he were up there, above the world, seeing what no else had ever seen.

Piper followed his eyes, looking up at the dazzling dark abyss with him as if trying to really see it for herself. "What was it like?" she asked.

Aerrow tried to think of a way to explain, but how could one explain such an experience? "It's . . . hard to find the words," Aerrow managed.

"Who needs words," Piper said, shrugging. Her eyes turned mischievous as she nudged him with her elbow. "At least you got pictures."

Aerrow smiled and shook his head at her joke, but when he looked away, he couldn't help but frown. Piper had been so excited to see the sights up above Atmos and beyond the Barrier Cliffs. He'd really let her down that time.

But Piper just smiled, assuring him that she was only teasing. Looking at him tenderly, she put an arm around him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Aerrow didn't bother to move away, and she didn't let go. And so that they stayed like that, watching the stars together in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's presence.

But Aerrow was alone in his thoughts. He knew Piper's dreams as well as she knew his, and he wished he could share with her what he had seen, what he had experienced, his one glimpse at the wonders of the Far Side. But he didn't know how. He didn't even know how to tell Radarr, who had shared with him the world of dark skies, oceans of light, and weightlessness, much less Piper, who knew none of it.

A shooting star shot across the sky in front of them, and Aerrow made his wish then. Hopefully, one day, he could share it with her, with all them. Maybe, one day, they could all see it for themselves.

If only . . .

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, what a sweet moment! Yeah, I can see why a lot of people want to use that as proof for a Piper/Aerrow pairing. I still maintain that it is not proof, that it could have been a scene with any loving, sentimental friend (and seeing as Piper is perhaps the most sentimental character in the Storm Hawks squadron, she was perfect for the role). Yet I did try to portray closeness between the two here, for the sake of their obvious friendship, for the upcoming Binding, and to keep the possibility open for a pairing should it become bluntly canon in the future (which would require future episodes beyond the current 52).

No, I did _not_ make up the part about the shooting star. It's in the scene. I just took some artistic license with Aerrow's wish, trying to lead up to the last episode.

Again, I've run out of trivia. So I did one on Radarr's name.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: When we think of radar, with think of beeping machines, tracking, and locating, but what is radar _exactly? _Radar is a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine the presence, location, and speed of distant objects. If it doesn't use radio waves, it's not considered true radar. Radar is used by the military, law-enforcement, and navigational applications.

Boring, yes, but I can't think of anything else.

Okay, y'all know the drill. Hope you liked it!


	121. The Last Stand: Most Dangerous Place

_**Part 30**_

_**The Last Stand**_

_Heroes rescue, and heroes are trapped. Fire is fought with fire. New friends are made, and old enemies return. Heroes are not heroic, and underdogs become heroes. Two rivals make their final stand._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Most Dangerous Place

It was not long after Aerrow and Radarr had made their trip into the exosphere and back when a distress call sent the Storm Hawks on an urgent rescue mission.

The Slate Lowland Miners were in trouble. Their mine, and the cave it was located in, was collapsing in on them. There was just one problem: the location of their mine.

The _Condor_ reared and bucked as she struggled to dive downward in the turbulent wind and rain. At the round table, Piper was leaning over her map, tracing her finger along it. "We're entering the Wastelands now," she announced.

Stork, meanwhile, had his face twisted up in a snarl as he fought the winds. Even so, another ferocious gale sent the _Condor_ backward, tipping up slightly on her stern before she could right herself and drive forward again.

The movement sent one of their crates sliding across the floor past Piper, who nearly lost her footing. She ended up squatting, holding onto the edge of the table to keep from falling over. Once the ship leveled again, she pulled herself back up, leaning heavily on the table

Aerrow was at the railing behind the helm, and he grunted and gripped the railing as he was almost tossed backward. "Hold on, everyone," he warned when he regained his balance. "The turbulence could get rough." He looked up at the ceiling, almost expecting another bulk on the ship's part. "We're headed deep into the most dangerous part of the Atmos."

Just then, the bulk that Aerrow had been waiting for shook the ship, making Aerrow grunt as he grasped the railing and Piper gasp when she used the table for support again. Finn was slammed against the Timepulse.

When the ship leveled again, Finn looked over at Aerrow as Piper joined the Sky Knight at the railing. "Aren't we always headed into the most dangerous part of the Atmos?" Finn groaned.

_No, really,_ Aerrow would have responded, but he didn't get the chance. The Wastelands were in full view now, and a flaming rock was headed their way. Stork swerved suddenly to avoid it, making Aerrow cry out in surprise and Piper scream as the two held the railing desperately. Although Piper was slammed into it, Aerrow was thrown backward and for a moment was kept on his feet by only one hand gripping the railing. Just beyond, Radarr had all four paws wrapped around the railing.

"Whoa!" Finn cried as he careened backward, landing on his rear and slamming his back against the metal frame of the frontal window. Just as he recovered, he gasped when a wheel fell from a pipeline somewhere, landing just inches to his left. Then to his right, just inches away, a pipe clattered to the floor, making him gasp again. He let out a little squeal as his feet were nearly crushed by one of the speakers, which fell with a loud thud with sparks flying from its broken wires.

At first, the sharpshooter seemed relieved that nothing hit him, but then at last, a bent piece of pipe fell and struck him in the head with a BANG! "Oof!" Finn moaned as his head started to throb. He looked back up at Aerrow. "Point made."

Stork continued to steer the _Condor_ around pinnacle volcano points while flying, flaming rocks that shot straight up at them, making a very difficult ride.

The way Aerrow saw it, the sooner they could get out of here, the better. "Ya get a lock yet, Stork?" he asked his pilot. They needed to pinpoint the miners' location before they went in.

Stork was tapping some buttons on the helm. "Tuning in cryptid signal," he muttered, his fingers flying. The Merb went to the periscope and looked down at the lake of lava below him. "Gettin' close," he answered at last.

If they were close, that meant they had to let the miners know they were coming. "This is the Storm Hawks," Aerrow announced into the radio, "calling the Slate Lowland Miners. We're tracking you're distress call and moving in close. I repeat, this is the Storm Hawks. Rescue is on the way!"

* * *

A finger lifted off the radio somewhere in the Wastelands after listening to the Storm Hawks' message. But this particular radio didn't belong to the Slate Lowland Miners. The hand that held it was gloved, with the fingers cut off from the glove. The man listening was wearing a Talon uniform and armor, and his fat belly protruded over his belt. His little, dirty blonde beard covered only the top of his small chin, and his dark eyes stared maliciously out from under his Western-style hat, which he wore in place of a regular Talon's helmet and goggles. He sat on his ride, a beefy Talon Heli-Blade with powerful crystal engines, heat exhaust and headers.

"Well, well," he said in a heavy Texas accent. His lips turned up in a little smirk. "The Storm Hawks headed this way."

He turned around to look at three other Talons walking up behind him. Two wore the regular Talon getup, but one was a freckled, redhead boy with braces on his teeth, and he wore a Cyclonian work uniform and baseball cap on his head, which bore the Cyclonian symbol. All three of them each carried a metal bucket full of organic debris, and four other buckets filled with the same stuff were in a group not far away.

"Boys," the lead Talon drawled to the other three, "looks like we's about to make two _big _catches for the price of one!"

The Talons all cackled together.

* * *

As the _Condor_ continued through the Wastelands, swerving back and forth to dodge flaming rocks and jagged peaks, Aerrow kept trying to get hold of the miners. "Storm Hawks calling Slate Lowland Mine," he said. "Can you give us your exact location?"

"_Far in Grave Canyon,_" a gruff voice answered over the radio.

At the mention of Grave Canyon, Stork gasped and cringed.

"_By the lake._"

Oh, that made it even worse. They were by _Lava Lake!_ Stork knew all the dangers in that area. "Fire scorpions, constant earthquakes, total _doom!_" he muttered, looking at Aerrow in wide-eyed terror. "Never gonna make it!"

At that moment, as if confirming what he had said, a lava-covered flying rock struck the side of the _Condor_. Everyone gasped as the ship rocked to port. Piper screamed and kept hold of the table. Finn was with her, but he didn't have the sense to grab anything. With a cry, he was sent over backward on his rear, sliding and hitting his head and back on the railing, on which Aerrow was holding on the other side. Aerrow winced as some part of Finn slammed into his shin.

Once the ship was steadied, Aerrow raised his head as he heard the wind whistling outside a little too well. He turned to see that the rock had busted a gaping hole in the walls of the bridge. The plating was mangled and glowing at the edges from the heat of the rock, and filling that part of the room with smoke. The wind quickly cooled the edges and swept the smoke away, but it would still take a long time to repair.

Aerrow knew only one member who could quickly fix it enough to make due until they could completely repair it. That member was Junko. But ever since the Wallop had heard who it was they were rescuing, he had retreated to his room to "get ready," whatever that meant. As far as Aerrow could see, he should have been at the bridge by now, and right now they needed him immediately. "Junko," he called over the intercom impatiently, "we sure could use you out here."

"_Almost ready, guys!_" Junko answered back.

Right now, _almost_ wasn't good enough. "We need you on the bridge now!" Aerrow ordered.

Moments later, the doors to the hallway opened, with Junko standing in the doorway. "Tada!" he announced happily, showing off his new attire. "I'm ready!"

The others turned and blinked at him. Aerrow didn't know what to think. Over his uniform, Junko had put on blue lederhosen. Over that he had placed a yellow, orange, and purple gingham sash, which at the bottom became like a small kilt. Over the sash/kilt he had on a belt that had a small satchel on the front of it. On his head he had placed a little blue fez hat, which had a yellow design going around the brim.

Finn pointed at the button of the sash. "Is that a skirt?" he asked.

Junko looked down at his outfit self-consciously and then up at Finn again with a snarl on his face. Looking offended, he stomped toward the hole in the wall.

At the moment, Radarr was taking advantage of the hole. Much as he'd come to like his stalker hen, she sure could be annoying, and the hole provided the perfect opportunity to get rid of her. He threw her out of the ship just before Junko approached.

Once at the hole, Junko turned back to others and explained his outfit. "It's traditional Wallop greeting attire," he explained. He ignited his Knuckle Busters as he talked. "Wanna look good for BARF!" he continued.

The others raised an eyebrow. "Barf?" Finn asked.

Junko let his Knuckle Busters go out as he explained. "The Brotherhood of Atmosian High-Risk Fuel Workers, the toughest Wallops ever!" He smiled, looking wistful. "I always wanted to be just like these guys, you know," he put his hands on his hips and straightened up proudly, "heroic!"

Heroic? "Well, Junko," Aerrow told him gesturing to the rest of the team, "you _are_ a Storm Hawk." Wasn't that heroic, fighting in wars and against crime and wild beasts, saving Atmos?

"I just wanna make a good impression," Junko answered, "'cause, you know," he ran up beside Aerrow and whispered to him, as if it was some secret, "I'm not really as strong as most other Wallops."

Aerrow didn't know what to say to that. Surely Junko realized just how strong he was, didn't he?

But before Aerrow could bat an eye, Junko was back at the hole in the wall, lighting his Knuckle Busters. With a Wallop roar, he punched first one jagged piece of the wall back into place, then another roar and punch, then another, making Piper and Finn cringed at his ferocity. In five punches, accompanied with roars, Junko had put the wall back together.

Aerrow just raised an eyebrow. Even with the Knuckle Busters, how could Junko think he wasn't as strong as other Wallops after that show?

As Junko turned back to them, he put out his Knuckle Busters, looking satisfied. Then he squealed as he realized he had a smudge on his sash, and he tried desperately to rub it off.

"Um," Stork said, alerting them to get back to business, "we're comin' up on Lava Lake."

Aerrow looked out just as the clouds of smoke parted to reveal the lake of lava simmering below them. Grave Canyon was in the middle of the lake, a tunnel gorged out by the river of lava following through it to the widened ends of the lake on either side.

Piper had her map of the area up on a stand, and she pointed to where the mine should be. "The mine is on the far side of Lava Lake," she said. "Grave Canyon is our only choice."

Well, that settled it. If Piper said it was the only choice, then it was the only choice. "Stork," Aerrow ordered, "through the canyon."

The _Condor_ turned about and headed into Grave Canyon.

Inside, the walls were dark and black with sulfur ash, but the cave was lit brightly by the lava beneath them, which bubbled and sizzled halfway up the walls. Some jagged, melting pieces of rock stuck up out of the lava. In trying to avoid hitting the ceiling, the _Condor_ struck on of these little peaks on its way in.

When Aerrow went to the window, he saw it wasn't the only thing that they would possibly hit or would hit them. The cave roof, or at least the layer of it above them, was collapsing, which must be the emergency the miners had called in for. If they didn't hurry, there wouldn't be a mine to rescue miners from!

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the cave, the three Wallop miners were trying to hold the crumbling walls together. Lanterns lit the way down the tunnel, giving them plenty of light, but they could see that their way out was blocked by the fallen boulders. Being a BARF Wallop, however, it was all in a day's work.

As their leader, a tall, well-built, brown bearded Wallop by the name of Dag, lifted a boulder over his head to get it out of the way, Aerrow's voice came over their radio. "_Hang on, guys!_" he said. "_We're almost there._"

Flicking his left ear, which had a gold-colored ring in it, Dag grunted. "About time," he rumbled softly as he threw the boulder aside. As far as he could see, the Storm Hawks had sure taken their time getting down there.

Dag turned around and joined his two comrades in pushing a huge boulder that was blocking the passage. With a great heave, they shoved it aside. His brown-haired, brown-skinned companion was about to go through when a boulder from the ceiling began to fall. "Oh, boy," he grunted as he caught the boulder and held it up to keep the ceiling in place. "It's gettin' tight," he told the other two. "Whole place is comin' down."

The others ran by him while he held the roof up. Once they were by, he let it drop and followed after them.

* * *

As the _Condor_ headed closer to them through the cave, a rock from the caving ceiling struck the ship, making Stork gasp and whimper in fright. Aerrow didn't like the way this looked one bit. "Junko," he ordered, "prep for an aerial rescue." He looked up at the ceiling again, concerned. "I don't wanna land if this place is comin' down."

Feeling proud that _he_ would get to be the one to save the BARF Wallops, Junko grinned brightly and saluted Aerrow before running off and fetching the rope ladder.

Once he got the ladder, the young Wallop opened the hangar bay hatch and ran out onto the landing strip with it, throwing the ladder over the side with a yell.

* * *

The BARF Wallops were still in the mine, but the entrance was in sight. They ran out onto the ledge over the lava river just as the _Condor_ pulled up overhead. Around them, the cave was collapsing, and soon it would be as deadly as the mine they had just escaped from.

The _Condor_ edged toward them carefully until the rope ladder was in their reach. Once they got a hold of it, with only Junko's strength holding them up, the _Condor_ took again, not willing to wait until the miners were safely on board. If the ceiling collapsed in on them before they were out, it wouldn't matter, anyway.

Just as the _Condor_ left the ledge with the miners dangling from her, the rocks caved in, blocking off their escape. Sounding concerned, Piper got to her map again told Aerrow, "Back path is blocked. If we can't go up, we'll have to pull out over Lava Lake." She pointed on her map.

Aerrow knew it was risky and that they were already dangerously close to the lava as it was. If they had to go out over the lake, they had to do it as quickly as possible. Aerrow pointed out the window and cried, "Punch it, Stork!"

Gasping, wide-eyed, and jittery, Stork just answered, "Right," and gave the _Condor_ all she had.

But the heat was getting to the _Condor_. In the engine room, pipes were blowing and letting out steam, and the engine crystals began to simmer. Stork grunted as the _Condor_ jerked momentarily as if she wanted to fall.

Down below, Dag grunted at the heat and sudden drop, and that was all he needed to persuade him to start working his way up the ladder, the other two close behind. Soon all three had made it and clambered up onto the landing strip, getting to their feet.

And then they met the boy Wallop. "By the crystal peaks of Terra Belopia," he said, sounding rehearsed, "I, Junko, welcome you!" He bowed to them politely and gestured toward the open hangar bay.

The BARF Wallops raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances, cringing a little. Was the boy alright in the head?

But Junko was very proud of his speech. He had worked very hard on it, preparing for the time when he would greet them with traditional Wallop greetings. He had thought he had done a good job, too!

Dag walked up to him and gestured to his greeting attire. "So what's with the getup?" he asked.

One of the others, a red bearded Wallop who worn goggles and had the name of Urgi, smirked and pointed at Junko, saying, "Haven't you noticed that this here is the Wasteland?" He gestured out over the lava river below.

"Ha!" Dag grunted in laughter quietly, smiling at the others. "Must not get out much." And with that, he and the other Wallops headed inside the hangar bay.

Junko frowned, feeling very disappointed. They didn't like his outfit? He had worn it just for them.

* * *

Up on the bridge, Stork looked down at the engine gauge on the helm. The needle was going from green to red. "Um," he informed Aerrow, "we're overheating."

That's not good. But it was a problem they could deal with once they were out of danger. "Just keep us up long enough to clear the lake," Aerrow instructed.

Stork laughed nervously and then cringed at the prospect.

The _Condor_ cleared the cave without getting smashed by the ceiling, but Stork couldn't pull her up because of her overheating engine crystals. And with them being so dangerously close to the surface of the lake, the temperature in the engine only increased, creating a vicious cycle. "Come on," Stork muttered to his ship, gulping. "Come on."

But the ship could only hold up so long. Her stern tilted, threatening to fall. Everyone gasped as they tried to keep their balance, even the BARF Wallops, who by now had entered the bridge along with Junko. Junko gasped as he righted himself, and his fez hat fell off his head and hung itself on his nose horn.

The ship still stayed airborne, but she was tilting worse than ever, and steering was becoming difficult. She wasn't able to completely avoid a rocky peak that was sticking up out of the lake. The jolt sent Piper sprawling over the table and Finn over backward, screaming. When he landed he sent a chicken clucking and fluttering into the air. Apparently Radarr's stalker had successfully clung to the ship after she was thrown out and had come back on.

Aerrow could feel the ship rattling, but he had to believe they could make it to the edge of the lake. They were almost there . . .

The ship was starting to fall. With a grunt, Stork pulled her up with all his might.

As the BARF Wallops clung to the far wall, Urgi turned to the other two. "We's in more trouble here," he said angrily, "then we's was in the mine!"

At last, they cleared the lake. The _Condor_ began to ascend into the air, now that the lava was no longer there to heat their engines further. But that didn't change the current temperature of them, the ship continued to rattle, shake, and whistle.

At last, even with Stork pulling on her with all her might, she couldn't take it. The blue engines crystals had turned orange, nearly yellow with heat, and the screen on the gauge cracked. Without another word, the _Condor_ nosedived. Stork fell forward, hitting his chin on the top of the wheel and screaming.

The _Condor_ crashed onto solid ground, making everyone scream. But luckily she was a sturdy ship and didn't crumble; she bounced off the ground before spinning, landing again sideways and then skidding to a sliding stop.

Once the ship had stopped, Aerrow found himself on the floor. He didn't know what to think at first. All he knew was his head was spinning, and that it had been just about one of the worst crashes they had ever had.

The first thing he was really aware of was gasping. Finn was on his back on the floor in front of the railing, hyperventilating, his eyes wide in panic.

Three of the Wallops were in a pile beside the round table. The dark Wallop was on top, Urgi on the bottom, and Junko sandwiched between them. Junko groaned and raised his head, pushing off something with his hand. When he realized he was pushing on Urgi's face, he quickly let up and said, "Oh, sorry!" Urgi just glared at him.

There was a sprinkling sound, and Aerrow raised his spinning head slowly to see that some of the pipes were letting off bright yellow sparks. It occurred to him then that the lights were out.

Stork was the only one still on his feet. Still looking panic-stricken, maybe even a bit petrified, he whimpered, seeming unable to relinquish his grip on the handlebars of the wheel. He finally pried his fingers off one by one. Then he straightened from his hunched position slowly, popping his back and neck as he did. At last, he let out a relieved chuckle and relaxed, still looking stunned.

None of the others were going to attempt to get up just yet. Finn, who was over his own panic, just sighed, held up a finger, and said, "Most dangerous place on Atmos: Check."

* * *

Author's Notes: This chapter was originally called "Most Dangerous Place on Atmos," but that wouldn't fit in the chapter title along with "The Last Stand." Oh, well.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Slate is a fine-grained metamorphosis rock formed by the metamorphosis of clay, shale, or volcanic ash that tends to split along parallel cleavage planes, usually at an angle to the planes of stratification. So basically, like flat plates, often grey in color. It is often found in mountainous regions, sometimes in areas of old volcanoes. In the past, slate was often mined using hand tools, usually hammers and chisels, from small surface quarries. Derrick mechanisms could be used to lift stones, and punchers and trimmers were used in roofing slate. Nowadays, slate is mined using high-speed diamond-plated saws and laser levels to make precise cuts. Explosives are often stilled used to first get to the slate, just as they had in the past. Slate industries are big in the United States, the British Isle (particularly Wales), Brazil, and Continental Europe. Slate is used as roofing material, flooring material, electrical insulation, and on a sadder note, memorial tablets and gravestones.

All that considered, it seems that Nerd Corps was pretty accurate in having a slate mine in the Wastelands, although I could also see it in the side of a terra with an active or non-active volcano. And with the war going on, Atmos would certainly be in demand for some gravestones!

. . . Okay, I know. Bad joke.

Well, ya'll know the drill. I'll leave you to it.


	122. The Last Stand: March of the Scorpions

Chapter 2: March of the Scorpions

Well, lying around in shock wasn't going to get anything done. The Wallops were already on their feet now. Slowly Aerrow raised himself off the ground, using one of the chairs on the bridge for support. Radarr was in the seat, apparently having sat their and clung to the sides of it during the crash.

Aerrow had only just gotten to his knees when the sound of a loud horn made him and his copilot raise their heads and look around widely.

It was Urgi. He pointed to his watch, smiling. "Break time!" he cried. With that, he and the other miners pulled out their own folding chairs and a small, square, folding table. They set up their chairs around the table, jumped over the backs of them and landed in the seats, and then pulled out a deck of playing cards, which were dealt quickly. Chuckling with anticipation, Urgi was the first to pick up his hand.

Junko looked in awe at the whole operation. He was on his knees on the couch, looking over the back of it and resting his head in his hands, smiling at the BARF Wallops admirably. Finn just stood up and raised his eyebrows at his friend and the card-playing Wallops.

Aerrow got to his feet, blinking at the Wallops in surprise. He didn't think now was exactly the time to play cards, but who was he to argue? "Alright, everyone, uh," he said hesitantly, pulling his gaze away from the other Wallops, "what's our status? Junko?"

Junko immediately turned away from the Wallops and looked at Aerrow, smiling. "Only minor damage to the airframe," he reported. He held up two thumbs up. "That's good!"

It was Stork's turn. He was looking at the engine's gauge, which was now as far on the red side as it could get. "Engine crystals are seriously overheated," he reported. He turned to Aerrow, wide-eyed and dramatic. "That would be _bad!_"

Piper, meanwhile, went to the hangar bay to check on their rides. As soon as the door opened, she gasped silently. "And skimmers are seriously messed up!" she reported. In fact, the skimmers appeared as a huge, sparking, smoking heap of metal, not even recognizable anymore.

That was some serious problems, but where there's a will, there's a way. Aerrow slammed his fist into his palm determinedly. "Let's get to work, team!"

Junko immediately went about the usual repairs he did, being the chief mechanic and all, and Piper went to tend to those matters that were her responsibility. Stork stayed at the helm, working on repairing his "baby." Aerrow wasn't sure where Finn was going when he headed to the doorway leading to the living quarters. Maybe he was trying to head to his room to escape work. Radarr stayed with Aerrow, waiting for his boy to decide what to do.

That had everyone at work (or at least pretending to work) except for three others. The miners were still at their table playing cards. Aerrow approached them. Trying not to sound rude, since they were his guests, he said to them, "Uh, hey, guys?" He gestured to them, even when Dag snarled at him irritably. "Uh, we sure could use your help on these repairs."

Dag just grunted, not even turning to Aerrow to acknowledge him. In fact, he completely ignored the young Sky Knight. "So, uh," he said to Urgi, "you see the game last week? Huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Urgi answered, chuckling. "Great game."

Maybe he wasn't clear enough in his request. Doing his best to give them the benefit of a doubt, Aerrow tried again. "Excuse me guys," he said, this time phrasing it as a question, "do ya think you could give us a hand?"

Dag glared at him over his hand of cards. "Uh, we're on a _break!_" he grumbled.

"Break?" Aerrow asked, raising an eyebrow. Why would someone be on the break when they were trying to get out of the Wastelands?

Junko walked up next to Aerrow, blinking at the older Wallops. He seemed a little surprised at their refusal, too.

Then Urgi reached down and pulled out a metal pal, much like a multi-colored toolbox. He opened it up to reveal four tasty-looking, round donuts. "Ooh!" Junko cried, sliding up next to Urgi. He pointed to the box. "Slide jelly donuts?" He turned to Dag, grinning and pointing to himself. "Can I have one?"

Urgi only growled like a bear, leaned toward the young Wallop, and laded back his ears like an angry dog in answer. Junko chuckled nervously and decided he didn't need a donut.

* * *

Up on the dry ridge above the shore of the lake, a Heli-Blade had driven up, and the bulky Talon stopped it and put his foot down on the ground. Smirking, he lifted up his radio.

* * *

Aerrow and Junko had been about to try again with the BARF Wallops when a gruff voice with a Texas drawl came over their speakers. "_Hello, down there,_" the voice said.

The miners looked up from their card game. "What?" Dag asked.

"Huh?" the other two said. They all looked at the speaker, wondering who it could be.

But Aerrow didn't like that voice one bit. He could already feel a chill going up his spine.

"_Am I looking at the Storm Hawks,_" the man on the radio said, "_trapped at the bottom of this here Wasteland?_"

Radarr stood up on his hind legs and growled at the radio, his snarl more vicious than any Aerrow had ever seen on him.

And Aerrow knew why. Already he was picturing prison bars, dangerous energy whiplashes, and the sight of a humid, hot jungle with perilous waterfalls and dangerous critters. He looked toward the speaker. "I know that voice," he said.

The voice continued. "_I was just fixin' to come down and arrest me some outlaw miners today,_" here the miners exchanged confused glances—they were totally legal—"_when low and behold, looks like I got me a bonus catch, too._"

Dag turned to Aerrow. "Now, eh, who is that?" he asked.

"Mr. Moss," Aerrow answered, "warden of Zartacla Prison." He put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "Last time we ran into him, well, let's just say we left his skyride pretty banged up and his prison a little . . . empty." He couldn't help but smile with amusement at the memory, as nerve-racking as it had been.

"So," Dag said as he put his hand to his forehead, trying to wrap his Wallop brain around the facts, "you're saying he does not like you." He pointed at Aerrow.

"Yeah," Aerrow agreed, "and whatever he's got planned, it's gonna be trouble."

* * *

Up on his perch, Mr. Moss just laughed down at the _Condor_. The boy with him, Hamish, joined in the laughter, as did the other two prison guards.

Behind them, an army of huge beasts began to crawl up to them. They were humongous scorpions, their heads the size of a human torso. But they weren't just any scorpions. Veins glowed on them like streams of lava and were almost just as hot. From their glowing stingers, instead of inserting poison, they could shoot balls of flame. Fire scorpions. And they didn't seem at all inclined to attack the Talons; in fact they seemed downright docile. But they peered out at the _Condor_ with hungry eyes.

* * *

Aerrow waited for Mr. Moss' proposal. And he didn't have to wait long. "_Aerrow, my friend,_" Mr. Moss said, "_I'd like to offer you and your cohorts the _only_ safe trip outta the Wastelands. So, if ya'll would just kindly a-step outside the airship and surrender._"

"Huh?" Junko gasped at the message. He looked over at his heroes, the BARF Wallops, still playing cards, and he seemed to gain confidence from that. Turning back to the speaker, he shouted, "Storm Hawks don't surrender, and neither do Wallops!" He turned to the BARF Wallops. "Right guys?" He pointed out the door. "Let's get him!"

But the BARF Wallops only blinked at him before turning back to their card game. Dag, their leader, didn't even bother to pretend to listen but only took a bite of his donut, chewing slowly.

"Uh, guys?" Junko said.

No response. Just all three older Wallops chewing on their donuts.

Well, Aerrow thought, so much for that.

There was no time to loose. They had to get out of here as fast as possible and still be prepared for Mr. Moss' assault. "Piper, Finn," Aerrow ordered, pointing to them, "you're on recon. Find out what we're up against."

Piper and Finn, who were at the round table, nodded and smiled together, and Finn gave Aerrow a thumb up. Without a second glance back, the sharpshooter was running for the door. Piper took a little more time to get prepared, grabbing her pack and the x-ray peepers off the table.

Next, Aerrow turned to his copilot. "Radarr," he said, gesturing to him, "I need you in the engine room. See what you can do to get those crystal converters to cool down faster."

Radarr churred and nodded in acknowledgement before running toward the door on two legs.

Just as he passed Piper, who was on her way out, the crystal mage pulled a blue crystal from her pack and held it out, calling, "Radarr, wait!"

Radarr skidded to a stop and whirled around, churring and tilting his head in confusion.

Piper held up the jagged crystal. "An icer," she explained. "This should do the trick."

Radarr churred in agreement. She tossed him the crystal, and he caught in his front paws, smiling and whimpering in thanks.

Aerrow smiled. He should have known Piper would have an idea for that.

With that taken care of, Aerrow turned to his pilot, who was looking out the periscope. "Stork," he gestured to him, "you'll stay inside the _Condor_ and work some of your," he held up air quotes, "'magic.'"

Stork pulled away from the periscope and looked him, a little, sly grin on his face. "I like your thinking," he answered.

And last but not least. "Junko," Aerrow ordered, "why don't ya see if our new friends here will help set up a defensive perimeter around the _Condor_?"

Looking excited, Junko answered back a little too loudly, "That's great!" He whirled around to the BARF Wallops and said, "Come on, guys! Let's go!"

But Dag just glared at him before finishing the rest of his donut in one bite, chewing and swallowing slowly before sighing in contentment.

"Guys?" Junko asked. Were they ignoring him again?

"_Hello!_" Urgi said irritably, pointing to his watch. "We still on break!"

Whoops. Junko cringed apologetically. "Ooh, sorry."

Then the horn on the watch blew again. Urgi got to his feet, suddenly not irritated anymore. "Okay," he said. "We're back."

Junko smiled. Yeah!

The BARF Wallops had actually been listening to the whole conversation, but since they were on break, they had done nothing. Now Dag approached Aerrow, who was looking out the periscope. He punched Aerrow in the shoulder in a friendly way, making Aerrow turn around. "Hey, forget about it," Dag assured him. "We gotch's you's covered." He pointed his thumb at himself. "Dag's does not do prison." And with that the BARF Wallops marched on out the door, ready for work, Junko watching them go with admiration.

Aerrow just gave in to a small smile as he watched them go. Well, looks like he was going to get their cooperation after all. He had wondered there for a moment.

But Mr. Moss just had to ruin the moment by radioing them again. "_Well, son,_" he said to Aerrow, "_it looks like you are choosing the _hard_ road out of this here dyin' liver. We gotcha good and surrounded. And now, we're comin' to get you._"

* * *

Finished with his message, Mr. Moss turned to Hamish and nodded.

Smirking in acknowledgement, Hamish picked up his bucket and dumped half of the trash on the ground in front of one of the fire scorpions. Totally tame for them now, the scorpion lifted some of the trash with its claw and then dumped it into its mouth, chewing contentedly. Hamish then turned and tossed the rest of the trash toward another scorpion, and the Talon guards began feeding the others. Then they each began to harness one of the scorpions for themselves, putting a chain around under its chin that was then secured to the sides. The two ends of the chain worked as split reins.

Mr. Moss just snarled down at the _Condor_ and revved _Bessy_'s engine. Then with one last glare at the airship, _Bessy_'s helicopter blades began to spin, and she lifted up into the air. Mr. Moss was about to show that troublesome boy Aerrow what happens when you mess with the Zartacla warden.

He turned to his men. "Move out, boys," he ordered. "Make sure they know we're comin' with every step 'cause by the time we get down there," he narrowed his eyes and smirked, "I want 'em good and scared."

"You heard the boss!" Hamish shouted to the two guards. The guards yelled in response.

Hamish and the guards mounted their fire scorpions, standing on the plate just behind the head and holding an end of the chain in each hand. Hamish hauled back on his chain reins, and his scorpion threw back its head and let out an excited hiss. And with that, Hamish's scorpion led the scuttling charge down to the hill toward the _Condor_, the guards following on their scorpions with a flood of others trailing them, hissing together like some mighty volcano.

* * *

Outside the _Condor_, just beyond the wall that the Wallops were building, Piper and Finn were hiding behind a boulder. The place smelled horrible to Piper, but it wasn't like she'd never been outside in the Wastelands before. All of them but Junko had done it at once upon a time. Besides, she and Finn were on a mission. Aerrow hadn't looked too worried about Mr. Moss, but she knew from his personal account of the escape from the Zartacla Prison that the warden was definitely not going to let them off easy.

Piper peered out from the boulder, looking back and forth, doing her best not to be seen. She couldn't see Mr. Moss or any of his men or animals yet, but it was still best to play it safe.

Underneath her, Finn peered out from behind the boulder, looking as serious as Piper had ever seen him. He had out his crossbow with it loaded, and he pointed the crossbow out first, ready to fire if necessary. Piper would have praised him if she didn't know that he just put on the act to play hotshot.

Seeing nothing, Finn moved out from behind the rock, holding his crossbow close to him and straight up, so that it would be easy to aim in any direction. He stood still and, seeing another place to hide, he pointed toward a small, jagged peak with streams of lava running down it, behind which they could remain hidden.

Piper just shook her head at Finn and rolled her eyes. As if she hadn't seen the small volcano already. Without another word, she ran as fast as she could to the next hiding place and then turned around, waiting for Finn.

Smirking, Finn looked back and forth before making his move. And then with a grunt, he somersaulted over the ground to land on his feet.

But he didn't make it behind the rock. Instead, he groaned as he slammed his face right into it. With another groan, he fell over backward.

Piper couldn't help grinning. It had been a nice somersault, even if he'd sucked the landing. She gave him a thumb up. "Nice move, Finn."

"Thanks," Finn groaned.

Piper offered him a hand, which he gladly accepted, and with a grunt she pulled him to his feet. Finn rubbed the back of his neck, still recovering.

Just then, Aerrow's voice over the radio brought them back to reality. "_Recon team, see anything yet?_"

On alert once again, Finn lowered his crossbow in front of him, prepared to shoot. He cocked it, but he didn't see anything.

There was still nothing to report, but Piper hadn't checked thoroughly yet. She pulled out the x-ray peepers and peered through them.

There, above the hill! There was Mr. Moss in the air on _Bessy_.And below him was his army. "I got a visual!" she reported to Aerrow. "Good news is Moss only has three guards." Then she went from hopeful to anxious. "Bad news is he has like a gazillion fire scorpions with him!"

* * *

Aerrow, meanwhile, was in hangar bay beginning to reassemble his skyride. He had just picked up one of the boosters when he heard the news. He was so shocked that he nearly dropped the booster. "Fire scorpions?" he gasped. "Then I hope those engine crystals cool . . . fast!"

* * *

But it probably won't be as fast as Aerrow would have liked. Radarr was nervous about going into a room that had heated crystals with the temperature of an inferno and had only entered the engine room just now, Piper's frost crystal in a pair of pliers in his forepaw while he stood on two legs.

As soon as the automatic door opened, he squealed in alarm, bringing his free forepaw up to his face to block the waves of heat from his stinging eyes. The engine crystals were so hot that the whole room seemed to simmer and was illuminated in a yellowish haze. The crystals themselves were nearly blinding with heat and were far from their natural blue color, burning in orange.

Approaching slowly into the stifling room, Radarr felt like he had just stepped into an oven. It penetrated his thick, insulating fur until even the cold pocket of air attached to him was heated. It made his skin prickly and uncomfortable, and every animal instinct in him was telling him to turn tail and flee.

But Aerrow was depending on him, and for Radarr, that was enough. He took one step at a time until he was a little more than a foot away from the rotating crystal-studded converter. Then, still shielding his eyes as best as he could from their glare, he held the pliers out, holding out the frost crystals to the crystals as close as he could and activating it.

At first, it seemed to be working. The crystal did its best to try to cover the fuel crystals with ice, creating a cool, blue covering over them. The heat began to dissipate little by little.

But then . . . disaster. The icer couldn't handle strain of trying to ice something so hot. Soon it was overcome with heat, turning red and then disintegrating into dust right before Radarr's eyes.

Radarr squawked in bewilderment at first, blinking in disbelief. Looking at his empty pliers, he let out another squawk, which quickly turned into a whimper. Oh, man, that was bad!

As soon as the frost crystal was destroyed, the fuel crystals turned orange again, simmering once more, as if in mockery at Radarr's lame attempt. Radarr growled, laying his ears back angrily. He would _not_ be outdone by a bunch of crystals!

Aerrow had gotten far in mending his Vulcan during that time. He was busy drilling just above the wheel. When he finished, he stopped for an update with the Wallops. "Junko," he asked, "how are the fortifications?"

* * *

Outside the _Condor_, Junko answered, "Great! These guys whipped up a wall in, like, no time!"

As he talked, he was holding a huge boulder behind his head. Around the _Condor_, the BARF Wallops had put a circular wall of boulders. Dag and Urgi put down two boulders to seal up the last gap and then went for more to strengthen that area of the wall.

"Hey, guys," Junko called to the miners. "I can help, too."

But just after he said it, he felt himself shoved aside by the dark-skinned Wallop, who was also carrying a boulder over his head. He was scowling as if Junko was a mere annoyance. And then, with a massive show of strength, he slammed his boulder down in front of the other guys' boulders.

At last, Junko got an answer, but it was from Dag, who just about to pick up another boulder. "Forget about it," he told Junko as he stood up, not bothering with the boulder. "This is a BARF job. We got it covered."

Junko lowered his boulder. "Well, I've always wanted to be like you guys!" he said excitedly. He tossed the boulder behind him nonchalantly, and it landed with the other boulders in the barrier.

And now for the question that had been boiling in Junko since these guys came aboard. He put his hands together as if begging and asked, "Can I be BARF?"

Dag exchanged a glance with Urgi, who was kneeling down to pick up another boulder. Then they both looked back at Junko. Then . . . they both burst out laughing. "Can you believe that?" Dag said as he laughed.

Junko's face fell. What was so funny? He was serious!

But Urgi was still laughing. "Ah, that's a good one," he chuckled. "Be BARF! Ha, ha! Ah, that's funny!"

Junko tried a few vain attempts to laugh, but finally he decided to be honest. "I don't get it."

So Urgi explained, counting on his fingers. "First, your daddy's got to be BARF. Then you gotta whip a six season with BARF for half break. Then you pay the initiation fees. Then _maybe_ we think 'bout puttin' you on the job."

Oh. Junko thought about all that, trying to draw a conclusion. "So, it's like a club?" he asked.

"Yeah," Urgi said, almost mockingly. "A club." He cackled. "Club that you ain't in!" He and Dag both pointed him and started laughing.

Hurt and devastated, Junko walked away. He used to think these guys were great, but they were really nothing but a bunch of arrogant thugs, capable of being bullies just like the Wallop kids in the schoolyard who had called him a Gleep during his childhood.

* * *

Up on the hill, Mr. Moss hovered on _Bessy_, peering down at the _Condor_ and her new wall with interest. "All stop!" he shouted, waving his hand down at Hamish.

Hamish, in response, blew through a horn. All the firs scorpions halted.

Mr. Moss pointed down at the _Condor_. "Looks like our friends down there is tryin' some funny business," he drawled. Well, Aerrow had asked for it. "Time to show 'em what they's in for!" He clenched his fist and shouted, "Let 'em have it, boys!" And with that, he cracked his whip in the direction of the fire scorpions.

The scorpions knew the signal. As one, they reeled back their tails and then all shot fireballs from their stingers. The shots fell short, but the scorpions prepared for another, longer distance.

The attack had begun.

* * *

Author's Notes: By showing an attacking horde of scorpions that shoot fire out of their tails, Nerd Corps produced my worse nightmare! Seriously, there's not a single organism in the animal kingdom that I fear more than scorpions! I like snakes. Spiders are okay. But scorpions . . . Maybe it would help if I didn't live in a country that had the deadly kind . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Scorpions are not insects but are predatory arachnids, placing them in the same family with spiders. Like spiders, they have eight legs, but their fangs are not their main weapon like they are with spiders. Rather these creatures use their comparably huge grasping claws and potent stinger at the end of their narrow, segmented tail to hunt and defend. They mostly hunt other arthropods and insects, but larger species will even take small reptiles and mammals. They are able to hunt such (relatively) large prey with their stingers, which have neurotoxin venom within them. However, unlike fire scorpions, real scorpions can't shoot this weapon out; a sharp, curved, hollow point called the aceleus must first puncture the victim to deliver the venom. They may also crush their prey with their claws. Scorpions are found on every continent except Antarctica and were introduced to the islands of Great Britain and New Zealand by humans. So far, 1752 species have been recognized; however, of those, only 25 are lethal to humans. Like the fire scorpions, real scorpions can survive some pretty extreme temperatures, although they preferably don't like to go lower than 68 °F (20 °C) and higher than 99 °F (37 °C) (warmer climates suit them). Nocturnal, they have photophobic behavior, so an environment with no sunlight would suit them, as well.

Ugh. Enough about scorpions! Hey, since they're arachnids, does that mean I have arachnophobia even though I'm not afraid of spiders? Cool! I'm going to go around telling every one that I'm arachnophobic, but I'm not afraid of spiders! They'll be like, "Huh?" and I'll be like, "Yeah!"

Okay, I think the fear factor is making me a little . . . hyper. I'm going to leave while I still have my sanity.


	123. The Last Stand: Fire Fighters

Chapter 3: Fire Fighters

The sounds of fire whistling through the air caught Finn's and Piper's attention. Finn looked up from checking on his crossbow. Piper, meanwhile, was frightened by the sound, already guessing what it was. She lifted up the peepers and looked toward the fire scorpions just as they let loose another volley of fireballs. Piper gasped. "They're starting their attack!" she reported. She lowered the peepers. "Finn, back to the _Condor_, quick!"

But when she looked around, Finn wasn't there. She whirled around in time to see him already sprinting back to the _Condor_ for all he was worth. "Huh! See ya there!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Piper scowled. _It was really nice for you to worry about me, Finn,_ she thought sarcastically.

* * *

In the hangar bay, Aerrow saw the fireballs headed their way, straight for the Wallops, who were standing on their wall. "Take cover!" Aerrow yelled. "Incoming!"

The Wallops looked up just in time. Grunting, they leapt over to the other side of the wall to "take cover" as Aerrow had suggested.

Dag was the last one over, and he fell over on his rear as the rocks were struck, exploding from the heat. Urgi picked up a boulder as it rolled their way, holding it in one hand.

But Dag was uninjured. More than that, he looked determined. "Boys," he told his team, "this is about to get ugly."

That was all Urgi needed to know it was time to fight back. He threw the boulder at the wall, where it lodged itself into the gap the approaching scorpions had created.

Letting out a determined grunt, Junko swung his Knuckle Busters together and ignited them. Now he could show these bully miners what he was made of!

* * *

Aerrow, meanwhile, was almost done repairing his Vulcan. But almost was not enough. The _Condor_ needed to get out of here, and soon. Screwdriver in hand, Aerrow asked into the intercom, "Radarr, how're we doin' on those engines?"

* * *

Now of course, Radarr was unable to give an articulate answer, but if he could have, it wouldn't have been a good one. The fuel crystals still burned hot as ever.

Without the icer, Radarr had decided he'd try some more ice. He had gone to their freezer and gotten a huge chunk of ice, a rectangular prism about as tall as Radarr himself. Holding it gingerly in his bare forepaws, which were burning with the cold, he backed into the sweltering room again. Once up to the crystal converter, he spun around and held the ice out to the rotating crystals.

But then, right before his very eyes, the ice melted within a second, not only splashing onto a floor in a huge puddle, but with steam already rising off the puddle. Radarr looked down in astonishment and then at his forepaws again, almost unable to believe what just happened. He squealed as he stared at the engine nervously. Now what was he supposed to do?

* * *

Outside, Mr. Moss smirked at the damage his fire scorpions had done. "Hit 'em again, boys!" he yelled enthusiastically as he cracked his whip at the beasts.

Hamish blew his horn again, and the scorpions reeled back their tails and let loose a volley of fireballs together.

Junko watched with horror as the fireballs headed the Wallops' way. They weren't going to hit them, but they _were_ going to hit the wall they had made. He covered his face with his arm as some of the fireballs struck the wall, causing boulders to explode.

Through the gap, a scorpion was climbing over the rubble. It shot a fireball from its stinger at Dag, but the mighty Wallop had picked up a boulder and held it in front of him. He grunted as the boulder took the hit, creating a lava-colored hole in the rock. The dark Wallop also grabbed a boulder, stopping another shot. The two held their ground, allowing Junko and Urgi to run for cover.

Three incoming scorpions fired again, but Junko saw that this time they weren't aiming for the Wallops. They were aiming for the _Condor_! The fireballs made melted dents in the _Condor_'s pontoon-like engine.

Two more fired at the wall, making another gap from the exploding boulders. And still the firing continued, striking the _Condor_ again.

Mr. Moss radioed in again. "Son," he said to Aerrow, "I'm givin' you one more chance for this here prison for your last stand. Now, it's time for ya'll to surrender and come on back to fill up my empty prison!" He laughed with amusement, thinking he had given the Sky Knight an offer he just couldn't afford to resist . . . one way or another.

* * *

Inside the hangar bay, though, Aerrow was listening. He was finished repairing his Skimmer, and he had mounted up. His face set in a scowl at the message. He could still remember the sound of the whip coming after him on Terra Zartacla. If Mr. Moss thought he was going to give up that easy, he had another thing coming!

* * *

With the fire scorpions still approaching the _Condor_, Mr. Moss looked down at them and decided he was going to be generous today. After all, he only had one _real_ target.

Leaning over the side of _Bessy_, he called down, "Hamish, this your big day!" He clenched his fist. "I want you to lead the fire scorpions and bring 'em in!"

Hamish giggled in delight. Mr. Moss was giving him a _big_ job! At last he could prove himself!

"But," Mr. Moss continued, "I get Aerrow myself." He rubbed the scar on _Bessy_'s front axle from his last encounter with the Sky Knight. His voice grew soft, deep, and threatening. "I got me a personal score I'm gonna settle with him!"

Hamish cackled at the words. Oh, that Sky Knight boy was in for it now! Hamish knew that when Mr. Moss got that angry, he hit people. Hard. Sometimes with his whip.

"Now let's fill my prison back up!" Mr. Moss exclaimed.

Excitedly, Hamish threw his head back and let out a blow from his horn. Time to lead the charge!

* * *

Piper was on the bridge when Aerrow's order rang out over the radio. "_Defensive positions, everyone! Piper, help Radarr cool those crystals!_"

"On my way!" Piper answered back immediately. If there was one thing Piper knew, it was crystals. And she thought she knew just what would work. She made a quick detour before she headed down to the engine room.

When she entered the room, there was Radarr in front of the crystal converter. He had a Cyclonian flag (a souvenir from one of their battles) that he was using as a fan, flapping it in front of the crystals to try to tame their heat.

Piper smiled. Her thoughts had been right on target. "If you want wind," she told Radarr, "try this!" She held up the Windstone Wren had given Aerrow, who in turn had given it to Piper. There was enough power in that stone to generate a little tornado, and with weaponry, a hurricane! Surely this will help.

Radarr chirped in thanks as Piper tossed the crystal to him. The heat was so intense that his fur seemed wave in wind from the heat drafts blasting him, but all the same the little guy turned bravely back to the converter and activated the Windstone.

Oh, yeah, the Windstone was powerful . . . maybe a little two powerful. The jolt from the wind hurled Radarr backward with a loud squeal. Piper gasped in surprise as Radarr churred in bewilderment when he found himself pinned against the wall in the air while the swirling winds rained down on the converter across the room. Piper hadn't considered whether or not the crystal was too powerful for Radarr to handle.

But the force of the wind kept Radarr pinned on the wall so he won't fall, and the wind was still directed on the converter. All and all, Radarr seemed to be doing alright. And the best part: the Windstone was working! The crystals began to cool and started to hint at blue, their natural color. Piper smiled. They'd be out of here in no time!

* * *

Outside, the fire scorpions were descending on the wall built by the Wallops. But the BARF boys had a plan.

Just as the scorpions were right where they wanted them, Dag said, "Let 'em roll!"

The other two BARF Wallops had a long pipe, which they used as a lever, stuck underneath a pile of boulders and angled upward. At Dag's command, they shoved down on the pipe, causing the pile of boulders to topple over and roll right at the scorpions.

The scorpions caught in the rockslide let out a screech and then ran the other way, pinchers held high in panic.

But that didn't deter Hamish. This was his big chance, and he wasn't about to blow it! "Open fire!" he shouted.

At the order, two fire scorpions shot fireballs at the pile of boulders left, shattering some and completely destroying the pile.

At that moment, however, Finn was ready to act! As soon as Aerrow had called for defensive positions, Finn knew that put him on the cannon. At last he was ready. The hatch opened, and he and the cannon slid out onto the turret. "Ha, ha!" he laughed. "Chica-cha!"

He took aim at one of the three scorpions advancing toward the hole. Then, in three shots, he had hit all of them directly on their front, giving them all quite a shock. Screeching, they turned tail and ran for the hills.

"Yeah!" Finn cheered, throwing his fist in the air. He just ran off _fire scorpions!_ Beat that!

Unfortunately, he hadn't run off all of them.

He was first alerted of the attack when he heard a whistling sound. He looked up. There, five fireballs were coming in, about to rain down on him.

First, he screamed like a girl. At the last minute, he jumped clear while the fireballs destroyed the cannon.

Disoriented at first, Finn raised himself off the ground. It was the metal. He looked around to find he had landed on the landing strip.

He looked up to see he had jumped away from the cannon only to fall off the turret and onto the strip. Up above on the turret, the cannon was left a smoking, sparking pile of ruined metal.

Finn groaned. So much for his part in the fight.

_Bessy _was getting ever closer to the _Condor_, and as the distance lessened, Mr. Moss grew impatient. "Aerrow, my boy," he called into the radio, "you got what I call _tenacity_. But it's time to come on out and face the music!"

He hadn't been expecting such a quick answer. There was a wild whoop that rang in the air, about as untamed as the Wasteland itself. A red and blue blur flashed by, upsetting _Bessy_ just enough to shake her. Mr. Moss looked after the sound. "Huh?"

The blur had stopped, hovering in the air, and Mr. Moss was met with a wide, lopsided smirk. "Alright," Aerrow agreed to him from atop his red-and-blue Skimmer. "Then you better start playing!"

And with that, the Sky Knight was off again, like a wild horse kicking his heels up at his pursuers.

With a furious yell, Mr. Moss swung his sluggish _Bessy_ around and chased after him.

Down below, the fire scorpions were still charging the wall, entire swarms of them. Hamish's shot another fireball at the wall, blasting the top of it to smithereens. Hamish grinned. Nothing came to resist the scorpions. There was no way his pets could be beat now. "Friends," he called to the other Talons and scorpions alike, "I'm thinking we're about to win this round!"

* * *

In the engine room, Radarr was still stuck against the wall with the Windstone in his hands, working its magic on the engine. But then, as if one of the Stork's doomed prophecies had come true, the Windstone quit, completely sucked dry of charge. Radarr churred questionably as soon as it stopped just before he dropped to the floor. The Windstone, right now only good as a pretty green stone, went flying from his grasp and clattered onto the floor. Piper winced in sympathy for the poor copilot.

No sooner was the Windstone out when Piper felt searing heat once more. She looked over to the crystal converter and sighed in exasperation. The crystals had heated up once again.

* * *

Outside, Aerrow was having fun. Oh, sure, below him were a whole bunch of fire scorpions attacking his ship, he was flying through skies full of sulfur and poisonous gases, and he was supposed to distract the very man who wanted him captured and tortured, but come on! He had his Vulcan and room to fly! And why wouldn't it be fun teasing a bumbling oaf like Mr. Moss?

Still full adrenaline fire, Aerrow spun around and charged at the prison warden. Mr. Moss yelled as he shoved _Bessy_ down. Aerrow cleared them barely but purposefully. He didn't want the fun to end just yet.

Mr. Moss glared over his shoulder angrily at Aerrow as was the boy spun around to face him and waited. "I'm not goin' down easily this time, son!" Mr. Moss yelled in his drawl. "I left me a little reminder of our last adventure," he rubbed the scar on _Bessy_ and then shook his fist at Aerrow, "just to keep me motivated!"

A reminder, huh? Well, Aerrow certainly didn't want him to forget this get-together, either. With lightning-quick speed, he flew straight for _Bessy_, going just left of her. His wingtips scraped her with a loud clang, sending _Bessy_ spinning and Mr. Moss yelling for dear life.

Aerrow stopped his Skimmer ahead of them and looked back, smirking all the while. "Now," he said proudly, "you've got another."

When Mr. Moss stopped _Bessy_'s spinning, he looked back at her back tire cover to see the damage. There were scrapes there just as big and ugly as the one on her front. Mr. Moss threw his fists in the air and shouted his fury.

Aerrow just grinned. Yup, this was quite a show!

* * *

But unfortunately, things weren't looking up in the engine room. Radarr had resorted to fanning crystals with the Cyclonian flag. Piper had gone out of the room.

But then Piper came running back in with her next plan, huffing and puffing in her rush. Ahead of her she was pushing an electric fan on a stand with wheels. She pushed the plugged in fan up to the crystals and smiled. This ought to do it!

As she pulled the lever that activated the fan as high as it would go, the wind blew back Radarr's ears and fur and almost pulled the flag out of his hands. Which meant it was giving plenty of wind . . . maybe just enough.

Sure enough, the crystals began to turn back to blue.

Radarr let out an excited churr before checking the gauge on the engine. The needle began to rise from red to yellow. Radarr pumped his fists in the air and squawked in triumph. It was working!

* * *

Outside, four more scorpions fired at the wall, but they didn't hit the wall. They hit the generator on the _Condor_!

All power was lost.

* * *

In the engine room, Piper shouted as sparks flew from the fan. Radarr churred in disappointment as the fan went out. And then he whimpered to see the crystals heating up again and the needle on the gauge falling. Was the world against cooling crystals or something?

* * *

Up on the bridge, lights flickered and went out. Stork jumped and whimpered in fright, glancing around timidly. Questionably he flicked two switches on the machine he had just set up to connect to the _Condor_. Nothing happened. All that work and he didn't have the power to use his latest trap!

In frustration, he beat the top of the machine with his fists. He needed power . . . _now!_

Leaning over his machine and chuckling nervously, Stork radioed, "Junko, we just lost power relay."

* * *

Outside, Junko had his hands behind his back, trying to lift a boulder over his head to repair the wall or throw at the fire scorpions (he hadn't decided which). However, at the message, he nodded and dropped the boulder, even as a fireball soared over his head. Knowing he might need some help, he ran over to Urgi.

Urgi had just thrown a boulder out in front of him when Junko approached. Junko was about to speak to him when another volley of fireballs interrupted him, blasting the top of the wall again.

Finally at a lull, Junko held up a finger and told Urgi, "We need to get the power back." He pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the _Condor_, which was currently getting burnt spots on her hull from striking fireballs. "Can you give me a hand?"

Urgi shook his head. "No, sorry," he answered, shrugging as more fireballs hit the _Condor_'s hull. "No can do." He wiped his nose nonchalantly as he explained. "The BARF local 736: digging in mines. You're looking for BARF 2014." He held up a finger. "That's electrical repair."

Junko just blinked at him. He didn't care what his agreement with BARF was. This was an emergency!

At that very moment, the horn on Urgi's watch went off again. "Oh," Urgi said, looking at his watch. He turned to the other BARF Wallops and yelled, "Lunch break!"

At those words, Dag and the other miner put down their boulders and headed over to Urgi. They pulled out the foldout table and set it up, and then they all grabbed their folding chairs, opened them up, and plopped themselves down at the table. On a smaller foldout table they put their box of donuts out, with Urgi immediately grabbing one.

All the while, fireballs were still hitting the wall, hitting the ground around them, and hitting the _Condor_. One of the fire scorpions had reached the wall and was even climbing over it to attack the _Condor_.But the BARF Wallops just sat there and ate through it all.

Junko stared at them in disbelief. "What are you doing?" he screamed in bewilderment and frustration.

Urgi glared at him and held up his half-eaten donut. "Lunch. Break," he pronounced slowly, as if Junko were stupid.

Junko felt his anger boiling. They were being attacked on all sides by fire-shooting giant scorpions, they were wanted thrown in prison, his Sky Knight was wanted to be tortured and was out there right now with the very man who wanted to torture him, and they were trapped in the most dangerous part of the Atmos! And these guys thought they could just take _breaks?_

He couldn't take it any more. "NO MORE BREAKS!" he shouted. In his rage, he kicked over the tables, as angry as any bull in a fighting ring.

"Hey!" Dag said as the tables fell. "Watch the donuts!"

Donuts? Oh, all he cared about was his _donuts?_ Junko will see to that. In fury, the young Wallop stamped down a donut with his hoof and swashed into the ground.

Now the BARF Wallops realized Junko was serious, and they all leaped to their feet, all looking bewildered.

If they still didn't know what was wrong, then they were just dumb! Junko balled his hands into fists. "I can't believe I _ever_ thought you guys were cool!" He threw his fez hat down on the ground and stomped away angrily.

He was so mad right now that he wanted to hurt something. And there, right in front of him, was his opportunity: He was met with the backend of the scorpion who had crawled over their wall. In a rage he grabbed the scorpion by its tail, lifted it up into the air, spun it around with a furious Wallop roar, and then launched it over the wall, where it crashed on the other side without even having time to squeal.

Now with that over, Junko had a job to do . . . with or _without_ help! He stomped off toward the ship with an angry snarl on his face, not even acknowledging the miners.

"Whoa," Dag mumbled as Junko stomped past. The kid sure was angry. And why shouldn't he be? They had laughed at him, made fun of him, refused his help, and in this dangerous situation, instead of always being there to help, they had kept taking breaks. In the process, they had lost the respect of one of the bravest Wallop boys Dag had ever met.

Feeling ashamed, Dag turned back to his men. "Boys," he said, "we are goin' back to work."

The dark Wallop nodded in agreement, and together, he and Dag stomped off toward the next fire scorpion who had gotten in their makeshift fort.

Urgi was the only one not happy. "Alright," he agreed grudgingly. "Fine." He clenched his fists as he headed after them. "I'm gonna have to file a grievance."

* * *

Author's Notes: I told my friend the other day about being arachnophobia and not being afraid of spiders. She did exactly what I expected; she looked at me dubiously and said, "Huh?" And when I explained it to her, she called me a nerd. It made me mad! I'm not a . . . !

Okay, let me think about that one. If I wasn't a nerd, I wouldn't be writing this. If I wasn't a nerd, I _certainly_ wouldn't be putting trivia facts on this . . . Hmm, all the same, I prefer the term "geek." Nerd makes me sound like I'm not athletic, and I'm a pretty decent athlete! Besides, geek sounds less . . . nerdy.

Moving forward . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Where did Dag's name come from? Dag could mean a couple of things. It could mean one of a series of decorative scallops along the edge of a garment, which doesn't describe Dag well. Dag could mean an amusing, unusual person, which would be a better description. As a name, Dag means "the day." (Not quite sure what that would represent in this character, other than his own birthday.) Perhaps the most like Dag, or any Wallop, is this nasty meaning: "dag" is short for "daglock." A daglock is a dangling, matted piece of wool hanging off a sheep. Sometimes this refers to the dung-caked lock of wool hanging under the sheep's hindquarters.

After hearing those meanings, doesn't that make you just wish you were named Dag? Don't look at me like that! I was being sarcastic! Oh, never mind!


	124. The Last Stand: Once a Storm Hawk

Chapter 4: Once a Storm Hawk

At this point, Piper and Radarr had nothing left but manpower . . . or rather, girl power and whatever-Radarr-is power. So they each got a rectangular hand towel with the Storm Hawks symbol on it (Radarr's was bigger than Piper's) and both were frantically flapping them at the crystal converter, trying desperately to cool the crystals. For Radarr, it was downright exhausting. He felt like his arms were about to fall off from all the flapping he'd done.

Amazingly, though, they're work seemed to be paying off.

* * *

Outside, Aerrow had spun around to face the angry, growling Moss again. He shot thrice in Aerrow's direction successively. But Aerrow was still having fun. "I hate to tell ya, Moss," he said as he shoved the skimmer down to avoid the crystal pulses, "but you're goin' home empty-handed!" He drew a blade as he got ready for Mr. Moss's blast of rage, which he knew was coming.

Mr. Moss's face was priceless. His face was turning ruddy with fury. Angrily he pulled out his whip and slung it in Aerrow's direction with a yell.

Fully expecting the attack and smirking at his brilliant plan, Aerrow dove just out of reach, came up behind Mr. Moss, and spun around to face _Bessy_'s stern. Then he dove below _Bessy _again with his blade held up. With a grunt, he slashed at her, leaving another nasty scratch.

Mr. Moss pulled up suddenly, completely taken by surprise.

Aerrow sped away from him, heading off to starboard, but then he doubled back, beelining at _Bessy_ for a second attack. Mr. Moss pulled her up to avoid him, and Aerrow passed him by harmlessly. That was alright with Aerrow, though. He was still only teasing. He spun around again to face Mr. Moss.

As soon as he had turned, Mr. Moss launched his whip at him, releasing an energy buzz saw. But again, Aerrow was ready. In the Tearthorne Forest he had been defenseless, but here, on his Skimmer and armed, he was far from it. He struck the buzz saw with his blade and sent it hurling back toward Mr. Moss like a boomerang.

Seeing it coming back, Mr. Moss cried out in fright and ducked. The buzz saw went on over his head, leaving him unharmed. But when he lifted his head and looked at his whip, he saw the top had just been chopped off.

When he looked up toward Aerrow, the Sky Knight was already speeding toward him. As he passed by, Aerrow grunted as he struck out at _Bessy_, causing sparks to fly from her now-damaged bow.

Mr. Moss whirled around, glaring at Aerrow with such ferocity that he looked ready to rip his throat out. "Now you just made me madder!" he shouted.

Aerrow just glanced over his shoulder and smiled knowingly at him. Making him madder at been the purpose, after all.

* * *

During all this, Junko was in the hangar bay fiddling with the generator, which was in the wall. A little metal door opened up to the controls, which were fried. Junko was trying to fix it, sparks flying in his face.

Then he flicked his ears back as he heard the sound of something clicking against the floor of the hangar bay. Junko peered over his shoulder. A fire scorpion had climbed into the open hangar bay! It advanced toward him with its pinchers out threateningly, its jaws clinking together.

But Junko knew what to do. Smirking at his plan, he spun around and faced the creature, activating his Knuckle Busters. Then, with a Wallop roar, he punched the scorpion right out of the ship and off the landing strip.

But the fire scorpion's beating didn't end there. Outside, Dag saw it fall toward him, and knew that Junko just beat it. Now to get rid of it for sure. Yelling with effort, he picked the scorpion up by the tail, spun it around, and slung it over the wall just as he had seen Junko do earlier.

But today breaks weren't going to happen for him. Already another scorpion was approaching him from behind.

Junko, at least, was free to go back to tinkering with the wires. At last, through manipulation, he got everything hooked up again. As the lights flickered back on, Junko smiled, proud of himself. "Stork," he radioed to the bridge, "you're good!"

* * *

Stork saw the lights flicker back on and heard Junko's message, but he had to be sure. Sure enough, the needle of the gauge on his machine was pointed to green. So, even though they were doomed anyways, Stork smiled. Then he cleared his throat, held up a finger, and made an announcement throughout the ship and on the outside speakers as well. "Warning: Impending doom for anyone touching the outside of the ship."

Outside, the fire scorpions were coming upon the _Condor_ in masses. Five were already inches away from the ship, and more were scurrying over the wall.

But Stork was about to unleash his fury upon them. He flicked two switches out of the five switches on his contraption.

At the flick of the switches, the _Condor_ flashed a bright blue light all over her and then went out again. But now that very energy that lit her was coursing through he outer walls.

The first scorpion reached out a claw and touched her hull.

Immediately the scorpion was lit with lightning-like bolts of crystal energy, almost paralyzing it. It let out a deafening, pain-filled screech and drew its claw back, cradling it a moment in the other claw. Then, frightened out of its wits by this new, unseen enemy, it threw its claws up in the air, screeched in fright, and scurried away. Most of its companions, seeing what had happened and seeing it flee, did the same.

Hamish's was one of the many scorpions approaching the ship; however, when the first ran, Hamish didn't let his mount follow. He jerked on his chain reins, pulling the scorpion back on course for the _Condor_.

But even that was useless. As soon as his fire scorpion touched the ship, it, too, was consumed with painful bolts of crystal energy. It screeched and reared high into the air to escape the pain, throwing Hamish off its back. Hamish yelled in fright as he tumbled through the air and landed on his rear on the ground. Dazed at first and not quite sure what happened, he looked around him.

His harnessed scorpion was scurrying over the wall, leaving him behind. All around him, every other fire scorpion he had led here was fleeing in terror. Hamish felt his heart sinking. "Oh, boy," he said. "That ain't good." He cringed as he thought about what Mr. Moss would say to this.

* * *

Mr. Moss was too preoccupied with chasing Aerrow and shooting at him with his blasters to worry about Hamish's failure at the moment. His face set in a snarl, he was determined to run this boy down and bring him in, dead or alive.

Tired of fleeing and dodging and wanting more action, Aerrow spun around and charged Moss again. Mr. Moss fired at him as he approached, but Aerrow avoided all the pulses easily.

Just as Aerrow was nearing him, Mr. Moss realized he wasn't going to stop and tried to dodge. But _Bessy_ was sluggish and slow and Aerrow as quick as lightning. With a yell, Aerrow held up his blade and dove at the last minute, slicing off _Bessy_'s back wheel so that it hung only by a few chains. Black smoke rose from the Heli-Blade as she limped along, weaving in a loosing battle to keep her balance.

Mr. Moss looked so angry that he seemed on the edge of angry tears. "Stop beatin' on my _Bessy_!" he shouted at Aerrow, shaking a fist at him.

* * *

In the engine room, Piper and Radarr were still going at it with their towels. Piper was gasping now as she gave all it was worth. It sure was one way to get in shape! This was exhausting!

But then, it all became worth it. The crystals began to cool off, returning to their original blue color. "Huh?" Piper gasped. To be sure of what she was seeing, she looked toward the gauge and squealed in delight. The needles, left on red, began to spin toward the green. And then it stopped when it was as green as it could get, ready for operation. "We did it!" Piper cheered.

The two of them dropped the towels, and Piper fell to her knees, at last relieved of the hard work.

Radarr churred and smiled in celebration. Then, to Piper's surprise, he whimpered, his eyes rolling, and then collapsed right there, landing in Piper's lap. He'd been working at this for hours, and now he was just plain beat.

* * *

Aerrow was about to charge toward the smoking, limping _Bessy_ again when he saw the _Condor_ lift off the ground. "Looks like my ride's ready," he told Mr. Moss. Without a backward glance, the amused teen turned his Vulcan to follow the _Condor_ out of the Wastelands. Free at last!

Behind him, he heard the last of Mr. Moss. "Son," he shouted, "someday I'm gonna put you away for a long time!" His engine started to give way, so he spiraled almost out of control toward the ground to land, still shouting over his shoulder. "A _long_ time!"

But Aerrow only smirked. Mr. Moss can think what he wants, but as long as Aerrow had his freedom and his friends, there was nothing the warden could do but watch his query get away at the end of the day.

Feeling pretty proud of himself for the show he put on, he touched down on the landing strip as he brought in his wings, rolling to a stop in the hangar bay where Finn, Piper, and the Wallops were waiting for him. (Radarr was still unconscious and Stork was driving.) As soon as Aerrow put his foot down to stop and steady his Skimmer, his friends cheered. Piper threw up her hands and shouted, "Yeah!"

Finn threw his fist in the air and whooped. Junko clenched his fists, smiling and shouting, "Yeah!" in echo of Piper.

Aerrow could only smile at his welcome. They were always like this when he came home safe, sound, and victorious. It never got old.

As the cheering died down, Junko gasped in surprise when a tough hand slapped him good-naturedly on the shoulder. Junko looked over his shoulder to see a smiling Dag. "Ya know, kid," he said, gesturing to him, "you're alright."

Junko smiled. One of his heroes liked him!

"I bet I could pull a few strings," Dag continued. Gesturing to the rest of the miners, he added, "You'd be BARF in a couple of years." The dark Wallop had his arms crossed, and Urgi nodded. All three BARF Wallops were smiling.

Aerrow put his legs over the side of the Vulcan, waiting for Junko's answer. Part of him was anxious. It was an offer he was sure Junko would take, and though it wouldn't be for a few years, he couldn't think of even just one member of the Storm Hawks being split off from the rest.

But Junko pleasantly surprised him by promptly answering, "No thanks." He gestured to the other Hawks. "I like the club I'm in already."

Piper grinned, and Finn clacked his tongue and gave Junko his trigger fingers. Aerrow smiled, arms crossed. What had he been thinking? Once a Storm Hawk, always a Storm Hawk.

* * *

Down in the Wastelands, Mr. Moss had crashed unceremoniously. Now his two guards and Hamish were gathering the pieces left of _Bessy_, for Mr. Moss still had the vain hope of piecing her back together.

Mr. Moss oversaw the gather and the mending silently. He had made a fool of himself, he knew. He had been utterly humiliated. He knew as he looked over the wreck that was _Bessy_ that he had never wanted to catch or torture a prisoner as badly as the boy Sky Knight. But then, that wish is what got him into this mess to begin with. He knew that if he allowed his temper to spill, he would only make an even bigger fool of himself. With calm complexity, he took his hat off his head and swatted it at the air, as if trying to swat his rage.

Hamish walked up to him, holding one of _Bessy_'s ramming blades, complete with the Cyclonian symbol. Smiling so widely that his braces glinted in the light of the lava, he handed the blade to Mr. Moss. Growling, the warden snatched the blade from Hamish's hands so swiftly that Hamish almost lost his balance. Moss didn't like being reminded of his loss, and that's exactly what Hamish had done.

Hamish held up a finger, looking worried now that they didn't have a ride. "Can we send out, ya know, a distress call?" Hamish asked, holding his hand to his head with the pinky and finger jutting out, so it looked like a telephone.

Mr. Moss knew it was no use getting mad at the young idiot. "Oh, go ahead," he grumbled, not even looking at him.

As soon as he got permission, Hamish brightened.

But they were interrupted by a strange hissing and then a low screech.

Mr. Moss gasped. A whole horde of fire scorpions was heading toward him slowly, their claws stretched out in front of them and their bright, beady yellow eyes narrowed at the Cyclonians. It wasn't the scorpions themselves that Mr. Moss was scared of—they were his, after all—but it was that hungry, starved gaze. "Why are they lookin' at me like that?" Mr. Moss asked.

There was only one thing to appease them. He turned to the boy. "You better've brought along enough scorpion feed, Hamish."

Hamish's face fell, looking worried and ashamed. Behind him, the two guards suddenly appeared, both looking terrified and shaking their heads. One held one of the feeding buckets upside down. Completely empty.

Oh, no. "Hamish!" Mr. Moss shouted angrily.

Hamish smiled up at him sheepishly and shrugged.

* * *

Author's Notes: That's a sticky situation if I ever heard of one. I wonder what happened to Mr. Moss, Hamish, and the two guards. Maybe the two guards got eaten?!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Where did Urgi's name come from? Well, "Urgi" is not a word, but it could come from "-urgy," which is a suffix meaning "work." It could also (although less likely) refer to "urge": to force, push, hasten, or persuade.

That was a painfully short trivia. It makes me feel unproductive.

Gosh, what an episode! So much jumping around in points of view! Hopefully "Life with Lugey" will give me a break from that! (It'll be Stork, of course. *Stork fans cheer*)


	125. Life With Lugey: Don't Mess With Gravity

_**Part 31**_

_**Life with Lugey**_

_Two lives become one. The power of gravity is found and fought. Old enemies return, but an enemy becomes a friend._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Don't Mess With Gravity

After having dropped the miners off safely, the Storm Hawks were on a new mission, this one issued completely by Piper, with Aerrow's permission. Rather, Stork thought grudgingly, Aerrow's support. The Sky Knight had an annoying habit of going along with any one of the other kids so long as what they were doing was logical or fun (for Stork, you didn't usually find the two in the same category) and didn't interfere with another duty. Especially Piper, it seems (probably because she was the most logical).

So all of the Storm Hawks had left the _Condor_ behind to chase after another one of Piper's beloved crystals. Even Stork had come, leaving the _Condor_ to take his _Stork-Mobile_. After all, it wasn't like this was a particularly _dangerous_ mission. They might still be doomed, but probably not.

At least, that's what he had thought at first.

They all began to approach an unnamed, uninhabited terra on their skyrides. It was uninhabited for a reason; there wasn't any place _to_ inhabit. It was a pinnacle terra, one with jagged peaks poking out of it and gradually thinning to a point at the top. Between the peaks, it was possible to drive almost like a road had been made in the barren, dry rock, but the slope was so steep that it would be difficult to walk and almost impossible to try to park on. There didn't seem to be anything growing on it, but Stork was sure it was full of germs somewhere out there.

Piper was looking down at her little instrument with its see-through screen. Stork believed it was a crystal detector. "Yup," she was saying. "Just like my prosodic formation charts predicted, there's a gravitron crystal right," she held up the detector toward the terra, looking at through the screen until red, radiating circles appeared on it at the top of the terra, "there."

At that point, Finn flew up next to her. "Okay," he said, "how do you keep all this junk about crystals in your head, Piper?"

"Oh, come on," Piper answered, waving her hand at him dismissively. "Lots of people know this stuff."

"She's right!" a voice hissed.

Stork gulped. He knew that voice. He and the others looked over their shoulders quickly to see if it was who they thought it was.

Repton was there, a crystal detector in his own hand. He smirked at all of them, revealing nearly all of his jagged, carnivorous teeth. Behind him flew his brothers. As a unite, they swept down toward the Storm Hawks.

Stork was scared. Stork was _really_ scared. But as usual Aerrow and Piper seemed fearless. The two of them glared at the Raptors with enough ferocity to make a dog stick its tail between its legs and slink away. But Repton just kept giving Aerrow his toothy grin.

There was not a doubt in anyone's mind that they were all after the same thing: the gravitron crystal.

Both leaders turned to their squadrons and shouted at the same time. "Get the crystal!"

Well, that was that. All of them gunned their engines and began the lawless race toward the terra.

Behind them, cool and calculated, Repton was cackling. The Storm Hawks weren't ruining his plans this time!

They all reached the terra at about the same time. Once they did, they rose upward, scaling the peak.

Junko had his eyes narrowed toward the top, set on reaching it, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. "Huh?"

Hoerk had pulled up next to Junko, growling at him. Smirking, he slammed his Bone Wing against Junko's Skimmer.

The Skimmer would have been just fine had it not been shoved straight into a rock. The rock tore at the Skimmer's starboard wings, and before Junko knew it, he was falling. "Whoa!" he cried as his parachute deployed. He relaxed a little, realizing he was safe but out of the action, only to gasp and lean to the left as his wrecked Skimmer fell down on his right, missing him by inches.

Hoerk was now flying up to Aerrow and Radarr. He laughed, a deep "Ha, ha" as he drew up toward them.

But Aerrow just smirked. It was easy enough to take out one of Repton's bumbling brothers. He pulled his handles up, calling for a reverse. As the Skimmer switched acceleration, it flared its wings at Hoerk's Bone Wing, threatening to tear it up should they collide.

And that's exactly what happened. Hoerk let out a noise of confusion when he saw Aerrow's Skimmer backing into him, and he didn't have time to react. With a cry, he fell clear of his wrecked ride.

Unfortunately, Piper was below them. "Huh?" she gasped when she saw the screaming Hoerk falling toward her. But she didn't have time to react. She closed her eyes and waited for the worst.

Just as she expected, Hoerk slammed right into her and dragged her right out of the seat of her Heliscooter. But she wasn't worried about herself. She just tapped her chest, which would deploy her parachute.

But nothing happened.

Piper opened her eyes. "Huh?" she gasped when she saw she was falling with Hoerk. Laughing at her predicament, Hoerk waved her goodbye and deployed his own parachute.

Realizing what was happening, Piper began to scream. She was going to fall to her death!

Below her, Finn was aiming his crossbow at Spitz, chuckling to himself at his stealth. "What?" Spitz gasped just as he realized that he was the target.

But Piper slammed into Finn before he could do anything. "Whoa!" Finn cried as he was sent tumbling from his Skimmer, Piper with him.

Thankfully his parachute did deploy. And Piper, the very person who lost him his shot, landed cradled in his arms. Finn glared at her and raised an eyebrow. Piper laughed sheepishly. Finn just rolled her eyes in annoyance and groaned up at Spitz. He'd had a perfect shot, too.

Luckily he was still going to be able to take the Raptor down. Spitz laughed down at their predicament, but in doing so he wasn't watching where he was going. Just as he turned back to see, he let out a frightened cry . . . right before his Bone Wing slammed into a stone arch and wrecked.

Aerrow and Radarr were still making a break for it along the path with Repton close behind. Much to Aerrow's announce, when they reached the part flat enough to drive on, Repton swung around in front and touched down first. Aerrow and Radarr landed close behind and began the ground race.

Pulling up alongside Repton, Aerrow was already cocky he was going to win this race. Trying to psych Repton out, he winked at him.

But Repton didn't believe in fair races. Snarling at Aerrow's cocky gesture, he pulled out a yellow ball and growled as he threw it at Aerrow. Aerrow, confused, dodged the throw, and Radarr juggled it a few times in an effort to catch it before he clamped down on it with both paws. Then he recognized it. It was a bomb! Squealing in alarm, he threw the ball away.

But he made a mistake. Instead of throwing it to the side or behind them, he threw it in front of them.

Repton whimpered and Aerrow's eyes widened in shock as the path in front of them exploded into bounding boulders that were rolling right for them!

There was no time to dodge. Aerrow heard Repton go down with a growl, and the next thing he knew, he was tumbling and sliding, gasping as the Vulcan fell with him and landed on his leg. Thankfully the wing, folded in for bike mode, protected it from being completely crushed.

When he opened his eyes and looked around, finding Radarr clinging to his back in fright, completely unharmed. Thankfully he found his Skimmer mostly intact. Unfortunately it was too damaged to continue. At least he and Radarr weren't as bad off as Repton. The lead Raptor lay flat on the ground, his ride in pieces all around him.

But then a skyride passed them by. And it wasn't a Storm Hawk ride. "Oh, no," Aerrow gasped aloud. "Lugey's gonna get the crystal!" Radarr growled and shook a fist in Lugey's direction, but both knew there was nothing they could do to stop him now.

Stork saw Aerrow's crash, saw Lugey go on, and heard Aerrow's cry. Now was his time. He blared his horn as he flew over Aerrow and Radarr and landed in front of them to chase Lugey, screaming, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Lugey was far ahead, thinking he was all alone. Just then, he heard a horn blare. "Huh?" He looked over only to growl when he saw Stork pull up next to him. Stork smirked at him. So maybe he wasn't as good as Aerrow or anything, but he knew he had a chance against an oaf like Lugey.

The two were so busy looking at each other, though, that they forgot to look where they were going. Stork turned back and gasped, but it was too late.

The two rides hit the huge boulders in front of them at full speed, smashing them to pieces. Thankfully for the two screaming riders, they had enough acceleration to launch them right over the rocks. Stork had only one thought as he waited to fall to his death: _We're doomed._

But instead, the two landed on their stomachs next to each other, completely unharmed. Well, mostly. Stork felt bruises, which he knew were caused by internal bleeding, which meant he could bleed to death . . .

But nothing he could do about that now. There was a crystal to get. And Lugey was trying to get it _first!_

Stork pushed himself up off the ground and glared at Lugey, growling, just as Lugey did the same. Then, as if in silent agreement to compete, they leapt up as one and ran toward the cave where the crystal was housed.

Stork got there first. He ran up to the tall pile of stones, where the gravitron crystal levitated. It was round and pink, with shifting pink orbital of light encircling it, like one of those model atom's electron rings.

Well, he'd reached the crystal first. But he still had Lugey right behind him.

Knowing what he had to do, Stork whirled around and spread out his arms, protecting the crystal. "Stop!" he shouted at Lugey.

Lugey just laughed at the order and slowly lumbered closer.

"Or I'll . . ." Stork dug into his pocket for a weapon, and when he felt something promising, he pulled it out. But then his face drooped at his weapon. "Brush?" he gasped. Seriously? The only weapon he had was a _tooth brush?_

Apparently even this was effective with dumb Lugey. "Uh oh," he said, turning around. "I have something in my teeth?" He stuck his finger in his mouth and began feeling around in between his teeth to try to get rid of whatever he thought was there.

Well, if that would keep Lugey occupied, then great. Stork turned back the levitating gravitron crystal and, summoning his courage and expecting his doom, he grabbed the crystal. Oh, good. He wasn't vaporized.

But then a deep, baby-like voice behind him boomed, making him cringe. "Hey, give me!" he demanded . . . or rather, pleaded. "Repton wants that!" He pointed over Stork's shoulder at the crystal.

Stork then got a great idea. He turned around to face Lugey. And then, summoning his courage once again and hoping he didn't contract a deadly disease, he swallowed the crystal.

Lugey blinked in astonishment.

"Hah!" Stork jeered at him, tapping his stomach. He pointed at Lugey. "Try to take it now, you big . . ."

But he never finished his insult. Just then, orbital rings of light began to appear around his torso. "Uh oh," Stork gasped. He _knew_ something bad was going to happen when he swallowed that crystal.

Lugey, seeing the rings, also sensed something wrong. "Uh, uh oh," he agreed, backing up slowly.

Then something really, really strange began to happen. Stork felt him jerked to his left. "Whoa," he gasped as he nearly stumbled. Then he was jerked back. "Whoa!"

Really scared now, Lugey let out a sound of fright, turned around, and began to run.

But then Stork felt his torso being draw after Lugey. He gasped as he held his stomach, trying to force himself back. His feet began to slide. _Please, don't,_ he thought silently. _Please!_

But then he lost his footing. Arms flailing in the air, he zoomed down the tunnel in the air right after Lugey. He gasped as he was drawing closer to Lugey and then began screaming. _No,_ he thought. _No, no!_

BAM!

"Ow," Lugey groaned after the collision, getting to his feet and rubbing his head. Then he heard hyper breathing.

Stork was behind him, back to back with him, his legs straddling his tail. And try as he might, Stork couldn't pull himself off the Raptor! Feeling panicky, he pushed against Lugey and cried, "Get off of me, you over grown, underdeveloped oaf!"

Lugey groaned as Stork kept pushing against him, but he was also trying to get away. And he couldn't. "No!" he answered back, trying to push Stork off by pushing his head. "Y-you get off me, you . . . you . . ." But try as he might, he couldn't seem to think up a good insult. "Uh, what you said," he said at last.

"I _can't_," Stork grumbled back like Lugey was stupid (which he was). He rolled his eyes at the stupidity, for the reason for their problem was clear as daylight for him. "It's the gravitron crystal," he explained, looking down at his stomach. He put his finger to his lip as he thought. "Swallowing it must have activated it, increasing my gravitational field a thousand fold!" he ended in a scream.

But when he looked over his shoulder, he saw Lugey giving him a dubious look.

Well, of course the child-like oaf wouldn't understand a word of that. Putting it in little kid terms for the idiot, Stork cleared his throat and said, "We're stuck together."

At that, Lugey threw up his hands, jerking Stork up and down as he did it. "Oh, boy," he gasped. He held up a finger. "Repton's not gonna like this. He thinks there's too much of me already!"

As he began moving, Stork began struggling again. He couldn't seem to get off, but maybe he could control their movements. But unfortunately, Lugey was taller than he was, and Stork's feet dangled above the floor. He was a helpless passenger on Lugey's back, getting covered in Lugey's germs, which were probably going to give him life-threatening illnesses.

But then Lugey's face brightened without Stork knowing it. The Raptor thought he had just thought of a pretty good idea. Before Stork knew what was going on, Lugey had reached between his legs, grabbed Stork's feet, and then pulled his feet up toward him, trying to pull him down and off. All it did was put Stork in a world of pain, and he grasped Lugey's shoulder in an effort to make it go away. Then the bumbling idiot spun around and accidentally slammed his head against the wall. He fell over backward, out cold, right on top of Stork.

Well, wasn't this just great.

Stork moaned and tried to get breath passed the crushing weight on top of him. But as soon as he drew a deep breath, making his crushed ribs hurt, he instantly regretted it for a different reason. "Okay," he gasped. "This stinks." He lifted up Lugey's shoulder, freeing up his rib cage, but the stench was even worse. "Uh," he groaned. "I mean, _really_ stinks."

Stork began to think doom was better than this. This torture was its own type of doom.

Finally, with one last shove, Stork was able to roll Lugey over so he wasn't on top of him.

But then who should he see? Aerrow and Radarr were standing in front of them. Both were staring in bewilderment, and Aerrow was running a hand through his hair the way he always did when he was confused. "Uh, Stork?" he asked. "What are you _doing?_"

Oh, no. More people to be attracted to him! "Aerrow!" he gasped, holding out a hand as if to stop. "Stay back. Everything that comes near me gets stuck!"

As if on cue, the rings appeared around Stork's torso again, and Radarr, who stood on two paws, began to slide forward toward him. Radarr's eyes widened in surprise just as he was launched off his feet, flying toward Stork, squealing in fright. Aerrow, quick as ever, was able to reach out and grab Radarr's paws. Radarr churred in thanks and held on tight, his body pulled completely straight between Aerrow's hand and Stork's newly-enhanced gravitational field.

Stork's eyes widened in fright as Radarr's legs began kicking and his paws began slipping. He squawked loudly, signaling he couldn't hold on much longer.

Then all three of them heard the sounds of approaching skyrides. They couldn't see through the darkness of the cave to see if they were friendly or not.

Aerrow turned back to Stork. "Time to go," he said. "We're gonna have to figure this out on the _Condor_."

Stork had really been hoping that Aerrow would have a solution immediately or maybe bring Piper and _she_ would have a solution immediately. But that's doom for you. Things just don't work out like you want them.

* * *

Author's Notes: I double-checked the spelling. Maybe we shouldn't believe the spelling on the website. In the scene of the episode that shows the title, it reads, "Life with Lugey", even though Lugey's name is spelled "Leugey" on the website. Which means I don't have to change my spelling in previous episodes! Yay me! But it also means I may have spelled Hamish's name wrong; in the credits for both "Escape!" and "The Last Stand", his name is spelled "Haimish," even though his name is spelled "Hamish" on the website. But Spell Check says "Hamish" is right and "Haimish" is wrong, and they're pronounced the same. I'm so confused!

Enough about my name spelling problems (because I know you're _so_ interested in that). Here's the trivia.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Gravitation is defined as a mutual force of attraction between all particles or bodies that have mass. So basically, if you're matter (which if you're human, you are matter), then you have your own gravity and gravitational pull to other objects. Gravity is relative to mass, which is why small things tend to orbit larger things.

Okay, that was dumb. Anyone who has been through school knows that!

Please review!


	126. Life With Lugey: Lugey Love

Chapter 2: Lugey Love

Feeling absolutely miserable, Stork sat on the floor of the bridge of the _Condor_, holding his head in his hand sadly. Behind him he still had the unconscious Lugey's weight strapping him down. The rings were circling his torso, trying to suck in everything around it.

Just a few feet in front of him dangled Radarr's feet, kicking frantically in an effort to stay away. The little guy screeched as he tried desperately to keep a hold of Finn's foot, the only thing keeping him from sliding into Stork.

Finn wasn't much better off. He was also hanging in the air, pulled tight between the gravitational force and Junko's ankle. Junko was also struggling to stay away, completely pulled off his feet and groaning as he kept a death grip on the railing in the middle of the bridge. Of the guys, only Aerrow and Radarr had been smart enough to heed Stork's warning, and poor Radarr had just been too light to do anything about it. Finn and Junko had only themselves to blame for getting too close. But that's teenage boys for you.

At last, Piper came running onto the bridge, holding a square device with a little violet crystal on the tip of its antenna. She ran up to Stork and pressed a button on the remote.

Immediately the rings around Stork disappeared, and Radarr, Finn, and Junko dropped onto the floor on their bellies. Churring in relief, Radarr rested his head on Finn's foot in exhaustion.

Stork looked up to Piper for an explanation, waiting for her to get rid of Lugey, too.

"There," Piper said proudly, looking down at the boys. She held the device out to Stork. "The effects of this anti-gravity crystal will stop you from attracting new things."

"Oh, yeah?" Stork answered, glaring in annoyance. Great, so that took care of that. There was just one small problem left. "Well, what about the junk that's already stuck to me," he leaned forward to thrust Lugey's face up at her, "like _him?_"

Piper cringed at Lugey's openmouthed snoring, his forked tongue hanging out of his mouth. Finn and Junko exchanged glances.

Huffing at the effort, Stork sat up, setting Lugey back down. "His germs're crawling all over me!" he gasped, looking all over him, waiting for rashes or hives to appear. He turned to Piper, clasping his hands and pleading. "You gotta do something!"

"Ooh!" Junko exclaimed, point to him. "I got an idea!" And with a broad grin on his face, Junko picked up a flamethrower and turned it on, about to lower it toward Lugey.

Stork's eyes widened in fear. Junko was going to _burn_ Lugey right off of him? "Oh, bad idea, Junko," he said. Seeing that Junko didn't stop, his quivering voice rose to a shout. "Um, bad idea!"

But Junko wasn't listening. His grin looking demonic in the light of the flames, he began to lower the flamethrower's blaze.

But Raptors were cold blooded, and with the heat of the flames close by, Lugey's bodily systems began to speed up, and he began to stir. With a huge yawn, he came to, blinking himself awake.

And then he saw the flames and Junko malicious grin.

At that moment, Lugey screamed and jumped up like a wild horse that had woken up in a corral, taking off toward the nearest door. Bewildered, Junko shut off the flamethrower.

When the door didn't open for him, Lugey spun around to keep from running head first into it and slammed his back into it, trying to use his full weight. And Stork found himself smashed between Raptor and door. The door smelled better, he concluded.

Still panicky, Lugey ran toward another door, slamming his hands against it. But the Storm Hawks had locked that one, too. And just as Stork's luck would have it, when the Raptor spun around to run another direction, he slammed Stork against a rolling cart and the flowerpot that had been sitting on it. The Merb screamed as Lugey took off across the room. _Oh, why don't_ _you just end my torment already?_ Stork thought. _What did I do to deserve this?_

Much to his dismay and annoyance, Piper and Aerrow just stood there watching, not trying to stop Lugey.

With a hand on her chin thoughtfully, Piper turned to Aerrow. "I'm gonna need some time to figure out how to separate them," she said, gesturing to Lugey and Stork as they started running back toward them.

Aerrow's gaze followed Lugey and Stork as Lugey ran past them again. "Well," he said, putting his hands on his hips and looking concerned, "until you do, Piper, we're gonna have to keep Lugey with us." He watched as Lugey ran past again and then leaned out of the way on the railing as the Raptor came back, Stork screaming as they past. Another crash was heard. "If he gets away," Aerrow continued, gesturing to the pair as they ran past again, "he'll take Stork right to Repton."

Lugey ran past them again, heading straight for the helm. Stork having heard everything, shivered at the mention of going to Repton, remembering the Raptor's feud with him. "I'd never survive!" he shouted as Lugey headed for the helm.

Then, being the bumbling idiot that he was, Lugey ran straight into the wheel. Gasping as he got the wind knocked out him, the Raptor collapsed, spinning the wheel wildly.

In response to the wheel, the _Condor_ balked, pitched, jerked, and then nosedived for the Wastelands, as unsettling and as a bucking bronco. Stork head Piper scream and saw Finn and Junko thrown backward onto the round table, clinging onto its edge. Trying to keep his footing, Aerrow leaned forward and grasped the back of the table for all he was worth.

Finn looked back at Aerrow. "Anymore of this," he said, "we won't survive, either!"

Then he, Piper, and Junko resumed screaming. Well, Stork thought, isn't that helpful.

But Aerrow was always a man of action . . . or, well, Stork admitted, a boy of action who did men's work. He let himself slid into the helm, grabbed hold of the wheel, and then pulled back for all he was worth.

The ship leveled out, finding a gasping Finn clinging to the couch, Piper grasping at the wall, and Junko and Radarr strewn out on the floor. Lugey and Stork still lay where they fell.

At last, Lugey got up, his back to Aerrow, who kept driving. "Oh," he gasped as he got up, biting his nails and pacing. "Repton's gonna be mad." He turned around to talk to Aerrow. "Uh, I gotta go!" And then, just as stupid as ever, Lugey spun around and slammed Stork against Aerrow, who fell in a heap. That looked like it hurt, but Stork had no sympathy, too busy grasping his stomach where he had been hit.

The wheel saw sent spinning again with Aerrow's fall, and again the _Condor_ nosedived. Piper screamed as she grasped the wall again, and Finn screamed as he fell flat on the floor. Junko fell over the table, grasping its edge, and Radarr clung to the leg of one of the chairs bolted into the floor. Finn eventually went sliding toward the Timepulse receiver, which he grasped the stand of.

From there, the vision got hazy and Lugey danced and then teetered on one foot, trying to keep his footing. Stork saw he was almost in reach of the helm. If only Lugey would turn just a little further . . .

There! Crying out in fright, Stork made one desperate lunge toward the wheel as Lugey completely turned his back to hit. Then, pulling with all his might and leaning so far back that Lugey was pitched forward and forced his arms in a windmill for balance, Stork finally got the _Condor_ level again and under control. No thanks to a certain Raptor who can't even count.

Once everything was stable again, Lugey went back to worrying about Repton. "Oh, oh, Boss'll mad at me if he saw me with our worst enemies!"

Stork saw Aerrow getting up and rushing over to them. He saw from the Sky Knight's face that he had an idea that might calm Lugey, and for his own sake and the sake of his precious _Condor_, he opened it work.

"Or," Aerrow suggested to Lugey, gesturing to him, "maybe he'd be mad if you left your enemies' cruiser before you learned all our secrets."

Stork felt Lugey take one deep breath as if to calm himself and imagined that he was hearing the slow-moving wheels in Lugey's head start to turn. "Uh," he said to Aerrow, smiling, "ya think?"

Seeing that Aerrow's idea was working, Piper, Finn, and Junko all nodded and smiled enthusiastically. Even Radarr smiled, churring in encouragement.

So, much to Stork's dismay, the other Storm Hawks began teaching Lugey they're "secrets."

Junko whipped up a good dish of sky berries topped with yellow cloud sauce. He set it on the table in the kitchen. "Ooh, sweet!" Finn exclaimed when he saw the dish laid in front of him. He had a napkin hanging out of his shirt collar and was ready to eat. Eagerly he licked his chops and raised his fork.

But Junko had made this for more than just to eat it. Just before Finn was about to take a bit, Junko snatched the bowl away and showed it to Lugey. "'Kay," he said, speaking as if he were talking to a little kid . . . which, in Stork's opinion, in terms of brain development, he was. "This is the Storm Hawks' secret recipe for sky berries and cloud sauce."

Laughing and licking his chops, Lugey grabbed the bowl and dumped the sky berries into his mouth . . . all of it. He laughed again in delight and let out a nasty burp right in the astonished Wallop's face.

Getting the best whiff of the burp that came out in a green fog, Stork held his breath, and wrinkled his face, putting his hands to his face. This was its own kind of slow torture.

Finn, seeing that he no longer had his sky berries and cloud sauce, decided to extract revenge on Junko. He took Lugey next and took him to a little room off to the side, where he leaned against the wall right of the door. "And this," he said, leaning next to a panel in the wall, "is Junko's secret stash of candy."

_Candy?_ Stork thought. Oh, no. _Finn, please don't . . ._

Finn knocked his fist against the panel, and it popped off. Much to Stork's dismay, candy poured out of the wall in a flood, spilling onto the floor at Lugey's feet. Laughing in excitement, Lugey fell to his knees and began eating, picking up whole fistful and stuffing them into his mouth.

The door opened, and there was Junko, looking casual. But when he saw what was going on, his eyes widened in shock. Not even seeming angry, he immediately found the culprit. "Hey," he asked Finn. "How'd you know about that?"

Finn didn't answer.

Sadly, Junko watched his candy disappear in mouthfuls.

But just as Stork feared, much of the candy was chocolate. And to make matters worse, Lugey turned his head around to talk to Stork, crumbs flying from his mouth. "Repton never gives candy to me!" he said in delight, very hard to understand through his full cheeks.

But Stork could only watched in horror as crumbs showered on him. "No! No!" he gasped. He held up his hand to his face to try to stop the rain. "Stop! Chocolate gives me—"

But it was too late. Stork saw the red bumps appearing on his fingers where he gloves stopped and felt them appear on his face. "—hives," he finished in a groan.

Well, they were having fun now, weren't they? Stork thought sarcastically.

But the next was even worse.

Aerrow took Lugey to their hot tub, which they filled and then turned the bubbles on. Now of course, being stuck to Lugey, Stork couldn't undress—not that he would even _think_ of undressing with Lugey viewing him. So he didn't have a swimsuit on. Lugey dipped him in with his clothes. And Lugey, being Lugey, didn't even bother to take his armor off.

Then, much to Stork's dismay, Lugey sat down deep in the hot tub, lounging with his arms stretched out on the side, completely submerging Stork. All Stork could do was hold is breath.

On the other side of the tub, Aerrow smiled at Lugey kindly and got ready to show him the next secret. "And this," he said, uncrossing his arms and gesturing to the hot tub, "is the Storm Hawks' secret foot rub technique."

Sighing in contentment as he got ready for pleasure, Lugey sank lower in the tub and stuck his feet out of it, setting them on the rim in front of Aerrow to perform the technique.

It was then that Aerrow first got a whiff of Lugey's feet, which smelled like Lugey, only worse. He gasped and held his nose and his breath, backing up before he could allow himself to breath again. "Okay," he said, pointing to Lugey's feet and somehow still managing to sound friendly, "that one's gonna have to remain a secret."

At last, Stork couldn't hold his breath any longer. Grabbing the rim of the tub in front of him, he pulled himself out of the water and gasped as he tried to replenish his lungs. First the horrible smell of Lugey and his burp, then the hives from the chocolate (which had gone away now), and now this? "I'm starting to think I might be better off just being roasted by Repton," he told Aerrow.

Before Aerrow could answer, however, Lugey leaned back and inadvertently shoved Stork back under. Aerrow leaned forward as if to stop him, but what was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell Lugey not to enjoy the hot tub. They needed to keep him here, which meant he had to be content to me here.

Stork pulled himself back up before Aerrow could do anything, anyway.

Lugey began laughing in delight and then leaned toward Aerrow, peering up at him gratefully. "Oh, this is fun!" he said, still laughing. Then suddenly he stopped. "Uh, uh oh," he gasped, his face suddenly turning serious. "Oh, the boss hates it when I have fun!"

In a panic, he scrambled out of the hot tub. "Whoa!" Aerrow cried as Lugey accidentally knocked him over onto his rear.

But Lugey began waddling away, tracking water across the floor as he did. "He'd yell at me if he knew I was having a good time," he gasped. "I gotta go!"

For the first time since he'd been stuck to him, Stork felt a little sympathy for Lugey. Repton yelled at his dumb, childish brother when he had fun? That's just sad. Lugey was the kind of guy who needed to have fun.

But that didn't change the fact that Lugey was trying to leave with Stork still stuck to his back. Stork reached out toward Aerrow vainly as the bewildered Sky Knight sat up and gazed after them. _Please,_ Stork thought. _Come rescue me again!_

But then, out in the middle of the bridge, Lugey suddenly halted. He turned and looked out a window, gasping in delight. He could see the open sky!

It was, of course, a gun port where the cannon and turret popped out. Chuckling in delight that he had found a way out, Lugey opened the hatch and stepped out onto the edge.

Stork gasped as he saw the roof end and looked up to see open skies and swirling clouds. And when he looked down, he saw nothing but more sky. "Ah!" he screamed. What did Lugey think he was _doing?_ Did he just expect Repton to suddenly fly up and take him away? Or did he think that somehow jumping off the _Condor_ and falling into the Wastelands would get him back to Terra Bogaton? He couldn't even deploy his parachute, for crying out loud! Stork was in the way of it!

Panic seized Stork. "Stop!" he shouted to Lugey desperately.

Lugey stopped right on the edge. "Nope," he answered Stork, shaking his head. "No, Boss'd want me to come home, and I'm gonna do what he wants 'cause there's nothing more important than being part of team!" He lifted his foot so it hovered over space.

This was it, Stork thought as he covered his face with his arms. So this was how it ended. Stuck to the back of the stupidest Raptor in the world.

But just then, following up on what Lugey said about being part of a team, Stork heard Aerrow's voice say, "Oh, really?"

Stork's savior was Aerrow, yet again. The boy was running toward them. He stopped behind Lugey, not even winded. He placed a hand on Lugey's arm. "Well," Aerrow continued, "then it's too bad you're leaving because we're just about to make you an . . ." he hesitated a moment, thinking, ". . . an honorary Storm Hawk!" He gestured to Lugey.

Both Stork and Lugey gasped in astonishment.

Lugey turned toward Aerrow happily. "You were?" he asked in delight, a big smile on his face.

"We were?" Stork gasped. Oh, no. Didn't Aerrow know what he was getting himself—and Stork—into? This was just asking for disaster.

But apparently he didn't. "Sure," he answered to both of them. He got by Lugey's left and, placing a hand on his shoulder, began to guide the Raptor back inside. "But since it'll be a while till our next mission, uh, why don't you just sit down and—"

But he never got to finish. Once they were safely inside again, Junko came running in with a concerned look on his face, ready to give his commander an important message. "A distress signal just came in," he gasped. Aerrow put his finger to his lips and shushed Junko desperately, but the Wallop was talking too fast to realize it before it was too late. "A cargo cruiser needs our help!" he finished just as realized Aerrow was asking him to be quiet.

But the news was out. "Oh, boy!" Lugey exclaimed excitedly. Laughing in delight, he ran across the bridge toward the door, his whole body jiggling and wobbling with every step.

"I'm g—" Stork began to say, but he never got to finish with "going to be sick." Instead, he could only grasp his stomach to stop it. "Oh, boy," he mumbled. This mission was not going to turn out well.

And Stork blamed Aerrow.

* * *

Later, the _Condor_ pulled up alongside the cargo cruiser, which looked an awfully like the ship that had rammed into them the day Ravess and Snipe shut down the Timepulse. It was an Aquinosian ship, shown by the bright blue painted on the outside.

Since someone needed to stay on the ship and Stork could not be that one, Piper and Radarr were staying while the boys—and Stork and Lugey—went to take care of trouble.

Lugey sprinted down the hallway once they were inside, laughing with delight. He stopped in front of three figures. One of them Stork recognized as the burly man with the anchor tattoo he and the other Hawks had met at Skyside Shanty. The dark-skinned man from the Shanty was also there, donning his new fishing-style hat (a replacement for the one the Leviathan ate). A white-haired girl in pigtails, maybe around eighteen, was also among them.

Unbeknownst to Stork or Lugey, the three of them had just been staring at the closed doors in front of them, listening to angry growling sounds.

Seeing Lugey stop in front of them, the burly man's eyes lit up. He was obviously the captain. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Thank the clouds you're here!"

He was talking to Lugey's face, so Stork, curious to see what was going on, peered over Lugey's shoulder.

The captain screamed. "A two-headed beast!" he cried, and then continued to scream and tremble.

Aerrow, Finn, and Junko rounded the corner at that moment. "No!" Aerrow cried. "It's okay! They're with us." He pointed a thumb at himself.

The three sky sailors looked at him in disbelief.

Laughing, Lugey slapped the captain on the back, trying to be friendly with him. Instead he knocked the unfortunate man onto the floor on his face, his sailor's hat falling in front of him. "Ooh, oopsie," Lugey said.

"Sorry," Aerrow apologized to the captain, looking embarrassed.

At that moment, Finn, for whatever reason, decided to take charge. "Okay, newbie," he said to Lugey. "Stand back and watch a real Storm Hawk operate."

As the captain got to his feet, Finn stepped up to the closed door and pulled down the lever to open it. But when the door opened, Stork felt his hair stand on end. A sky shark roared right in Finn's face! Finn, not surprisingly, screamed and shut the door.

As soon as he did, he did the usual Finn thing: make an excuse. "I can't go in there," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the closed door. He was trying to sound casual, but in Stork's opinion, he was failing. Finn cleared his throat. "I'm, uh, allergic."

At that moment, Junko, who by now had red, swollen eyes, sneezed, spraying Finn with spit. "Wait," the Wallop said when he recovered. "Aren't I the one allergic to sky sharks?" And then he sneezed again, not bothering to cover his mouth. Finn glared at him as he was showered in spit once more. Stork bet he was going to get a terminal disease from that.

But then Lugey started to walk forward. And to Stork's horror, the Merb saw he was headed straight toward the closed doors. Then he opened them and continued forward.

Oh, no. Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no, oh, NO! "For the love of all insane, DON'T!" Stork cried out to Lugey.

Then the doors closed in front of him, leaving him stuck to a stinking Raptor in a dark room full of steam and containing a killer sky shark. A recipe for certain doom.

Staring in bewilderment, the sailors and the other Hawks didn't even have time to do anything before the sounds of punching, growling, whimpering, and Stork's cries rang out from behind the closed doors. The doors even dented out toward them right in the middle where they met.

Then next moment, the doors were completely blown away, and a heap landed in front of them. They were met by a mortified Stork peering up at them. Lugey had pinned the sky shark onto its back. He was smiling stupidly. "Sky sharks," he said, "love good belly tickle." He laughed and began tickling the shark's belly with his finger. "Goochy, goochy, goochy!"

Finn squeal as the sky shark saw him and reached the bite him, snapping his jaws at him twice, its face twisted in fury. It did not seem to like good belly tickles. Aerrow, however, was smiling, very much impressed with Lugey's work. Stork didn't know why. He was beginning to think Lugey was suicidal. Then again, he used to think that about Aerrow, and the Sky Knight was still standing.

Lugey stood up, holding the sky shark just above its flipper wings. The sky shark roared at him and began snapping its jaws in his face. Apparently not wanting to be bit, Lugey drew back his fist and punched the shark so hard that the shark went flying out of the ship, breaking through a steel wall and leaving a sky shark-shaped hole there.

Lugey turned around, still grinning like an idiot. "All better," he said.

The other Storm Hawks stared in astonishment. Aerrow and Junko were smiling, but Finn just looked bewildered. "So Lugey was actually . . . helpful?" he asked in disbelief, raising an eyebrow.

And of course, Lugey missed the point entirely. "Ooh, ooh!" he exclaimed, still very excited after beating up the shark. "Let's get more sky sharks and put 'em in another cargo cruiser!"

Again, Finn raised an eyebrow, this time in disgust. Aerrow cringed, looking appalled, and Junko slowly shook his head.

Lugey just smiled at them broadly and said, "Helping people is fun!"

Stork looked over Lugey's shoulder and let out a shaking sigh of trepidation. Oh, yeah. Looks like they had a new honorary member.

* * *

Author's Notes: "Let's get more sky sharks and put 'em in another cargo cruiser!" (sigh) I love that line! And I say we do it! Who's with me?

(crickets chirp)

I see. Moving on . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Although "gravitron" is not a word (unless you're referring to the amusement ride), "graviton" is. Completely hypothetical in concept, graviton is a quantum of gravitation, thought to be an elementary particle that is its own antiparticle and that has an indefinitely long lifetime, zero rest mass, no charge, and spin of two (which means it travels at the speed of light). It is believed they are the carrier of gravitational field. If existing, they would only be admitted by extremely large objects, like stars.

(snoring) Huh, what? Sorry, fell asleep writing the boring trivia up there. Feels like I'm in physics class or something. Where was I?

Oh, right. I was leaving. Bye!


	127. Life With Lugey: A Giant Problem

Chapter 3: A Giant Problem

On the bridge of the _Condor_, Lugey headed toward the bridge's bathroom. "Boy, oh, boy!" he exclaimed as he pressed the button to open the door. He stamped his foot excitedly. "What a day! I never get to use the _inside_ bathroom!"

_Never?_ Stork looked over his shoulder into the bathroom and cringed. There had to be a reason for that. And after experiencing how Lugey stank all day, Stork was not eager to find out. But much to his horror, he was going to have to. Lugey was walking into the bathroom.

He turned back around and appealed to Aerrow, Finn, and Junko, who sat at the round table. "Please," he whispered to them. "Somebody end my miserable existence." Still desperate to escape, he clung to the doorframe as Lugey passed it by. But he couldn't stop the powerful Raptor. With one last cry, his hands were pulled off and the door closed in front of him.

At the round table, Finn let out a sigh that was half disgust, half relief. "Okay," he said to the other two. "How much longer do we have to put up with this?"

"Maybe forever!" was the answer. And the voice was female.

Aerrow looked up to see Piper come in the far door, holding a large book under her arm. She walked toward the table, looking anxious. "If the gravitron crystal isn't neutralized in two hours, Lugey and Stork will be stuck together permanently!"

"Okay," Finn said, looking exasperated. He stuck a finger in his ear to scratch, speaking sarcastically. "And the good news is?"

"Actually," Piper amended, "there is some." She opened the book in her arms, scanning its pages. "I've figured out a way to deactivate the crystal, but it involves a combination of incredibly rare crystals. And there's only one person who has them all."

Aerrow didn't like where this was going. "Let me guess," he said. "Gundstaff." He put his hand to his chin as he thought about how to face such a foe. "This isn't gonna be easy," he grumbled.

"Ooh!" Junko exclaimed, sounding excited. "What does he have?" He pointed to his eyes. "Advanced retinal armor?" Then, shaking his hands, he also guessed, "Viral incinerators?"

"Worse," Piper answered. She held up her hand above her head. "He's really tall."

Oh. "Hmm," Junko said as he raised an eyebrow and tried to imagine their dangerous foe. Really tall? Junko was pretty tall. He just couldn't see what was so bad.

In the quiet, they all faintly heard the toilet flush.

* * *

The terra the Storm Hawks ended up on was the average-sized terra. There was just one significant difference; everything on that terra was _gigantic_. The bushes were as tall as trees, and trees towered over the bushes. And on the flat top of the terra, in front of the trees, was a _humongous _house. It looked like it belonged to someone fifty feet tall or taller!

Now Junko was getting the idea of what Piper had meant about being "tall." Gundstaff, it seems, was a giant.

The house itself, despite its size, was pretty modest, simply a metal cottage. But as they got closer, Stork saw many steel pipes going up through it, perhaps to control temperature.

Once inside, the Storm Hawks began tiptoeing across the floor in single file, Aerrow leading the way, Piper behind him, then Junko, Finn, and Lugey, with Stork being unable to see where they were going. Not that it really mattered. They were walking right into an unfriendly giant's house. They were all doomed. Waiting for his demise, Stork just rested his feet on the base of Lugey's tail and let his arms rest on his knees.

Radarr, meanwhile, wasn't walking in single file with the others. Stork watched him coming along behind everyone else, scurrying back and forth and investigating everything with his nose. He was running around on all fours, churring and pausing now and then to snuff in the new scents like an inquisitive dog.

He fell back after pausing one time for a few moments and then streaked ahead, churring with each stride. But then he slid to a stop, one paw raised in the air, and turned to look off to the side. There he saw what looked like a downy feather. But it couldn't be, could it? It was as long as he was tall!

Curious, Radarr churred and scurried up to the feather, lowering his head to sniff. It sure smelled like chicken, but . . .

Just before he could really examine it, he heard deep clucking. With a churr, Radarr frozen and slowly looked up.

Then he heard a deep loud squawk. Right beside him.

Standing up on two legs, Radarr turned to face the sound . . . and bugled his screeching scream. Right in front of him was a gigantic hen! She looked a lot like Wren's hen, but Wren's hen would only have come up to this hen's leg!

Heart beating a mile a minute, Radarr was off at once. Stork blinked in surprised as Radarr streaked past him on all fours as fast as he could go. The little guy stopped right in front of Aerrow, stood up on two legs, and squawked frantically, jumping up and down and pointing back in the direction of the giant chicken.

Aerrow just shushed him.

Radarr, finger still pointed in the hen's direction, stopped jumping. His ears drooped and he whimpered as Aerrow walked right past him. Growling in annoyance, he followed after his boy. Why didn't Aerrow ever _listen_ to him?

As the group entered the main room, Stork heard a snoring sound that made his heart skip a beat. He looked around, but all he could see where crates full of crystals scattered everywhere. Then he looked up.

There he was. He couldn't see his face, but he knew just from looking at his feet that he was huge. Gundstaff was asleep at his desk, his head resting on the metal tabletop in front of a giant open book. And right by the giant's hand a lay a humongous mace (obviously meant for a giant) that was studded with crystals just like Snipe's mace. Only this mace, smaller in comparison to its wielder but really many tens of times bigger, had four spikes going around the end of its handle just under the ball.

Being the one to know what she was doing, Piper had taken the lead from Aerrow now. Finn had gotten in front of Junko, with Radarr coming in just in front of Lugey. Stork knew this wasn't good; this was a really, _really_ bad idea, and it would be the doom of all of them. But what other choice did he have? Being stuck to Lugey's back for the rest of his life?

Stork looked over his and Lugey's shoulder again to see that they had to walk right in front of Gundstaff's desk to enter the room.

As silently as possible, the Storm Hawks began tiptoeing past. Stork whimpered.

Halfway past, Piper stopped and looked around, seeming to be looking for something. Stork followed her eyes to the gigantic metal door across the room from them.

Piper turned around and whispered to Aerrow. "What we need should be in his crystal vault," she told him, pointing toward the door.

"Right," Aerrow answered back, clenching a fist. He turned around to the others. "Just stay quiet and we're home free," he whispered to all of them.

Stork had been two far away to here what Piper or Aerrow had said, but he had the feeling that Aerrow had told them to be quiet.

But Lugey apparently didn't have nearly as good common sense. As the rest started walking, Lugey said, "Uh, what?" He gestured to Aerrow, speaking so loudly that there was no way Gundstaff could miss it. "I-I can't hear you. You're talkin' too softly."

The others stopped, cringing. Up on the desk, Gundstaff opened an eye. But none of them saw it.

Stork snarled. Lugey was going to get them all killed!

Angrily the others spun around and glared at him. Piper and Junko put their fingers to their lips, and everyone shushed him.

"Uh, oh, oh," Lugey said. "Sorry!"

Stork cringed and glared over his shoulder at him, lowering his ears. The stupid Raptor was _still _talking too loudly.

The others all shushed him again.

Unbeknownst to all of them, the mace began to lift off the table above them.

Stork paused and listened for a sound, flicking his ear in Gunstaff's direction. He didn't hear anything. Drawing in a shaky breath, he whispered, "Maybe he's still asleep."

But then Stork heard a grumble, which grew into a growl and then an angry yell. His heart beating wildly, he ducked his head and felt Lugey put his hands on top of his head as they heard a loud, very big crash.

"Nope," Lugey answered Stork, pointing toward Gundstaff. "He's awake."

Piper and Aerrow exchanged frightened glances. Being the only two who really knew what they were facing, their gesture was enough trepidation for Stork. He wanted to go back to the _Condor_ now, where it was safe.

Then the Storm Hawks heard a sound like thunder that made the ground shake, then another and another. Piper gasped.

Gundstaff had come to stand in front of them, mace in hand. He towered above them. Even Junko and Lugey, the tallest among them, only came up to the top of Gundstaff's high boots.

Dressed in brown leather pants and green shirt, Gundstaff probably would have looked more freakish than terrifying if he were brought down to size. His face, though not wrinkled, showed the years on him. His wild grey hair stood out on end, and he had a long beard and mustache of matching color. His beard was so long that it came down his chest in a point. Beside his right eye, he had hook-on magnifying glasses pushed out of the way, giving him the appearance of a mad scientist. He lowered his fuzzy, caterpillar-like eyebrows and narrowed his grey eyes as a smirk lit across his face, revealing crooked teeth and a missing front tooth.

As one, Aerrow and Piper gasped again as Gundstaff opened his mouth to speak. "Vermin!" the giant exclaimed. He leaned forward, putting the magnifying glasses in front of his eyes to get a better look at them. "My laboratorian is infested with tiny vermin!"

And then, much to Stork's horror, the magnifying glasses moved out of the way of his eye as the giant raised his mace, looking as if he was going to smash them with it. Indeed, that seemed to be his primary intent.

The other Storm Hawks all gasped and scattered, shouting as they did and finding nooks and crannies to hide in. Piper, Finn, and Radarr hid in one corner, and Aerrow and Junko hid in the other. All but one fled . . . well, technically two.

Stork couldn't _believe_ that Lugey hadn't run! He was just glad that when the mace slammed against the floor, it fell just short of them.

But then Lugey did perhaps the dumbest thing in his entire life. He talked back to an angry giant. "Hey!" he said, sounding indignant. "Nobody calls us vermin!" Then just to be sure, he glanced back at Stork and asked, "Vermin's bad, right?"

Stork was absolutely terrified. Wide-eyed and trembling, he nodded, wheezing out a little, "Yeah." Oh, why didn't Lugey jut _run?_

Gundstaff straightened to his full height again and glared down at Lugey. "So," he said, gesturing to the Raptor, "the vermin speaks!"

"I am not a vermin!" Lugey yelled back angrily. Then he put his hands on his hips, smiling proudly. Pointing to himself with his thumb, he declared, "I'm an honorary Storm Hawk!"

Stork ducked his head. This wasn't going to be good.

"Honorary, yeah?" Gundstaff said, pointing at him. "So in that case I'll mash you fist!" He shoved his humongous mace in Lugey's face, who smiled sheepishly.

Yup. Just as Stork thought. This wasn't good.

Watching from his corner, Aerrow made a decision right then and there. Turning to Junko and holding up a finger, he said, "From now, no more new members."

Watching Gundstaff step closer to Lugey and Stork, Junko nodded vigorously.

Well, they couldn't just stand there and watch their friend and Lugey get mashed. Aerrow clenched a fist. "Everyone, now!" he cried.

He charged out from out of the corner, shouting a battle cry. Knowing what he meant, the others did the same, lurching forward like horses out of a starting gate. They all ran around and under Gundstaff. The giant watched them in confusion, which was exactly the point.

Aerrow stopped in front of Gundstaff. "Hey!" he shouted at him, getting his attention. When Gundstaff turned to him, Aerrow waved his hands in the air. "Over here!"

Gundstaff snarled and raised his mace to smash Aerrow when another voice yelled. "Yo, over here!"

Still snarling, Gundstaff spun around to see Finn.

With Gundstaff distracted, Piper knew what she had to do. She ran to Lugey and grabbed his arm, shouting, "Come on!" Letting go of his arm, she ran between Gundstaff's legs, making a break for the crystal vault. Looking confused, Lugey followed after her, much to Stork's relief. He didn't like running underneath the giant, though. Fearfully he covered his head with his hands.

The door was open just a bit. With the other Storm Hawks running to and fro, distracting Gundstaff, Piper, Lugey, and Stork made it in the door.

Gundstaff looked over his shoulder just in time to see Piper and Lugey heave the door to the crystal vault shut.

The door shut with a loud clang. Stork trembled. Even the door to their safety sounded treacherous.

But then Piper and Lugey turned around. "Whoa!" Piper gasped in awe. Hoping he wouldn't see anything scary, Stork looked up.

The vault was octagonal and obviously tall enough for Gundstaff to stand in comfortably. And all around them were crystals! Two normal-sized crates were on the floor, each with purple crystals in them. And all over the walls were cubbies, normal-sized also, each holding their own type of crystal. In the dark, dim vault, the crystals shined together in a rainbow of colors—red, blue, yellow, green, and purple swirled together in a beautiful, endless aurora.

Piper was more enamored than either Stork or Lugey, being the crystal fan she was. "There must be thousands of crystals here!" she gasped. "I could spend days just—!"

"Agh!"

The cry was Gundstaff's angry yell from the other side of the door, reminding all of them where they were. Piper's hand flew over her mouth to stop her flood of words. She turned around and cringed at the door. Moaning a little in apprehension, she said, "Maybe next time."

If she had asked Stork, he would have said, _How 'bout never again?_

* * *

Outside, Aerrow had seen Piper and Lugey and Stork disappear into the vault. He knew what he and the others had to do. As Gundstaff yelled again and prepared to slam his mace down on Aerrow, the Sky Knight leapt out of the way just as the mace hit the ground. Once clear yelled to his team, "Just keep him busy. And try not to get flattened," he added as an afterthought.

Radarr was quick to follow orders. Smirking at his plan, the copilot stood up straight and saluted Aerrow, churring in acknowledgement, before turning and making a leap onto the top of Gundstaff's mace just as the giant was lifting it up. Gundstaff was looking the other direction and didn't even notice; Radarr's added weight was like that of a fly to him.

Radarr scurried around the top point of the mace and looked over at Gundstaff as the mace's ball became level with his face. Aerrow watched, not quite sure what the little guy had in mind.

Daring as ever, Radarr made a leap from the top of the mace down to Gundstaff's shoulder . . . about an eight-foot drop! But Radarr was used to leaping and climbing, and he landed lightly on Gundstaff's shoulder on all fours.

It was then he announced his presence. Scurrying up beside Gundstaff's face, Radarr stood up on his hind legs so his head was level with the giant's eye and then churred, revealing his presence. "Huh?" Gundstaff grunted as his eyeballs swiveled to look over at Radarr.

What Radarr did next almost made Aerrow's stomach a little queasy. He licked Gundstaff's eyeball.

Groaning in disgust and irritation, Gundstaff shut his eye and started rubbing it. Seeing him thoroughly distract just like Aerrow asked, Radarr made his escape. He leaped from Gundstaff's shoulder with a squawk, grabbing the tip of the giant's pointed bear in his forepaws and then swinging on it like a rope to Gundstaff's bent knee. From there, he made another tremendous leap to the ground just as Gundstaff opened his eyes and looked down to see him, still shocked by Radarr's strange "attack."

Then Gundstaff heard laughing.

Seeming irritated that someone was laughing at his misfortune, Gundstaff looked over at the table. Aerrow drew in a breath. The giant was glaring at Finn, who was hiding behind a table leg on the desk and laughing his head off. Oh, why didn't Finn have the sense to stay quiet?

But luckily for Finn, he realized Gundstaff was watching him and gasped. With a scream, he leapt to the side just as Gundstaff's mace came crashing down on top of the table, breaking it in two.

When the damage was done, Gundstaff blinked in dismay at seeing his ruined work table and the pink, purple, yellow, and blue crystals scattered everywhere. Letting out an angry roar, he lifted up his mace and turned back to Finn. "You'll pay for that!" he growled.

But instead of getting out of the way, which Aerrow had hoped he would do, Finn was . . . well, Finn. "Me?" Finn asked, pointing thumbs at himself. He gestured to the table. "You smashed it! I don't think it's fair that you—"

Gundstaff raised his mace. Aerrow knew he couldn't get there in time.

But it was Junko who cut off Finn's speech. Yelling, "Whoa!" as he leapt, he jumped forward and shoved Finn out of the way just as the mace slammed down where he had been standing. Junko and Finn landed on their sides a short distance away.

Looking frightened now, like he should have been to begin with, Finn looked up at Gundstaff, laughing nervously. "I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree," he said.

* * *

In the crystal vault, Lugey had used his great strength to throw a rope all the way up to a crooked nail in the ceiling, where the other side then hung over. Piper grabbed one end of the rope while Lugey grabbed the other. Piper tied herself to her end, and then Lugey heaved, pulling the rope up so Piper could reach the shelves of crystals.

_Well,_ Stork thought, watching Lugey, _at least he's good for something._

Lugey pulled Piper up to one of the shelves containing many red crystals. With a grunt, Piper reached forward and grabbed one. "Got it!" she called. "Next I need a sundowner crystal. Higher, guys!"

Smiling, Lugey yanked on the rope.

Piper let out a gasp of surprise as she shot up further into the air, but then she was laughing, obviously enjoying herself. "Whoa!" she cried when she was in front of a shelf of yellow crystals. "That's good," she called down, taking one of the crystals.

Suddenly there was an angry yell from outside the door, and then it caved in, falling just short of Stork and Lugey. And there was an angry Gundstaff taking up the doorway, his eyes blazing.

But that didn't make any sense. Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko were supposed to be distracting him. Where were they?

Then Stork saw. Aerrow, Finn, and Junko were crammed together in a crate, their arms trapped inside it. Aerrow and Junko were struggling together, with Aerrow looking a bit ashamed; Finn was simply trembling in terror. Stork didn't see Radarr and immediately assumed that he had met his doom. Not that it would really matter. They would soon all meet their doom, it looked like.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Doom, doom, suffering and gloom . . ._

Sorry, but the song fit with the moment. And the character.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Giants for a long time have been a part of tradition and mythology. Nearly all ancient religions included giants: Roman, Greek, Celtic, and Norse all had their ideas about giants, usually making them gods or heroes or the adversaries of gods or heroes. Also included are giants in tales from various regions in Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Later folktales would reduce giants from supernatural beings to their contemporary appearance as simply being large, stupid, bumbling, and violent. (It appears that Nerd Corps didn't follow the same pattern, other than being large and, to some degree, violent. However, they appeared to have replaced "stupid" with "crazy.") Common types of giants in contemporary mythology include titans, cyclopes, and ogres. It is believed that the tales of giants arose from the findings of dinosaur bones, from stories of real giants (very tall people often with genetic disorders) which were exaggerated over time, and from the human desire to be more powerful being manifested in a giant. Oftentimes, the giant does not represent simply power but is instead a personified version of our problems and difficulties that we face, problems that we must overcome or be destroyed.

Nothing else to say, except please review!


	128. Life With Lugey: Defying Gravity

Chapter 4: Defying Gravity

Stork started trembling when Gundstaff looked down at him, looking angry enough to smash. Lugey and Piper didn't seem to have noticed yet, though Stork couldn't see how they could miss that big CRASH! the door made when it fell. "Um, Piper?" Stork called up to her nervously.

Piper turned around and looked down.

But unfortunately, Stork calling up to her alerted Gundstaff to her presence. He turned to look where Stork was looking and saw Piper dangling on a rope slightly higher than his head. And in her arms were two of _his_ crystals!

Well, Stork knew one thing. He wouldn't be happy about someone stealing his things either. But at least he didn't go around _killing _people for it (although sometimes he wanted to, particularly when the thief's name was Finn). Gundstaff, however, appeared to be of a different opinion. With an angry yell, he threw back his mace, preparing to slam it against Piper.

Stork gasped. Piper couldn't move. They had to save her. "Quick, Lugey!" he cried. "Higher!"

With Piper screaming, Lugey yanked on the rope again, pulling Piper out of the way just before Gundstaff's mace slammed into the wall where she had been.

Piper glided over to the other side of the room, where she stopped in front of a shelf of red crystals. Apparently she had done that on purpose, but before she did anything, she looked down at Gundstaff. With another yell, Gundstaff prepared to swing his mace. Screaming, Piper grabbed one of the red crystals and jumped off the wall. As she glided away to the other side of the room, she threw the crystal right in the giant's face. Stork wasn't sure what that did, but he saw an explosion of red light and heard Gundstaff cry out in pain. "Huh?" the giant gasped as he opened his eyes again. He seemed to have momentarily lost his sight and swung his mace blindly in all directions, never once getting close to Piper.

Piper made another jump, getting to a shelf with green crystals. "Just a couple more," she told Stork and Lugey, "and I'll have all the crystals we need to separate you."

"Yeah!" Lugey cried out in glee.

But then he stopped and thought about it. He looked back over at Stork. "Separate us?" he repeated. Then he looked defiant. "I don't wanna be separated!"

Stork glared over his shoulder at him. _What?_ "You mean you _like_ sharing the same stale air with somebody else's germ-ridden body?"

Lugey shrugged. "Well, sure, who wouldn't?"

_Me!_ Stork thought.

"But mostly," Lugey continued enthusiastically, "I like being an honorary Storm Hawk!"

Stork rolled his eyes. _Well,_ he thought sarcastically, _this is great._

Gundstaff got done stomping around and rubbing his eyes, and he was finally able to see again. And the first thing he saw was Piper picking up a green crystal from another one of his shelves. Immediately he roared in anger.

Hearing him, Piper turned to see that he saw staring at him with his mouth wide open in astonishment. She screamed. And for good reason. Gundstaff had a sinister look on his face. "Uh, guys?" Piper called down to Stork and Lugey. "Help!"

Just as Gundstaff was about to swing his mace, the trembling Piper was pulled out of the way by Lugey once again. But as soon as she was at another spot, the mace came at her again. Lugey moved her just as the mace slammed into the wall.

Although it probably wasn't the appropriate time, Stork didn't think there would be a chance to have such a thing. He had to convince Lugey to be separated from him _now_. "Lugey," he explained, "you may be an honorary Storm Hawk, but you're a _real_ Raptor! Wouldn't Repton want you back with your team? Huh?"

Lugey gasped in realization. "You're right, guy-who's-been-stuck-to-me!"

Well, nice to know that in all that time together, Lugey hadn't even bothered to learn Stork's name.

Then, in what Stork saw as a moment of insanity, Lugey leapt out in front of Gundstaff, distracting him from swinging at Piper. Gundstaff grunted at Lugey as the Raptor stood trembling in front of him. The giant laughed maliciously, obviously planning on squashing them.

Lugey looked uncertain. "Okay," he said to Stork. "So what do we do?"

Stork was furious! "You're asking me?" he gasped at Lugey, clenching his fists. "You're the one who jumped out here, you meat-headed salamander!"

"Hey!" Lugey called back, looking hurt. "That hurts my feelings!"

Growling, Gundstaff was swinging back his mace, preparing to smash them with it.

Stork just glowered at Lugey. "I am so _sorry_," he said sarcastically. "By all means, let's discuss your feelings when _an enormous giant is about to smush us!_" He pointed up at Gundstaff.

But Gundstaff was glaring down at them in confusion. "I don't know which to mash first," he said. "They're both so annoying!"

At that moment, Piper intervened. She had made it to a shelf containing a crystal so large that it was as long as she was tall. With much effort, she pushed it off the shelf.

The crystal fell and banged against Gundstaff's head. Dazed, his mace flew from his hand straight up into the air. Then that also landed on his head.

Lugey, thank Atmos, had enough sense to run out of the way as the giant fell to his knees and then flat onto the floor, his eyes rolling in their sockets. He was out cold.

Delighted that they were no longer in danger, both Stork and Lugey cheered at Piper, Stork shaking his fist at her and Lugey giving her a thumb up. Then Stork realized he was cheering with Lugey. Lugey seemed to realize the same thing. They both looked at each other and sighed in embarrassment. Well, that was awkward.

But Piper was still looking down at the unconscious Gundstaff. "Yes!" she cheered, clenching a fist.

With that, she jumped down onto a bowl in the middle of the room. There she dropped in the three crystals she had grabbed, untied the rope from her, and then jumped off the rim of the bowl just as a flash of light came from it, signaling the crystals had combined.

Piper climbed back up to peer over the rim of the bowl. "One combo deactivation crystal comin' up!" she cried triumphantly. She reached for the crystal. "Nothing can stop us now!"

But just then, there was a sound of approaching skyrides with very, _very_ loud engines. Air Skimmers were too stealthy for that sound. Trying to prepare to defend herself, Piper jumped back down from the rim of the bowl.

But just as she did, Repton's Bone Wing leaped into view, skidding to a stop behind Piper with a loud screech. Before Piper could move, Repton had grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her.

Stork started trembling. Oh, boy. This is _really_ not good! They were all done for now!

As Piper gasped, Repton just smirked. "I believe," he hissed to her, "you have something that belongs to me!"

"Oh, uh," Lugey said, tapping his finger on his lip as he thought. Then he pointed to himself. "Me?"

Repton growled in annoyance. "Fine," he grumbled. He turned back to Piper. "Two things!"

Then Stork heard more skyrides. He peered over Lugey's shoulder to see Spitz and Hoerk drive up. Spitz dismounted, and Piper gasped as Repton shoved Piper into him. Seeming to expect it, Spitz grabbed hold of their prisoner. Hoerk dismounted his own ride and helped him, each taking hold of one arm.

Lugey, unaware that anyone was in danger, just walked over toward Repton, looking delighted. Stork started biting his fingernails. As soon as Repton figured out he was there, he was sure he would be dead meat!

"Boy, oh, boy, boss!" Lugey said to Repton eagerly, like a child back from a cool adventure and wanting to tell his parents. "You're not gonna believe what happened today! First, this guy swallowed the gravitron crystal-thingy," he pointed to Stork, who ducked behind Lugey's shoulder, "so now it's in his belly and I'm stuck to him!" Without even taking a breath, he headed straight on into a ramble, holding up a finger. "And then there was a sky shark," he put down his finger and held up the other, "and candy and—!"

But Repton was trembling in rage as if he couldn't take any more. "Quiet!" he shouted in Lugey's face. He blinked, as if taking in Lugey's story, and then turned his attention to Stork with a toothy, malicious smirk. "So you swallowed it," he hissed.

Stork chuckled nervously and grit his teeth together in answer, trying his best to hunker down behind Lugey and stay invisible.

Repton just kept smirking. "This could get messy," he said.

Stork squeaked in fright. Messy? Did he mean, like, _cut him open_ messy?

Lugey scratched his head with his finger as if to think. Then he brightened. "Ooh, hey!" he said to Repton. "She did it, boss!" He gestured to the struggling Piper. "She can deactivate the gravimatron crystal!"

First of all, Stork thought, it was _gravitron_ crystal. However, he liked the fact that Lugey's idea didn't involve cutting.

But Repton let out a sound of disgust. "Why would I want to deactivate it?" he said. "No." He turned back to Stork, walking up beside Lugey so he could see him clearly. He had his boomerang out and in his hand. "I'll get it out of you another way."

Stork looked back and forth between Repton and his pointed boomerang. Not good. Not good. _Not_ _good!_

Gulping, Stork turned to the only help he had left. "Lugey, no!" he gasped. "You can't. You . . . you're a Storm Hawk!"

"Uh, but you said I was a Raptor," Lugey answered, "and a Raptor should do what Repton wants."

"Repton _wants_ you to quite being an idiot and hold still!" Repton growled. He raised his boomerang blade toward Stork, now having it lit.

_Great, _Stork thought. He had said that, hadn't he? But if there was one thing Stork had learned about Lugey through all this is that the Raptor wasn't all that bad . . . stupid, but not bad. Surely, without Repton's influence, he wouldn't want someone cut up into pieces on his back.

He spread his arms out, gesturing for Lugey to stop. "Lugey, no!" he cried. "Forget what I said." He gestured toward Repton with his head. "Forget what he says. Just think for yourself."

Repton growled. He obviously did not want Lugey to do that.

But Lugey was willing to agree. "Uh, okay," he said to Stork, "eh, if that's what you think I should do."

Stork groaned and face-palmed. Did Lugey ever have _any_ original thoughts?

At that moment, he heard the yell from a Wallop and looked up. There were Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko in front of the scene all in battle stances. Stork couldn't help but get the feeling that perhaps Radarr had escaped Gundstaff and then helped free the others. And just as always, Aerrow had annoying, impeccable timing for turning up right when he was needed most, instead of earlier when they could have avoided the situation all together. "So," the smirking Sky Knight asked, "what'd we miss?" Radarr hissed and growled, as if to underline his boy's words.

Repton growled and glared behind him at seeing the others there. There was something about the sight of Aerrow that filled him with rage. Maybe he wasn't over their last defeat with the stolen goods, where Aerrow and Radarr had given him what for. For whatever the reason, Repton spun away from Stork and cried, "Get them!" With a growl, he headed straight for Aerrow.

Hoerk, letting out a growl of his own, ran to join the fight with his leader, leaving Spitz holding Piper. But now, for Piper, it was one on one. She struggled, only making Spitz growl and hold her tighter. Then she stomped on his foot. Letting out a cry of pain, Spitz let go of her and grabbed his now-throbbing red foot. Piper took her chance to run off and join the boys in the skirmish.

Junko threw punches. Repton threw punches. Others leaped and snarled and yelled. And while the fighting was going on, Lugey was still in as deep a thought as he'd probably ever been in, trying for the first time to use his own free will. "Okay," he said, tapping his fingers together. "Let's see, let's see." Behind him, Finn ran into the thick of the fight. "On the one hand," Lugey said, "Repton is always yelling at me." Stork watched Spitz go flying threw the air, unintentionally, toward Finn, the next moment, he was running back the other way as if in fear. "On the other hand," Lugey continued, "the Storm Hawks are _really_ nice!" Lugey drooped just as Finn went flying over their heads (obviously unintentionally). "I don't know what to do," the Raptor mumbled didn't see why the decision was so hard. After hearing Lugey's points, he'd say the Storm Hawks were definitely the better choice.

But right now, Stork had a different suggestion. Just in front of him (and behind Lugey), Junko and Hoerk were dueling it out. Junko raised his fist to punch at Hoerk . . . which would send the bulky Raptor right in their direction. "How 'bout you duck?" Stork suggested loudly to Lugey.

But Lugey didn't duck, and with a Wallop yell, Junko sent Hoerk hurdling into Stork.

But when Hoerk collided with Stork's torso, he did more than knock the breath out of him. It was as if someone had pumped his stomach. The crystal went flying straight out of Stork's mouth!

Junko had now moved onto Repton, but everyone, even Repton, spun away from the fight to see the crystal sail across the room and clatter onto the ground.

Repton spun around with an angry yell. "My crystal!" he cried. He, Hoerk, and Spitz ran after it.

Radarr, Piper, Finn, and Junko joined around Aerrow. Aerrow smiled knowingly. "Let's beat it!" he said. And with that, he and the others raced out of the room.

Stork started to follow them, still trying to get the feeling back in his legs, when he stopped and turned around to face Lugey. He suddenly felt as if he was leaving a friend . . . a very stupid and hopefully not very close friend, but a friend nonetheless. And everything they had been through together was about to end here. Stork kind of liked it that way, but still.

He moved a clump of his black hair that was hanging in front of his eyes as he looked up at Lugey. "So, uh . . ." He smiled sheepishly, not knowing what to say.

Lugey gave him the same smile. "Yeah," the Raptor said, knowing what he meant even without words.

"Let's . . . never speak of this again," Stork suggested.

Lugey nodded eagerly.

And with that, Stork ran off after the other Storm Hawks. Lugey watched him go.

Once they were gone, Repton stomped up to Lugey, growling, the gravitron crystal in his hand. "How could you be so foolish!" the lead Raptor growled at him. "Do you know how hard it was to track you and this crystal?" He held the crystal up to Lugey's face as Lugey cringed away. "Well? Say something!"

But Lugey knew Repton, and he knew that when Repton cared about someone, he got angry. So Lugey picked him up in a bear hug. "I missed you, too, boss!" he said.

Repton's tone softened, but he still sounded irritated. "What did I tell you about the hugging?" he reminded Lugey.

"Oh!" Lugey said as he remembered Repton didn't like hugging. He set his brother down. "Sorry, boss."

* * *

Night began to fall over the Atmos, darkening the skies. Back on the _Condor_, Stork was full of flee. He was finally free of Lugey! He was his own self again, attached to no smelly, germ-ridden bodies! Ready for jubilation, he filled up the hot tub, put in bubbles, stripped down from everything but his earrings, and stepped right in. Now was _his_ turn to enjoy a warm bubble bath!

As he sat there, with only his head showing above the water, he smirked at Aerrow, Finn, and Piper, who had congregated in the doorway for whatever reason. "Now, if you'll excuse me," he said with a satisfied smile, "I'll be in here for the rest of the week." And with that, he disappeared under the water into the depths of contentment.

Aerrow was glad to see Stork was happy again, but Finn still seemed worried. "What about Repton?" he asked his two commanders. "He's still got the gravitron crystal."

"And _I've_ still got the off switch," Piper answered with a grin. She held up the device with the anti-gravity crystal.

Aerrow just smirked as he tried to imagine the Raptors having to deal with the gravitron crystal without Piper's expertise. "I think Repton's gonna find out it's a lot more trouble than it's worth," he predicted, exchanging a knowing smile with Piper.

* * *

Back in Gundstaff's crystal vault, Repton was finding just that.

He had Lugey and Spitz stuck to either side of him. Stuck on the opposite sides of Lugey and Spitz was Hoerk. They were stuck to each other, their backs facing in to form a circle, all of them facing out.

Repton couldn't _believe_ the predicament they'd gotten into. His arms crossed and his face twisted in a snarl, he bitterly thought about how bad this was going to be.

Lugey, however, was ecstatic. "Nice goin', boss!" he cheered, laughing. "Ah, this'll be lots of fun!" he assured his brothers. "Just you wait!"

First Hoerk growled, then Spitz, then Repton. None of them considered this "fun." "Idiot," Repton growled under his breath.

But then there was a different voice. "So, you have a gravitron, hmm?"

Repton turned to his right and gasped. Gundstaff was awake . . . and he was kneeling right in front of them, smirking. "They are quite rare, you know," he continued. "That will almost make up for the mess you made." He gestured around the room at the crystals strewn all over the floor, pointing his mace at them. "_Almost_."

Oh, no. Not good. Repton desperately wanted to leave right then, but try as he might, he wasn't going anywhere. "Run, you morons!" he shouted at his brothers.

As one, every brother took off. The problem was they all took off straight ahead, which meant away from the others. They just ended up snapping back together right where they were, landing on their rears only to struggle up to their feet again. "My feet!" Repton exclaimed, hissing snake-like in anxiety and frustration.

"Sorry about it, boss," Lugey apologized.

Repton just growled at him. _Everything_ was _his_ fault, after all!

* * *

Author's Notes: Hmm, I wonder how the Raptors ever got separated again? Seriously, there are so many fanfics that can be written just from cliffhangers at the ends of _Storm Hawks _episodes!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Giants do exist in the real world. People can grow to be seven feet tall or even taller, sometimes just naturally. In ancient times, these people were definitely giants compared to most who grew five feet tall at best, sometimes only about four feet. There is also a condition called giantism or gigantism, which results when a very young child (young enough that the bone growth plates haven't closed) has excessive amounts of growth hormone during its childhood. The most common cause is a benign tumor in the pituitary gland, which releases growth hormone. All parts of the child—the height, organs, muscles—will grow extremely large for their age. Children who suffer from gigantism often have very late puberty, a prominent jaw, increased sweating, double vision, trouble with peripheral vision, irregular menstrual cycles, large hands and feet with very thick digits, thick facial features, frequent headaches, and (contrary to fictional giants) profound weakness.

Well, that's all I've got. Read and review!


	129. What Got Into Finn?: Problematic Package

_**Part 32**_

_**What Got Into Finn?**_

_A plot is set, and a plot is uncovered. Directions are ignored, and consequences follow. An infection invades, and a cure is found. A monster is gentled, and a monster is made. A beast rises, and turmoil ensues._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Problematic Package

With the gravitron problem behind them, the Storm Hawks soon received a distress signal that had sent them off on a new mission. And it all had to do with a strange package they had been given.

It was cylindered and metallic, about the length of Aerrow's forearm. No one knew what to make of it. Even handling it had made Aerrow uncomfortable, so they had set it on the floor of the hangar bay.

Stork was down on his hands and knees, studying the package. Radarr was on all fours on the other side of it, sniffing suspiciously.

Finn looked on eagerly. He was brimming with curiosity. "Well?" he asked. "What'd you think's inside it, Stork?"

"Hmm," Stork said as he tilted his head to the side, examining it. "Could be a withering nerve toxin," he said, rising up onto his knees and putting his finger to his lip thoughtfully, "although I wouldn't rule out a malignant brain-eating alien." Radarr stood up on his hind legs at that, as if to distance himself from the package. "But after careful consideration," Stork continued, tapping the metal lid of the package twice before holding up a finger, "I'm putting my money on unstable bomb gas."

"Knowing what's inside isn't part of the mission, remember?" Piper reminded all of them, sounding exasperated with their inability to follow directions.

"Yeah, Piper," Aerrow answered, his hand on his thin thoughtfully. "I remember. And I still have a funny feeling about that." He couldn't help thinking back on its shadowy origins.

_The Storm Hawks had landed on the barren desert terra emitting the distress signal. Every one of them, even Stork, had gotten out to meet their caller. She was a mysterious figure in a tan cloak with a red-violet scarf. She kept her hood up, keeping her face in the dark, but her violet eyes shown from underneath it. Aerrow could only tell it was female through her voice. She sounded young, perhaps a girl._

_She explained that Atmos was in danger, but she had the means of stopping it. "The contents of this canister are key to our defense, and the Storm Hawks are the only ones I can trust with this mission."_

_Aerrow would have taken that as a compliment, if he could only see the face of who he was talking to. Her secrecy made him uneasy. But perhaps she would be in danger if her identity was revealed, so she kept it hidden for that purpose. He decided to give her the benefit of a doubt and offered their services._

_The stranger stepped forward and placed a map in Piper's hands. "Deliver it to these coordinates," she said. Aerrow was surprised she knew who to hand the coordinates to._

"_And remember," the stranger continued, walking toward Finn and handing him the container, "the fate of the Atmos lies in your hands." And then she turned serious, her voice suddenly turning from sweet to cold. "And under no circumstances are you to open it!" she warned._

"_Not even a little?" asked Finn. Aerrow didn't like that. Finn always did something when someone told him _not_ to do it. He had already started to lift the lid._

_But then the stranger's hand slapped against it, slamming it shut. "Ow!" Finn gasped as it grazed his finger._

"_No!" the stranger said firmly._

_Finn had looked deeply annoyed._

Aerrow looked back down at the canister thoughtfully. "I just wish we knew who we were working for," he stated.

* * *

Away in Cyclonia's library, the tan robe and scarf were hanging from the beak of the raven-shaped statue behind the desk. Master Cyclonis was sitting at her desk, smirking, her violet eyes flashing a fearsome light. "Good luck with your mission, Storm Hawks," she whispered, smirking. "You'll need it."

* * *

On the _Condor_, Piper had her maps strewn out all over the round table and was leaning over one, her brow furrowed in confusion. Behind her, Radarr was standing on top of a crate, holding one of the maps in his paws and studying carefully as if he was also confused. "This doesn't make any sense, Aerrow," Piper told her Sky Knight. "According to all my maps, the coordinates we were given lead to nowhere." She and Radarr looked over at Aerrow questionably.

Aerrow had his hand on his chin, trying to think things through. "Maybe our mystery woman knows something we don't," he mused. He crossed his arms. "We'll approach this with caution."

And so, despite what the maps said, the _Condor_ headed for the coordinates given.

* * *

Down in the hangar bay, the canister still lay where Stork had set it. Finn was leaning over it with his hands on his hips, feeling very annoyed. _No one_ would let him open it, and he was _dying _with curiosity. Seriously, it wouldn't hurt to look, would it? "Just one little peak," he muttered irritably, crossing his arms. "Is that so much to ask? I mean, what's the big deal, anyway?" He knelt down in front of it as he studied it, putting his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

But Aerrow's orders were clear: leave the mysterious package be. And don't open it. Ever.

And it was to this scene that Junko walked up to Finn, smiling now that he had found his friend.

Finn felt he was being watched and looked up to see best friend looming over him, smiling contentedly. Finn's face broke out in a grin. If there was one person would be sympathetic in his plight of curiosity, it was Junko.

But on his own, Junko always did exactly what Aerrow and Piper told him to do. First, Finn would have to convince him otherwise.

"Junko!" Finn greeted him enthusiastically as he stood up. He put his hands on his hips and then pointed at Junko. "Huh! Just the Wallop I wanted to see!" He sidled up next to Junko and put an arm over his shoulder, tapping his chest with the other hand. "You wanna know what's inside this canister, don't ya?" He stepped back, giving Junko his space, and gestured toward the package.

Junko looked down at the canister and shrugged. "Not really, Finn," he admitted. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, a nervous habit Finn was sure the Wallop had picked up from Aerrow. "Anyway, I'm not sure it's such a good idea to look inside."

Finn knew Junko needed an idea of what could be inside for this to work. "But what if it's full of treasure?" he suggested, nudging Junko with his elbow. But wait, Junko didn't really care about treasure. He liked . . . to help people! "What if there's someone trapped in there?" Finn suggested again, grabbing his lip and his hair nervously as if he really thought it was so.

Junko gasped, staring down at the canister wide-eyed.

But then Finn had another idea . . . of something Junko absolutely _loved!_ He put his arm around Junko and pointed to him. "What if it's a shipment of candy slugs from Terra Tasty," he knelt down in front of the canister on all fours, "that's gonna go bad unless you eat 'em _right now!_"

Junko's face lit up, and Finn knew he had him. "Candy slugs?" he repeated. "You think?"

Finn stood up next to him again. "Oh, absolutely! Let's just take a peek." He pinched his fingers together to show it would be only a little peek. "I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen?" He blinked at him twice and smiled innocently, giving him the puppy eyes. There was no way he could say no.

Junko lifted an eyebrow as if to think about it. But then his face brightened almost immediately. "You're right!" he exclaimed. "I guess a little peek couldn't hurt."

They both knelt down in front of the canister excitedly. Finn couldn't wait. He would finally get to see!

While Junko held the ends of the canister, Finn opened the lid.

Inside, it was pinkish-red and foggy. There was a flash of light, and the fog escaped. As soon as the boys breathed it in, they both gasped.

* * *

On the bridge, Aerrow, Piper, and Stork were looking over the maps on the table while Radarr was still looking at the map in his paws. Then they heard the screams.

Everyone straightened up at once. Radarr's and Stork's long ears both stood straight up in the air and cocked in the direction of the sound.

Aerrow's heart began to flutter. He knew immediately it had been Finn and Junko. Finn's high, girly scream and Junko's deep rumble were unmistakable.

He turned to Piper. "That came from the hangar," he gasped.

Piper turned in the direction. "The canister!" she shouted.

Immediately all of them ran down to the hangar bay. When they got there, they saw Junko lying on his back in the middle of the floor. Finn was nowhere to be seen.

Aerrow, Piper, Stork, and Radarr ran to Junko's side immediately. Stork stayed back, cringing in fright while Radarr hide behind his legs. Piper knelt down beside the Wallop while Aerrow stayed on his feet, tense and ready for danger even as he studied his friend for injuries. Junko didn't seem to have anything wrong with him. There were no wounds to speak of, not even a bump on the head. In fact, he was snoring, sound asleep.

Piper turned to Aerrow, looking panicked. "What happened to him?" she asked.

Aerrow glanced at her as he bit his lip, trying to think. He didn't know why she was asking him. She was normally the one with answers in a time like this.

Just then he heard growling of some furry beast, and it was far too low to be Radarr's. With the hair on the back of his neck prickling, Aerrow whirled around.

There, standing on the stacked supply crates in the corner, was the beast. It roared, its yellow eyes blazing.

"I think that happened to him!" Aerrow cried.

The Sky Knight didn't know what in the world it was, but the only thing he could liken the beast to was a gorge sloth. The beast stood upright on two legs with a hunched posture. Like some sort of creature described as a yeti, this beast had arms that were longer and more muscular than its legs, and they swung at its sides with large, padded hands. Its face was bare and monkey-like, with an upturned nose. Yellow hair covered its chest, back, and the tops of its arms and hands as well as ringed his head, bearding his face in a wild, pointy hairdo. Sharp canine teeth stuck up from its lower jaw as it snarled. Surprisingly, the beast wore shots, blue and brown leather shorts that her cut and tattered with tore edges.

The sound of Aerrow's cry seemed to upset the creature, and before Aerrow could move, it had pounced.

Aerrow grunted as the hand—it didn't exactly look like a _paw_—caught him and pinned him to the floor. Aerrow couldn't believe how big the hand was! It covered his enter chest, the four fingers and thumb wrapping around his body. Then as it squeezed, he felt the breath knocked out of him. The beast had the grip about equal to a gorilla its size. Furthermore, it was leaning over him on all fours, crushing its weight into his chest.

Aerrow grabbed at the hand, trying to pull off it, trying to breathe. The beast only growled down at him before becoming fed up with his vain struggles. Aerrow yelled as the monster picked him up and threw him across the room. The Sky Knight landed against the crates, hitting his head and back. He wasn't moving.

The beast growled at him and leaned down, prepared to spring at him again.

"Aerrow!" Piper cried. She had to stop the animal. But none of them had weapons. Desperately looking for some way to save her friend, she leapt onto the back of the beast.

The monster seemed more annoyed than hurt. Its growling growing louder, it reached around and snatched her off him. Piper screamed as she was sent careening across the room into the crates next to Aerrow.

The Sky Knight had recovered and was getting to his feet when Piper crashed next to him. He cringed when he heard the sound of flesh crashing against wood. It was one thing when it was himself, but an entirely different thing when it was one of his friends. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Piper answered, smiling and shrugging at him to reassure him. Her eyes turned back to the beast growling at them just a few yards in front of them. "But what _is_ that thing?"

Aerrow didn't have an answer for that, either. Again, why was she asking _him?_

The beast then turned away from them. It had heard something else. Aerrow looked past it.

Stork was still standing where they had left him. Now he was staring at the beast wide-eyed, whimpering and trembling.

The beast jumped right in front of Stork and roared right in his face, green, mucus-covered spit flying from its mouth. Stork screamed in terror. Aerrow's stomach churned with disgust when he realized some of the spit must be getting in Stork's mouth.

But if it did, Stork didn't notice. Once the beast was done roaring and Stork done screaming, the Merb fainted. Radarr squawked in pain as Stork landed right on top of him.

Roaring, the beast leaped over them and landed next to the wall in one bound. Then it busted through the wall and into the hallway.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed. "After it!" he cried.

He and Piper were off at once. Radarr wiggled himself free of Stork and scampered after them.

Through the busted wall and down the hallway, they didn't find the monster; instead they found something that frightened them at first. "Finn!" Piper screeched in shock.

Finn was lying in the middle of the floor. His clothes were completely torn off him except for his pants, which were now missing most of the bottoms so that they looked like shorts, and they had tears all through them. Worried that he might be hurt, they ran to his side.

When they got there, Finn groaned and lifted his head, his eyes rolling senselessly. But even though he seemed dazed and sore, he didn't have a scratch on him. Radarr sniffed his head and churred questionably, obviously not smelling any injuries, either.

Aerrow let his breath out in relief. "It must have got him, too," he told the others.

He wasn't sure if Finn was alright, but there wasn't time for all of them to check him over. The beast was still running loose on the ship. "Radarr," Aerrow commanded. Radarr churred and looked up at him. "Watch Finn," the Sky Knight ordered. He turned to his second-in-command. "Piper, let's find this thing."

Piper nodded and the two ran off.

Churring and letting his ears droop in disappointment at being left behind and bewilderment at all that's happened, Radarr turned back to Finn. Finn just blinked at him tiredly as if he was about to fall unconscious again.

Before they set out, both Aerrow and Piper grabbed their weapons and Aerrow put on his armor. Then with Aerrow holding out one blade lit, they both tiptoed down the hallway in search.

They checked the kitchen. Nothing. The window was still closed, the bowl of fruit on the table undisturbed.

They continued searching, tiptoeing through the hallway with Aerrow holding his lit blade. Everywhere they went, they found nothing.

When they finally checked the engine room and found it empty, the two exchanged bewildered glances. "Hmm," Aerrow mused. Where had the beast gone? It couldn't just disappear.

* * *

As night fell on the ship, Junko, Stork, Radarr, and Finn were still waiting in the safety of the bridge for Aerrow and Piper to return from their search. Junko and Stork both sat on the edge of the round table. Stork had told nothing to Junko about what happened, being shocked himself, and had assured him Finn would be alright. Finn, unconscious again, lay across the table.

Radarr stood off at a distance, watching Finn with concern. The blond boy still hadn't woken up after hours, and he was worried, especially since Aerrow had told him to look out for him until he returned.

At last, much to Radarr's relief, Finn sighed and groaned as he woke up. Hearing him, Stork and Junko both looked behind them, looking concerned. Finn pushed himself up and blinked wearily, gazing around the room as if he were dazed. "What hit me?" he asked.

"That's what I'd like to know."

The voice was Aerrow's. The others looked up to see him and Piper walking onto the bridge side-by-side. They both looked grim, and Aerrow was discouraged. "We searched every inch of the ship for the monster," he informed them.

Finn and Junko cringed and leaned toward them with wide-eyed, confused expressions. "_Monster?_" they said together. Aerrow could see Stork hadn't said much to them.

"Must have come from the canister," Piper said. "The only question is, how'd it get out?"

Aerrow looked around, studying everyone's expression to see if they knew anything. Surely none of them would . . .

He saw Junko exchange a glance with Finn and smile sheepishly, laughing nervously. Finn gave them same sheepish smile and anxious chuckle before shrugging in Aerrow's direction.

Uh oh.

Aerrow crossed his arms. "You didn't," he dared them.

Stork came up to Aerrow. "_Oh_, they did," he assured him.

"Okay, okay!" Finn admitted. "I peeked inside, but it was only for a second!" By now he was up on his knees, rubbing the back of his head as if trying to figure out how the monster could possibly have escaped.

Junko seemed to be thinking about it, too, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The last thing I remember was a flash of light," he told them.

Well, no matter whose fault it was, the beast was on the ship now, and they had to take care of it. "Nowhere this thing could've gone unless it could fly," he told his team. "We're gonna have to stay close 'case it shows up again."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck more vigorously, looking both frightened and ashamed.

Thankfully, instead of getting onto him, Piper only elaborated on Aerrow's orders. "We should probably sleep in shifts here on the bridge."

Seeming eager to correct his error, Junko proclaimed enthusiastically, "I'll take first watch!"

So, with nothing else to do, the Storm Hawks bedded down for the night. Aerrow decided to leave his armor on just in case and advised Finn and Junko to do the same. Both boys took his advice (after Finn had put on some new clothes).

Aerrow picked himself a crate to sit on and leaned his back against the wall, falling asleep that way so he'd be ready to leap to action. Radarr lay at his feet on his back, his legs dangling in the air like a dead animal as he slept. He kicked and whimpered in response to his dreams but luckily disturbed no one. Piper stretched out on the round table while Stork opted to be as far under the table as he could get, sleeping sitting up with his head leaning against the stand of the table. Finn was stretched out on the floor next to Stork. It wasn't the most comfortable sleeping arrangement by any means, but it served the purpose.

Junko sat on a crate beside the table. He was not only suited in his armor, but he also wore a strainer on his head as a helmet and had the metal fist hammer Piper had taken from Terra Neon to use as a club. But the guard's eyes were drooping terribly. Oh, of all things in the world, the one thing he wanted most at that moment was to sleep! But it was still his turn to watch, and that wouldn't be fair.

He caught himself leaning over, almost asleep, when he jerked himself back with a gasp, shaking his head to wake himself up. "Uh, so _tired_," he groaned, looking around at everyone sleeping peacefully.

And then he was gone and starting to snore.

That first snore woke him up. Again he gasped and jerked himself back. And then again he was sleeping and snoring. And then awake with gasp of, "No!"

He couldn't keep doing this. "Can't sleep," he ordered himself. "Gotta keep watch!"

He decided he needed a way to keep himself awake. Exercise ought to do it. He got up from the crate, walked to a clear area, threw the huge hammer aside, and began doing jumping jacks, grunting as he did each one.

Some time later, feeling thoroughly awakened, he walked back over to the crate sat down, only to immediately lean over and fall asleep again. "Huh?" he gasped as he jerked awake at the first snore. Oh, he couldn't sleep! Desperately he slapped himself across the face, gasping at the pain. That ought to do the trick. But before it could even begin stinging, he was asleep and snoring, and this time, he wasn't waking up.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In this episode, the monster resembles a well-known monster. He is known by many names: the yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, or the Abominable Snowman, to name just a few. Yeti and Abominable Snowman usually refers to one of these creatures with white fur who lives in the Himalayan mountains and surrounding areas in Asia. Bigfoot and Sasquatch usually refer to the one found in North America, which has dark brown fur. In both cases, the creature is described as a long-haired ape-like creature that walks upright and towers somewhere around ten feet tall. In fact, the name of it, no matter what it be, often means "wild man." In some cases, the beast is even referred to as a man-eater. Sometimes the sightings of the wild man are hoaxes or cases of mistake identity. Some scientists have suggested that the wild man is some sort of prehistoric, human-related ape that never went extinct. _Gigantopithecus _is one suggestion, an extinct gigantic ape-like mammal that lived in China. However, it does not have the physical features associated with the wild man. Another suggested extinct animal is _Paranthropus_, a genius of bipedal apes whose fossils have only been found in Africa.

Hmm . . . yeti or no yeti? Did one of these ancient ape-like creatures _really_ go extinct? How many licks does it take to reach the tootsie center of a tootsie roll pop? The world may never know.

Y'all know the drill. Read and review, or my very own Sasquatch will come and eat you!

Ow! No! Bad Sasquatch! Bad! Oh, I didn't know Sasquatch had such big teeth . . .


	130. What Got Into Finn?: WereFinn

Chapter 2: WereFinn

Some time later in the night, Piper was woken from her sleep from feeling something sticky and gooey on her face, a lot like Radarr's tongue. Sighing, she put her hand to her face to wipe off the spit, muttering, "Radarr, cut it out!"

But then she felt the spit. It was way too big and way too much to be Radarr's. It felt like it was full of mucus. She opened her eyes, examining the goo between her fingers. It _was_ spit and mucus, an entire handful, and it was _green_.

Her heart racing, Piper bolted up to a sitting position. "Radarr?" she gasped. One thing was clear. That spit wasn't Radarr's.

Then she heard the growling. Gasping, she glanced above her, only to bite her nails in fright.

The monster was leaning over her, growling, his hand-like claws extended toward her. She slowly edged off the table, putting it between herself and the beast. Seeing her move away, the monster roared at her angrily.

The roar brought Aerrow and Stork awake with gasps, leaping to their feet as soon as their eyes were open. Radarr, however, only whimpered happily in his sleep and, with a small smile, rolled over.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes at the beast. He was glad it had returned. Now they could get rid of it once and for all! "You're not gettin' away this time!" he said, drawing his blades and lighting them. And then, he charged.

But it was almost like the monster had been expecting Aerrow's attack. It ducked its arm out of the way of the swing of Aerrow's blade and then brought it back, knocking the Sky Knight high into the air with only one powerful swing.

"Whoa!" Aerrow yelled as he flew, and with a squawk, Radarr opened his eyes. Deaf to monsters' roars, he was always aware of his boy's cries. He watched Aerrow fly over him and slam into the stack of drawers and the wall. As if to make matters worse, once Aerrow had landed on his stomach, the drawers fell on top of him, pinning him down and knocking all the breath out of him.

Desperately he tried to get up, pushing up with his arms under him and trying to shove the drawers off. But as long as they were crushing him, he wasn't going anywhere.

Thankfully Radarr was at his side in moments. The little guy growled his effort as he tried to lift the drawers off Aerrow's back. They weren't getting anywhere. Aerrow was worried. He didn't like being unable to help the others, much less being helpless himself.

Piper looked over at Aerrow worriedly. Junko could lift the drawers off him easily. Why wasn't he?

She looked over at the Wallop. He was asleep right where they had left him to guard, hammer in hand and snoring loudly. "Junko, _wake_ _up!_" Piper shouted desperately in his ear. But Junko didn't even stir except to snore some more.

But then Piper heard the monster's growl, and she looked up. The monster was stalking toward her, walking upright on two legs like a humanoid. It stopped in front of her, and with one swing of its arm, it had her in its grasp. Piper let out a cry, but she couldn't do anything, helpless as the monster held it up to eye level and breathed in her face. "Ew," Piper groaned. The smell was terrible. "Your breath is worse than Finn's," she told it.

The monster blinked in surprise at that statement. In fact, it looked a little hurt. Then, it looked _angry._

The next thing Aerrow knew, Piper was chucked across the room and slammed against the wall, sliding down it upside down to land on her back on the ground right next to Aerrow. The monster sure seemed to have a theme for throwing its attackers in the same direction.

The monster growled, but then started looking around. Aerrow followed its gaze. Its eyes fell on the sleeping Junko, but it didn't seem inclined to attack him. It did, however, look interested in the whimpered coming from the trembling "empty" sand-cake jar. Then the jar began chattering, as if it had teeth.

Aerrow's eyes widened in realization. The monster was targeting Stork's hiding place! He struggled more to get out from under the drawers, and Piper joined Radarr in helping to free him.

Seeming confused by the antics of the jar, the monster grabbed it and picked it up, holding it up to its nose to sniff. Then, seeming to realize what was inside, he turned it upside down and began pounding on the bottom of it. Gasping and screaming, Stork's head popped out, throwing the lid off. The monster kept pounding until the wailing Stork fell head-first for the floor right at Junko's feet.

Aerrow, now up on his feet again, was encouraged to see Junko come to and then look around, startled. "Huh? Wha . . . ?" he gasped. He yawned and stretched his arms out, stretching his hands open. One of the hands met with the monsters chest. Then he closed his eyes, and the monster's eyes widened fearfully as Junko's hand closed over a handful of hair.

Yes! "Junko!" Aerrow shouted, Piper running up behind him happily. "You got him!"

"Huh?" Junko gasped, as if he'd just woken up again. "What did I . . . I . . . ?" And then, once again, his head drooped, and he was asleep.

Well, so much for catching him.

Seeming thoroughly annoyed, the beast knocked Junko's hand off him, leapt over his chair, and headed toward where Piper, Stork, Aerrow, and Radarr were standing, blocking his way to the helm. Stork whimpered and they all cringed, waiting for the attack.

But then the beast tore off the other way, knocking down chairs as it went and then heading for the door. Aerrow watched it go. It was headed for the hangar bay.

Down below, it opened the hatch and then leapt onto Finn's Skimmer. Spinning it around in a three-sixty, it then took off down the landing strip, drove off the edge, and deployed the wings. All they could do was helplessly watch it fly off into the night sky.

Angrily, Piper turned to Junko, still asleep, his head resting on his arms on the round table. "Junko!" she scolded. "What's the deal?"

Junko startled awake again. "Huh?" he murmured, scratching his chest and blinkingly lazily. "Did I miss something?"

"Or some_one_," Stork answered, looking frightened. "Anyone seen _Finn?_" He held up a torn piece of Finn's uniform . . . not unlike the torn leather shorts on the monster.

"Huh?" Aerrow gasped. Radarr, who was balanced on his shoulders, had the same shocked expression. It looked like . . . But it couldn't be . . .

Junko gasped when he saw it. "You don't think . . . it _ate_ him?"

Piper gasped, and Aerrow could see she was thinking the same thing he was. "Oh no," she said. "I think it _is_ him!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn groaned as he opened his eyes. He ached all _over!_ It felt like he'd just had a wrestling match with Aerrow (in which he'd undoubtedly lose). And he felt kind of cold, as if he didn't have his uniform on. In fact, it seemed he didn't; he only had his torn pants on, now only the length of shorts, just as he had when the monster had attacked him. Did it attack him again? Groaning again, he pushed himself up off the ground.

Wait . . . _ground?_ Why was he feeling soil and not the hard metal floor of the bridge on the _Condor_?

Heaving, he got himself up to his feet and rubbed his aching head. Then he opened one eye, then the other, looking around in bewilderment.

His Skimmer lay on the ground in front of him in pieces, smoking as if it had just suffered a crash landing. And from what he could see, he had landed in a clearing in the forest. Neither the _Condor_ nor any of the other Storm Hawks were in sight.

"Where am I?"

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks were busy at work trying to figure out what from the package could have turned Finn into a monster. Perhaps, Aerrow thought, it was the same thing that was making Junko fall asleep. Certainly different substances could affect humans and Wallops differently.

First was to figure out what this "infection" was. Piper and Stork quickly decided it must be some kind of disease or illness, caused by either a virus or a bacteria found in the canister. And there was only one among the Storm Hawks who knew all there was to know about deadly and/or horrible diseases: Stork.

Everyone agreed they didn't want to open the canister, in case whatever got Finn and Junko would get them, too. Instead, Stork began to analyze the monster slobber that Finn had drooled all over the place. Still, they brought the canister up from the hangar bay and set it down on the round table.

Radarr got up on the round table with watch glasses in front of him. In each, he placed a drop of green monster slobber into them using a dropper. While he was still filling up three others, Stork already had one under his microscope. A book lay next to the microscope on the table, but Stork already knew what he was looking for and he didn't even bother opening it. Aerrow, Piper, and Junko waited apprehensively for his verdict. Aerrow crossed his arms, trying to calm his anxiousness. Junko had a hand on his chin, looking fearful. After all, whatever virus or bacteria that was in there was likely in _him_.

As always, Stork built up the suspense. "Ah, monster slobber," he said as he closed one eye and peered into the microscope. He started muttering as he began his examination, adjusting the focus as need be.

Then he gasped and reeled back from the microscope, only to lean forward again and say, "_Ooh,_" as if he found what he was looking for.

"What is it, Stork?" Piper asked nervously.

"_Well,_" Stork said, looking up from the microscope to look at them across the table, "on a scale of horrible to catastrophic, I'd say this is a complete disaster. Finn and Junko," at the mention of his name, Junko cringed, "have been infected with . . . _agro spores!_"

Junko gasped.

_Agro spores?_ Aerrow thought. He tried to match the name with a description, but his mind was blank.

But Stork supplied its definition without being asked. "A potent agent that will turn even the most docile creature into a _hyperactive_ _beast!_"

Junko looked around with a wide-eyed expression as if he were frightened. But the next moment he had fallen asleep on his feet and was snoring before he hit the floor. Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Yeah, that was quite a hyperactive beast.

Stork looked down at Junko before turning back to the others. "In the case of Wallops," he said, gesturing to Junko, "apparently these spores do the opposite. Makes them fall asleep."

That made sense. Most Wallops already were hyperactive beasts in their own right.

Aerrow put his hand on his chin, thinking through this new piece of information. "Our mystery woman sure was right about not opening this container," he said, gesturing the package.

"Unless she _wanted_ us to open it," Piper said as she picked up the container and began examining it.

Aerrow was confused. "What'd you mean?"

Piper was apparently looking for something on the canister. Her eyes widened when she found it. Her finger followed along a line of text on its underside, showing it to Aerrow. "'Made in Cyclonia,'" she read aloud.

At that moment, Stork popped up in front of her with a loud, overjoyed, "Ha, ha!" Aerrow knew he was only like that when the Merb found out he was right about something. "You see?" the carrier pilot told them, holding up a finger. "That's why I always say you should never accept packages from strangers." He clasped his hands, looking satisfied. He had, after all, warned them about taking a package from a mystery woman.

But Piper's thoughts had apparently already run ahead. "It's already been opened," she said. "Another peek probably wouldn't hurt."

Just to be on the safe side, the Storm Hawks set the canister in a containment field (a large glass tank) before opening. The containment field hand metal arms with hands and fingers, all controlled from handles on the outside.

All of them gathered around as Piper began operating the robotic appendages, opening up the container. "Oh, man," Stork muttered nervously as she did. "That containment field better hold, or we're _all_ gonna get infected!" He clenched a fist.

"It'll hold, Stork," Piper assured him. She turned her attention back to the open canister. "Hey, there's a note inside." She moved the maniacal arms so that they grabbed and held up the note for them to view.

Aerrow squinted as he studied it. "'Know what they say about curiosity and the cat,'" he read aloud. "'Let's hope the same goes for the Storm Hawks. Enjoy.'" He looked around for a signature. It was off to the side, in large letters on top of a Cyclonian emblem. "'M.C.'"

"Master Cyclonis," Piper hissed angrily, her voice dripping with venom. Ever since "Lark" had tricked her, the very mention of Cyclonis always seemed to put her in a dark, angry mood.

"Great!" Piper exclaimed sarcastically. She looked at Aerrow with wide, frightened eyes. "We've gotta find Finn and fast! No telling what kind of trouble he could cause!"

Once again, Aerrow wished his instincts had been wrong.

* * *

Finn, meanwhile, was scampering through the underbrush of the forest he had ended up in. His heart beat wildly, and he ran almost on the verge of panic. Where _was_ everyone? Wasn't there a person anywhere? Maybe a landmark? Something!

At last, he burst through a clearing, holding up his tattered pants (now shorts) to keep them from falling. Then his eyes widened, and he felt a little relief. There, glittering in front of him, was the Aurora Shard's beacon tower. "Atmosia!" he gasped. So that's where he was!

He glanced around in either direction. He was just on the verge of the marketplace on the outskirts of the city. There were people everywhere. And even with dusk falling, surely someone here would be willing to help him.

He ran out into the street and looked around, too panicked to think once of the fact that he wore nothing but his shorts. Huffing from his mad run, he grabbed the first person he came to: a girl not much older than himself with white hair. "Please!" he begged her, grabbing her shoulders. "I have to find my friends!"

But before she could even attempt to help him, something strange began to happen.

Finn cringed, his eyes bugging out of his head. He felt pain. And then he knew no more.

But the girl did. The . . . _thing_ in front of her was no longer a boy. His legs were growing longer, hair sprouting all over his body and covering him in a yellow and grey coat. His nails and teeth lengthened, and when he blinked again, his eyes were glowing flame, far from human.

The girl screamed as the monster of Finn loomed over her.

* * *

Moments later, the Storm Hawks received a distress call from Atmosia. The radio was set on the round table for all to listen. Radarr had a paw on the table and was looking at it fearfully. Aerrow and Piper stood before it, Piper with her arms crossed, both worried. Junko was sitting at the other side of the table, his head down and fast asleep. Stork drove.

"_It's wrecking the city and we don't know what to do!_" the frightened man's voice on the radio said.

Aerrow felt his heart skip a beat. He knew the man had to be referring to Finn, and he couldn't think of his friend getting hurt. "We're on our away," he assured the man hurriedly.

"And please," Piper begged, "whatever you do, don't hurt him!"

"_Don't hurt _him?" the voice exclaimed in disbelief. "_What about us?_"

There was no time to waste. Stork was the only one who knew a thing about agro spores, and the only one who could possibly find an antidote. He stayed on board with Junko, who would be his test subject, while Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper headed down to the hangar bay to fly on to Terra Atmosia.

Aerrow and Radarr and Piper were mounted in moments, and Aerrow and Radarr beat Piper off the landing strip. But before they left, Piper radioed the ship nervously. "Are you _sure_ you can come up with the antidote, Stork?" she asked.

* * *

Inside the Piper's darkroom, Stork smirked up at the radio. "Definitely!" he answered. He looked over at his test subject, a strange grin on his face.

Seeing it, Junko, who sat on the examination table in front of Stork, laughed nervously and cringed.

* * *

Author's Notes: Something tells me that Junko knows this "cure" might not go well . . .

I'm glad you mentioned the werewolf, Mindworm! Don't think I was forgetting! You were just getting a little ahead of me. I wanted to wait until the Storm Hawks realized Finn was the monster.

I had trouble with this trivia, not because I had trouble finding information, but because I could write an entire essay on this subject! I had to dim it down, and it's still awfully long.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Since the done of civilization, there have been stories of humans who could turn into animals. In modern day, we refer to these creatures as "werecreatures," the most famous of which has been the werewolf. It believed by historians and psychologists who study myth that the werecreature is an embodiment of the human side of a person being in conflict with a human's animal, beastly instincts, such as lust, anger, hunger, and bloodlust. Sometimes the transformation is meant to bless the human with the powerful quality of the animal it has become, but oftentimes it is a curse and/or an embodiment of good and evil not unlike the conflict in _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ (which can be argued to be an example of a modern werecreature). In animal form, the human often forgets themselves, who they are, and everything about them that is human and reacts as either the actual animal or as a rabid beast. In the ancient world, werecreatures were part of religious stories and involved a human turning completely into a new animal. There were werewolves throughout Europe and North America, werejaguars in Central and South America, weretigers in India, werehorses in China and Mongolia, werelions and werehyenas in Africa, weredragons and weredingoes in Australia, and were-Tasmanian wolves in Tasmania, as only a few examples. However, in Europe in the Middle Ages, werecreatures, the werewolf in particular (being the only large carnivore in Europe), grew to be associated with the devil. As European culture slowly spread across the world, it would come to have the most influence on our perception of werecreatures. The American movie _The Wolf Man_ (1941) would forever shape the way we view werecreatures and werewolves. The third movie made featuring a werewolf (predecessors were _The Werewolf_ (1913) and _Werewolf of London_ (1935)), _The Wolf Man _cements elements of the werecreature that had never been before included in the myth. One of these is the "half-way transformation." The Wolf Man never goes completely wolf in the movie and in "wolf form" remains a sort of half-human hybrid. It has become the modern image of werecreatures, the werewolf in particular.

And the half-way transformed werecreature bears quite a bit of resemblance to Finn . . . hence the name of this chapter.

_The Wolf Man_ is just another way of showing how we Americans have had perhaps one of the greatest influences on the modern world . . . and how we tend to get our facts distorted.

Okay, I'll leave before I make these author's notes any longer . . .

But before I go, I've traded by Saquatch in for a much more trainable werewolf . . . incase you were thinking of leaving without reviewing!

Ow! Bad wolf!

Um, yeah, what was it that happens to someone when they get bitten by a werewolf?


	131. What Got Into Finn?: Monster Mayhem

Author's Notes: Good news! I'm not a werewolf! However, I think that has more to do with the fact that I'm _already_ a wolf (see screen name).

Chapter 3: Monster Mayhem

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Radarr led the way as they and Piper approached Terra Atmosia just as the sun was setting. As soon as they landed, they leapt off their vehicles and headed for the street market.

Goods were strewn everywhere, and people were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, screaming in panic. They watched one man run by when a second one started passing him. Piper stopped him by grabbing him on the shoulder and spinning him around. "Where's the monster?" she asked.

Then, ahead of them was heard a roar. Spinning around to look behind him, the man started screaming again and ran off.

They all turned to see. The monster they had seen on the ship was standing only a few yards in front of them with his back to them. His little tail flicked happily as he munched on gloopy fruits, something the human Finn would never have eaten.

Aerrow studied the monster, from his massive furry head to his talon-toed feet. "That's really Finn?" he gasped. He just couldn't believe it.

Hearing their voice, Monster Finn's hand, with a fruit in it, stopped halfway to his mouth. Growling, he spun around and threw the fruit at Aerrow and Radarr. The two ducked as the fruit sailed overhead and splattered against the building wall behind them. "It's not like him to share," Aerrow pointed out as further proof.

Apparently still not appreciating their presence, Monster Finn threw another fruit at them. Aerrow saw it coming and leapt to the side, but Radarr was less prepared. The gloopy fruit struck him right in the chest and sent him hurling backward into some supply crates stacked in front of the wall. Aerrow cringed in sympathy and Finn growled in satisfaction as Radarr stood up with his fists ready to brawl, but his eyes were rolling in their sockets from the blow, and the next moment, he was out cold, falling flat on his face with his tail sticking straight up in the air.

* * *

In the darkroom on the _Condor_ (with the overhead white lights _on_), Junko was still sitting on the table with a crystal-powered flashlight beaming on him. Stork was getting to work, and now he had three wafers, each with a little cross on them. One was light green, one was light blue, and the other was pink.

Well, this certainly was a risk, Stork figured, and doom was certainly to come of it. All the same, he showed the wafers to Junko. "One of these wafers is probably the cure," he told him, "one of these is kinda bad news, and one of these is _seriously_ bad news." His eye twitched at the very mention of it.

"Hmm," Junko said, tapping his lip with his finger as he thought. He held up a finger when he was done thinking. "I'd like the cure, please."

Ah, here came the doom part. "Without knowing what subspecies of spore is inside you," Stork explained, "we'll have to guess." He held up the wafers to him, offering him the choice.

"Uh, okay," Junko said, casually, as if this wasn't dangerous at all. He pointed to each wafer in order—green, blue, and pink—pointing to each one as he said one word, "Eeny, meeny, miney . . . That one!" He was pointing at the green one again.

Without so much as batting an eye, Junko took the green wafer from Stork's hand, popped it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

No sooner had he done so when, with lightning-quick speed, his whole body contracted and sank, growing slimy and green. In less than a second, instead of a Wallop sitting in front of Stork, there was instead a green monster on the floor with three long tentacles like that of the Producer monster.

"Okay," Stork said nervously as he watched the tentacles reach for the ceiling. "That one would be the seriously bad news." Figures he'd pick that one, he thought.

At that moment, one of the tentacles struck out as if to slap him. Ducking the blow, Stork screamed and ran out the door as fast as he possibly could.

* * *

On Terra Atmosia, Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr had finally backed Finn into a corner in the marketplace. He still had a gloopy fruit in his claw, and he was growling at them menacingly.

Piper carefully stepped toward him. "Come on, Finn," she crooned. "Nobody wants to hurt you. Just come back to the _Condor_ with us."

Finn didn't seem to like that idea. He roared and snapped his jaws at them before throwing a fruit at Piper's face. Gasping, Piper dodged it. However, she hadn't counted on a second one, which hit her square in the face. She touched her head where it hit her.

Looks like Aerrow was the only one _not_ hit thus far, the Sky Knight noticed thankfully.

But that hit hadn't hurt Piper; it had only made her mad, her face curving into the same snarl she used when the human Finn got on her last nerve. "That's it!" she growled.

"Don't hurt him," Aerrow reminded her. Funny how earlier she had begged to the man from Atmosia for the same thing but now looked ready to kill Finn herself.

But Piper didn't seem to be listening. She pulled out her staff and elongated it.

Finn was growling again, getting ready to throw a melon the size of his monster head. He was holding it over his head just when Piper struck. The crystal mage jumped into the air and shot a crystal blast from her staff, which sliced the spherical melon right in half. As soon as that was done, the melon fell and hit Finn square on the top of the head. Looking dazed, the monster fell over backward into a wooden food stand, the roof of it crashing down on him. Aerrow and Piper braced themselves, preparing for the beast to jump up and attack them.

But instead, the claw sticking out from under the board of wood let off a flash of light and shrank, becoming once again a human hand. With a girly scream, the wooden board was thrown aside, and there was Finn, as himself, down on his hands and knees with hardly any clothes on and looking around widely in all directions.

Aerrow smiled. Well, this made things easier. He and Piper started calmly walking toward him.

But Finn seemed to have no recollection of his monster adventure. "Okay," he said as they approached, "would somebody please tell me what's going on here?"

"You're okay," Aerrow said, trying to sound reassuring. "You've been infected with agro spores."

"Infected?" Finn repeated, cringing. "With agro _what?_ That doesn't sound okay!"

"Don't worry," Piper assured. She gestured to him. "Stork's working on a cure."

"_Stork?_" Finn gasped. "'Kay, that _really_ doesn't sound okay!"

* * *

Back in the _Condor_, Stork was still working on it, for better or for worse. He had turned Junko back into his normal self, and Junko was now picking the blue wafer. "Hmm," he said as he grabbed it and popped it into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed, and waited. "Say," Junko said, smiling, "I feel pretty good!"

Stork felt a smile coming. He'd found it!

But then Junko gasped, "Huh?" He peered around behind him. Worried that it might be some evil creature out to get them—like mindworms—Stork peered around, too.

Six large chicken tail feathers had sprouted from Junko's rear and out his pants.

"Um," Stork said, looking down at the last wafer, "better keep workin' on this."

* * *

At the big tree at the center of town, the people of Atmosia were cheering for Radarr, Aerrow, Piper, and Finn (who still had little clothing on), who were standing on three crates pushed together to form a stage. Much of the crowd was clapping and cheering, and one old man who couldn't clap his hands beat his cane against the ground instead. A blond-headed man, the very man who had radioed them, stood on the crates next to Radarr, speaking as the terra's spokesperson. He had a bowl of fruit in his hands. "And on behalf of all Atmosia," he said to the Storm Hawks, Aerrow specifically, handing him the bowl of fruit for a thank you gift, "I want to thank you for saving our city from—"

He never got to finish his sentence. Out of the corner of his eye, Aerrow saw a bright flash of light. The next instant, the man was screaming and covering his head with his hands. The crowd started screaming as well. The bowl was snatched out of Aerrow's hands by something up above. Looking up, Aerrow's eyes widened.

Monster Finn was looming over him, the basket in his claw. Growling, he threw the dish at Aerrow. With a clang, the dish landed over his head, splattering him all over with fruit.

Head a little sore now, Aerrow lifted the bowl from his eyes to look, feeling exasperated. "Here we go again," he groaned.

He watched as Monster Finn leapt away from them with a roar up onto a building, clinging to it like a spider monkey. With another roar, he leapt on top of another building and ran away across the roof before jumping off and disappearing from view.

* * *

Back on the ship, Stork had fixed Junko's feather problem. Now they were taking one last stab at it. This should be the cure. Or it could be that Finn and Junko were infected with a subspecies of spore that had never been discovered before and therefore had no cure, Stork reasoned. Then that would make them doomed. Yup, that was always likely.

Junko had no such negative thoughts, apparently. Looking cheerful, he plucked the pink wafer from Stork's hand. "Last one," he said. "Over the tongue and passed the gums, look out stomach 'cause here it—" He threw the wafer into his mouth, but afterward he immediately leaned forward and starting snoring, sound asleep.

Stork clenched his fists, stomped his foot, and growled. He tried so dang _hard! _Would he _ever_ get a cure going? Not likely, and then Finn and Junko would be doomed, and the Storm Hawks with them, and the Atmos with them . . .

Junko suddenly sat up, wide awake. "That was good!" the Wallop exclaimed. "Can I have another?"

Junko was awake. It worked. It _worked!_

Stork immediately went to the bridge and pulled down the speaker to radio Aerrow. "I found the cure!" he announced.

* * *

In the Atmosian streets, Aerrow put his fingers to the radio in his ear as he listened to Stork, Radarr on one side of him and Piper on the other. As soon as he heard the news, he threw a fist in the air. "Great!" he exclaimed. He had been a little worried about getting a cure.

But there was just one little problem. "Uh, we're still rounding up Finn," he explained to Stork.

Piper gasped. "Uh, we better hurry," she told Aerrow worriedly, "'cause if we don't, _they_ will!"

Aerrow looked up to see an angry mob of Atmosians grumbling and muttering as they marched in the direction of Monster Finn, flashlights in hand along with spears, wrenches, poles, whatever sharp projectile they could find.

Oh boy. That wasn't good.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Stork had heard what Piper said and had an idea of what was going on. He answered them even as he pushed the speaker away from him and touched his fingertips together with excitement. "It's under control!" he told them. His eyes narrowed, and a creepy smirk spread across his face. "Leave this to me."

Of course, Stork couldn't just go out there like this. No, he had to _prepare_ for this hunt for the beast.

He began suiting himself up in the same "outfit" he had put on for the Black Gorge. "The hunt begins, my noble foe," he said aloud as he put pots on his shoulder for a shoulder plates, "a game of guile," he put on his helmet, "and thunder," he pulled up his inflatable ducky and tied on slabs of wood on his knees and shins for armor, "the most dangerous game of all." He finished by placing on the metal arm bands to protect his lower arms.

Stork smirked. He was ready. "Groovy!"

* * *

Down in the town square, the townspeople had surrounded Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr, shouting and demanding they do something about the monster right this minute. Some of them were throwing their fists in the air and others were brandishing sharp-looking objects for weapons. One girl was really unnerving Aerrow by waving a huge ax over he head as she yelled at them.

Aerrow was trying to calm their tempers in vain. "There's nothing to worry about, people," he told them. "Our expert's on his way!"

To his relief, he heard Stork's voice saying, "And here he is!"

Stork and Junko had come in as if on cue. Junko came from the left, marching up beside Aerrow, and Stork slid in from the right in front of Junko, smiling as he presented himself to the crowd.

The crowd's shouts died as everyone, including the Atmosian spokesperson, looked over Stork's head at Junko. "Well," the spokesperson said, "he looks big enough."

Seeming offended, Stork cleared his throat and pointed to himself. "_I'm_ the expert," he clarified.

Stork started pacing in front of them, strutting as if he thought himself truly a big shot. He held up a finger. "Now," he said, gesturing to himself, "if you'll allow me to do my job—"

"Are you sure you don't want me to just grab him?" Junko interrupted, smiling kindly. Aerrow kind of liked that idea.

But Stork wouldn't hear of it. "A great hunter knows his prey," he declared, gesturing to himself by putting his hands on his life jacket.

Aerrow raised his eyebrow. Wait, since when was Stork a _hunter?_

Stork held up a finger and said, "Rule number one: Look for signs of the beast."

Piper glanced off in the direction of the forest, where she heard a loud bellowing sound like that of a horn—Monster Finn's roar. All the trees on that area beside the street, even the large ones, had fallen, and another was splintering and falling as they spoke. If that wasn't signs of the beast, Piper didn't know what was.

Turning back to Stork, she pointed over to her right in the direction of the forest. "I think maybe this way?" she suggested.

They headed toward the forest when Stork began scurrying around, doing some odd things with a rope and some gloopy fruits. Aerrow watched him as Stork tied the rope to a log, swung one end over one of a tree's branches, and then made a tightening noose that rested on the ground, spread out in a wide circle. In the middle of the circle he placed a pile of gloopy fruits.

Aerrow wasn't getting this, but as Stork put down the last fruit, it was clear Piper was. "The perfect bait!" she exclaimed in realization.

"For the perfect trap!" Stork clarified. "This'll catch him," he said as he spread leaves over the noose, "and this'll make him more . . . obedient." He tied the log in the air, rising it up by tying it to the tree. It was set to hit whatever got caught in the trap.

Junko looked concerned. "That's a pretty big log to hit Finn with," he said, shrugging to Stork, who was still up in the tree.

"Ooh," Stork answered back, sounding confident, "but not too big for _Monster_ Finn!" His eye twitched at the end of his sentence. Then he turned back to the rope and tightened it just to be sure.

Aerrow checked the huge log over. Hopefully Stork was right. He certainly wouldn't want to hit the _human _Finn with that.

Stork got down from the tree and went to the fruit pile. One of the fruits already had its top sliced off, ready to pull off. "Oh, Monster Fi-inn!" Stork called as he opened the fruit, letting its terrible stench out. He held the fruit up to the forest. "Come and get your delicious dinner!"

Soon they all heard the sniffing and scuffling sounds of Monster Finn, and everyone took cover. Stork hid behind a skinny, little tree, but the others headed for the bushes.

In moments, Monster Finn appeared, leaping nimbly up onto a branch, leaping off it, and then leaping for another. With a low growl, he then leapt down into the clearing and unwittingly stepped into the circle of the noose.

Just as he took a fruit, the trap set off.

Roaring in surprise, Finn was soon swinging upside down from the noose, his foot caught in the rope.

Stork smiled proudly as he stepped out from behind the tree. "And that," he told the others, gesturing to himself proudly, "is why I'm the expert."

Aerrow sensed something wrong here. Piper was smiling at Stork's success. Unfortunately, it was Aerrow's feeling that was correct.

There was a flash of light and a gasp, and everyone looked to the trap. There was no monster hanging there now, just plain, old Finn.

Finn hauled himself upright, grabbed the line, and reached for the noose around his foot. "What's this thing?" he asked aloud.

Stork's heart skipped a beat. No! This trap was set for the monster! If the log hit Finn . . . "Finn, don't touch that!" Stork cried, reaching out a hand for him.

But Finn had already touched it. There was a snap from the rope as the log was released, and Finn heard it. "Uh oh," he muttered. It was the last few words he could get out before he saw the log heading his way. Of course, Finn did what he always does in a situation like this: he screamed.

No. Stork felt himself start to panic. He set this up. He couldn't let Finn get hurt for it!

At the last minute, Stork ran forward and shoved Finn out of the way, releasing him from the noose as he did so.

But no good deed goes unpunished.

The log struck Stork instead. Screaming, Stork flew over the edge of a cliff into a lake many feet below.

Before Finn even hit the ground, there was another flash of light. Finn flipped, and the feet that landed squarely on the ground were not human but furry and clawed. Finn had transformed again.

Growling in fury at the trick played on him, Monster Finn leapt over Aerrow's and Piper's head onto a branch behind them and then leapt to the ground, scampering off into the forest. Aerrow watched him go sadly. They had been so close!

Down in the lake, Stork was getting up from the pond, standing ankle-deep in water. He spat lake water out of his mouth in disgust, his face twisted in an angry snarl. As he stood up straight, a fish, which had been stuck between his neck and the headrest of his lifejacket, flipped and flopped until it dropped into the water again.

Stork was furious, and he wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He held up two fingers. "Rule number two: Show no mercy!"

Still scowling, he lifted up his helmet, which had fallen off, and was about to place it on his head. An entire helmet-full of water drenched his head before he slammed the helmet onto his head using the chin strap.

Unfazed by that but in a rage to catch his query, Stork stomped angrily onto the shore.

Stork's next plan started with him putting up a huge magnet on a pole. Then he hollowed out a whole bunch of gloopy fruits, which he then filled with all kinds of bolts, screws, and other small metal objects. He threw them into a pile as he worked.

As he finished the last one and threw on the pile, he said, "Once our hungry behemoth eats these metal-spiked melons, he'll become attractive to Super Magnet over there!" He pointed up at the "Super Magnet."

Aerrow wasn't so sure about this plan, but he didn't have time to protest before they all heard a familiar roar.

All but Stork cringed as they felt the tremble of the ground when Monster Finn jumped and landed in front of the pile of melons. Picking up one in his mighty, powerful hand, he stuffed it into his mouth as he picked up another in the other hand in a continuing cycle, completely gorging himself despite the metal inside each fruit.

"Very attractive," Stork muttered to himself as he happily watched Finn eat. Now was his time. He pressed the button on his remote for his Super Magnet with a quiet but triumphant, "Yah!"

Nothing happened.

What? Finn was supposed to be picked up by Super Magnet! "Come on!" Stork muttered as he pressed the button again, increasing the magnet's strength.

But the monster still didn't move!

Stork let out an angry yell. Infuriated that his ingenious plan wasn't working, he started pressing the button repeatedly, jamming it six times in a row.

The magnet responded, alright. It was so charged with power that it began to glow.

And it was working . . . too well. Instead of the monster getting caught, the gloopy fruits were being lifted into the air and heading toward the magnet.

Stork's face fell. "Uh oh," he muttered.

He ducked just in time as the fruits screamed over his head and slammed into the magnet.

Behind the monster, other metal objects were already rising in the air. Pots, pans, lawn chairs with metal frames, toolboxes, and crates with metal locks were being lifted up and started shooting through the air toward the magnet. Behind them were metal buckets, metal staffs, tires with metal hubs, and more. Stork watched as the assorted objects flew over his head and completely buried the magnet.

And he momentarily forgot that _he_ was wearing metal.

Stork gasped as he felt his helmet being lifted off his head, and with a squeal, he was pulled backward as the chin strap tightened around his throat, strangling him as it dragged off the ground and into the air.

But Stork wasn't going to be beat by his own helmet. Just as he was passing a tent covering at a food stand, his monkey-like toes grasped one of the legs of the tent, then the other. For a moment, he stayed stretched out like that, wheezing as he tried to breath.

But then the next moment, he lost his grip. "Whoo!" he screeched as he flew through the air and screamed, slamming into the magnet. He had left his pants far below next to the tent.

As he struggled on top of the magnet, grabbing his helmet and wiggling to get out of it in vain, his lower half stripped down to his boxers, the other Storm Hawks did what anyone on the ground would have done at that moment. They burst out laughing. Aerrow couldn't help himself. It was just hilarious! Radarr even fell over onto the ground, he was laughing so hard.

Stork didn't see what was so funny about it. Still trying to breath with his chin strap choking him, he dug into his pocket for the remote, and as soon as he had it, he pressed the button to stop the magnet's charge.

All things considered, it wasn't the greatest move. Stork screamed as he fell and landed with an "Oof!" on the ground. No sooner had he landed when all the "metal-spiked melons" and other assorted objects landed right on top of him. Stork finally stuck his head out and let out a shaky sigh.

Aerrow winced. That looked kind of painful.

As if to add to everything, Stork was hit in the face by another metal-filled fruit. Everyone gasped as Monster Finn, who had thrown the fruit, rose up to his full height and roared angrily at Stork's intended trap. Then he scampered off into the woods.

Although Aerrow saw this with exasperation, Stork was already thinking ahead, obsessed with the hunt as he was. "Gotta beat him at his own game," he muttered. He nodded in agreement with himself. "Yeah. If he's strong, I gotta be _stronger!_ If he's fast, I gotta be _faster!_"

Stork was trembling, and his eye was twitching uncontrollably. Aerrow thought he looked downright mad, and the others seemed to share his opinion.

The Atmosian spokesperson approached Piper from the crowd of Atmosian onlookers. Putting his hand aside his mouth, he whispered, "We're starting to worry about your expert."

There was no point in denying the truth. "Yeah," Piper whispered back. "Us, too."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Agro" is Greek for "field" or "tilled land."

Not sure what that has to do with being monster, but okay.


	132. What Got Into Finn?: Beastly Cure

Chapter 4: Beastly Cure

Stork would not be outdone. Yes, he would make himself just as fast as Monster Finn! He got himself out a wooden crate which contained super-crystal-powered roller-skates. Smirking in anticipation, he took off his "armor," which would have slowed him down, strapped on the helmet and goggles that came with the skates, put on the skates, and then pressed the button on them to start them.

He was unprepared for what he got. The skates turned on, and Stork screamed as he was sent forward, leaning back so far that he was almost parallel to the ground. Arms twirling to keep his balance, he finally threw himself forward so that he was leaning over his skates. He smirked. Now he was having no trouble, and he would soon catch the beast! "Wahoo-hoo!" he hollered with glee. Now he would at last get his query!

Monster Finn was running at his super-high speed dead ahead. In no time Stork caught up with him. But Finn frowned and blinked in surprise when Stork sped past him.

Stork's smile fell, and he looked back Finn, who was getting smaller as he drew away. The Merb slumped and groaned. It figured.

But of course, that couldn't be the end of his luck. No, for right there in front of him was a cliff.

He screamed as he shot right over the edge and kept going forward, propelled by the crystal power from the skates. But then the skates sputtered and died. Knowing what was coming, Stork frowned in annoyance and held up a sign with a frowny face on it before he fell many feet below, landing hard on solid ground.

Okay, new plan.

Stork once again put on his armor, and this time, he quickly assembled a catapult. This catapult had a wooden seat on it next to the huge lever, and a pulling lever was next to the seat to release the catapult. On the "cup" of the catapult (shaped like a dished spatula) was a huge, round boulder.

Stork set the catapult in the middle of the street and got in the seat. People were running in all directions and screaming from the monster's presence, and Stork was using his x-ray peepers to find the beast. But when he finally got Monster Finn in his sights, the beast was peering through a set of x-ray peepers right back at Stork. Smiling at his trick, the monster stocked off, undisturbed.

But Stork just smirked. This monster didn't know what was about to hit him! With a heave, he pulled the lever to release the boulder.

The catapult dipped, but it didn't release.

Stork's face fell to a frown. Seriously? All this work, and the catapult got _stuck?_

Irritated, Stork got out of the seat and walked backward to stand beside the boulder. Poking at it to try to get it to move, he growled in anger when it remained still.

Letting out a growl of anger, Stork climbed up onto the middle of the lever and jumped up and down on it three times, trying to get it to release. When it still didn't move, he clenched his fists and grumbled through his teeth to keep himself from yelling in rage. Why wasn't it _working?_

Determined to get his stupid catapult to work, Stork scampered down the lever toward the boulder, put his back to the boulder, and pushed back with all his might, trying to get it to release.

It was when it finally clicked, signaling it was about to let loose, that Stork realized the position he put himself in. His heart pounding wildly, the Merb bit his lip and whimpered, eye twitching.

When the catapult released, it sent Stork flying forward high into the air, with the boulder sailing in behind him. They silhouetted against the moon as they breached in the air, Stork screaming all the while.

Stork finally slammed face-first into a tower. Groaning, he had just lifted his face up when the boulder slammed into him from behind.

When the boulder fell, it relieved Stork of his burden to find the Merb crushed into the now-cracked tower. Groaning, Stork peeled off the tower slowly and fell over backward.

Alright, time for something else.

The monster came back to the streets again, picking up a gloopy fruit as he did. He munched on it nonchalantly as he walked down the street, townspeople fleeing from him in terror.

That's when Stork let out his whistle.

Curious, Monster Finn stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at the tree in the middle of the square.

There standing under the tree was Stork. But Monster Finn didn't recognize him as Stork, for Stork had dressed up in a pink dress with white flowers, a blond wig with a pink bow, a red bead necklace, two gold bracelets on both wrists, heavy black eyeliner, and rosy red lipstick. He struck a girly pose as he stood there, winking at the monster. For he knew Finn, and monster or not, Finn liked girls.

His theory was right on. As soon as Stork winked at him, Monster Finn dropped his gloopy fruit and started panting like some lucky hound dog. Eagerly he scampered over to Stork and stopped right in front of him.

Stork kept his cool right up to the point when Finn leaned down toward him with lips puckered.

Stork gasped in disgust. Okay, that was just gross.

But when he looked up, he saw Finn was right where he wanted him, for hanging above the beast from a limb of the tree was a four-sided cage ready to be let down on top of him.

Smirking, Stork took a step back, pulled out his remote, and pressed the button. Just as he planned, the cage came down right over Finn.

But then Stork gasped. His toe was stabbed with pain and felt like it was on fire. He looked down to find that the wall of the cage had come down_ on his toe!_

Stork did what anyone in that situation would do: he screamed.

Whimpering, his head wiggling so much that his hair began to fall out from under the wig, Stork pulled out his remote again and frantically pressed the button three times, trying to get the weight off his toe. Thankfully the cage came right up.

Stork grabbed his toe, hopping around on one foot and gasping and whimpering in pain, his wig getting sloppier and sloppier. Finally the throbbing stopped, and Stork set his foot down with a sigh.

But then a shadow fell over him, and so did the sound of an angry growl. His heart thudding, Stork slowly looked up.

Monster Finn, angry at Stork's betrayal, was leaning over him, growling viciously, his claws extended toward Stork.

Stork laughed nervously as his wig fell off, showing the beast the full extent of his treachery.

Knowing better than to stick around, Stork was off in a flash. He screamed as the angry monster roared and took after him.

When he finally escaped the beast, Stork disappeared again to try another scheme. Aerrow was getting tired of it and was a little worried about Finn and _very_ worried about Stork. He decided Junko should take a stab at getting Finn.

So Junko approached the monster, Knuckle Busters unlit but at the ready. "Come on, Monster Finn!" Junko called out to him. "Don't make me go wallop on ya!" He swung his fist playfully to go along with his speech.

But Monster Finn just roared angrily in response, picked up Junko by the head, and proceeded to beat him. Aerrow and Piper cringed as they watched Junko pounded and thrown right over their heads, skidding on his back down the stone road until he finally stopped. He raised his head, looking dizzy, and held up a finger. "He's much stronger then usual," he commented. And with that, he was out cold.

Now Aerrow was _really_ worried. Nothing seemed to be working with Monster Finn. And to make matters worse, the townspeople were getting more insistent with the idea of killing the creature. They surrounded Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper, shouting angrily and demanding something be done immediately.

Aerrow tried in vain to calm them. "Please, people!" he called out to them, holding up a finger. "Uh, this is just a minor setback!" He clenched his fist assuredly. "Everything is under—"

Thunder shook the ground as something big, very big, began to approach. Aerrow looked up over the heads of the crowd.

"—control?"

"Whoa!" Piper gasped.

The beast that met their eyes was not Monster Finn, nor even biotic. It was a mass of metal, shaped into something like a tyrannosaurus rex. Its head was green and blue and looked a lot like the Stork Mobile's front, with the headlights as "eyes." And Stork was sitting in the seat in the "head."

No longer wearing his "armor," Stork looked down at them and smirked, making his announcement. "Rule number three: The only way to catch a monster is to become a monster! Behold Storkosaurus!"

Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances. They both knew this wasn't good.

"Face me, Monster Finn," Stork called out, "and _go down in flames!_" With the controls, Stork caused the Storkosaurus to rear back its head, open its mouth, and breathe a stream of fire high into the air.

Down on the ground, Aerrow said aloud to Radarr, "Okay, now I'm really, _really_ worried about Stork." Radarr met his eyes in a silent agreement.

The next moment, both were knocked to the ground as Junko jumped them to push them out of the way of the Storkosaurus' foot. As the three sat up, recovering from the fall, Junko shouted to Aerrow, "Worry about ourselves!"

The townspeople were screaming again and running in all directions, even though Monster Finn wasn't doing anything. The Storkosaurus was causing even more distress than Monster Finn had!

Searching in vain for the monster, the Storkosaurus wheeled around as Stork let out a battle cry.

The monster, not far beyond, roared back at the challenge. He leapt out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the Storkosaurus' foot, as Aerrow and Radarr nearly were. As Stork kept yelling, he tried to swash Finn with the other foot, only to watch the beast leap nimbly away again.

Laughing maniacal laughter now, Stork let off a stream of fire in Finn's direction. Monster Finn just leapt up onto the top of one of the tents as the flames engulfed the food stand there.

"Who's your Stork?" Stork muttered to the monster as he blew another stream of fire, which Finn avoided. "Oh, yeah, who's your Stork?"

Once Finn landed again, this time behind the monster, Stork started laughing madly again as he let the Storkosaurus' tail fly. Monster Finn narrowly avoided being smashed, a streetlight taking the blow instead.

Angry that he'd missed, Stork turned his contraption around to face Monster Finn, blowing another stream of fire at him that he held continually, blowing it along a path toward Finn as the beast did a serious of flips and leaps to avoid it. People started screaming as the whole section of the market was lit to flames.

The monster then stopped in front of a group of civilians, a young man and a young woman. Gasping in delight as he saw his query holding still, Stork opened the Storkosaurus' mouth and, instead of blowing fire, shot out a net. Finn leapt out of the way of the net, but the trap came down on top of the civilians, who screamed in terror.

Aerrow, Piper, and Junko raised eyebrows in shock. Okay, now Stork had taken this _way_ too far. "Stork!" Piper yelled up at the Merb. "You gotta calm down! _Calm down!_"

"Calm?" Stork shouted back. "Calm doesn't cut it, sister! I've gotta dish out the storm!" He pressed a button his dashboard. As the Storkosaurus began to open its mouth, Stork shouted, "Prepare for doom, beast!"

Out of the Storkosaurus' mouth appeared not flame, not a net, but a vacuum. Objects everywhere began to fly toward the mouth of the machine.

Irritated like she always was when people didn't listen to her, Piper put her hand on her hip indignantly. "He's worse than Finn!" she hissed. For Piper, that was quite an insult.

But then the next moment, she was screaming as the force of the vacuum began to suck her forward. She grabbed onto a streetlamp to keep from being sucked further. Unfortunately Wren's hen wasn't so lucky and flew right past her, clucking frantically.

Aerrow, with no eyes for the chicken, watched with fear as Piper struggled while he swayed, trying to keep his own footing. "Piper!" he shouted. "Hang on!"

As if she was going to do otherwise.

Stork was laughing maniacally again, as if completely unaware of the destruction he was—and could—cause . . . or maybe because he was enjoying it.

Finally the vacuum was too much for even Junko. The Wallop grabbed onto a crate to keep from being sucked away, crying, "Whoa! Wha!" Radarr, who'd been clinging to him from the get-go, held onto the Wallop's shoulders.

For Aerrow, enough was enough. "Time to end this!" he declared. Drawing his blades and lighting them, Aerrow made a run for the Storkosaurus, with Stork up there still laughing like mad. With a yell, Aerrow leapt into the air and sliced right through the robot.

With a "Yah!" Aerrow landed on his feet behind the Storkosaurus. Looking back, he saw the robot fall to pieces before his eyes. Screaming, Stork fell and landed on top of the seat, knocking the breath out of him. Looking completely dazed, the Merb raised his head and said, "Whoo! Lights!" He pointed to the imaginary lights. "Pretty!" The next moment, he was out cold."

Aerrow blinked at what he just did. He couldn't get Stork to calm down and come to him, so he had to chop down Stork himself. It gave him an idea for giving Finn the cure.

He got a gloopy fruit and pulled off the top so it was hanging by only a strip of fruit. As he did so, he pulled out the antidote. "If you can't bring the monster to the antidote," he said, "bring the antidote to the monster!" He placed the wafer inside the fruit, closed it, and then, with a grunt, threw it toward Monster Finn.

The monster was stuffing two fruits in his mouth even as this happened, and Aerrow had to whistle to him to get his attention. Monster Finn looked up just in time to catch the fruit in his teeth. Blinking in surprise at first, the monster then proceeded to eat the fruit just like he would any other. But as soon as he swallowed, he blinked again as if realizing something was different.

The next moment, there was a flash of yellow light, and Finn, fully human, was lying on the ground wearing nothing but his torn and tattered pants.

Groaning as he sat up, Finn looked up as Aerrow, Piper, Radarr, and Junko approached him, smiling broadly. "I'm gonna stop asking what's going on," he rasped. "Can we just go back to the _Condor_," he begged, "_please?_"

Aerrow smiled. It was nice to have Finn back.

But no sooner did they have him back when Finn fainted. A smile spread across the sharpshooter's face as he settled into a peaceful sleep for the first time in about twenty-four hours.

* * *

Later, every extra Atmosian hand was cleaning up the mess left by this disaster. Some cleaned up trash and fruit spread all over the road, others moved debris such as ashes, and still others had the wheelbarrows for carting the waste away, as well as carts for the extra crystals needed. Everyone looked up as the _Condor_ rose into the air and sped away, but only one person waved. As far as they could tell, the Storm Hawks hadn't done a good job with this one.

In the _Condor_, all the Storm Hawks were gathered on the bridge. Glad the excitement was over, Aerrow sat down on the couch around the round table. Junko sat down, too, and Radarr got up on his hind legs on the back of the couch. Piper sat between Aerrow and Junko, and Stork leaned against the couch, seeming disturbed. Perhaps he was finally realizing his actions. Or maybe he was going through a memory blank. Aerrow wasn't sure which, so long as he was back to his normal self and not so . . . psychotic.

Finn, however, was on the floor, still without proper cloths on. He was squirming like a dog at the end of his leash.

Piper looked down at him as if amused. "I hope you learned something from this," she said.

For Finn, the lesson was probably to do what he was told, but for Aerrow, it was like Stork said earlier: don't accept packages from strangers.

But Finn wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to her. Still sitting on the floor, he was gasping and scratching himself all over.

"Finn," Junko asked, leaning forward, "you okay, buddy?"

"No!" Finn retorted back. "As a matter of fact, I am _not!_ I think I got fleas!" Scratching like crazy, he even started scratching behind his ear with his foot, like a dog would. Aerrow hadn't known Finn was that flexible. "Ah, man! It itches, dude!"

Stork froze. Aerrow knew the Merb was probably the most adverse to a flea invasion out of all of them. Aerrow could already feel himself starting to recoil.

Finn looked up at them pleadingly as he scratched. "Can ya help me, please?"

But no one was going to stick around for that. In a flash, everyone else had abandoned Finn on the bridge. "Aw, man!" Finn cried again. "That itches!" He continued to scratch and howled like a plagued hound as the _Condor_ flew into the sunrise.

* * *

Author's Notes: Actually, I think Finn's lesson was the old American saying, "If you lie down with the dogs, you'll get up with fleas!"

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: A spore is a germ, germ cell, seed, dormant bacterium, or anything such as that. It can also be specifically referring to walled, single- or multi-cellular reproductive body of an organism. These spores can be sexual or asexual. These reproductive body spores are produced by fungi, bacteria, and various protozoa and nonflowering plants.

So _field germ cells_. Odd name for a disease that turns one into a monster.

Next episode coming soon! I promise, less than a week!


	133. Royal Twist: Princess Peregrine

Author's Notes: I know I said it would only be a week, and really, this episode was ready within that time! But I failed to remember that I was going out of town, which meant no Internet. I'm sorry! I started uploading as soon as I got back!

_**Part 33**_

_**Royal Twist**_

_Two girls are alike, and two are different. Crystals are excluded, and crystals are wanted. New friends are made, and new enemies are fought. The old fashioned meets the new. Two worlds collide._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Princess Peregrine

It had not been long after their agro spores incident that Piper was flying through skies on her Heliscooter. As she flew, she was mapping a chart, make lines here and there with the use of a compass while her free pencil was clutched in her teeth. She put the map up a moment to make some notes in her squadron log.

_Squadron log,_

_Mapping this unknown sector is almost complete, and I have one thing to thank for it: teamwork!_

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the squadron, minus Stork, were off in another part of the sector. But they weren't mapping anything. Finn was riding on his surfboard, which was hooked onto the back of Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer, where Aerrow drove while Radarr stood on the back of his cockpit, keeping an eye on Finn. Finn, shirtless and wearing a pair of sunglasses, was doing a sport called sky surfing. He let out a whoop. "Yeah-ha!" he shouted. "Chica-cha, baby!" He held up a rock-on sign as he swerved from side to side in a surfing motion. "Ha, ha, yeah!"

Aerrow smiled in amusement. There was nothing like sky surfing. He listened as Finn had his fun, awaiting his turn.

Junko was on his own Skimmer, flying beside Aerrow and Radarr while eating a huge sub sandwich, of which he'd already taken a bite. He laughed at Finn's hollers as he took a bite of his sandwich, wiping off the ketchup and mustard on his mouth with the very chart Piper had given the boys to map out.

"Wah! Ooh! Oops!" Junko called as the map slipped from his grip.

At that moment, Finn leapt to the front of the surfboard and stood there with his arms outstretched enjoying himself. Thrown backward, the sticky, sauce-covered map sailed and slammed right into his face. "Wah!" Finn yelled as he lost his balance and fell over backward.

Concerned, Radarr screeched to Aerrow and reached out to him. When Aerrow turned around to see what was wrong, Radarr pointed to Finn, who was falling. Laughing at Finn's mishap, Aerrow dove down to catch him.

Junko just looked over his shoulder guiltily. "Sorry, Finn!" he called.

* * *

Piper was still writing as she flew, making observations.

_Still only sky and clouds._

But no sooner did she write that and put up her log when she pulled up at something flashing at her from a distance. "Whoa," she gasped. She looked through her x-ray peepers. "A light!" As she lowered her peepers, she smiled. Finally, something interesting to investigate!

She radioed to the others. "Guys," she said, "I think I found an uncharted terra!"

* * *

But the boys and Radarr had abandoned their rides. All eager to have the next turn on the surfboard and Finn not giving it up, they decided to get on it together. Junko stood on the surfboard while Finn sat on his shoulder, Junko holding him steady. Aerrow was balanced perfectly on Junko's back, gripping the Wallop's shoulder. Radarr, looking content, lay down on the front of the surfboard, resting his elbow on the surfboard and his head in his paw.

After Piper radioed them, as if on cue, all the boys cheered at the fun they were having. Aerrow and Finn threw their fists in the air, and Aerrow whooped while Finn and Junko shouted, "Yeah!"

* * *

Piper smiled when she heard the cheers over the radio, thinking they were for her discovery. She wrote further in her log.

_Encouraged by their excitement, I'm going down to investigate._

As she flew toward the light, she saw that it was a wood windmill with metal blades sticking up out of the clouds. There was definitely civilization here.

She studied the windmill as she flew past it. It had been a long time since windmills were in wide use for power. She wondered what sort of people she would find here.

But when she turned to look ahead of her, the clouds parted to reveal that she was heading right for a wall of stone!

Crying out in surprise, Piper pulled up suddenly. She could see now that the "wall" was actually a circular tower. She rose up toward the top, where she saw a stone balcony. Curious, she leveled out in front of the balcony and peered on it and into the tower.

The balcony was circular with pink tile flooring. The square doorway, devoid of a door, leading into the tower had pink curtains drawn back from it, so Piper could see at least part of the room. All she could make out was a pink tile floor like the one on the balcony and wooden doors at the other end.

_Wooden_ doors? She'd seen only a few of these in her life. Most doors in Atmos are automatic, except for farmhouse areas like Wren's place.

Here, she stopped to make more notes.

_Squadron log,_

_Preparing to make first contact. Do a little recon first. After all, we have no idea who these people are. I mean, they could be_

But she cut herself off when she saw someone poke her head out from behind the curtain. Piper raised an eyebrow as the person stepped out into the open. Piper gasped. "—_me?_" she finished her sentence aloud.

The girl who stood in front of her wore a golden crown with blue jewels and had a small matching necklace. She had a frilly pink dress, like those worn in olden times. But everything else—her dark skin, her startled orange eyes, her midnight blue hair, her skinny complexion—made her look exactly like _Piper!_

Piper looked around before she bothered parking her Heliscooter to meet her newfound double. As she glanced off to the sides, she saw that there were two other towers like this one, each with cone-shaped roofs. This appeared to be some kind of castle.

She turned back to the strange girl that looked like her. The other girl didn't seem frightened . . . more like shocked. All the same, she looked as curious about Piper as Piper was of her. Still trying to handle her own shock, Piper quietly landed the Heliscooter on the balcony, got off, and headed to the girl, "Whoa!" she exclaimed, stopping right in front of her. The girl did not retreat but instead met her gaze, her hand going to her mouth in bewilderment.

"Wow," Piper exclaimed under her breath, giving the stranger a once-over. "You look just like . . .!" But she couldn't say it.

But the girl knew what she meant. "I know!" she agreed. This is seriously freaking me out! You don't think that we're—"

Piper knew what she was going to say, and she laughed at the idea. "Nah," she answered. "I think I'd know if I had a twin sister." She shrugged. "They say everyone has a double somewhere. I guess it's true."

Laughing a little, the other girl smiled broadly. Piper already liked her and was impressed with the way she was taking it all in stride. Piper was doing pretty well herself, but she was used to the unexpected.

Well, she'd made first contact, for better or for worse. Might as well have introductions. "I'm Piper," she said, gesturing to herself, "of the Storm Hawks.

The stranger sighed and stepped toward the stone railing of the balcony, gesturing over it. Huffing, she grumbled, "Welcome to Terra Clockstopia." Not much of a welcome. Piper couldn't tell what was wrong, but this girl obviously had some contempt for her home.

The girl turned back to Piper. "Promise you'll call me Perry," she begged. She started walking back into the room in the tower, still grumbling. "Everyone else here has to address me as Princess Peregrine or Your Highness."

Piper had followed her inside and was inspecting her glorious room when Perry's words hit her. "You're royalty?" she gasped. She spun around to see a portrait on the wall of Perry standing on clouds in front of a Terra Atmosia only as tall as the Perry in the picture. It was curious how Clockstopians knew of Terra Atmosia, but Piper didn't dwell on it. The picture proved all. Piper smiled broadly at the thought of meeting royalty. "Wow! That must be a lotta responsibility!"

Perry was running her hand over the top of a chest sitting at the foot of her hug bed. She turned to Piper with sad eyes. "You say that like it's a good thing," she said. She picked up a picture that was lying on top of the chest. "All I really want is some fun and adventure," she held up the picture for Piper to see, then put it down, "but the only kind I ever see is what I can imagine."

Piper had seen the drawing. It had depicted Perry in a suit of armor bearing a heart for a coat of arms on her chest and shield. She was riding a white unicorn, and they were at the edge of a cliff. Perry's sword was held out fearlessly to a fearsome green dragon just beyond the cliff. It was obviously one of those "imaginary adventures" she was referring to. Piper swallowed in sympathy.

But Perry had more. She dug into the chest and pulled out a hand puppet of a young, redheaded queen in a purple dress. "Lady Ursula and I spend a lot of time trying to outwit the evil Dr. Ogre!" On the other hand, she held up another hand puppet, this one of a grey-skinned, brown-haired, pointed-eared ogre with ragged clothes and a sash.

Immediately Perry started playing with the puppets. Dr. Ogre turned to Lady Ursula, pointed to her, and said, "I'm gonna eat you!" He let out an evil laugh. Perry's voice was deep and gravely for the ogre.

Then Perry switched to a sweet, singsong voice for Lady Ursula. "Oh, you?" the Lady said, swishing a hand in Dr. Ogre's direction dismissively. "Eat this!" She pulled out a puppet version of a club with studs like a mace. Lady Ursula proceeded to beat Dr. Ogre with it.

Piper raised an eyebrow at the childish play right in front of her. "Uh, yeah," she said. "You _really_ need to get out more."

* * *

With the guys, it was Aerrow's turn to be on the surfboard alone. They hooked the surfboard up to Junko's Skimmer so Junko could drive, and Aerrow stayed on the board. "Wahoo-hoo!" he whooped as he sailed up, did a flip in the air, and landed on the surfboard again.

Next was Finn. He tried staying on the board while he skidded across the side of a terra like doing a rail on a skateboard. But when he almost made it across, the board hit something that sent Finn into the air with a yell, much to everyone else's amusement.

Next was Radarr. But he played it cool. He just stood upright at the very front of the surfboard with a gentle smile on his face, his arms crossed and his monkey-like toes gripping the edge.

Last was Junko. He laughed as he jumped off the surfboard, spinning it in the air and then landing on it again. He then slid across the side of the terra, just as Finn had tried to do, only Junko succeeded. When he reached the end, he grabbed the board and spun around, shouting, "Oh, yeah!"

Aerrow came next. "Yeah! Ha, ha!" he cried as he balanced on the board, serving one way, then the next. "Wahoo!" he cried as he brought it up and leveled out again.

Finn's turn again. He tried once more to slide along the terra, but this time the board didn't even touch it; it flip-flopped on the rope, riderless, as Finn got hung up in a tree. Not at all discouraged, Finn said, "Chica-cha!"

Then Radarr rode again. Once more, he just stood on the end, arms crossed, playing it cool and quiet.

When Junko was on again, one of his tricks was to swoop up, jump off the board and grab it in his hands, do a spin with it, push himself up again, and then land right-side up with his hooves on the board once again. "Yeah!" he cried at the fun of it.

When Finn got on, he tried his trick once more. This time the board got hung up on the terra and caught, pulling back on the Vulcan and sending Finn flying forward to flip and face plant, sliding forward on his face until it was burning. "Wipeout!" Junko cried.

Finn tried one more time, and _finally_ he successfully skimmed the terra's edge. Doing a 360 off the end, he let out a, "Wahoo! Yeah-ha! Bingo!" He held up rock-on signs.

At this point, Junko and Radarr were waiting their turn on the wooden dock off the side of the terra. Both of them threw their fists in the air, celebrating Finn's achievement. While Radarr chattered, Junko shouted, "Woo! Punch it, bro!"

Finn, glad someone was acknowledging how cool he was, looked back at them and struck a proud pose. Unfortunately in doing this, he forgot to look where he was going. He groaned as a wooden post slammed into his stomach, and he got hung up on it while Aerrow, the Vulcan, and the surfboard kept going.

"Egg ten, daddy-o!" Junko shouted at him.

Groaning, Finn raised his head, looking dizzy.

Okay, Aerrow thought. That was enough surfing for today. They had better stop before Finn killed himself.

* * *

Back at Clockstopia, Piper watched with interest as Perry put two pieces of bread into what appeared to be a toaster. However, this toaster-thing had a hamster wheel on it, where a real hamster was running! It looked so dopy and goofy with its silly grin and crossed eyes that it sort of reminded Piper of Finn.

Curious about the machine, Piper stepped toward it. "Is that a hamster-powered toaster?" she asked.

Just as she asked, the toast popped up.

Perry looked embarrassed. "Huh," she said, looking ashamed, "Clockstopian technology is a little behind the times."

Piper didn't see why it had to be that way. "Don't you have any crystals?" she asked.

Piper was startled when, in answer, Perry covered her mouth and shushed her. "On Clockstopia, crystals are forbidden!" Perry gasped, putting her hand down. She leaned forward and put her hand to her mouth, as if to share a secret. Whispering, she said, "The regent won't even let me talk about them!"

"Who?" Piper asked. In their talks, she didn't remember hearing about this "regent."

Four knocks at the door made them both turn to it. "Princess?" a man's voice called from the other side.

Perry gasped. "Him! Hide Piper!" She placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Please!"

Piper didn't know why she had to hide; actually, she was now curious to meet this man who would not allow such a wonderful thing as crystals. But Perry looked so desperate that Piper didn't hesitate to hide, crawling under Perry's bed and turning around so she could peer out.

Perry straightened herself out as she turned toward the balcony.

The doors opened outward, and in came two girls, obviously maids. Both were carrying a stack of books, one with four, the other with five. And behind them was the man Piper guessed as the regent.

The regent came in, wearing proper clothes that were very much out of fashion, including a button shirt and a bow tie. His grey hair was tied back in a pony tail much like Harrier's often was. In his left hand he held a huge gold item on a stand. Piper would have thought it was a trophy if the golden sculpted items on top didn't look so much like dishes.

As the regent entered the room, his chin high in the air as if he was superior to all those around him, he asked, "And who is this Piper, Your Highness?" He stopped behind her. "Another imaginary friend?"

Perry turned around. "Uh, yes!" she answered at last, nodding. She held up Lady Ursula on one hand, which squeaked when she moved it. "Piper the Storm Hawk and I," she said, "were discussing battle plans to defeat Dr. Ogre." She held up Dr. Ogre on the other hand and had him bow before the regent.

"_Right_," the regent answered, rolling his eyes . . . which, Piper admitted, would have been similar to her answer had she been in the regent's shoes.

But then the regent went right to business. "Why don't we discuss your schedule for today, hmm?" he said, taking a little piece of paper out of his coat. As Piper peered out at their feet, the regent unrolled the little paper. Piper watched the schedule roll down all the way to the floor and then even trailing along it. She lifted an eyebrow. _That_ was Perry's schedule? No wonder she wanted a change!

"First," the regent read, "the Royal Birdseed Review at noon. Then, the Paint Drying Tournament, followed by your trophy presentation," he held up the trophy, "at the Royal Dish Scrubbing Contest."

Piper rolled her eyes as she heard a chicken outside cluck. Royal Birdseed Review? Paint Drying Tournament? Royal Dish Scrubbing Contest? Really?

Perry certainly didn't like it, either. She sighed and turned away. "Do I have to?" she growled irritably, gesturing to the regent. She crossed her arms. "Why can't I ever go out and have fun?" She sat down on her bed.

The regent rolled his eyes as if she were being childish. "Because, Your Highness," he said, "you have responsibilities!"

As he said it, the two maids piled the books in Perry's hand, as if backing up what the regent was saying. First four books were piled in her arms, then nine. Their job done, the maids left.

But Perry had a thought in mind. Smirking, she turned to the regent. "But what if I want . . . crystals?"

Piper smiled. _Atta girl!_ she thought.

"You know they are forbidden!" the regent yelled, suddenly sounding very angry.

Piper frowned at his feet for spoiling the moment.

Putting her books down, Perry leaned over her bed toward the regent, placing her hands on the bed. "But why are they forbidden?" she demanded to know.

The regent let out a sound of shock. Then he struggled a moment, as if he couldn't give her a good answer. At last, he said, "Because they are!"

With that, the regent turned his back on her and started marching toward the door, his chin high in the air and the trophy tucked under his arm. "Now finish your studies," he ordered, "and stop this nonsense!" With that, he slammed the door shut angrily, so hard that it made Piper jump.

* * *

Far below, in a tunnel beneath the tower, a strange robbed figure leapt down from the ceiling onto the stony floor. In the darkness, he was nearly invisible, save for two red eyes that glowed in the dark. The humanoid figure was clad in black armor with a hood covering his head, which ended at a sharp point behind him. Not that the hood made much of a difference for visibility; the creature's skin was dark, too, black around the mouth and eyes and very dark grey elsewhere. His teeth weren't really teeth but sharp, jagged plates on the front of his mouth. And when this mouth opened, it glowed with the same red light as that seen in his eyes.

He was a Night Crawler.

"Yes," he hissed in a voice soft and low, as if muted by cloth or chalk. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "I can feel them. So many crystals."

Eagerly the Night Crawler turned and ran down the tunnel. On his back the Cyclonian symbol stood out against the rest of the black armor.

* * *

Author's Notes: Meh, I was never much for this episode. Then again, I don't particularly like Piper as a character, so what can I say? Kind of sucks that Aerrow is my second favorite character because when it comes to "destiny of saving Atmos" thing, he and Piper go hand and hand. Got to have her, I guess. Of course, Radarr is my favorite character, so technically Aerrow is my second favorite by default because he is Radarr's boy. And he's the great hero and all. I'm cliché; I like heroes. But I'm getting _way_ off topic now.

I have no trivia for this episode, but thanks to BlueTiger321, I have a trivia for last episode.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Stork's pursuit of Monster Finn's reflects that of Wile E. Coyote's pursuit of the Road Runner in the Road Runner cartoons, which first aired as _Looney Tunes_ and _Merrie Melodies_ cartoons and are now shown purely as short films. Coyote, a slim coyote with an ever-persisting hunger, is always in pursuit of this Greater Roadrunner. In each episode, Coyote comes up with a scheme (sometimes more than one) to catch the fast-as-lightning Road Runner. Coyote is obsessed with his hunt, and his schemes seem to grow more and more ridiculous with each episode. The Road Runner always evades him, sometimes even teasing him in the process. Coyote's plans include jumping off a bridge on bungee ropes to grab the Road Runner, hitting the bird with a hammer, and even trying to blow up the Road Runner with dynamite. In the very first episode "Fast and Furry-ous," he comes up with many schemes to try to be as fast as the Road Runner. In "Boulder Wham!" Coyote gets slammed into the ground by a boulder—twice!—just as Stork gets crushed by a boulder against a tower.

Jeez, most of my reviewers here sure comment a lot on my trivia. Sometimes I wonder if you guys are here for the story or just for the random facts!

Speaking of reviews, that's not a bad idea, right? Okay, don't look at me so angrily. It was just a suggestion!


	134. Royal Twist: A Tale of Two Girls

Chapter 2: A Tale of Two Girls

With the regent and the maids gone, Piper had crawled out from under the bed and watched as Perry was once again distracted. She had caught sight of Piper's Heliscooter on the balcony. "Ooh!" she exclaimed, going out to it. "And you have a cool flying-thingy!" She grabbed handles and pretended to drive it. "Vroom! Vroom! Vrrrrreek!" She pretended to break.

"Uh . . ." Piper said, laughing wearily. The more Perry kept acting like a little kid, the more Piper questioned her maturity.

But Perry was apparently done playing driver. She stood up straight and turned back to Piper. "I want to hear all the fun stuff about being a Storm Hawk!" she said, clenching her fists excitedly.

_All _the fun stuff, huh? Piper didn't know where to start. She decided not to give Perry too many ideas about "fun adventure," so she started out with, "Well, it's not always fun. It's a lotta hard work."

* * *

Back at the _Condor_, the "hard work" Piper was talking about was nonexistent. And Aerrow knew it, and, much as he disliked hard work, it was bothering him at the moment. That was because he was with the others on the bridge and looking at the chart Piper had asked them to fill out.

The chart now was covered in yellow and red stains from Junko's sandwich. The stuff they had drawn on it wasn't a map but instead a bunch of dotted lines curving all over the paper, connecting potato-shaped doodles of each of the Storm Hawk members. Stork looked mad in the doodles, but everyone else looked happy. Aerrow couldn't help but notice that he and Radarr were side-by-side. And also that Piper was off to the side by herself.

Piper. She had given them this chart to map. There was no "mapping" whatsoever.

"Guys," Aerrow asked the others, "d'you think maybe Piper's right about us needing to work a little harder?"

But when he looked up, he realized no one was listening.

On the center of the round table sat a platter stacked two feet high with toxic "food," much like the Colonel had once fed Junko. In fact, the food _was_ for Junko. Currently, however, the Wallop was leaning back on the couch, his feet propped up on the table and his thumb in his mouth, fast asleep. Even in his sleep, the Wallop flicked his ear as a fly buzzed around it.

On the other side of the couch, Stork was asleep, too, wearing his trance helmet, which must have accounted for the contented smile on his face. Finn was leaning on Stork, mouth wide open, snoring quietly.

Radarr wasn't around at all.

_Nice to know someone was listening,_ Aerrow thought. Piper listened when he talked, even though he didn't always listen to her.

But Piper wasn't here, and he couldn't help wondering why she hadn't come back to the _Condor_ yet.

* * *

Back in the tower at Terra Clockstopia, Piper was excitedly telling stories of the Storm Hawks' adventures to Perry. Piper sat on the plush chair at Perry's desk while Perry stood in front of her, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands. "And that's how we escaped the Murk Raiders at Terra Deep!" Piper told her, finishing yet another story.

Perry was staring at her with eyes wide and bright with excitement. "_Wow!_" she gasped. Then, looking down, she started tracing lines along the desk's tabletop. "And all I get to do is inspect birdseed," she grumbled, flicking a speck of dust off the table. She looked up at Piper. "You're so lucky!"

"Heh!" Piper said, on the verge of laughter. For her, the solution was obvious. "If ya want adventure, then do what I did! Take charge of your life and get out there!" She gestured out toward the open skies. Yes, out there was freedom, freedom that she had possessed since the day she agreed to be a Storm Hawk.

But Perry's thoughts were going in different direction. "Take charge, and get out," she muttered to herself, gazing at Piper, "like you."

When Piper turned around, she was met with the sight of Perry slamming a book onto her head. "Oh!" Piper gasped. And all went black.

* * *

Deep in the tunnels, the Night Crawler still stalked. He was getting ever closer to his target, tiptoeing as quietly as a mouse.

At last, he came in sight of a doorway blocked by two wooden doors. Torches burned on either side, lighting the entrance. This made it easy for the Night Crawler to see the two Clockstopian guards standing outside the door, but the Night Crawler was cloaked by the darkness.

The two guards wore purple suits, which signified them to be the royal guard. Their armor consisted of metal plates protecting their shoulders and chests, all with beautiful patterns scrawled across them. Each wore a helmet, making the Night Crawler smirk. Helmets were a sign of cowardice on Atmos, and though the Talons wore them and worked for the same master as he, a Night Crawler would never stoop so low.

When the Night Crawler jumped behind a stone pillar to hide himself, he purposefully let some rocks slide.

The guards froze when they heard the sound and then stooped over, peering into the darkness to try to discover the disturbance. Each held his two-prong-ended staff a little tighter. But in the darkness, they could see nothing.

Finally, one hit the other on the head and pointed down the passage way. He wanted his buddy to see what the trouble was.

Gasping at the blow, the other guard put his hand to his head and glared at his companion. Even so, he rolled his eyes and groaned, complying. With his staff leveled out in front of him, he stepped into the darkness of the passageway, away from the light.

As he walked, he looked back and forth, his eyes straining for a sign of anything out of the ordinary. When he reached the space just before the opening in the chamber, where the light grew very dim, he stopped and turned to the side, his staff still held out in front of him. There was nothing there.

That's when he heard the breathy laugh.

Gasping, the guard whirled around. Red eyes peered out at him from the darkness. Chuckling at the man's fear, the Night Crawler leapt out of the darkness at him. Letting out a cry, the guard staggered backward, pointing his staff at the Night Crawler.

But he had backup. The other guard was coming their way slowly and surely, his staff also pointed at the Night Crawler. The Night Crawler turned to him and hissed, but he could not let his entire attention be diverted. He turned back to the first guard, who was trembling and making thrusts with his staff at him threateningly to ward him off.

The two backed the Night Crawler to the wall with their staffs. The Night Crawler cooperatively put up his hands in surrender. But quietly he let out a growl-like chuckle, almost a purr, as he smirked. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, the other Storm Hawks had finally woken up from their naps, but Piper was still not back yet. Aerrow was getting more anxious.

When Stork gave Aerrow a look that told him to calm down, Aerrow knew he couldn't comply. He simply indicated for Stork to peer through the periscope to look for her. "She hasn't returned or even checked in!" Aerrow explained, gesturing out the window. "That's not Piper's style, Stork."

"Oh, she's returning alright, Aerrow," Stork assured after a brief look through the periscope. "But, uh, _not_ in style."

Aerrow peered outside, and he, too, saw the Heliscooter slowly making its way toward them. The problem was it was wobbling like crazy and zigzagging across the sky.

But that's because it wasn't Piper. It was Perry, in Piper's clothing.

Perry couldn't for the life of her figure out how to properly drive this thing. Piper had made it seem so easy, but every time it balked, Perry was sure she would end up falling to her death. She let out two gasps as she yanked on the handles, trying to right the Heliscooter. "Whoa! Perry, girl," she muttered to herself, "this adventure you wanted so bad might be a short one!"

At that moment, Aerrow's voice came over the radio. "_Piper, come in! What's wrong?_"

But Perry had never seen or heard a radio before. So instead of answer Aerrow back, she only squealed in fear. "Th-this thing talks!"

In the ship, Aerrow turned back to Stork, putting down the radio had had been speaking into. "No answer," he said.

He turned instead to the intercom speaker. "Piper," he said, "if you can hear me, we're comin' to get you!"

Perry heard the voice over the _Condor_'s intercom, and that's when she saw the large . . . _thing_ rise out of the clouds. She gasped! "Oh my gosh! A monster, coming straight for me!"

As the _Condor_ got closer to her, the hatch for the hangar bay opened, and Aerrow was waiting in the opening, where Radarr, Junko, and Finn joined him. But he saw Piper was still weaving, and she wasn't slowing down. "Her air breaks must be gone!" he shouted.

"Then what's she gonna use to stop with?" Junko asked with a shrug.

Radarr, who was hiding behind Junko's leg, made the prediction first. He whimpered and scampered out of the way.

"Us!" Finn answered Junko's question after Radarr.

Seeing "Piper" heading straight on a collision course with them, Aerrow and Junko leapt to either side. Finn stood their screaming like a girl until the last minute, when he at last remembered to run. And he did run, toward Junko, with his hands raised up in the air, screaming his head off. Perry was screaming, too.

The Heliscooter hit the floor of the hangar bay with a resounding CRASH! Aerrow gasped as the force of the blow rippled through the _Condor_ and sent her over backward, making Aerrow lose his footing. He landed on his belly and covered his head with his hands as the tumbled and came crashing down again in a cloud of smoke and dust.

When at last everything grew quiet, Aerrow lifted his head hesitantly and turned toward the Heliscooter to see if Piper was alright.

Perry, meanwhile, groaned as she came to. She was leaning against the wrecked Heliscooter, which thankfully took most of the blow and was painfully bent out of shape while Perry was fine. Slowly she blinked her eyes and tried to figure out what had happened.

Then she saw where she saw as she peered up at the metal ceiling of the hangar bay.

She gasped and sat up suddenly. What . . . ?

But then she remembered all the stories Piper had told her about being a Storm Hawk. "This must be the _Condor_," she whispered to herself. She laughed quietly at her foolishness. "And I was scared!"

But then she squealed and drew back. Some strange animal lay crumpled up in the wreck beside her. The blue furry creature was lifting his head and shaking it. "W-what's that?" she gasped. She'd never seen an animal like it!

The creature raised its head and looked up at her quizzically, as if to say, _What do you mean? It's me!_

Then Perry thought back. She remembered that a boy named Aerrow, who was called a Sky Knight was in charge—a redhead, he was—and he had a little furry creature that was his constant companion. This creature was very intelligent. What was his name?

Thinking she might have it, she gestured to the creature. "Oh, sorry . . . Finn?"

That's when she realized the redhead boy and a strange, rhino-like person were standing around her. A blond boy a little way off was getting up, dusting himself off. He turned to her. "Finn?" he said, sounding insulted. The creature growled as if he, too, were insulted.

The redhead—yes, it must be Aerrow!—stood over her with a concerned look on his face. "Piper, are you okay?" he asked. He gestured to the creature at his feet, who was getting up on two legs. "That's Radarr."

Oh, dear. She'd gotten a name wrong! She needed an excuse. She put her hand to her head. "I, uh, must've bumped my head really hard. I'm just not myself . . ." She laughed nervously.

A fourth character came into view, this one peering at her from behind Aerrow's shoulder. He was green-skinned, with rabbit ears, large yellow eyes, and black hair cascading over his face. He peered at Perry with shock and . . . suspicion?

No, Perry thought. She was just being paranoid. She chuckled again nervously and looked away from them, only to glance up at Aerrow but look away before he could meet her eyes.

* * *

Piper had taken a pretty good bump on the head, but it had nothing to do with her Heliscooter crashing.

When she woke up, she had a pounding headache. Groaning, she put her hand to her head. That's when she realized something cold and metallic sat upon her head. And what's more, she was lying on a very soft, plush surface, a bed of some sort. What happened? She couldn't remember . . .

At that moment, she looked around and realized where she was. She was in Perry's room, and she was lying on her bed.

The next thing she knew, she lost her balance and was screaming as she fell over backward off the edge of the bed.

The wooden doors opened to the bedroom with impeccable timing. "Princess," the regent said, not bothering to enter the room but standing in the doorway, "we have a problem."

Piper sat up and looked at her clothes. She was in Perry's gown!

Suddenly everything made sense: Perry's wish for adventure and her jealousy of Piper's life as a Storm Hawk, the memory of Perry knocking her on the head, the fact that Perry wasn't here and Piper was in Perry's clothes.

Piper glared up at regent. "You've got a problem," she muttered.

The two maids entered after the regent and, seeing Piper on the floor, helped her to her feet. It was obvious from everyone's reaction that they believed Piper was the Princess Peregrine!

This had to be straightened out right away. "The problem is, I'm not the princess!" Piper told the regent desperately, gesturing to herself.

The regent exasperatedly put his head in his hand, shaking his head in dismay as if he'd had enough.

"I'm Piper!" Piper insisted.

"Oh," the regent said, sounding as if he were talking to a child. "I thought _this_ was Piper." He held up the Lady Ursula puppet by its hem, pinching it with only two fingers as if holding the puppet disgusted him.

"No," Piper corrected in irritation, gesturing to the doll while one of the maids straightened the crown on her head. "That's Lady Ursula." Then, realizing how stupid she sounded, she knocked the maid's hand away from her and stepped out toward the deck. "But that's not the point!"

She stopped on the deck and looked out. Nothing was there, just as she figured. Gesturing to her dress, she said, "You're princess switched clothes with me," she waved a hand out toward the deck, "and took off with my Heliscooter and my staff!" She spun around to the others, hoping they'd believe her.

But she only turned to see the calm, tolerant smiles of the regent and the maids. The regent was standing with his hands behind his back, as if he were trying to look important. "Last week," he said, "you said you were eaten by a zombie." He exchanged knowing smiles with the maids. The maids giggled.

_Oh, great!_ Piper thought. "This is where I say you don't believe me, do you?"

The regent sighed and shook his head as if to say she were a hopeless case. "I remain your appointed guardian until you are prepared to cease these teenage fantasies and behave like a true ruler!"

Piper looked away and scowled. Well, it was no wonder Perry had her fantasies with the way this "appointed guardian" treated her. Of course, she was in no position to say that. They wouldn't believer her anyways.

One of the maids walked by and grabbed Piper's hand when she did. Piper gasped as the maid dragged her over to the bed.

Once there, the maids both cracked their knuckles and stretched their hands, putting Piper flat onto the bed. Piper was antsy was to what was happening until she felt the warm, relaxing massage the maids were giving her on her shoulders. She sighed and laid her head on the bed. Wow, that felt good!

With the "princess" relaxed now, the regent presented his news. "I came here to inform you that an intruder was spotted flying onto the castle grounds."

Piper popped her head up. Intruder . . . flying . . . "Yes!" she exclaimed just as the maids began doing the back chops, making her voice sound choppy. "That was me!" It was hard to be so insistent when this massage felt so wonderful.

"No," the regent corrected her, shaking his head. "But don't worry, Your Highness. The intruder has been caught. Pleasant day." And with that, he left the room.

Piper looked after him desperately. "Wait!" she called. "I've gotta get back to the _Condor_!"

But the maids weren't letting her go anywhere. Piper gasped as they pulled her back and then flipped her over on her back, her head landing on the pillow. Quick as a flash, the maids had her shoes off and started rubbing her feet.

"Oh," Piper gasped in pleasure. This was too great of an opportunity to pass up. "Maybe after the foot rub." She closed her eyes, enjoying herself, muttering, "Yeah, right there."

* * *

Meanwhile, Perry couldn't believe all the wonderful stuff that held her attention on the _Condor_. Nothing was clean, for starters. Everything was fantastic and messy, not at all like her castle! The very image of the _Condor_'s bridge was fantastic and just as Piper had described; many-sided, almost circular, with _automatic _doors! The windows were _huge_, and there were all sorts of gadgets by the helm! And there was the round table, where Piper had said she and Aerrow held their team meetings. "Amazing!" Perry exclaimed at it all.

"Whoa, even cool stuff on the floor!" she exclaimed, seeing the open magazines, Talon Academy propaganda poster, food box, donut, yorca juice can, banana peel, Finn rock album, dirty glass with a straw, and Piper's protective goggles on the floor. Fascinated by the goggles, she picked them up and sat down on the couch at the round table, barely noticing the banana peel drape over the couch. She put the goggles on her head, studying everything through them, including her own hand, which looked odd when viewed through one blue lens and one red.

The Storm Hawks simply couldn't puzzle out "Piper's" behavior. And what did she mean by "cool stuff on the floor"? Finn turned to Junko, running a hand through his hair. "Is she being sarcastic because we haven't cleaned up?" he asked.

Junko didn't answer but only looked at Piper with a raised eyebrow.

Aerrow watched with growing concern. This wasn't like Piper at all. "That blow to her head has weirded her out," he told Stork.

"Um," Stork reminded him, raising a finger, "her flying was weirded out before she bumped her head."

Aerrow turned back to Piper. What had happened to her? Was something wrong?

Meanwhile, "Piper," or Perry, had found a spatula and the banana peel on the couch. She had put the banana peel on the spatula, which she was bending backward away from her. She had always wanted to do something like this! Biting her tongue in concentration, she finally released the spatula and sent the banana peel right smack into her face with a SPLAT!

"Piper" eventually got off to couch. She was standing with her back to them when Finn, knowing what was coming, approached her with their sad excuse for a map. "I suppose you wanna check out our map work," he said dejectedly, holding out the map to her.

He startled, however, when "Piper" turned around blew a noisemaker in his face, making him drop the map. She was still wearing the goggles.

Perry blinked at him as she took the noisemaker out of her mouth and lifted up the goggles. "Map work?" she said. Why would she want to do that? "Boring!" she said, rolling her eyes. "I wanna have some fun for a change!" She held up a toy wooden Skimmer with a little wooden driving, saying, "Vroom, vroom! Vroom!"

As she ran off playing with the toy, Finn smiled after her. He liked this change in their Piper! "Hey," he said, "you can bump your head anytime!"

Piper walked past Aerrow, still playing with the Skimmer and making _vroom_ sounds. Aerrow was smiling, standing up proudly with his hands behind his back. He looked very . . . official, Perry guessed would be the word. "Okay, navigator," he said. "Where to?"

_Navigator?_ "Oh, me?" she gasped, turning to Aerrow. She could decide where to go? Cool! "Uh, anywhere! Just far away from here!"

Aerrow and Stork looked bewildered and exchanged confused glances. "Hmm," Aerrow said aloud. Piper always gave exact directions. And what was so terrible about here, anyway?

Something wasn't right here.

* * *

Author's Notes: You know what would have been funny? If Perry had a crush on Aerrow! And then she started to act weird around him! He would be so confused! . . . Well, more so than he already is. Picking on Aerrow is fun!

Although come to think of it, picking on Stork is probably more fun . . .

Hmm, Perry/Aerrow? I could see a one-sided case of that. Wonder why no one has done it yet. Maybe I will. Then again, I always say that and never do.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The first European castles were made of wood. Stone castles did not appear until around the 1100's. Like the castle on Terra Clockstopia, the castles of medieval Europe were surrounded by a wall called a curtain wall. On this wall were a series of guard towers patrolled by guards and used for defense. Each tower had battlements, which archers would use to hide behind and shoot between in an attack. Ramparts were often lining either side of the top of the wall and basically were battlements of the wall. The Hall or Great Hall is the main building of the castle, and the Keep was often the largest, most powerful structure, a tower that the castle was built around. In medieval times, castles like this were often home to a kingdom under the feudal system. The noble lord or king who ruled over the peasants lived in the Hall and sometimes even housed knights. Lesser knights and the peasants lived in the Bailey, the part of the area surrounded by the walls of the castle.

And blah, blah, blah . . . I like medieval stuff, but that one was a bore.

Okay, y'all know what to do, so I'll leave you to it.


	135. Royal Twist: The Princess and the Piper

Author's Notes: I got a lot of comments on that Perry/Aerrow suggestion. Some agreed that it would be funny. Some just shrugged it off. And finally there were those who seemed absolutely horrified. It was great! I should say disturbing things more often. Totally worth it!

What? Don't look at me! I'm not insane! Stop looking at me and read the story!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Princess and the Piper

The sun was setting on Terra Clockstopia as the regent was trying to get his mind off the princess and take care of more important affairs. He always found it odd how the silly girl came up with new fantasies. They were completely ridiculous. Much as he scolded her for it, though, he did nothing to curb it otherwise. The longer Princess Peregrine was concerned with fairytale matters, the less likely she was to start taking command of _his_ kingdom. He had ruled here for a good amount of time now and was not looking forward to giving up that power. He had made this kingdom what it is and kept everything running smoothly. Under his command, things had always been done right. The longer he held power, he reasoned, the better it was. He was a good ruler.

Never did he allow himself to dwell on how much he savored the taste of absolute power.

But with that power came responsibility. As acting ruler of Terra Clockstopia, it was now his job to interview the intruder that had been caught and see what he was up to.

So that's how he found himself now in the bowels of the castle, deep within the dark, torch-lit dungeons, a place he could never reason the princess ever being able to handle. He doubted she even knew of their existence. And it was better that way.

The guard on the outside of the occupied cell allowed him in. With his hands behind his back, his back straight, and his chin in the air to give the appearance of authority, the regent stepped inside.

Two other guards stood in front of the prisoner, their staffs crossing to make a blockade to the prisoner. The prisoner hung from the wall, his hands chained to it. At the moment, his head was hanging as if in defeat. He was unlike anything the regent had seen before; although distinctly humanoid, he was black in every meaning of the word. Not only were his skin and armor black, but the very presence of him seemed dark, as if a black aura surrounded him. The long points that stuck backward from his hood looked like horns, giving the impression of a dark devil. But then, the regent reminded himself, outsiders were always strange.

The guards retracted their staffs and stepped sideways to allow the regent access to the prisoner. It was then that the prisoner raised his head so that his eyes—smoldering red slits—peered up at him from under the hood. There was nothing defeated or even submissive about those eyes. They looked only treacherous.

The regent kept his face straight. He didn't want trouble but just wanted this . . . creature . . . to know their policy and to leave them in peace. "Outsiders are not welcome," he told the prisoner. "What is your business here?"

The regent didn't know what he was expecting, but certainly it wasn't a soft, chalky, ghost-like voice saying, "I have come for your crystals." When he spoke, the regent could see his pointed canine teeth.

Crystals? The regent rolled his eyes. "Well," he said, "you're wasting your time. We don't use crystals here. They are forbidden!"

"But you do have them?" the prisoner pointed out. "You just don't use them." He smirked. "Such a shame."

That smirk made him nervous, and the regent responded to his nervousness with increasing anger, which he reminded himself to keep in check. "Oh?" he said, trying not to betray that he was at all disturbed. "And why is that, pray tell?" He studied the prisoner harshly, looking for some sort of catch.

"Because now I know," the prisoner said, pausing as he raised his head to smirk at the regent, "your kingdom is defenseless!"

What happened next was something neither the regent nor the guards would ever have predicted in a thousand years. Tiny pinpoints of red light shot out of the prisoner's fingertips at the chains around his wrists. The guards cringed away, and the regent gasped and terror. There was only one explanation: _crystal_ power!

Just as quickly as he had freed himself from the wall, the prisoner slung the chains forward at them and then pulled something out of his cloak-like armor. He threw two crystals in the air, a red one and a violet one, each for each hand. No sooner did he catch them when he thrust his hand forward toward the guard, the violet crystal grasped in it. Crystal energy reverberated from his hand, throwing the guard over backward into the wall. "Wha! Whoa!" the guard cried before he hit the wall and was knocked unconscious.

The other guard was already beginning his attack. He was running up behind the escapee, his staff raised high. But just as he jumped and was about to bring it down the escapee, the black creature spun around and struck the man's torso with a reverberating pulse from the red crystal in his other hand. The regent found himself hurled the other direction, landing on the hard prison floor.

Before they had even hit the ground, the black intruder had jumped out of the cell. He turned back and smirked at them just for a moment before he whirled around and spotted his escape: a wooden trap down. He jumped up and burst through it, landing catlike on the stone floor of the room above. Once there, he was off and running.

The second guard was still holding his helmeted head, trying to recover. At least he had regained his feet. The regent was just now getting up. But he had seen where the intruder had escaped, and he was determined to stop him. "To the castle wall!" he shouted to the guard, pointing at the open trap door. "Get him!"

The first guard was revived, and both guards made a sprint up to one of the decks on the wall, the top of the tower looming above them. They ran to the railing, looking to and fro for their enemy. Little did they know that the Night Crawler was clinging to the stone wall up above and behind them.

But the Night Crawler saw them, and he leapt down to his ride, which was parked in area on the deck.

The guards weren't aware of anything until they heard the engine of a skyride. Both whirled around to see the Night Crawler charging at them atop a black, motorcycle-like skyride giving off red crystal pulses. Both men yelled and leapt to either side to get out of the way as the Night Crawler wheelied into the wall and broke part of the wooden railing, driving right off the edge.

At first the guards thought he would fall to his death, but after a moment, the Night Crawler threw his arms out, and the sides of the vehicle popped out of his arms to form a glider. The front tire was really two tires put together, and when the sides went out, each tire went out on either wing. The engine still ran on the Night Crawler's rear like a jetpack, allowing him to glide as long as he wished.

The Night Crawler smiled and cackled to himself as he flew away. His holders had been a sad excuse for fighters, but it had been quite fun outwitting them.

The regent had at last made it to the deck to see the would-be prisoner flying away. He and the guards ran to the broken part of the railing, but there was no catching the black creature now. He was far from their grasp, speeding into the darkening skies.

There was nothing to do but try to prevent further trouble. "Crystals," the regent muttered to himself. If that was what the intruder was after, he wasn't going to get it easily.

The guards were still staring at the escaped prisoner with open mouths when the regent spun around to them. "Guards," he said, pointing to them, "I want double security on the forbidden cave!"

The guards straightened and put on a solemn, stubborn look, signaling that they would obey.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Perry still wasn't done exploring all the neat things on the _Condor_. She knew soon it would be time to sleep, and on Terra Clockstopia she would be going to bed shortly. But the boys were staying up, so that meant she could, too!

In the growing dimness, she caught sight of something glowing. It was orange and shown like fire that didn't flicker. To her surprise, it was a smooth, shiny stone. She picked it up off the top of the crate, gasping. "A crystal!" Finally she was able to see a real crystal!

The rhino-like guy, whom Perry had come to know as Junko, came up behind her. "You having tummy problems, Piper?" he asked.

"Why?" Perry asked, spinning around to him.

Suddenly, the crystal began to grow brighter, and Perry didn't know why. Then a bolt like lightning shot out from it and hit Junko's stomach.

Junko's face turned green, and he clasped his stomach, groaning. "'Cause that crystal makes you empty it!" he answered her just before running off the bridge's bathroom and throwing up.

Suddenly the paranoid green thing, whom Piper knew now as Stork, came up beside her. "So," he said, glaring down at her hand suspiciously, "when did you become left-handed, _Piper_?"

Perry bit her lip as she became keenly away that she was holding the crystal in her left hand. Oh, yeah. Piper was _right_-handed!

But thankfully, Finn saved her. He came up beside Perry right at that moment with his surfboard under his arm. "You said you wanted fun," he said, putting an arm around her shoulder, "so let's go surfing!"

"Awesome!" Perry exclaimed. Finally, here was the fun and adventure she came here for!

But then suddenly the lights flickered on the bridge. Perry looked around, and even as the lights went out, the needles on the gauges by the helm all dropped to zero.

Finn slumped and held up a finger. "I think that'll be delaying the fun program."

Piper slouched in disappointment, too. The fun program was why she was _here_.

But of course, the lights going out signaled more than just darkness. Suddenly everyone screamed as the _Condor_ tilted to port and began to fall from the sky.

Stork was at the helm, and though he pulled the _Condor_'s power lever, nothing happened. He grabbed the helm, looking at one of the gauges on top of it. "Energy meter on zero!" he told Aerrow. He pulled the lever twice again, but still nothing. "Total power loss!"

The _Condor_ had leveled out, but now she was truly falling, and the velocity was increasing.

Aerrow turned around to Perry. "Piper," he said, "you remembered to recharge the power crystals, right?"

Uh, oh. "Uh . . ." Perry answered hesitantly, clenching a fist nervously. She smiled at Aerrow sheepishly. "That's my job, too?" Then quietly to herself, she added, "Oh, I do a lot around here!"

Apparently hearing her, Stork said, "Not for long, 'cause we're about to CRASH!"

Again, everyone screamed. Once that was done, Finn and Junko looked around wildly, gasping and whimpering. Stork still grasped the helm, as if he thought it would help. Radarr was clutching the edge of the round table, whimpering.

Only Aerrow looked anything but scared. In fact, to Perry's dismay, he looked angry. But he didn't talk like he was angry, only determined. "Quick!" he told the others, pointing to them. "Grab any energy crystals you can find and throw them in the converter!"

Perry didn't even know where to begin looking for crystals and had no idea what the converter was. She only gasped and clenched her fist nervously as Junko and Finn ran past her, following Aerrow's orders. Aerrow and Stork were soon quick to follow them.

Once in the hallways, they split up. Finn was heaving as he went one way, and Stork did the same as he went another.

Finn was following Aerrow. The two ran into the hangar bay to get crystals from their rides. Aerrow opened up spare crates in the hangar bay as well, finding six spare violet crystals that were shaped like double-ended arrowheads.

Junko, meanwhile, had opened up a cupboard where he found two of his Little Birdie missiles. He grabbed these and hurriedly ran off.

They dumped these crystals, cooking crystals, fuel crystals from their skyrides, and whatever else they could find into two wooden buckets.

Once the buckets were filled, a whimpering Stork grabbed one, and Aerrow grabbed the other. Stork led the way into the engine room, followed by Aerrow, Junko, and Finn.

Both bucketfuls were dumped into the converter. Once that was done, Stork gasped as he turned the wheel to the pipes. The pipes rattled as the foreign crystals began to charge the ship with power.

They all ran up to the bridge. Stork whimpered nervously as he went to the controls. At Stork's command, the ship's propellers turned and began pushing upward. The safety chutes popped out on either side. Rumbling as if she were groaning in effort, the _Condor_ leveled off and started slowing.

When they felt the ship still, Finn and Junko exchanged happy glances.

The chutes came in as the trembling stopped, and the _Condor_ came to a standstill. Radarr, who had been holding onto a corner of the wall with a hand on his head in fright, whimpered in relief and slumped. However, he had an annoyed look on his face that Perry couldn't ignore.

"As long as we don't move," Stork said, turning around to the others, "the _Condor_ has just enough power to stay afloat . . . for now."

All the boys were clustered around the helm. Perry knew she had to approach them. Nervously, she took a few steps in their direction.

Her heels clicking on the metal floor alerted them, and they all turned to her. To her relief, no one looked mad, just disappointed. Aerrow had his hands on his hips, and although his expression was soft, his stance demanded an explanation.

But Perry knew she had none. She only winced and smiled sheepishly, laughing nervously.

Finn shook his head and sighed. "Right now," he said, "I miss the old, hardworking Piper over the dodge responsibility one."

Perry winced and looked down at her feet. He was right, after all. She had put them all in danger by her stupid little stunt. She never should have attempted to be Piper. Oh, if only she could go back right now and switch back!

But Aerrow's expression seemed to say, _What's done is done,_ and he was moving on to more important matters. "We need lots of crystals, and fast," he told his team, "or we're goin' down for good. Any ideas?"

Perry sighed. She knew about the forbidden cave on Terra Clockstopia. No one was using those crystals. Why shouldn't she use them to help the Storm Hawks since she got them in this trouble in the first place? Besides that, it would be her chance to go home!

But outsiders aren't allowed on Terra Clockstopia . . .

But then, was there really much of a choice?

She looked up at the others and held up a finger. "I know a place," she said. Stork blinked in surprise and again had a hint of suspicion, but Perry ignored it. "It's called Terra Clockstopia."

"Um, what's the point?" Stork pointed out. He pointed a thumb at the helm. "We don't have the power to fly there."

She drew a deep breath. _Please, _she thought, _let this work._ "I have a way," she said, "but it's kinda old-fashioned."

* * *

The Night Crawler had at last, made it to his destination: a dusty, rocky spit of terra within sight of Terra Clockstopia. He dove down as he approached it and then rose up again along its walls, flapping the wings of his engine-powered glider just once to gain altitude. Five more Night Crawlers were waiting for him next to their skyrides. Unlike the first, all of them had shearing violet eyes and mouths, as opposed to the first one's sinister blood red.

The red-eyed Night Crawler, who was the leader of the group, flew in for a sharp landing. With the sound of screeching, sliding metal, he flapped his wings together and formed his skimmer again for driving just before he touched the ground. He slid to a stop in front of the others, who awaited his verdict and mounted their own skyrides.

His eyes narrowed, the red-eyed leader cast them a sinister smile. "Master Cyclonis speaks true," he said in his hushed, ghost-like voice. "Many crystals here. We move."

Without waiting to see if they would follow, the lead Night Crawler spun his skyride around and tore off toward the edge of the terra. The others followed right behind him. As they drove off the edge, they all tore apart their rides down the middle to form gliders that caught the winds currents, stretching out like the wings of black vultures looking for death. They headed straight for Terra Clockstopia.

The leader smiled as he led them straight for the princess's tower. That would be their first target. Once there, they began to circle it, silent as owls in the night.

Back in the tower, the maids had been caring for Piper all this time and had fed her the best food around. And, Piper admitted, she had enjoyed it. If it weren't for the lack of freedom, Piper didn't know what Perry could possibly complain about in this life.

But like it or not, Piper had to get back to the boys. Without her there, who knows what trouble they have gotten themselves into! Perry, too! The princess knew little about the outside world or how to operate in a Sky Knight squadron.

Piper turned to the maids. "Well, it's been swell," she told them, throwing one last berry into her mouth. She gestured to the door. "But I've got to find a two-way radio." And with that, she sprinted toward the door, leaving the maids giving each other confused glances, one with a tray with a sandwich, gloopy fruit, and refreshments and the other with a basket of berries.

But no sooner did Piper reach the door when something shook the castle. Piper glanced around. What in the world . . . ?

The door opening in front of her surprised her, making her gasp. But it was only the regent and two guards. The regent stepped into the doorway, looking tense. "I regret to inform Your Highness that we are under attack!"

Outside, Piper could already hear the sounds of the battle.

Two guards on the castle balcony had no warning before three Night Crawlers soared around to face them. One of them was facing that direction. "Hey!" he shouted in shock, pointing at the trespassers.

The other whirled around. "Whoa!" he cried, seeing the strangers.

"What's that?" the first one asked.

He didn't get answer in words, only in blasts. The Night Crawlers shot two red pulses of crystal energy from their blasters at the castle wall, shattering the top layer of stone where they hit.

The Night Crawlers swooped down low over the main deck of one of the towers, where three guards came running out of the tower and the guards from either of the adjoining towers came from either side, one from one and two from the other. All froze and gasped, however, when they saw one of the Night Crawlers rise up in front of them.

The violet-eyed Night Crawler smirked as he swooped in, rose upright, brought in his wings together to transform his skyride, and landed on the deck, charging them with a roaring engine that had only moments ago had been so quiet.

The three guards in the line of his charge all screamed in fright, but there was nothing they could do to stop the collision.

Hearing the screams from below, Piper ran out onto Perry's bedroom balcony and peered down. She gasped. "Night Crawlers!"

Even as she looked down, three circled the skies right in front of her. Two guards patrolled the deck below but could do nothing. Four others from an adjacent tower were dragging what looked like a cannon across the top of wall to this tower. One of them screamed as a Night Crawler swooped in and knocked him off the wall to fall to his death. Then it happened again, this time to one of the guards on the deck. While he fell screaming, the other one scampered away for fear of being cut down by the same Night Crawler.

Another Night Crawler landed on the deck. He had out looked like a three-fingered metal talon on the nose of his skyride. He didn't slow down even as he approached the wall of Perry's tower. Instead of slowing, the smirking Night Crawler hauled back on his handles and leaned his skyride up into a wheelie. The claw-like contraption shot out toward the wall with a cable trailing behind it from the skyride. It latched itself onto the wall. Piper gasped as she realized what it was: a grappling hook. The Night Crawler was making his way up to her! Already, he was beginning his vertical drive up the wall via cable.

Piper gripped the edge of the railing as she peered down at him. There had to be a way to . . . And there was! Thinking quickly, Piper went back into Perry's bedroom and grabbed the Royal Dish Scrubbing Contest trophy off the desk before running back out onto the balcony. With a grunt, she brought her trophy's sharp edge (from the piece that was meant to look like a dinner plate) on the cable, snapping it off just under the hook. Now the Night Crawler could have a taste of his own medicine!

But even as the cable broke and the Night Crawler and his skimmer began to fall, the Night Crawler was not going to crash to his death like the guards had. Instead he flipped, undoing his skyride to deploy his wings. He took off in the opposite direction.

Now Piper finally had a chance to grasp the situation. Night Crawlers, _here._ But why? How could they even know of Terra Clockstopia? And why would they be interested in it? If Master Cyclonis had discovered it and merely wanted to conquer it, she would have just sent Talons, not these.

But how and why were not important right now. What was more important was figuring out how to get rid of them. Realizing the regent had walked up behind her, Piper whirled around, pointing to the Night Crawler flying away from them. "They're an elite Cyclonian goon squad that answers only to Master Cyclonis herself!"

The regent didn't look as frightened as he should have been by the news; in fact, he looked annoyed. "And would _this_ be Master Cyclonis?" he asked, holding up the Dr. Ogre puppet on one had.

"No!" Piper retorted, pointing to the puppet. "_That's_ Dr. Ogre." Then realizing he had sidetracked her, she growled, "But that's not the point!" She walked past him, shoving Dr. Ogre out of her way.

She walked up to one of the guards, who had a hand-held cannon of some kind, one that could be perched on his shoulder. If these people didn't use crystals, then what were they fighting with?

She snatched the cannon out of his hands, making both him and his staff-wielding comrade blink in surprise. Once she had it, she turned the chamber to the side to pour out what ammunition they were using.

She couldn't believe her eyes when the two pieces of round, orange "ammunition" rolled and landed with a soft thud on the ground. She stared at the regent in utter disbelief, gasping their stupidity. "You're gonna stop them with _oranges?_" she exclaimed, gesturing to the oranges on the ground.

The regent looked quite angry with her criticism. "Obviously you've never taken citrus to the eye!" he said, pointing to his own eye.

Piper rolled her own eyes. Great, she thought sarcastically. The day will be saved by citrus juice.

"These guards will protect you," the regent said. Immediately the guards straightened at that. Piper raised an eyebrow, still wondering how the guards were going to protect her with prongs and oranges.

"Now I must leave to take command of the battle," the regent continued, heading toward the door.

Piper knew things couldn't go well under his command. If he thought fighting with oranges was sufficient, then who know _what_ could happen if he "took charge of the battle." And besides, what right had he to order around the royal monarch? Was _this_ how he had treated Perry all these years, like a no-nothing child? He wasn't even listening to her!

In an angry eruption, she shouted after him, "No! I'm taking command!"

Regent whirled around, looking angry and exasperated. "_Please,_ Your Highness!"

"Who's the real ruler of Clockstopia," Piper challenged him, "you," she pointed to him, "or the princess," she pointed over her shoulder before realizing her mistake, ". . . eh, me?" She pointed to herself this time.

"Wah . . . well . . ." the regent gasped, looking taken aback. "Well, legally _you_ are, but—"

"Then I'm taking charge," Piper interrupted, "and my first command is to find crystals to defend us!" She started walking toward the door.

"But Your Highness!" the regent gasped. "They're forbidden!"

That was an easy problem to solve. "Then I now declare them un-forbidden!" Piper called back nonchalantly over her shoulder. She walked out the door and slammed it behind her.

* * *

Author's Notes: You know those three guards that the Night Crawler hit with his skyride? I think they died. You know, the little kid version of death where you only see it if you squint? Just saying.

Yes, for the record, the lead Night Crawler's name is _not_ Pretell. I'm not sure how someone decided that was what was said, but they are sadly mistaken. The regent could have no idea what the Night Crawler's name was. He hadn't even met the guy before! The regent definitely said, ". . . pray tell?" a request that made perfect sense in context.

Although as to the leader's name, I cannot place one in this fic due to the fact that his name crops up nowhere (I even checked the credits on the episodes he's in. He's just "Night Crawler Leader.") However, due to his own strange characteristics, I can't help but think of him as Red Eye. If he's ever included in any of my original fics, that'll probably be what I will call him.

You know, I kind of like Red Eye. You write about him long enough, he grows on you after awhile. He needs a place on my favorite characters list . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The modern image of the ninja is that of a figure cloaked in black who excels in martial arts. This stealthy assassin can do incredible moves, jump immense distances, is as fast as lightning, and has no mercy. But is that how ninjas really were? The first ninjas were really Japanese _shinobi_, considered to be deadly assassins out for samurai blood. Likely these figures were peasant-blooded fighters who were tired of the power the samurais had in feudal Japan. However, Japanese folklore has the ninja as a half man, half cow figure, much like a manticore. The ninjas grew into a type of fighter of their own accord only after the development of a school that taught the martial arts fight style _ninjutsu_. _Ninjutsu _developed gradually in Japan as a mixture of Japanese and Chinese warrior-monk fighting styles. This new martial arts, pushed by Chinese missionaries, was a lawless art outside of the Japanese bushido code (code of the samurai). Bushido warriors always showed their clan loyalty, challenged openly, and announced their victim. In ninja, all was fair: poisoning, seduction, stealth, ect. There was something else about ninja, too; women were allowed to play their part. Called _kunoichi_, they often acted as spies and/or assassins. Eventually samurais began to see the power ninja could have because of its lawless ways. Constrained by bushido, they might pay a ninja for their services. Thus ninjas became mercenaries. Despite the Hollywood outfit of being covered completely in black except for the eyes, ninjas normally preferred navy blue or whatever outfit would best blend them into their environment.

Shoot, that was long! But that's okay. Because ninjas are awesome! They're so . . . ninja!


	136. Royal Twist: Creatures of the Night

Chapter 4: Creatures of the Night

Back at the _Condor_, through a marvelous show of speedy, efficient engineering, the Storm Hawks had put propellers on the back of either of the _Condor_'s pontoon-like boosters. These propellers were pushing the ship along now, with Stork steering.

The power for the spinning propellers came from a giant metal wheel set up on the bridge. This wheel looked like a huge hamster wheel. Aerrow, Junko, and Finn were running on it just like hamsters to keep the ship moving forward.

Aerrow looked over at Perry, who stood off to the side. "Uh, pretty low-tech," he said, "but it works!"

Perry smiled. She'd finally done something right for once! And from her own experience, no less. She would never feel the same way again about anything that was hamster-powered.

Finn held up a finger without breaking stride. "Nobody says a word about this," he demanded of them. He sighed. "_Ever!_"

* * *

Piper had learned of the forbidden cave where the crystals were kept; Perry had mentioned it. So that's where she headed.

The mouth of the cave lay far outside the castle walls and down toward a sudden incline. There was a pathway leading down to the cave, and once she found it, she ran.

On the ridge above, the regent was walking with two guards. The regent did not trust this silly girl to lead his troops. Luckily, his guards were still loyal to him and they followed his orders when he told them to help him stop her from "doing anything foolish." "There she is!" he shouted when he saw her running toward the cave below them. He pointed to her.

Piper knew they were following, but she ignored them. It was more important that she got to the cave in time.

But she stopped just short of it when she saw a warm glow coming from the cave. It flicked, like firelight, but the ringing sound was unmistakably crystalline.

Then she heard the voice, the soft, haunting, ghost-like voice of a Night Crawler from within saying, "Load it up!"

They were already inside! But how? Weren't there guards . . . ?

Piper gasped when she took in the whole picture. The two guards lay sprawled on the rocks in front of her. Dead or unconscious, she didn't know, but there was no sign of serious injury.

She was too late!

Then the hiss-like voice sounded again: "We move!"

The first Night Crawler walked out, pushing a wheelbarrow in front of it, which contained four bags of crystals, one with red crystals, one with violet, and one with green, and one with blue. A Night Crawler behind it wheeled out similar cargo.

The third one that followed, however, had no wheelbarrow. No sooner had it stepped from the darkness of the cave when it swiveled its hooded head so that its eyes bore right into her, as if he had sensed her presence as soon as he stepped out side. His eyes, she saw, were blood red, unlike the violet eyes of the other two. And once he saw her, a smirk spread across his face. "Ha, ha!" he laughed, lifting up his arm, which apparently had a wrist-mounted energy crossbow. Piper recognized the voice that had spoken from within the cave. This was their leader.

Piper gasped and put up her hands when she saw the crossbow aimed her way. This . . . wasn't going as planned.

* * *

If Perry had any idea what was going on at home and what trouble Piper was in, she might not have felt so proud. As it was, she couldn't help feeling full of herself for her idea. Sure, she was the reason that the Storm Hawks had needed an alternative energy power source in the first place, but that was besides the point.

As she walked past the giant running wheel, however, Aerrow noticed something that concerned him. He squinted at her right arm, right in the middle of the area where the super-long cuff of her glove didn't cover her arm. It was just barely on the inside so that most of the time, when her arm was beside her, it wasn't even visible. But now, with her back to him at an angle, he could see very clearly that she had an oddly-shaped spot that he knew for a fact had not been there before. "You should check that bump on your arm," he told "Piper," pointing to it.

The girl turned around and looked at him quizzically before feeling around with her other hand for the "bump." "That's not a bump!" she said, sounding offended. "It's the royal crest of Clockstopia. I was born with it."

With a shocked expression, Stork's head shot up, his gaze shifting from the gauges hooked to the running wheel to the girl in front of them. The other boys raised their eyebrows quizzically.

"Ah, yeah," Perry said to herself, laying a finger on her lip. She wasn't supposed to be royal. Or from Clockstopia. That's when she knew she'd messed up . . . big time.

Well, there was no turning back now. She winced as she realized what she had to do and groaned at her own stupidity. "I have a confession to make," she said, looking up at those on the wheel.

"I _knew_ it!" Stork shouted, pointing her. "An imposter!"

Well, he might as well have called her a terrorist. It would have provoked a similar reaction.

Aerrow was the first to act. He leapt off the wheel, his face a mixture of shock and fury. He got right in Perry's face. "Where's Piper?" he demanded, pointing a finger right at her.

Junko and Finn followed suit. Finn looked angry, too, but Junko looked scared. His voice, however, was just as angry as Aerrow's. "What'd you do with her?" he demanded.

Even as they shouted at her, the ship began to tilt.

It was Stork who alerted them. "Uh, guys," he said, pointing to the gauge hooked up to the running wheel. "Losing altitude here!"

Without further question, the three boys scrambled back onto the wheel and started running again. But once the ship was righted, they all gave her the same continuous glare.

Perry knew this must seem really bad. After all, they must be worried she had hurt Piper. For all they knew, that enemy that Piper had spoken of—who was it . . . Master Cyclonis?—had sent her. "Don't worry," she assured them. "Piper is totally safe!"

* * *

"You will not stop us!" the red-eyed Night Crawler growled at Piper, his crossbow still aimed at her. Saying that, he turned and pointed at his two comrades to tell them to continue with their loads. The other two Night Crawlers smirked back at them and then wheeled their cargo over to where another Night Crawler was already collecting a pile of bags of crystals on the ground. He was unloading his own wheelbarrow. A fourth violet-eyed Night Crawler was off to the side.

Piper didn't know what to do. So long as she was within the aim of that crossbow, she was at the mercy of this lead Night Crawler.

Then she heard a voice whisper to her. "Psst! Princess!"

She turned around. The regent was hiding behind a rock directly behind her. "Duck," he said, motioning for her to do just that.

Two guards popped up from behind the rock beside him, each with their shoulder canons. Piper ducked as they fired at the Night Crawler in front of her.

Three oranges went sailing over her head.

The Night Crawler simply leaned his head to the side to avoid two of them. The third he caught in his hand. "Ha, ha, ha!" he laughed at them tauntingly, his eyes settling on the regent and the two guards.

Piper groaned and put her hand to her forehead. Great. What had she said about the oranges? And now, not only was she still caught, but the regent and the guards were also found out. Just _great._

* * *

On the _Condor_,Stork was trying to follow Piper's—or rather, Perry's—directions, but he couldn't see a thing between the dark night and the thick clouds. When at last he saw something through the clouds, his eyes opened wide. He could see the pinpoints of light in the different rooms and chambers in a stone castle looming in front of him . . . and _they were on a collision course with it!_ Stork would have to turn the _Condor_ quick. Between not being able to deploy the landing gear and the sudden stop they would have to take, this would not be a smooth landing.

"Brace for impact!" Stork shouted. Then he swung the _Condor_ away from the castle and toward the barren ground below, all too quickly.

The first thing the _Condor_ hit wasn't the ground. The bottom of her right pontoon-like booster struck the top of a windmill, tearing off some of the blades. The _Condor_ herself shook from the impact. Up on the bridge, the boys yelled as they lost their footing on the wheel and fell forward. The wheel was still turning, and all the boys could do was flatten themselves against it and hold on.

The next collision was with the ground. The _Condor_ bounced off it, jarring the whole ship badly. Although Perry somehow managed to keep her footing, the shake sent Stork over backward with a yell. The boys were still spinning on the wheel, all screaming.

The _Condor_ hit the ground again, but this time she didn't bounce. She slid along it and gradually turned to the side so that she was sliding with her portside booster in front, making a huge trail in the dirt. As she came to a stop, she leaned completely onto that booster until she lost forward momentum; she then fell onto the ground on the other side with a BANG!

As the _Condor_ settled, so did the running wheel. At last, it only rocked back and forth, no longer causing its involuntary riders any dizziness. All of their hair was in disarray . . . or at least, in Aerrow's case even more than usual. All the boys sighed in relief, and Finn even drew a sudden intake in breath to recover. They looked so pitiful that Perry had to fight to keep from laughing.

* * *

While the other two Night Crawlers handled the load, the leader and two others managed Piper, the regent, and the two guards. They made all of them stand up and put their hands in the air, and the regent was instructed to step forward next to Piper.

Piper didn't call the situation hopeless yet, but she was getting more worried by the minute. She could end this; she knew it! But she needed the regent's help, him and the guards, who still followed his lead. And he wouldn't help at all!

"I know how to stop these guys," Piper insisted to the regent. The regent just turned to her and crossed his arms, a stubborn look on his face. "You have to believe me!"

The regent didn't just look stubborn anymore; in fact, for the first time, Piper thought he looked really and truly enraged. "No! Never!" he cried. He pointed to her. "This kingdom is mine!" He then pointed his thumb at himself, shouting in her face now. "I make the rules! It's _mine!_"

Piper had the feeling someone had been in power _far_ too long.

But then they both heard a voice that lifted Piper's hopes: "Regent?"

"Um . . . Princess?" the regent gasped, turning around. Piper looked past him.

Perry stood on the ridge above them, still in Piper's clothes. She was looking down at the regent in utter disbelief. Piper had a feeling she had heard they're little conversation.

And then Piper's spirits soared even more. As if on cue, Aerrow stepped up beside Perry. At seeing the Night Crawlers, he grunted as he leapt down to a ledge below in a fighter stance, nimble as a cat. Junko bellowed as he ran past Perry and jumped down to a ledge above Aerrow's, his neck muscles bulging like those of an angry bull. "Yah!" Finn cried as he took his stance beside Perry on the edge of the cliff, his crossbow in hand. Radarr stood up on his hind legs at his feet. Stork, Piper guessed, had remained at the _Condor_, wherever they had landed it.

She couldn't help smiling. Perry had come back! And she had brought Piper's friends! The fact was even better considering the situation.

But just like Piper, the Night Crawlers had recognized the strangers on sight. "Storm Hawks!" the red-eyed leader cried, firing two shots from his crystal-powered arm crossbow at Aerrow.

The crossbow didn't shoot little bolts like Piper thought it would; instead it threw little, spinning, spiked metal pieces lit with red crystal pulses. With a grunt, Aerrow leapt out of the way.

It was all that the other two Night Crawlers needed to start firing on the rest of the squadron. A third one joined them as the Storm Hawks boys and Radarr took cover behind some boulders.

With a yell, Finn suddenly shot up and aimed his crossbow first at one Night Crawler, then the other, pulling his trigger each time. But the bolts never released; all that was heard was a small clicking sound. The Night Crawlers returned fire. Finn yelled again, this time in fear, as he ducked behind the boulder. "Aw, man!" he said when he realized his mistake. The crossbow had no power. "We drained our blasters to save the _Condor_!" he yelled to Aerrow.

But as always, Aerrow wasn't deterred. If anything, a small smile crept onto his face. "Then we go old school," he announced, "hand-to-hand!"

Once he called it, he became the first Storm Hawk to attack. With a yell, he leapt from behind a boulder and kicked a Night Crawler down flat on his back. Once he pinned him, he drew back his fist and knocked the guy square in the face.

Finn jumped out, trying to mimic his brave leader, but once he was met face to face with a Night Crawler, he failed to copy Aerrow in nearly every way. He only held his fists in front of him, prepared to fight, looking completely uncoordinated. He and the Night Crawler circled each other. The Night Crawler struck a punch, but Finn was able to duck. Then, seeing his chance, he dropped onto the ground and kicked the Night Crawler's feet out from under him.

Soon Junko joined in, as did Radarr, and the four Storm Hawks were met by every Night Crawler except the leader, who hung back with watchful eyes. The guards fled, and the regent hid behind a boulder.

Piper and Perry found themselves back to back in the midst of the skirmish. No Night Crawler was attacking them, but they knew they could be attacked any minute. As Piper looked around, she was glad to see that the boys and Radarr seemed to be holding their own, even fending the Night Crawlers off despite being outnumbered. But how quickly the tables could turn! She had to get to the crystals!

Perry, however, was feeling nothing but guilt. "Sorry I got you into this, Piper," she apologized over her shoulder.

_Sorry?_ That was all Perry could think about amidst all _this?_ "Be sorry later!" Piper answered back harshly. "We got work to do."

Then, to her luck, she saw the Night Crawlers had their attention completely diverted from the cave. She started stalking off toward it.

Perry stared after her. "_We?_" she gasped, following after. "But how?"

As the two disappeared into the cave, the battle continued.

Junko ran toward a Night Crawler, his mouth gaping open as if he was going to grab him in his teeth and shake him like some wild stallion. Instead he drew back his fist when he got close and punched the Night Crawler down with a yell.

Radarr, meanwhile, had a face as angry and ravenous as a pit bull's in a fighting ring. He was poised on a boulder, ready to spring. When a Night Crawler tried to turn to help the one Junko had punched down, Radarr let out a vicious growl, more horrific-sounding than even Aerrow had ever heard. He leapt onto the Night Crawler's shoulder, snapping in its face, his sharp, pointed teeth grazing it. The Night Crawler collapsed under him. With an angry screech, Radarr pinned it and sank his teeth into its arm.

The lead Night Crawler stood back from the fight. Each of his followers was engaged in a one-on-one attack, except for two, who were chasing the squirrelly blond boy. He saw the Wallop holding one of his Night Crawlers from the legs and shaking him upside down. Cyclonia's worst enemy, the Sky Knight Aerrow, was punching one of the Night Crawlers repeatedly in the face. His little furry "pet" still had one of the Night Crawlers pinned on the ground, biting into its arm. The Night Crawlers were losing, and the Storm Hawks had the upper hand.

But the red-eyed Night Crawler wasn't worried. He had something the Storm Hawks didn't: crystals.

Laughing a deep, breathy, "Ha, ha, ha!" he pulled out a red crystal and threw it right at the Sky Knight's feet.

Aerrow stopped fighting at once and glanced down at the crystal when he heard it pulsing. Uh oh.

Squealing in fear, Radarr let go of his Night Crawler and whirled around to the crystal just before the explosion.

The crystal let lose a huge burst of crystal energy that radiated out like the power of a bomb, spreading a brilliant red light. The brunt of the force hit Aerrow and sent him flying backward before he even knew what happened. It hit Radarr and Junko, too, less than a millisecond later.

The Night Crawlers had the armor to handle the blow and weren't even affected. In fact, the Night Crawler who had fought Aerrow smirked at the opportunity. Immediately after the explosion, he leapt forward toward the Sky Knight, his hands outstretched, like a bird of prey reaching its talons towards its kill.

Aerrow groaned as his back slammed against the cliff face. His head spun, and his vision was still black when he felt the hands gripping him by the collar. He was pulled up to look into the face of a smirking Night Crawler.

A glance to his left let him know that Junko was down, too. The Wallop was upside down, his legs up against the cliff face.

The sound of the crossbows coming out turned Aerrow's attention just beyond them. There was Radarr, crumbled against a boulder, his eyes spinning dizzily. Three Night Crawlers surrounded him and pointed their crossbows at him, one of them being the red-eyed leader. Radarr whimpered.

Aerrow felt despair rising him when the leader laughed. There was no way out of this.

The leader smirked at him and Radarr, knowing they were beaten. "Night wins," he hissed.

"Don't be so sure!"

Everyone turned, and Aerrow felt a smile. He knew that voice anywhere (or at least, he was pretty sure he did). And he knew that all was not lost.

Piper had spoken. She and Perry stood before the others at the mouth of the cave. Each of them held a yellow crystal in either hand.

The lead Night Crawler hissed. He recognized the crystals.

Piper's face was twisted in an angry scowl as she raised the crystals above her head. Perry, on the other hand, smiled as if she was glad she could finally help. She mimicked Piper.

Piper brought her crystals together, and then Aerrow recognized them: solaris crystals. How did he know? They were glowing like the sun!

The lead Night Crawler put his hand in front of his face to block the light from it, as if he could not stand the brightness.

Then Perry brought her crystals together. More sunlight radiated across the clearing.

All the Night Crawlers ducked away from the light, and Aerrow's captor stood up and moved away from him, leaving him leaning against the rock and gulping in air to catch his breath.

"Retreat!" the lead Night Crawler called.

Without a backward glance, all of the Night Crawlers turned and ran toward their rides. The red-eyed leader led the way as they drove off the edge of the terra and flew away into the night.

Aerrow leapt to his feet, and the boys and Piper cheered at their victory. Even Radarr leapt in front of Aerrow and growled at the retreating Night Crawlers, shaking a fist in their direction. Only Perry remained silent but only because she was smiling. At last, she had a real adventure!

Well, there was one other silent person.

The regent put his hands on the top of the boulder and peered out, not showing any more of himself until he was sure the Night Crawlers had all fled. "They're gone," he gasped in disbelief, lifting his head over the rock. He turned to Piper and Perry. "But how did—?"

"They're dangerous, but only in the dark," Piper answered, holding up a finger. She gestured toward the solaris crystal. "Bright light cripples they're armor."

Junko came stepped forward and leaned on the boulder the regent was hiding behind. "That's why they call 'em Night Crawlers," he explained, pointing at the regent. He shrugged. "Eh, total giveaway."

The regent gasped fearfully. He'd never seen a creature like Junko before.

Piper smiled happily at seeing Junko, and all of her friends (except Stork) here at the moment; she hadn't realized how much she missed them, even with their messy habits and terrible work ethics.

And they were here because of Perry, because she had led them here even after she had attempted to escape from this place. Piper turned to her. "You came back!" she gasped in surprise. After coming up with this whole scheme to become a Storm Hawk and have adventure, she had still come back.

"I thought I could run away from all that responsibility," Perry explained. She smiled as she remembered when she realized that Piper had a _lot_ of responsibility even as a Storm Hawk. "But I realized," she explained, "it was actually time for more."

Just as Piper helped Aerrow run the Storm Hawks, it was Perry's time to run her kingdom. She turned to the regent, putting her hands on her hips. "As rightful ruler, I am now assuming full control of Clockstopia."

"Ah, oh!" the regent gasped, holding up a finger. But all that came out was, "Uh . . ." He simply didn't have a response to that. He just lost the entire kingdom.

The princess smiled and pointed to him. "As for you, regent," she said, pulling out the long list that he had given her this morning, "I believe there is a Paint-Drying Tournament that needs to be judged."

"Thata girl!" Piper cheered her as the two began walking toward the tower. "You tell him!"

The boys smiled at the amusing circumstances as they followed after the girls, first Finn, then Aerrow, then Junko with Radarr trailing.

But the regent stayed put as if planted, his eyes wide with shock. "You can't do this!" he exclaimed. But he could only gasp as he was shoved forward into a walk by Junko as the Wallop walked by him.

"Oh," Perry continued, ignoring the regent's complaint, "and don't forget the Royal Dishwashing Contest. Tomorrow I want every chicken in the kingdom to have a fancy name like Percy Rollister III! Grapes need peeling. The spaghetti trees need harvesting. Oh, and stop giving vegetables to the fruit bats; it just confuses them!"

Piper laughed. "Yeah!" she cheered. At last, Perry was going to have a lot more fun and freedom . . . and responsibility. It was everything the princess ever wanted, whether she knew it or not.

* * *

Author's Notes: Cool, they have spaghetti trees! I wanted a spaghetti tree!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Using crystals (which are essentially just pretty rocks with a lattice molecular structure) as a magical entity is not a new concept by any means. But why is it that humans seem to believe that these shiny rocks have magical powers? Crystals have been used for prophesying, healing, searching, and even rudimentary spells. The famous crystal ball is often used for scrying and descrying. People of the faith Wicca sometimes use minerals in crystal form in their spells even now, and modern-day healers often use "crystal treatment" to massage and/or heal someone physically and/or mentally. Crystal pendulums, in which a gemstone is put on the end of a string, are used for finding things, saying that they sense and point toward "energy waves" given off by animals (including people), places, and thoughts. Magic users of every known culture have used crystals and made them part of their rituals in one way or another. Eventually, gemstones and precious metals becameour monetary system because we valued them so highly. But why? Perhaps it is because humans are fascinated by beauty and shiny objects (just like birds!). And why should humans not view these stones as magical when we owe our very civilization to stones? Stones were the first tools used by man. They would be the first hunting weapons, grinding weapons, cutters for harvesting, helped create the first clothing . . . and yes, it is very probable that stone was even the first murder weapon.

I know I just wrote my own explanation, but seriously, why do we love gold, silver, and jewels so much? Surely there must have been some value other than looking at it and saying, "Ooh, shiny!" At least with metals you can make something, but jewels? There are much more ideal stones. Oh well. Who am I to puzzle out the flaws of the human race?

They can keep the crystals, but I still want my spaghetti tree!

Yay! "Second Chances" up next! That one is one of my favorites!


	137. Second Chances: Turncoat Return

_**Part 34**_

_**Second Chances**_

_Tricks are played, and tricks are discovered. Plots are made, and plots are foiled. A friendship is tested. An old enemy is made a friend, and a friend is made an enemy. A traitor is redeemed, and a traitor falls._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Turncoat Returns

Once the Storm Hawks had left Clockstopia securely under Princess Peregrine's rule, they had headed back to charted territories. They soon heard there was a big new story on broadcast, one that retained to them. All the Storm Hawks went into the TV room, which had a screen and projector. The projector sat upon a whole bunch of crates so that it would shine on the screen over the couch, which was situated to make a comfortable place for the viewers. Somehow all the humanoid Storm Hawks had managed to fit themselves on the couch. Junko took up most of the room, and his best buddy Finn just _had _to sit next to him. While Aerrow and Stork fit themselves in on the ends, Piper somehow managed to squeeze herself in between Aerrow and Finn. Radarr stood on top of the pile of crates and worked the projector.

The news story started out, not with the actually story, but with the opening of the news program, which began with a picture of a toy skimmer using a track to orbit a model Terra Atmosia. "InsideAtmos_ brings you 'News on the Move,'"_ the reporter's voice said, "_breaking stories from all across the Atmos!_" This was accompanied by pictures of many different terras flashing repeatedly and rapidly before it finally cut to the story.

"_Remember disgrace Sky Knight Carver, who betrayed the people of Atmos?_"

Aerrow clenched his jaw. He remembered, and he didn't need the screen to show Carver turning on his own squadron and then stealing the Aurora Stone for him to remember _how_ he remembered him.

The scene then cut to the reporter, who was with a crowd in front of the Sky Knight Council Hall on Terra Atmosia. "_Guess where he is now!_" the reporter exclaimed, gesturing toward the doors of the Hall. The doors opened, and to Aerrow's disbelief, _Carver_ walked out with no chains, no guards, nothing! And five of the Sky Knight Council members were following him. All six of the men were smiling!

With cameras flashing all around, the reporter explained. "_Say goodbye slammer and hello freedom! He's out!_" A picture of a hypnosis crystal appeared in the right-hand upper corner. The crystal then covered the whole screen, and a picture of Carver's face came up beside it. "_New evidence has been discovered that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bad Boy Carver was a victim of Cyclonian mind control._" The crystal image then began emitting waves toward the Carver head. As if they needed an illustration, Aerrow thought, trying to soak in the new information.

The scene cut back to the reporter, who now stood in front of Carver. "_Now that the mind control has worn off,_" he said, "_Terra Atmosia has its hero back!_" The camera then focused on Carver, who was smiling smugly, looking like a celebrity enjoying himself a little too much. "_And you're looking at one reporter who can't wait to see what the future holds for this superstar Sky Knight!_" the reporter closed.

So, wait? Carver was _innocent?_ To Aerrow, that made no sense. He had seen the hatred for him and Atmosia in Carver's eyes and had seen his passion for Cyclonia in his twisted smile that day he had fought him in Terra Atmosia's beacon tower. He had fought the older Sky Knight, had seen Carver being calculative and acting amused; he had not been disoriented or out of his mind in the least. But what Aerrow remembered most of all was the glare Carver had given him when the traitor had been led past Aerrow by the police; it had been full of desire to kill. There was no way Carver could be innocent.

But there was the proof, right on the screen in front of him. Aerrow stared at it unblinkingly, trying to make sense of it.

The others didn't seem to have as hard of a time with the idea. Piper leaned back and put on a hand to her chin thoughtfully with a gentle smile. Finn looked absolutely giddy, clenching his fists and stamping his feet in excitement, a crazy grin plastered on his face. His enthusiasm made sense; Aerrow remembered that he had spoken in awe of Carver before the whole "betrayal of Atmos" thing. Junko looked happy, too, especially when he saw Finn was happy. Was Aerrow the only one uneasy about this story?

Maybe not. Radarr's face was unreadable. And Stork looked suspicious. But then, _Stork_ was always suspicious. The paranoid Merb gestured toward the screen. "See? This is why I don't watch the news."

Well, the Storm Hawks were involved in this as much as anyone. In fact, it came to their knowledge that Carver wished for their presence at the news conference outside the Sky Knight Council Hall. Aerrow agreed that they should go, although it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Once there, Stork landed the _Condor _on the top of the hill just outside the city, like he always did when they came to Atmosia. The Storm Hawks got out and headed to the Hall, where they had to work their way through the crowd to the front, where the reporter and Carver were. They approached the steps when Carver greeted them with a smile. Seeing the implied invitation, Aerrow stepped up next to Carver, even though he felt very insecure being next to the man. To his comfort, Piper was right behind him with Radarr in tow. The little guy wasn't looking at Aerrow but was instead following Carver's every move with his eyes and ears, as if he didn't know what to make of him.

The others crowded around at the bottom of the steps. Finn still looked giddy and was holding a brown-covered book to get Carver's autograph. Stork still seemed cautious.

Down in the crowd, the people were cheering and clapping as cameras kept flickering in their faces. Aerrow blinked at the sight, feeling almost startled. He was used to being in the spotlight but not by the media in a civilian setting.

The crowd went quiet when they saw Carver was about to speak. The former—er, _reinstated_ Sky Knight put a hand on his heart and said, "I wanna take this moment to apologize to the Storm Hawks," he gestured to the squadron, "and to Aerrow especially." With this, his hand swept over to Aerrow. "I don't know if I could have done what he did, stopping me and saving Atmos."

Aerrow smiled shakily at the flashing cameras and the grinning crowd. Carver had recognized him as a hero and had even publicly apologized to him and his team! If someone had told him yesterday that Carver would do such a thing, he would have sent them to an insane asylum. Perhaps Aerrow really was being hard on Carver for thinking that he might be guilty. Maybe the guy really was innocent. He was certainly a very different man from the one who had made fun of Aerrow's age.

Right after Carver had finished speaking, the reporter got right in his face, shoving the microphone toward his mouth. "Guy Skyly," he introduced himself. Then he took the microphone back and leaned into the camera to support his news station. "_Inside Atmos_, Atmos' number one source for celebrity news." With that, he shoved the microphone back toward Carver.

Carver didn't seem the least bit disturbed by Skyly's pushiness. In fact, when he began speaking, he even referred to the reporter by his first name, as if they were old friends. "Guy, thank you for the opportunity to address the good people of Atmos." His smile fell and his expression turned solemn as he continued. "Though it wasn't my fault, I still wanna make it up to the people whose trust I've betrayed. That is," he turned to the Storm Hawks, "if there's a squadron willing to take me under their wing."

"_Huh?_" Aerrow, Piper, Radarr, and Finn all gasped in unison. Finn looked so excited that he seemed ready to burst. Radarr looked horrified.

Before Aerrow had a chance to think, the microphone was shoved toward him. "Who?" he gasped in surprise. He gestured to himself. "Us?" Okay, so maybe he looked stupid saying that on live news, but who could blame him? A man who had tried to kill him now was asking to be in his squadron!

Finn, not at all apprehensive, looked up at Aerrow with hopeful eyes. "He's only the coolest, most famous Sky Knight ever!" he squeaked, holding his book up to his face.

_I thought you believed I was the coolest,_ Aerrow thought glumly, feeling a bit betrayed. He glanced over his squadron, but the only one who looked concerned was Stork, and he was more questionable than suspicious anymore. Radarr's face was unreadable once again. Everyone else looked excited by the idea.

Aerrow felt himself start to sweat in nervousness. The cameras were flashing all around, and it seemed almost like the crowd was pressing in, all eyes on him. Everything was silent except for the clicking cameras. Everyone was waiting for him, straining to know what his answer would be

No pressure.

He held his hand up to block the light of the cameras, trying to think. If he said yes, he might be letting a dangerous man into his squadron, but most likely he wouldn't be. And it would make his squadron one of the most popular squadrons in all of Atmos. But after Lugey's status as an honorary Storm Hawk had turned into a complete disaster, Aerrow had vowed no more new members. He certainly meant to keep that promise, but this situation seemed hopeless. If he said no, he wouldn't have to deal with Carver, but he would never live it down. Everyone would hate him for not giving the people's hero a second chance.

All of sudden he felt himself getting a little angry at Carver. It seemed to him that the man had asked this request right in front of the media so that Aerrow couldn't afford to say no. He had backed him into a corner.

But of course, he was being foolish. Everything he'd seen so far had supported the idea that Carver truly was innocent. Even Piper, who knew so much about crystals, believed in the "Cyclonian mind control" story. So maybe this wouldn't be so bad, Aerrow thought as he put out his hand to Carver.

The older man's hand about swallowed Aerrow's in his grasp and shook it heartily. Cameras flashed like crazy, capturing the moment. The agreement had been made.

Guy Skyly suddenly stuck his head in front of the camera. "What a scoop!" he laughed into the microphone. He gestured behind him at the two Sky Knights. "Carver is joining the Storm Hawks!"

As Aerrow smiled uneasily for the cameras, he wondered if he had made the right decision.

* * *

It took a long time to convince the cameras and the crowds to let Carver and the Storm Hawks had back to the _Condor_. Once there, the Storm Hawks led Carver into their home (some more eagerly than others).

Aerrow knew the place was a mess—Piper was always scolding him and the rest of the boys for it—but he had never given much thought to having piles of junk on the floor before. After all, how was he supposed to know that he was going to be inviting a celebrity home? _Just don't think about it,_ he told himself as they walked in.

But when he was there standing on the bridge with Carver, Piper, and Finn looking over the disaster, how could he _not_ think about it?

Stuff was strewn across the round table—old plates; empty, squished bottles; old silverware; books; a empty bucket; you name it—and spare metal parts were pushed up against the table in a pile two feet tall.

It didn't help matters when Radarr sensed something and started after it. He got up onto the table in a crouch, a low growl emitting from his throat. Then there was the sound of scampering and squeaking. Radarr leapt forward off the table just as a mouse swept past him. With a grumble, Radarr belly-flopped into the pile of metal, making the others cringe. They all cringed again when they heard another crash from a metal item, something round that rolled away toward the door with Radarr. A chirp was heard from somewhere past the door as if Radarr was saying, _I'm okay!_

Great, Aerrow thought. They even had mice crawling around! The Sky Knight turned back to the others and smiled sheepishly at Carver, silently apologizing for the state it was in. He was so embarrassed that he just didn't know what to say.

Piper glanced at Aerrow in what looked like pity. And maybe it was. Or maybe she, too, was deeply embarrassed. Whatever the case, she turned to Carver and tried to smooth over the . . . disaster . . . as best she could. "I'm sure as a celebrity," she said, gesturing to him, "you're used to better accommodations." She clasped her hands and smiled pleasantly.

Thank goodness for Piper. She was the only one who could come up with a statement like that.

But Finn just laughed off Piper's words, putting a hand over his eyes. When he took it away, he was smiling brightly. "It's Carver!" he exclaimed, as if that explained everything. "He can handle this!" He turned to Carver. "Like the time you slept in sludge to stop the baby panda seal poachers! Remember?" He slammed his fists into his hand in excitement. "Or the time you went without food or water to rescue Princess Anna! Tell us about that adventure! Do you still keep in touch with her?"

_Of course_ Finn would focus on the adventure with the pretty girl. And of course he'd want to know if he could talk to her.

Carver's eyes stared off a moment, the smile never leaving his face, as if he were reminiscing on those adventures. There was something haughty about his expression, too. But then, who could blame him? Aerrow reminded himself. He often had the same look on his face after a super awesome, successful mission.

Aerrow turned back Finn. The sharpshooter could hardly name any facts about the exotic places of Atmosia, yet he could spout Carver's biography off the top of his head! "Wow, Finn," he said, laying a hand on his chin thoughtfully. "You know a lot about his adventures."

Again, Finn turned to address Carver rather than answering Aerrow directly. "I read all your fan club newsletters." He pulled out a card. "I'm Club # 00002." He couldn't help letting a little "Hee" escape in his fan-crazed jabbering. Piper groaned in embarrassment for his antics and shook her head at him.

Aerrow took a look at the card. It was grey with _Carver Fan Club_ written on the top in red. The Red Eagles' red insignia was on one side, a picture of Carver's face on a red background on the other. And in the middle was Finn's club number.

Finn had never told him he was in Carver's fan club! When was he going to learn this important detail?

But then, how would Aerrow have reacted to that news before all of . . . this? Even if he was a club member before the betrayal. _No,_ Aerrow corrected himself. _The mind control._

Carver put his hands on his hips. "I see a lot of potential in you," he told the Hawks, breaking into Aerrow's thought, "but you need a little polish. And I know exactly the right place to start."

Aerrow and Piper exchanged smiles. An experienced and famous Sky Knight was going to show them how to be cool and well-respected! And maybe even make them better as a fighting unit!

So maybe this whole Carver thing wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

On second thought, Aerrow decided to wait a little before he made a final decision on Carver.

The Storm Hawks plus Carver (oh, wait, Carver was a Storm Hawk now) were standing outside a very rich, _expensive_ clothing store. In the windows were some stunning uniforms with nicely-shaped, if somewhat superficial, armor. The name on the sign atop the store was a big, famous designer name that made no impression on Aerrow whatsoever.

It apparently made an impression on Piper, though. "I thought only rock stars and zillionaires have their clothes made by Giovanni!" she exclaimed, putting her hands over her heart. Finn was panting like an excited puppy, and even Radarr had his ears pricked toward the store, his eyes wide with excitement. And he technically didn't really need clothes!

The clothes would be expensive, Aerrow knew. Without Carver's money, they could never afford them. But they now had Carver's money.

Yet Aerrow still didn't like it all that much. The uniforms they wore were the ones the original Storm Hawks had worn. Aerrow's uniform had once been _Lightning Strike's_, his ancestor's! How could they just throw them out as inferior to Gio-whatever? Sure it would be nice to have those clothes . . . Yeah, those window-uniforms looked pretty cool . . .

This argument in his head wasn't going very well.

He turned to the older Sky Knight. "I don't know, Carver," he said hesitantly, gesturing to the man. "Are you sure we really need this?"

Carver laughed. "Aerrow," he explained, "to be the best, you need to look the best." He gestured to the store.

Aerrow didn't get it. What did the clothes you wear have to do with being the best?

But the others. They loved this idea. And they had the money.

So Aerrow went with it. They went inside.

* * *

A little while later, the Storm Hawks all stepped outside. Carver was still in his own uniform, which was already a Giovanni. The other Storm Hawks now wore similar uniforms with the same colors of dark blue against areas of deep red. The armor, particularly those on the arms, was nearly wing-shaped and jagged in design. In the new uniforms, even Piper and Stork had armor. Piper had shoulder plates, and Stork had a shin guard, shoulder plates, and protection for his abdomen. Not bad, except for the armor was obviously made more for looks than use. Finn had spotted some sunglasses while he was in there that he just _had_ to have because he thought they made him seem "cool." He wore them outside along with his new uniform.

By this time, the square had become rather crowded. Aerrow couldn't help taking pride in his new uniform. Despite his earlier thoughts, it did look pretty cool. He led the rest of the Storm Hawks outside into the crowded street with his head held high and couldn't help smiling when he saw people in the marketplace stop and stare, even those who were shopping for foods and sniffing at the fruits.

He didn't realize exactly why they were so interested until a little purple-haired boy pulled at his young mother's hand and pointed to the Storm Hawks, saying, "Hey, it's Carver!"

Of course they'd recognize Carver.

Once the ice was broken by the boy, everyone gathered around to get a better look at the famous Sky Knight.

Carver smiled at the incoming group of people. "Let me show you how to work the crowd," he told the other Storm Hawks, nudging Piper in the arm. And with that, he walked out into the sea of people, waving to them as he walked by. Everyone cheered and waved back at him. He finally came up to a woman and put an arm around her shoulder. She smiled shyly, and a photographer caught a picture of the two of them.

Soon, much to Aerrow's discomfort, the entire squadron was swept up into the crowd's fandom.

One child came up and tried to shake Stork's hand. Stork complied very grudgingly, only allowing the child to grip two of his fingers and shake very slowly. Once the child let go, Stork looked at his hand and stuck out his tongue, saying, "Ew." He pulled out some kind of spray and "disinfected" his hand.

Carver had now come up to the purple-haired boy, who had out a little blue book and a red pencil. He gave the book and pencil to Carver to get the man's autograph. Carver gladly signed the book and gave it back to the boy, who was shaking with excitement. His mother looked over him lovingly and then met Carver's eyes in silent thanks. Carver winked at her and then moved on.

Aerrow couldn't help noticing that Piper observed this scene with an approving smile on her face. It was saddening, almost irritating. He felt the same jealousy he'd felt when Finn had called Carver the "coolest Sky Knight ever."

Junko, meanwhile, had put a little boy on his shoulders, and they were to have their picture taken. Aerrow could have sworn the little boy was Gull's son. But that wouldn't make any sense! Gull had called the Storm Hawks illegitimate and had refused to have them registered as a squadron. Yet Aerrow couldn't mistake the little boy who had pointed them out in the town square the day the Storm Hawks first came to register.

But Aerrow soon had his attention drawn away by the purple-haired boy. The boy gave his autograph book to Aerrow to sign. Feeling somewhat flattered, Aerrow took the book and pencil and signed. But the very act of it felt pointless to him. When he knelt down and handed the items back to the boy, the boy smiled happily and ran off to get more Storm Hawk autographs. Aerrow watched him go sadly, feeling somewhat empty. The whole situation seemed to have a material shallowness about it.

Piper was signing another book, this one a red one. When Aerrow stood up, he crossed his arms and addressed her. If anyone could understand his feelings, it was Piper. "It still doesn't feel right," he said. He gestured vaguely to the crowd. "This isn't what being a Sky Knight is about."

Piper closed the book and handed it and the pencil back their child owner. While she did so, she gave Aerrow an answer he didn't expect to hear. "Maybe it is," she said. "At least a little bit." She waved to the crowd sweetly as she spoke, keeping up the act. "After all," she pointed out, "people need heroes." She turned to him directly. "This doesn't change who we are."

Aerrow frowned as he considered it. Piper had a way of explaining things the made strange situations make sense. "Maybe you're right," he told Piper, smiling at her. Yes, people _did_ need heroes. And how else did they do this but through the media and fandom? They could have the reputations they have earned.

Piper smiled brightly back at him. "We can probably learn a few things from Carver," she said. She laughed as she glanced off to the side. "Finn and Radarr certainly are."

Aerrow turned with her to see Radarr sitting on the ground and signing a brown autograph book for a young woman. Once done, he squawked and handed the book and pencil back to her. The woman smiled but ended up turning the book sideways to try to read the scribble marks that Radarr had made in an attempt to make a word.

Beside Radarr, Finn was talking with Guy Slyly, and the cameraman was filming it. Finn still had his shades on. "That's right," he was saying, running a hand over his hair. "Domo. D-O-M-O. With a D." He put a hand on his chin uncertainly before he added, "I think."

"My baby!" a woman cried, interrupting Aerrow's focus on Finn.

"Huh?" Aerrow gasped. A cry for help! Aerrow turned on a spot. Now for a bit of Sky Knight action that he actually knew about!

The scene wasn't all that drastic. It was just a woman looking up into the tree in the middle of the town square, her hands on her cheeks in horror. Aerrow looked up into the branches and saw a little limbless cat creature up in the tree. How a cat without legs can even climb a tree in the first place was beyond him. But a cry for help was a cry for help.

All the other Storm Hawks crowded around with concern as Aerrow started climbing up after the cat. "Aerrow, be careful," Piper warned him.

Aerrow had only been in this tree once, and it that case he didn't climb up it; he had landed on the very branch that the cat was on (though not out as far). He was a bit unsteady, but he made it to the limb well enough. But how the heck was he supposed to reach the cat, who was out far beyond the trunk?

Balancing on the tree branch like a tightrope walker, Aerrow stepped hesitantly away from the trunk and toward the cat. Balancing on the balls of his feet, he knelt in front of it. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty" he called as he reached out a hand for it.

The cat only twitched its tail in irritation and let out an angry, lion-like roar.

"Whoa!" Aerrow called as he drew back. He hadn't been expecting _that_ noise from the little thing.

The sudden movement made Aerrow lose his footing, and he winced as he landed straddling the tree branch. No sooner did he recover when he heard a crack.

Uh oh.

Aerrow gasped as he, the now-broken branch, and the cat fell. The cat bounced over his head somewhere.

Piper walked up to Aerrow and looked down at him with concern. Aerrow had landed on his back on the cobblestone street, his legs thrown over the tree branch. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort. Well, this was embarrassing. In fact, with the crowd all around and Piper looking so disappointed, it was probably one of the most embarrassing moments of his life!

Both he and Piper turned to Carver when they heard the sound of the cat's contented meow. The cat had landed in Carver's arms and was rubbing its head against its savoir, purring happily before letting out another meow. Piper smiled at the scene.

Great, Aerrow thought. First the fans, then his team, and now even _the cat_ was choosing Carver over him.

Off to the side, Guy Skyly seemed to have recognized the potential of this story. "What does the future hold for these new, improved Storm Hawks?" he said into the microphone before the camera. "To use an old cliché, the sky is the limit!"

New, _improved_ Storm Hawks? How the heck were they improved? Just because of shiny new uniforms and lots of propaganda? And what a phony way to end the report! They had taken Storm Hawks' motto, "The sky is never the limit," and took out the most important word!

With these new, _improved_ Storm Hawks, the sky was a limiting factor, apparently.

Suddenly there was more to worry about. Aerrow didn't know whether he heard the alarm siren or saw Junko's ear shoot up first, but something was going on. He looked around frantically, trying to locate the danger. "Up there!" Junko cried.

An airship with a smoking engine was crashing prow first. And it was on a collision course with Atmosia.

* * *

Author's Notes: Did Aerrow make a mistake? Or is Carver really a "good guy"? And do the new uniforms really bring any improvement?

Speaking of the uniforms . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Giovanni is the Italian version of the name John (meaning "God is gracious"). That is why there are a number of businesses called Giovanni. There are quite a few Giovanni restaurants (Italian food), but the most famous company is actually a cosmetics company.

Nice to know that Nerd Corps has so little originality that they would simply grab the name of a cosmetics company to name a big-time clothing designer in their show.

Okay, that's all for now. Y'all know what to do.


	138. Second Chances: A Hero

Chapter 2: A Hero

Aerrow's eyes widened when he saw the crashing ship. All other thoughts about the media, Carver, and everything else were pushed aside; there was work to be done if they were going to stop that thing.

The crowd wasn't helping. Everyone was running around frantically and screaming, even though there was nowhere to run.

Aerrow turned to his team. "Storm Hawks," he ordered, "get everyone to cover!" He turned to their new recruit. "Carver, you and me!"

"Right with ya, kid!" Carver answered back.

The two of them ran to their skyrides. Carver had gotten back his old Skimmer III Ultra when he was let out, which was still decorated with the Red Eagles' colors and insignia. He mounted this while Aerrow got in his own Skimmer. Radarr came bounding after them, leaping into his cockpit. He wasn't about to let his boy go without him, now was he?

Aerrow and Radarr and Carver were soon in the skies and racing toward the ship. Once close to it, Aerrow could see the hatch was open. Even while accelerating downward with the ship, he and Radarr shot sideways. The result meant that they seemed to angle upward toward the ship, and it squeezed them sideways into the falling ship. Once inside, they were quick to retract their wings. Carver followed suit.

All three dismounted quickly and went running toward the doorway to the side, which they knew led into the bridge. The automatic doors were slightly ajar, so the two Sky Knights were able to force it open, one on either panel. They were met with the panels and the helm, but no one was there. "Crew must've bailed out," Carver said.

* * *

Down below, the Storm Hawks had tried to follow Aerrow's orders, but with the crowd in such a panic, it was impossible. Besides, there was no "cover" from a crashing ship. The people could only look up and gasp in fright as the ship was getting ever closer.

* * *

On the ship, Aerrow leapt forward and grabbed the wheel with all his might, grunting as he pulled back on it. Carver and Radarr were soon on either side of him, helping. With its engines shot, the ship was not responding very easily, and Aerrow worried that they couldn't turn it.

* * *

The people on the terra could see the lack of response, and they were beginning to lose hope. Gull's son snuggled in the arms of a blond teenager in pigtails, who held him close as if she could somehow protect him. Sister or babysitter, Piper wasn't sure.

But then, just when it all seemed hopeless, the ship creaked and veered off course just enough to avoid Terra Atmosia. The crowd cheered, many of them taking relieved breaths. Piper smiled. How could she had doubt their Sky Knights?

* * *

Radarr about fell over with relief as he backed away from the helm. Satisfied, Carver let go of the wheel, straightened, and wiped the sweat off his brow. "We did it!" he exclaimed in triumph.

Aerrow didn't know why they were celebrating so soon. Their job wasn't done. The younger Sky Knight had both sides of the wheel in his hands, steering the ship as best he could. "This thing is still going down," he told his new comrade. "We're gonna have to ditch it in the Wasteland."

"Then let's not stick around," Carver suggested, gesturing to the door leading into the hangar bay. He went ahead and made a run for it with Radarr following behind.

Aerrow remained at the wheel. They couldn't make the same mistake the crew had, abandoning the ship so it could strike somewhere important. Someone would have to steer it until the Wastelands were in sight.

The smoking ship was falling ever faster. Darkness began to settle in the room as the ship dipped below the cloud line into the poisonous clouds above the Wastelands. Even though they hadn't broken through the fog yet, Aerrow knew they were at an altitude below habitation. It was safe to let the ship be. Spinning around, he headed toward the door.

Just in time for it to slam in his face.

"Hey!" he cried.

His cry alerted Carver and Radarr, who stopped dead in their tracks and spun around to the closed door.

Aerrow pulled at the crack in the door, trying to force it open. Automatic doors were meant to open manually. Why, oh, _why_ wasn't this one? There wasn't much time!

He could hear Carver straining on the other side to do the same, but it was in vain. "It's locked!" Carver cried.

Well, then Aerrow would just have to force his way through. He pulled out his blades and lit them. "Stand back," he warned the other two. With that, he joined the two blades together at their hilts to get their full power and then slammed one end of his now two-ended blade into the crack of the door.

It only made him cry out in surprise when the door didn't budge and he was sent flying backward, his back slamming into the control panel. "Huh?" he gasped, looking up at the door. Why didn't it work?

"It's reinforced," Carver concluded, talking to Aerrow through the door. "No way we're cuttin' through."

Aerrow glanced out the window. Any minute now the Wastelands would appear below them. If the ship didn't blow up on impact, it would eventually sink into the lava. And Aerrow was trapped here.

But just because he was didn't mean the others had to be. He spun around to the door. "You guys go!" he yelled. He pointed a thumb at himself. "I'll find another way out."

"We're not leaving you!" Carver called back stubbornly. "That's not what a Sky Knight does, kid."

Oh, for the love of Atmos! Aerrow was flattered, but did Carver honestly think it was worth all three of them perishing? Well, Carver was a Storm Hawk now, as was Radarr, which meant they answered to him. He slammed his fist against the door. "That's an order!" he yelled back. "Go!"

* * *

On the other side of the door, Carver let out a sound of disgust but turned to leave. When he saw Radarr wasn't coming, he turned to the little guy. "You heard him, Radarr!" he yelled. He turned back to the door. "Good luck, Aerrow," he whispered.

But Radarr was rooted on the spot, pointing a trembling finger at the door. He whimpered, his eyes welling with tears. Aerrow wanted them to just . . . leave him? Here? To _die?_ _NO!_ He would _never_ leave him! With a wild screech, Radarr thrust himself at the door, beating his paws against it. Aerrow _had_ to come out!

But the next thing he knew, Carver was scooping him up around the middle and running toward his Skimmer.

Radarr let out a mournful wail as he watched the door grow smaller, reaching a paw out toward it. They couldn't, just _couldn't_ leave his boy!

His wail dimmed into a whimper as Carver neared the Skimmer. Forcefully, the Sky Knight set Radarr in his lap and drove as quickly as possible out of the hangar bay. They headed out of the ship at top speed.

As they left, Radarr put a paw on Carver's arm and looked back, whimpering, trying to keep down the lump in his throat.

* * *

Within the ship, Aerrow had gone around the room, searching for some sort of escape, but there was nothing that would work in time. Resigned, he went back to the helm and took hold of the wheel. At the very least, it would give him something to do until he could think of something . . . _if_ he could think of something.

He was still clutching the wheel when the clouds parted to reveal a lake of lava that glowed like Death's ugly eye.

* * *

Back on Terra Atmosia, the Storm Hawks all watched the skyline as they waited for two Skimmers to return. Piper knew they had to be any minute now. It wouldn't be long before the ship crashed.

One Skimmer appeared, soaring over the rooftops to land in the square, sliding on the cobblestone. The Red Eagles symbol told her Carver had come back. But there was no second Skimmer coming after it.

Confused, Piper focused on Carver and his ride. There, sitting in Carver's lap, was Radarr.

That was impossible! Radarr stuck to Aerrow like glue. Wherever Aerrow went, Radarr was soon to follow.

But here he was: Radarr, without Aerrow. It can't be. Unless . . .

Heart pounding, Piper was able to find her voice, not willing to believe. "Radarr . . . where's Aerrow?"

Radarr whimpered and lowered his eyes, ears drooping. Then, as if unable to bare it, he turned away, letting out a soft whine. Hanging his head, Carver put his hand on the little guy's shoulder.

Piper put her hand to her mouth and gasped, turning up at the sky. No! Aerrow always came back! He couldn't just . . .

Everyone was focused on the sky now, as if trying to will him back. Even the cameras were catching the empty skies. "This is horrible!" Guy Skyly was reporting. "Tragic!" Then, as if he couldn't be more _heartless_, Piper noticed irritably, Skyly leaned over to his cameraman and whispered, "You're getting this, right?"

There was still the trailing tail of smoke in the air that followed the ship. There was silence in the square except for horrified gasps. Radarr got down from Carver's Skimmer and stood watching the line of smoke as if transfixed. Piper knew that he, like herself, was waiting, hoping and praying that somehow he'd come back. Because he _always_ came back.

But instead, all they heard was a far-off _BOOM!_ A plume of black smoke rose up from the Wastelands, creating a black cloud on the horizon that slowly dissipated. Horrified, more screams rose in the air, as if the crowd couldn't believe what just happened.

Piper and Junko cringed. Piper reached out a hand, as if she could somehow grab the friend she had lost and snatch him back from death. But the ship had crashed, done for. And yet . . . there was no Aerrow. He . . . he wasn't coming back . . .

Feeling unshed tears stinging her eyes, Piper gasped and buried her head into Junko's shoulder. Junko held her gently in arms, but he offered no words of comfort; he could only stare mournfully over her head at nothing, trying to keep from crying.

"Oh, the humanity!" Guy Skyly said into his microphone.

Radarr only stared at the skyline and whimpered, his heart breaking in two as he watched the smoke. He squeaked and trembled from unshed tears.

But then there was a sound that rose over the murmuring of the crowd . . . an engine growling as it pushed its ride at full speed. "Wait a minute!" Skyly said, talking as any reporter would at a moment such as this. "What's that I hear?"

The Storm Hawks knew that sound. Finn and Stork ran up behind Junko and Piper, staring up at the skies as if their lives depended on it. Piper and Junko separated and watched, too, daring to hope.

By some sort of a miracle, a red-and-blue Skimmer spun out of the blacks smoke, zoomed up above the rooftops, and curved in toward the town square. There was not a doubt in anyone's mind; it was Aerrow!

Once they grasped what was going on, the crowd was unable to control its excitement, but it was the Storm Hawks who first led the round of cheers. They threw their fists in the air and Junko clapped his applause as if his life depended on it.

Aerrow didn't even bother to slow down. As soon as his wheels hit the cobblestone, he simply spun his Vulcan to the side to make a hockey stop.

And no sooner had he landed when Piper was running toward him. She hadn't even realized it at first. She was just so glad to see him!

She threw her arms around him just as the Vulcan stopped. Aerrow smiled as he returned the embrace, thankful that he had a chance to do it. He'd felt sure his end had come just minutes before. But it hadn't.

When they pulled apart, she smiled at him, looking so relieved that Aerrow wouldn't have been surprised if she had started to cry. Then again, since she had almost smothered him in a hug, she seemed to have had her share of blunt emotion.

Aerrow smiled back at her and then turned to see the guys were all standing in front of him, looking as relieved as Piper. Stork clenched his fists as if he was still trying to get over the trauma. Finn and Junko gave Aerrow thumbs up, letting him know everything was okay.

But of course, he still needed his greeting from his best friend. Chirping in delight, Radarr peered up at him from the ground before hopping up onto his back to peer over his shoulder. He gazed at Aerrow with such love that Aerrow almost felt as if his heart was swelling in return.

The crowd was going wild. It was as if they, too, had worried over the well-being of this boy, who they knew almost nothing about.

Carver was then standing next to the Skimmer. There was not a single expression on his face that showed relief. But he _did_ look happy, or at least very satisfied. "See?" he said to Aerrow. "You're a hero!" He gestured to the crowd. "They're eatin' it up!" He leaned forward and spoke quietly in Aerrow's ear. "That waiting till the last minute thing was _brilliant!_"

_Thing?_ Aerrow thought. Did he mean, _pretending_ he was in trouble? "No, that wasn't a thing," Aerrow answered back. He stuttered a little at the memory. "I-it was really stuck." And he hadn't thought he'd get out. He thought he was going to _die_.Can't get much less of a _thing_ than that.

Carver straightened, still grinning. "The point is," he said, thumping Aerrow on the chest, "you're a hero!" He waved a hand at the crowd. "Everyone in Atmos is gonna be talkin' about _you!_" He gestured to Aerrow. "And your new sharp uniform," he added coolly.

Piper put her hand on her hip and looked away, as if she somehow found Carver's statement inappropriate for the situation, considering the danger Aerrow had just been in. Aerrow looked past her and exchanged confused glances with Junko and Stork. A hero? As in the idol sense of the word, like Piper had said earlier? Him? _Really?_

Finn was grinning wildly at the idea, still wearing his shades. Although what Finn saw as "good" wasn't always good, Aerrow started to think maybe being a "hero" wasn't all that bad. So long as it didn't change who they were and what they did.

So, what did the uniforms have to do with it again?

* * *

Author's Notes: You know, I thought it was very irresponsible of the crew to bail out of the crashing ship without making sure it was crashing in a "safe" area. Then again, it could have been Carver's doing. But how could he make a ship crash without crew and be with the Storm Hawks at the same time? It just wouldn't add up. Hence why I believe Carver had nothing to do with the crashing ship . . . although I think he had everything to do with the door closing on Aerrow.

And yet, another possible Aerrow/Piper moment. Piper/Aerrow fans love to exploit this scene, and some even claim it as proof. We all know where I stand on that, which is why it was so hard to write that scene. How the heck was I supposed to choose the words to show the drama and emotion of that scene without going one way or the other on that pairing? Hope I did okay.

And for the record, just in case anyway is saying, "How it that _not_ proof?" let me just say that it could have been an, "Oh my gosh! Thank goodness you're alive!" sort of hug that a girl would give to anyone she cared about, regardless of how. After all, Aerrow is Piper's best friend, not matter what their romantic feelings maybe.

I don't have a trivia for this one, but BlueTiger321 reminded me of a trivia for the previous episode.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Royal Twist" seems to play a lot on Mark Twain's novel _The Prince and the Pauper_. In this story, we meet Tom Canty, a poor boy in an abusive family, and Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII of England. When they meet, they realize they look practically identical, and they decide to switch clothes, just for some fun. The guards mistake the Edward for Tom and throw him out on the street, leaving Tom to act as a prince in the palace. Both go through a couple of misadventure while being each other before finally switching back in the end.

Sounds very much like what happened in "Royal Twist" . . . except one of the girls didn't mean to switch clothes, and the other girl had every intention of taking the other girl's place.

That's all for now!


	139. Second Chances: When Carver Comes

Chapter 3: When Carver Comes

With Carver on board, it seemed the entire team was happier. Aerrow seemed to be the only one still on uneasy, and over and over he told himself it was nonsense. Had not Carver proven himself, first with the crystal, then with the crashing ship? Still, Aerrow could never be comfortable so long as he was here. They were feelings he kept to himself.

As for everyone else, Carver was a star _in_ the _Condor_ as well as out of it. Everyone doted on his every word and took any bit of his advice. And oftentimes, Carver's advice worked, so they kept coming back for more. Aerrow almost wondered which Sky Knight was running the show. But Carver was kind and friendly and always left the major decisions to Aerrow. Nice to know there was no power struggle; Aerrow almost feared that if there was, he'd be out of his rank by now.

A few days down the road, Carver was walking through the hallways when he came face to face with Junko. The Wallop was holding a cauldron in his hands, in which he had an orange-colored soup. Junko stopped in front of Carver, showing him the pot. It looked pretty good, except for the fact that a whole dead fish bubbled up to the surface.

Looking pleased with his work, Junko leaned forward and whispered, "I took your advice on the seasoning!"

"Once you go pop salt," Carver said proudly, "you never go back!" He moved out of the way and gestured for Junko to head on past him down the hall.

When Carver turned back to proceed on, he saw Aerrow and Piper coming down the hall side by side. The two were giggling about something. Carver had noticed the two socialized a lot; in fact, in Piper's case, she was probably with Aerrow more than any other member of the squadron, although she was alone with Stork quite a bit as well.

Smiling to himself, Carver approached them. "Piper," he said as he met up with them, "do you happen to have a map of the Roughlands?"

"Actually, I do," Piper answered back, not keeping any of the pride out of her voice. "Maps of the Roughlands are hard to come by."

Carver smiled. "I knew if anyone would have them, you would."

At his words, Piper beamed.

Carver turned and addressed the other kid. "Aerrow, buddy!" he exclaimed, shoving a fist at the boy playfully. "Finish sparring later. Best two out of three," he said, holding up two fingers. He started walking on without waiting for a response.

"Uh, yeah," Aerrow said after. "Sure thing, Carver." He still said it awkwardly. Dang, this was taking some getting used to!

Finn came strutting down the hall after them, his head up and high. He was wearing his shades still—he was hardly ever without them anymore—and he was wearing a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He looked downright proud of himself.

"Looking good, Finn!" Carver exclaimed as he passed him, pointing at him.

"Don't I know it!" Finn answered back as he kept walking, not even acknowledging Aerrow or Piper as he passed.

Aerrow put his hands on his hips and Piper rolled her eyes and shook her head. The two exchanged glances, and they both knew they were thinking the same thing: Finn _really_ didn't need a bigger head!

Carver eventually walked in the direction of Stork's room, where he saw Stork standing stock still, staring intently at something. Curious, Carver stepped inside.

Stork was staring at a spider that he had in a large glass case (the glass looked reinforced). The spider was black with eight legs striped in green and four beady red eyes that stared menacingly. Stork's nose was almost pressed up against the glass as he looked at it, his expression set in a terrified grimace.

Wanting to know what it was that captivated Stork's interest, Carver laid a hand on his back.

As soon as he felt the hand, Stork jumped straight up into the air, his mouth opening in wordless scream. Carver blinked. He hadn't _meant_ to scare the Merb out of his wits.

Once Stork realized it was only Carver, he calmed down, panting in an effort to catch his breath and slow his heartbeat.

"What'd ya have there?" Carver asked, gesturing to the spider.

At the question, Stork grinned proudly, letting out a noise of excitement as if he couldn't wait to tell him. "It's my new pet," he answered. "A scarletma razor-fang arachnoid, the deadliest creature ever to walk the Atmos!"

This intrigued Carver. "So it's . . . deadly," he repeated. He leaned toward the glass, studying the spider with interest.

"One single half-bite causes body melting, then brain melting!" Stork answered, looking like an ecstatic fan of the creature. He turned to the glass himself. "I sometimes get tingly just looking at it!"

Carver tapped the glass as the spider gazed out at him. However, he couldn't help feeling startled when the arachnoid hissed in response and flung itself at the glass where his finger had tapped it. "Not too close!" Stork warned. Carver sighed in relief after his short fright.

The arachnoid crawled away from the glass and went to its wheel, which it got on and ran on like a hamster. As Carver gazed at it, his eyes narrowed, and he smirked. Yes, _this_ creature would be perfect for his plan!

* * *

Some time later, Aerrow walked into the bridge with Piper and Carver. Carver had said he wanted to show them something. Aerrow had no clue what, but from the way Carver was smiling, he figured it was probably a good thing.

There were three people on the bridge setting up what looked like a set. One white-haired young woman was doing the lights, a guy with a baseball cap on backwards was setting a camera up on a stand, and a third man—Guy Skyly?—was in his nice suit and looking at his watch impatiently.

Aerrow and Piper stopped in surprise. Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "A camera crew?"

"I invited them!" Carver announced happily. "This'll be good for all of us." He put his hand aside his mouth and said to him, "A little publicity never hurts."

As far as Aerrow could see, he thought Carver was a little obsessed with publicity and good self-image, but maybe he was right. After all, it _could_ benefit the team.

So why did his gut twist uncomfortably at the way Carver said it?

Finn had no such misgivings. He plopped himself into a folding chair that the camera crew had brought. He lowered his sunglasses as he looked at the cameraman, who was already filming. "I'm ready for my close-up," he announced.

Off to the side, Carver had come up and confronted the woman after she gave him a wet hand towel. He took it and then looked angry. "I said I wanted _hot_ towels!" he hissed. "These are just warm!" He tossed the towel aside.

Unfortunately, the towel hit Finn right across the face. Startled, Finn gasped and pulled the towel off him, flinging it to the floor. "Hey!" he yelled at Carver angrily.

Interested, the cameraman swung the camera from Finn to Carver.

But seeing the camera on him, Carver didn't answer Finn back, angrily or otherwise, nor did he continue harassing the woman. He only gave the camera his award-winning smile.

* * *

It was days later when the new report on the Storm Hawks finally came out on _Inside Atmos_. The Storm Hawks all gathered in the room with the projector, eager to watch. Radarr operated the projector while most of the Storm Hawks squeezed together on the couch. Aerrow, already in a bad mood, found himself squished against the armrest. At least he was sitting next to Piper and not someone like Junko, who would smother him. Arms crossed, he prepared himself to be miserable for the whole experience.

Carver chose to remain standing. Finn always seemed to want to copy whatever Carver was doing these days, and so he left the couch for the four other Storm Hawks, too, and was going to stand for the premier. But being Finn, he couldn't stand up for very long and eventually leaned up against the stack of crates.

The report began with the _Inside Atmos_ logo and signature music as the introductory before cutting to Guy Skyly, reporting from the bridge of the _Condor_. "_The Storm Hawks!_" he began. A picture of the Storm Hawks prior to Carver appeared in the upper left corner of the screen. "_Despite having saved Atmos numerous times, they've been largely unknown. Until recently! That's when Sky Knight Carver joined the team, and they've never been more popular!_" The picture in the corner changed to include Carver in the group. Aerrow noticed with annoyance that Carver was shown at the head of the group, even in front of him. Aerrow was still the leader! Why the heck had they put Carver in front of him?

"_Expert fliers,_" Guy Skyly continued, "_their airborne skills are razor-sharp!_"

As he spoke, the scene shifted to a moment when the Storm Hawks had been flying through a canyon that led into the cave known as Widow's Canyon. One of the many obstacles in the main canyon was a pillar of rock with a loop on its end that looked like the eye of a needle, just wide enough for a Skimmer to fly through. The Storm Hawks (minus Stork) and Carver (Aerrow refused to think of him as a Storm Hawk) were flying toward this obstacle in the scene.

"_Dangerous stunts?_" Skyly continued. "_No problem for our heroes!_"

But Aerrow had been there, and he knew what was coming next.

Aerrow and Radarr had been leading the way toward the pillar when suddenly the portside booster failed them. Instead of spurting crystal admission, it caught fire, and flames spewed from it. On screen, Aerrow glanced back, worried. He tried to pull up, but the tip of his top starboard wing tore off. Aerrow grunted as the top left wing began to bend backward and then snapped off. Desperately he tried to pull up, but nothing was responding.

Carver and the others had flown on ahead. The camera was able to catch Carver's face as he flew through the opening. To many, it looked like a cocky smirk, but Aerrow thought it looked sinister.

Junko followed after him, then Finn, both cheering, unaware of Aerrow and Radarr's peril.

Aerrow kept struggling with the Skimmer, but the right handle came completely out of the dashboard. Aerrow looked at the busted, sparking wire ends in shock. To him, they looked severed almost completely in straight lines.

Aerrow looked up to see them spiraling to the side of the eye of the needle. He let out a cry; they were crashing!

But not all the Storm Hawks had gone on ahead. Piper, in the back of the group, dived in to save her friends. With a gasp, she reached out to grab them.

She barely got there in time. Radarr had screeched in pain when Piper ended up grasping his tail. But he wasn't about to reach up and grab Piper's hand in his paw. He was too busy grasping Aerrow's hands, and he was not about to let his boy go. He churred in thanks to Piper as the three flew like that through the eye of the needle.

As Aerrow watched the scene from where he sat on the couch, only one word came to mind: _sabotage!_ There was no other explanation for what happened. He always kept his Vulcan in good working order, knowing that oftentimes it was his and Radarr's lifeline. The only way his Vulcan could have fallen apart the way it did is if it had been tampered with.

The scene on the screen then showed Carver doubling back to fly through the eye once more. Once he did, the camera focused in on him. He gave the audience a thumb up and one of his signature smiles.

Aerrow's eyes narrowed at the screen. Yes, sabotage . . . and who else could it be?

The scene on screen changed to one with Piper and Finn in the hallway of the _Condor_. Finn had taken a proud stance, wearing his shades, which he seemed to never be without anymore. Piper was scowling at him, her arms crossed. "You want me to call you 'the Finnster'?" she grumbled.

Finn held up a finger. "Just say, 'Everyone loves the Finnster!'" he instructed. "'Cause it's true!" He leaned forward toward Piper and clasped his hands in front of her, begging. "Come on, Piper! I need this!"

Piper only growled at him angrily, clenching her fists. The camera chose that moment to zoom in on their faces.

Realizing for the first time that this was all being recorded, they both turned to the camera and chuckled sheepishly. Looking embarrassed, Piper gave a little wave.

Aerrow could tell from the look on Piper's face that watching the scene on national television was even worse than the shooting of the scene. Her face was beet-red.

As the scene changed again, Guy Skyly spoke once more. "_These heroes don't just get into adventure. They eat, breathe, and live adventure!_"

The scene was now that of the Storm Hawks and Carver in the Wastelands. They were being charged at by three of the Wasteland's large, eel-like creatures, who slithered on the ground toward them like snakes. The Aerrow on the screen narrowed his eyes at them, and as they drew close, he reached behind him to pull out his blades.

But something went wrong. He pulled at the blades, but they wouldn't come. They were stuck in their sheaths!

Piper and Junko went ahead and charged one together. Piper pulled out her staff and shot the creature in the mouth with a crystal pulse.

Another one loomed over Radarr. The little copilot backed away on two legs, waiting for Aerrow's attack to give him a hand. But Aerrow still hadn't managed to pull out his blades!

Thankfully Radarr was saved by Finn, who hit the creature in the cheek with two bolts. He smiled for the camera when he saw his shots hit. Even in the Wastelands, he was still wearing his sunglasses!

At last, Aerrow had pulled out his blades! Smiling in triumph, he held them up and lit them. But then to his shock, the blades fell off the handles! Stunned, Aerrow looked his blades in dismay. He now had no weapon . . . and no way of defending himself.

One of the beasts tilted its head to the side as it gazed him, as if realizing his vulnerability. Aerrow cried out as he leapt to the side to avoid its snake-like strike, landing flat on the ground.

Carver smirked in Aerrow's direction, but he did nothing to help. Instead he charged at the beast in front of him, slamming his blade down against its nose with a yell before whacking its head to the side.

The beast facing Aerrow was now looming over him. It reared back its head, its jaws opened wide. Aerrow put up his arm to protect his head. This was it. It was going to strike!

But then Junko leapt in front of him with a Wallop yell, his Knuckle Busters lit. As he swept by, he punched the beast's head away.

Seeming to decide the fight was too much for them, the three Wasteland creatures retreated.

Looking proud of their victory, Junko and Piper high-fived and shouted, "Yeah!" Watching the scene from the couch, Aerrow frowned. He was so used to being the first to celebrate their victory with Piper. Junko was normally high-fiving Finn.

On screen, Finn, Radarr, and Carver walked in to Junko and Piper, all smiling proudly. Feeling like an outcast, Aerrow stood up behind them, dusting himself off awkwardly while the camera focused on him.

"_And with teamwork,_" Guy Skyly continued, "_everyone pulls their weight! No weak links on the Storm Hawks!_"

And with that, the program ended. Radarr turned off the projector.

Carver turned to the others, smiling. "I think we came out pretty good," he said.

Aerrow scowled, his arms still crossed. Easy for _him_ to say. They had made him look great! Aerrow? The program had made him look clumsy, uncoordinated . . . _not fit to lead!_ And even worse, in all of those instances, Aerrow could have been killed. And he _knew_ it had not been his own clumsiness.

The others weren't mad at all, though. The boys cheered as they left. "Whoo!" Junko exclaimed, throwing a fist in the air. Finn clicked to a tune until he and Junko cheered together. Stork and Radarr followed after. Aerrow didn't get a chance to see their faces, but they didn't seem at all upset.

Well, they _should_ be!

Carver smiled after them, sparing only a glance at Aerrow before following.

In the end, Piper was the only one left with him. Still sitting next to him. Looking somewhat uncomfortable.

At this point, Aerrow didn't even care. His anger grew along with the stillness around them. He could now agree with Stork about the news: it wasn't worth watching. He wasn't having much luck with it. Wasn't that how this whole miserable ordeal began?

_Carver_. The name was like a curse to him now. This was all Carver's fault.

Piper turned to him, looking concerned. "What is it, Aerrow?" she asked. Not, "Is something wrong?" or "Are you okay?" She knew something was definitely wrong already. He should have known she would confront him eventually. When it came to his feelings, Piper was as perceptive as Radarr . . . sometimes more so. Like now.

"I'm getting a little fed up with Carver," Aerrow grumbled to her in frustration. "It's one thing for him to want to regain people's trust, but he's doing it at our expense!"

"Our expense?" Piper repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Aerrow, the only one who seems to be suffering is you. I've never known you to be so clumsy!"

Aerrow scowled. She saw these . . . these _sabotages _as his _clumsiness_?

Piper just looked even more concerned as she asked, "Is everything okay?" As if something emotionally wrong with him was causing the "clumsiness."

But everything wasn't okay, and if there was one person he could tell about it to, it was Piper. She, of all people, would take him seriously.

He looked away from her and finally found the willingness to voice his thoughts. "I think Carver's out to get me." He practically whispered it.

To his annoyance, Piper not only didn't take him seriously; she _laughed_ at him! "Hah! Sounds to me like you're just a little jealous!"

Great, now she was even teasing him about it! "I'm _not_ jealous!" Aerrow answered back fiercely, raising his voice. Piper's smile fell immediately. "I don't trust him," Aerrow continued, "and I'm gonna find out what his game is."

He got up and left the room. If Piper wasn't going to help him, he would simply look into Carver's behavior himself!

Piper sadly watched him walk away. She had never known Aerrow to be the jealous type, but then Aerrow was always so . . . _good_ at everything. Surely having someone else around to show him up would be intimidating for him. Besides, he _did _have to face Carver in mortal combat; perhaps he was a bit prejudice because of that. But he seemed fine to begin with. If anything, he started out willing to understand and _became_ suspicious and grumpy. He hardly talked to any of them anymore, and his embarrassing accidents were only increasing. He wasn't acting like himself at all. And the strangest part was that she couldn't understand it. They were best friends; they shared most everything. Yet she couldn't for the life of her figure out what was wrong with him. And if he kept having accidents, someone was going to get hurt.

Piper couldn't help but worry about his emotions . . . and his safety.

* * *

Author's Notes: This is the first time I have to go to five chapters to complete an episode. This one was originally way too long, so I cut part of it and did some rearranging. So there will be two, not one, more installments before this episode is over.

This trivia, once again, has nothing to do with this episode but is in reference to Episode 5, "Tranquility Now," and Junko's story of his home life . . . in particular, his Gleep friend Minky.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The name "Minky" could be in reference to a number of things. A "mink" is an animal in the weasel family that is mean, which would make "Minky" a play on words. These animals also often had their furs made into scars, perhaps referring to how Minky would cling to Junko. "Manky" is also a very similar word, and it means worthless, rotten, dirty, filthy, bad, or inferior, which is probably how other Wallops viewed the Gleep. When compared to "mingy," Minky could be a play on words; mingy means mean and stingy. "Minnie" is also a very relatable word, meaning small.

Personally I don't think Nerd Corps thought that hard over the name of a Gleep, but you never know.


	140. Second Chances: Fall From Grace

Chapter 4: Fall From Grace

Piper's thoughts seemed to drift back to Aerrow all day. It's not that he constantly reminded her; he wouldn't talk to her, and she wouldn't try to engage him. But she couldn't help thinking there was something wrong with him that she was missing.

Well, if Aerrow didn't want to talk and reason, then there was nothing she could do for him. She could only go about her day doing the things that needed doing.

At one point, she was in the kitchen at looking at three maps she had pulled out. She was on her hands and knees on the floor with the maps laid out, making sure they were the right ones . . . and still she took little interest in her work.

She looked up when she heard the door open. "Hey, Carver," she greeted the man, gesturing to him. "I've got those maps."

"The maps can wait," Carver told her. His face looked grave. "I'm a little worried about Aerrow."

She sat up immediately. So someone else had noticed something was wrong with him. "I thought I was the only one!" she said. "I've been worried, too. He's been acting a little strange."

Carver laid a hand on his chin, as if thinking about what Piper had just told him. Then he turned to her. "Tell me, Piper," he said, "have you noticed him behaving jealous, paranoid, clumsy, angry, maybe denying everything when you confront him?"

"Yes!" Piper exclaimed. "All of those!" That described Aerrow perfectly!

"Then it's just what I feared!" Carver exclaimed, clenching a fist. He turned to Piper, and his eyes were filled with fear. "Those are the exact symptoms I had!"

Piper's eyes widened. He wasn't suggesting . . .

"Next thing I knew," Carver continued, "I woke up in jail."

Piper simply couldn't believe it. "You don't think that—?"

"I think Aerrow may be suffering from the early stages of _Cyclonian mind control!_"

No! But . . . That was impossible. She couldn't think that something like that could happen to Aerrow. Not him! There was no way . . .

If this was true, they couldn't keep it to themselves. Piper and Carver held a secret Storm Hawks meeting around the round kitchen table . . . secret only to Aerrow. While everyone else stood, Radarr was given a stool so he could stand at the table like everyone else.

When Carver explained his theory, Finn, Junko, Stork, and Radarr looked at him incredulously. "Aerrow?" Finn gasped. The shock of the situation had made him take his sunglasses off at last. "_Our_ Aerrow? Under Cyclonian control?"

"Hmm," Stork said, laying a hand on his chin thoughtfully. He didn't seem as surprised as the others.

Just as Piper feared, none of them were as surprised as they should have been. "He has been acting weird," Junko commented.

"I assumed he had mindworms," Stork said, pointing to his own head. "Then again, I assume everyone has mindworms."

Junko cringed at the thought.

Carver's arms were crossed. He looked determined. "We have to search him!" he told the others. "Somewhere on Aerrow is a mind control crystal!"

Finn still looked bewildered. "How could anyone have stuck a mind control crystal onto Aerrow?"

"Cyclonis has her ways!" Carver hissed dramatically. His voice took on a solemn note as he added, "I'm living proof."

* * *

Aerrow was down in the hangar bay working on his Skimmer. It helped to do something with his hands when he was angry. He had finally decided that he should talk to Piper later. He didn't know how to convince her that he wasn't crazy, but he had to somehow. Surely she would see that the accidents he had been having were no coincidence . . . or accident. The thoughts ran through his head as he slowly turned the screwdriver, not paying attention to anything around him.

Unbeknownst to him, Finn had sneaked up behind him and had his hands up, ready to search him.

As soon as Aerrow felt someone touch him, he stood up in surprise and looked back to see Finn. Finn looked away awkwardly, humming a tune to seem less suspicious . . . which only made him seem more suspicious.

Aerrow looked after him with a raised eyebrow. Why the heck had Finn touched him and then act as if nothing had happened? That was . . . kind of creepy.

As he was thinking of something to say, both Junko and Stork were creeping up behind him, ready to grab him.

But Aerrow was a warrior and already on high alert thanks to Finn, so he sensed someone was behind him. He turned around in time to see Junko and Stork standing there, both whistling as if they had just been doing something they shouldn't.

Aerrow was more confused—and creeped out—then ever.

But before he can respond to this, he felt his hair being played with. He looked up. "Uh, Piper?"

Piper was standing on a crate behind him and seemed to be searching through his hair. "Oh!" she gasped and covered her mouth when she realized she'd been caught. She chuckled nervously.

Aerrow turned around and stared at her, a bit fearful. Okay, he and Piper were close, but . . . not that close. At least, he hadn't thought so.

Carver was also there now, and when Aerrow had his back to him, the older Sky Knight padded his shoulders and then worked his way down, patting him as if searching for something. "Hey!" Aerrow gasped, backing away when Carver's hands got to his rear. He held his hands out to keep them all at bay.

At that moment, he heard a chirp and felt something land lightly on his back, hooking itself on his shoulders. Radarr had leapt onto him and was sniffing him around his neck while he hung off his back.

Okay, so _everyone_ was acting strange. Maybe Stork had a point about those mindworms after all. Sighing, Aerrow looked around at them all with exasperation. "Does someone want to tell me what you guys are doing?" He didn't bother hiding the annoyance in his voice.

Everyone stared at him with big, sad eyes. That's what really got him worried.

It was Piper who spoke. "Aerrow, we think you might be under Cyclonis' control!"

"What?" Aerrow gasped. He was shocked and not quite sure whether he should be feeling fearful, angry, possibly betrayed.

Sensing his confusion, Radarr leapt from his back.

Aerrow stared at them all in disbelief. "That's ridiculous!"

Carver was standing beside him, looking suspicious. "Stage One: Denial," he said.

Denial? It was true! How could they not believe him? He stared at his teammates desperately. "I can't believe you think I'm under mind control! I'm a . . . I'm a, uh . . ." He tried desperately to think up some proof.

Carver only eyed him even more. "Stages Two and Three: Anger and clumsiness."

The other Storm Hawks' eyes were growing wider with fear with every word Carver said. It was obvious they believed him and were merely acting on worry.

And of course _Carver _would be the root of all of this! Aerrow turned and glared at him. "Knock it off, Carver! This isn't funny!" Although he had the sinking feeling that this wasn't about being funny.

Carver put on a glove. "Stage Four: Jealousy."

Aerrow gave him a death glare. Carver could say what he liked, but he couldn't prove . . .

"And then there's this!"

Carver reached into Aerrow's pocket and pulled out a hypnosis crystal. He held it up for the others to see. "The mind control crystal that infected Aerrow!"

Piper gasped in horror. Up until now, she had wanted to believe she was wrong. But here it was, the undeniable proof. Her best friend had been corrupted.

Aerrow stared at the crystal, his anger toward Carver mounting. He had never seen that crystal before! "I don't know where that thing came from!" he exclaimed angrily. "It must be some kind of trick!"

But the Storm Hawks only looked more fearful by the moment. In fact, if Aerrow wasn't mistaken, they now looked fearful _of_ him!

Carver stood with the rest of them. "Stage Five: Paranoia. Yup," he continued, "Cyclonis _definitely_ has him."

Looking resolved, they all began to approach him slowly.

What? No! Aerrow put his hands up as he backed away from them. "Guys, this is absurd! I'm _not_ under Cyclonis' control!"

But they kept coming. "We're really sorry, Aerrow," Piper said apologetically, "but this is for your own good."

Aerrow couldn't believe it. _Piper_, of all people, believed this idea of Carver's! And Radarr, too! The little guy was right there with the rest of them. Didn't they see this was ridiculous? Didn't they trust him over Carver? Didn't they see that stupid _smirk_ on Carver's face? That, that . . . _traitor!_

Aerrow hadn't allowed himself to think that way since Carver was released, but that was exactly what that man was: a traitor. And he always would be!

But they had surrounded him now. As much as Aerrow struggled and protested, he soon found himself with his hands and feet tied together. They sat him on the floor, leaning him against Finn's Skimmer. Even there, he struggled against his bonds. "Guys, you can't do this!" he exclaimed. He spoke somewhat in anger, but mostly in desperation. "You're making a huge mistake!"

Everyone was watching him with concern in their eyes. Finn even leaned over him, resting an elbow on the Skimmer. But no one looked inclined to listen to him, much less set him free.

Radarr did as much as get in the seat of the Skimmer and peer down at Aerrow curiously. Something didn't seem right to the copilot. But the proof of Aerrow's corruption had been shown right in front of his eyes.

Yet . . . it still felt so wrong.

Piper turned around and began walking away, her face thoughtful.

Carver turned around with a look of worry when he saw her leaving. "Piper!" he called after her, following her out into the hallway.

But Piper had made a decision, and she was determined to follow through. "I think I can find a way to reverse the mind control," she explained without turning around. She had to find a way! She could study the crystal and do some experiments. Hopefully it would give her something, some sort of clue to save Aerrow.

"You can't!" Carver exclaimed, stopping her by grabbing her shoulder. If Piper wasn't mistaken, his voice sounded almost panicked. "Trust me," he told her when she met his eyes, "I went through it." He turned his head away ashamedly at the memory. "Time is the only way to cure Aerrow." He turned to her again. "He needs to be somewhere safe, where Cyclonis can't get to him."

What? Somewhere safe? But that would mean . . . She pointed a finger at him. "You're not suggesting what I think you are?" _Please,_ she thought. _Please don't be!_

"It's where I spent my time," Carver answered back, not blinking an eye. "The High Security Stockade on Terra Atmosia."

* * *

The High Security Stockade on Atmosia is on a separate part of the terra which might have even been considered its own island of rock had it not been connect to Atmosia at its base. The imposing stone building was octagon in shape and had a high stone wall surrounding it, much too high for anyone to think of leaping out and too smooth to climb. Only one ramp led in to a huge gate that, once shut, sealed a prisoner's fate. In the growing darkness of dusk, it looked even more dark and forbidding.

Once inside, the prison itself seemed to have countless floors, rows and rows upon cells. And they placed Aerrow in one of these cells.

No sooner had they shut the door on him when he spun around, grabbing the bars of his cell. "This is a mistake!" he shouted. "I'm innocent!"

But the only voices who answered him were those of surrounding prisoners. And they were laughing at him. "Yeah," one agreed tauntingly.

"We're all innocent!" another cried out, cracking up at his own joke.

Aerrow cringed at the sound of the voices. He hated being locked up, but these were the most dangerous criminals in Atmos! Being locked up with them just turned this into his worst nightmare.

And of course, Guy Skyly and his camera crew were there.

The camera had caught the fateful moment of the door closing on Aerrow before the camera spun to Guy Skyly, who, even in this dreary place, was in his best suit. He spoke into his microphone, his voice sounding shocked for the audience. "In a shocking fall from grace," he announced, "Sky Knight Aerrow is behind bars! With Aerrow under Cyclonian mind control, Sky Knight Carver is the new leader of the Storm Hawks!"

* * *

The story made the newspaper by the next morning, telling all about Aerrow's "fall from grace" and Carver's new leadership. The story was complete with a black-and-white photograph of a dismayed Aerrow looking out his cell, gripping the bars.

It just about broke Piper's heart.

She, Junko, Finn, and Carver were on the bridge. Stork was checking on his new pet, and Radarr . . . Actually, Piper wasn't sure she had seen Radarr since they had gone to the High Security Stockade and locked Aerrow away.

Piper was standing off to the side reading the paper, while both Finn and Junko sat down on the couch at the round table. Junko had hold of the paper and was reading it with as much intensity as Finn. One look at the headlines and Finn just turned away, unwilling to read it. He had put on his sunglasses again, but now they seemed to serve only to make him feel better rather than to make him cocky.

But then Junko put the newspaper down. "Hey, we'll visit him," he said, trying to cheer them up. "Uh, every day! Twice a day!"

"Absolutely not!"

Everyone looked up at Carver to see his strict expression. "The best thing we can do for Aerrow is to move on." He looked back down at the paper he was reading, adding, "Aerrow would have wanted it that way."

Piper didn't like his words. The way he spoke, one would have thought Aerrow had died! "But we can't give up on him," she insisted, stepping toward the table. She still hadn't lost hope for her idea. "If I can study that crystal, I might be able to find a way to speed up the recovery process."

But that only seemed to irritate Carver. "Enough!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "I'm your Sky Knight now, and I say we forget about Aerrow!"

Piper cringed. _Forget_ about _Aerrow?_

Carver dropped the hypnosis crystal on the ground and crushed with his foot, shattering it, before turning back to the others with hard, cold eyes. "Aerrow is finished! Get over it!" And with that, he turned and walked away.

Piper and Junko glared him angrily. _Get over it?_ Who did he think he was?

But Finn hooked on to another part of the speech. He sat up and whipped off his sunglasses. "Finished?" he repeated. He pointed to Carver. "I thought you just said he needed time for the spell to wear off?"

Carver stopped just before he walked out the door. He turned back to them, looking uncomfortable. "Uh, right," he said. "Right. That's what I meant. Everyone back to work!" Looking uneasy now, he made his escape off the bridge.

Junko exchanged a confused glance with Finn, but Finn looked angry. And so was Piper. Something was not right here. Perhaps Aerrow was right about Carver after all. At least he was probably right about the fact that the older Sky Knight didn't seem to like him.

Well, regardless of what her new "leader" said, Piper was going to do everything in her power to help Aerrow. Even with the crystal shattered, she would study the shards, which Carver had conveniently left scattered on the floor.

* * *

Back at the Stockade, Aerrow was at a loss of what to do. Figuring he'd be more fit for finding a way out of this if he was rested, he decided to lie down on his bunk . . . which was really nothing more than a metal shelf sticking out of the wall. _Really_ comfortable, he thought sarcastically.

It took awhile, but eventually he was asleep.

As he rested on his back, a hand reached toward the bars of his cell. It had a pair of tongs, which it used to lower a donut box in between the bars of the cage.

A black spider with green stripes on its legs crawled out of the box. Silently it made its way toward Aerrow's sleeping figure, as if drawn to him.

The spider crawled up onto the bunk and then onto Aerrow. Its shadow followed it like a ghost, falling over Aerrow's face as the spider crept up onto his chest.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, the spider's going to get Aerrow!

Got another trivia from BlueTiger321 (high-five this guy! He's on a roll!) He pointed out something to me that I hadn't noticed before . . . Guy Skyly has one green eye and one blue eye! Here's what I found on mammals with different eye colors . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The genetics for eye color are a polygenetic trait, which means more than one gene controls it. The amount of melanin pigment in the eye gives us our eye color; large amounts produce brown, while green means a lack of melanin and blue even less. The phenomenon in which each eye has a different amount of melanin is called _heterochromia iridium_ (literally Latin for "different-colored eyes".) It is not quite known how can create different amounts in both eyes, although many suggest a mutation or an injury early in life. Also, certain medical syndromes can result in different eye colors.

As to why Nerd Corps thought Guy Skyly should have two different eye colors, well, maybe they thought it made him more attention-grabbing, which is ideal for a news reporter.

That would be cool to have two different colored eyes. Although I guess it would be the cause of a lot of teasing in childhood. In the teenage years, though, it could be an attention-grabber! Or get you labeled as a freak. . . . Come to think of it, I'll stick with my own dark brown eyes. But I do think different eye colors are cool!

And now I'm going to stop talking before I bore you all to death . . .


	141. Second Chances: Battle of the Avengers

Chapter 5: Battle of the Avengers

Piper had her supplies—watch glasses, books laid open, crystal examiners—strewn across the square kitchen table on the _Condor_. But it was her microscope she was taking interest in, for under its scope, she had the crystal shards. Finn stood beside her and Junko waited on the other side of the table, both listening eagerly to see if Piper would have any way of helping Aerrow.

But when Piper finally focused in the scope to see clearly, she couldn't believe what she saw. She drew back from the microscope. "This crystal is a dud!" she said.

Looking panicked, Finn gestured to the shards. "You mean it's not a hypnosis crystal?"

"No," Piper answered. She looked back into the lens. "The internal composition is all wrong. Something I never would've been able to tell if it hadn't been crushed!" She raised her head and glared at the door. "Huh. _Thanks_, Carver!"

It all made sense now. The way Aerrow had looked so betrayed, the way Carver didn't seem bothered by this, the reason he didn't want her to examine the crystal. She should have seen it before. Wasn't it a little suspicious that Aerrow should be under Cyclonian mind control right after Carver was released after his "recovery"? And what were Aerrow's words?

_I think Carver's out to get me._

_Aerrow _told_ me!_ Piper scolded herself. _He knew Carver was after him. And I didn't believe it!_

She looked up at the others. "There's no way Aerrow could be under mind control!" she told them.

At that moment, Stork came walking in. "Um," he told them, holding up a finger, "we have a slight problem. Someone cut the locks, and now my scarletma razor-fanged arachnoid . . . _is missing!_"

Piper's eyes narrowed. The full scale of Carver's plot was being revealed. "I think you mean _stolen!_" she corrected Stork.

But before any of them could act on the revelation, they heard a sword being activated. Piper and Finn looked up, and Junko and Stork whirled around.

An angry Carver stood in the doorway, his sword out and glowing red. "So," he said, his voice growling, "you figured it out."

The Storm Hawks all tensed and glared at him in rage . . . except Finn, who just looked terrified.

Carver glared back. He had a feeling he might have to deal with this situation. And he had expected it from Piper. She was the one who was with Aerrow so much, who talked with him often, as he had observed in his time there. And she was smart. She could analyze most anything. He had worried she wouldn't believe him when he first suggested mind control, and he had worried even more when she had first spoke of examining the crystal. She had been a threat to his plan from the start.

But now Carver was smirking. Because he had foreseen this, he was prepared. "Too bad there aren't any flicker reel cameras to capture the moment!"

Piper narrowed her eyes at him. Oh, so he was going to keep up the act? If he thought the lack of cameras could stop them from telling the truth about him, he was so wrong! They had the evidence! They had the crystal shards . . .

But then with a yell, Carver lifted his blade and sent out a pulse that struck the tabletop.

The explosion made the other Storm Hawks gasp as they were thrown to the side from the force of the explosion. Piper looked back to see that nothing but huge cracks in the middle of the table remained. All her books, her equipment, and her microscope were destroyed. _And so was their evidence!_

Carver blew out the smoke from his blade as he made it go out. "_That_," he told them, "was a not so friendly reminder who the Sky Knight is around here!"

_Sky Knight?_ Aerrow was their Sky Knight! She faced him furiously. "Aerrow was right the whole time!" she growled. And again the guilt flowed over her. "We should've listened."

"We gotta go let him out!" Junko exclaimed.

But Carver just smirked at them again. "You're a little late," he said. "It seems a scarletma razor-fanged arachnoid got loose in his cell. Oops."

Piper froze. She didn't know the extent of a bite from that arachnoid, but she knew it was bad.

But Stork did know. He let out a gasp that seemed on the verge of a sob. "If that's true," he said, his eye twitching and his hands clenching in fists, "then Aerrow is doomed! Double doomed!"

"I wouldn't be so sure, Stork."

The voice made Carver whirl around with a look of pure frustration. But Piper beamed as she looked in the doorway. There _he_ stood: Aerrow! He looked fit as ever, not even a bit sick. His hands were clasped in front of him, and he was smiling at his squadron.

Carver seemed absolutely flustered, a feeling that mingled with his anger. "Impossible!" he shouted. "But how did you . . . ? He said it was . . ."

"I have Radarr to thank for springing me from the prison," Aerrow said. On cue, Radarr leapt out from behind the door to stand beside Aerrow, his paws on his hips as he glared at Carver indignantly.

Piper blinked in surprise. So that's where he'd been all this time! She had wondered why he hadn't been around.

But Carver scowled at the creature. He had known _it_ was devoted to Aerrow and awfully intelligent, but he never thought for a second that it would pull off a scheme like this. Piper, he had foreseen; Radarr, he had let slip through.

"As for the spider," Aerrow continued, "Stork, it turns out that this," he opened his hands to reveal the black, green-striped spider, "is a scarletma tickle-fang." He gave the spider to Radarr, who cradled it in his paws and brought it over to Stork.

Stork leaned over and took the spider from Radarr. "The nonpoisonous kind," he said, sighing. "That's disappointing." Then, as if just realizing what indication that could have, he turned to Aerrow. "In a glad-you're-alive sorta way," he amended.

Aerrow turned to Carver. He certainly didn't appreciate being locked in prison, and he _definitely_ didn't appreciate someone threatening his team. It was nice of Master Cyclonis to send in an assassin to do her job of getting rid of Cyclonia's most wanted Sky Knight, but now Carver's plan was a failure. Aerrow knew there was no way he could win. He pointed to Carver. "Master Cyclonis will be disappointed your big plan crashed and burned!" he taunted.

Much to Aerrow's surprise, Carver threw back his head and laughed at the comment. "Her?" he repeated. "Cyclonis has nothing to do with this!" He gave Aerrow a death glare. "It's all about you and me. It's about payback!"

Aerrow had been expecting the attack; in fact, he had goaded Carver into it. But it came so quickly, so furiously, that Aerrow hardly had time to draw one of his blades, light it, and block the blow. His blade met with Carver's sword in the beginning of a power struggle, from which they quickly pulled apart.

Angrier than ever, Carver built up as much energy as he could and shot a pulse swiftly at Aerrow. Aerrow was able to dodge, but the blow had made a huge, gapping hole in the wall of the kitchen. Aerrow pulled away and drew and lit his other blade, his eyes never leaving his opponent. A blow that could create a hole like that through layers of solid metal would surely have spelled doom for him. Carver was looking to kill!

No surprise there, really.

But the hole had created an opportunity for Aerrow. Carver was stronger, but Aerrow was quicker and swifter. If cornered, the boy knew Carver would have the upper hand, but so long as there was room, Aerrow felt he would be able to overtake the older Knight. He took the offensive, forcing Carver toward the hole.

Carver didn't take much encouragement. He seemed to believe he could take Aerrow just fine wherever he was and was more than willing to head out into the open. He flipped over backward, landing on the bulge in the _Condor_'s hull just outside.

Aerrow pressed his advantage. With a furious yell, he launched himself after Carver, leaping into the air and bringing his blades down where Carver was standing.

Skillfully Carver jumped backward to land on the _Condor_'s scarred bulge just below the lower deck windows. Again Aerrow attacked, landing just where Carver did, but by that time Carver had back-flipped onto the portside pontoon-like booster.

No sooner had the man gotten his feet under him when he fired a shot where Aerrow stood. Aerrow jumped out of the way, flipping in the air to land in front of Carver. Again Carver shot, but Aerrow flipped in the air again, and this time he wasn't going to let Carver get a chance to just stand and shoot. He flipped over the older Sky Knight, grunting as he landed on his feet behind him.

Carver was terrible to see. With a snarl on his face, he jumped toward Aerrow and tried to sweep his sword into him. Aerrow avoided the blows, unable to get an opening to strike back. He flipped out of the way of Carver's blade, this time in a back flip. But he would not let Carver push him back. He brought his blade forward and locked it with Carver's.

The other Storm Hawks were still left in the kitchen, shocked by the events. Hearing the sounds of the fighting, Piper had run to the hole, followed closely by Junko. They both peered out fearfully at the fighting Sky Knights, but they didn't dare get involved. The fighting was furious, as terrible as any fight they'd seen between Aerrow and the Dark Ace. If anyone of them tried to intervene, a blow meant for Carver could easily strike Aerrow. It was best to watch and move in only if absolutely necessary.

Thankfully Aerrow was getting the upper hand again. He was able to take the offensive and began pressing Carver backward, gaining ground. Carver kept trying to fight him off, but he never had chance to strike with his sword for anything but defense. More than once their blades met, and each time it was Aerrow who had the power behind the blow.

But finally Carver caught Aerrow's blade on his and held him. Aerrow grunted as he pressed against his blade against Carver's sword. In a split second, Carver had turned the struggle from one of skill to one of strength, in which Aerrow was at the disadvantage.

Carver smirked at him. In comparison, he didn't even appear to be struggling to hold Aerrow there. He only glared at Aerrow without any doubt, as if he knew he had the advantage. "I underestimated you when we first met," he growled. Aerrow glowered at him, silently agreeing. "You caught me off guard. I'm not making the same mistake twice!"

Aerrow had heard enough. If Carver thought he could better him, let him prove it! He drew away just long enough to break the power struggle and swung with as much ferocity as ever, yelling in his fury. But Carver met each blow.

At last, Aerrow brought a strike that Carver couldn't block, and the older Sky Knight backed away. Aerrow kept pressing him, pushing him back.

But then, just when Aerrow was bringing his blade up for another strike, Carver brought his sword down on Aerrow's, holding him again. Aerrow struggled, straining in a despite attempt to beat him or unlock their blades, but Carver was pressing him down.

Carver smirked. He knew he'd trapped Aerrow. "And I have a few new moves of my own!" he exclaimed.

He quit pressing on Aerrow, gave a little, and then swung with all his might. Aerrow did not have the strength to resist him; he was tossed into the air like a rag doll. If ever there was a doubt that Carver was stronger then him, that doubt was gone.

Aerrow landed on his back, but he used the momentum of his fall to bounce off and onto his feet. He hardly had time to prepare himself as Carver attacked again. But this time, it wasn't an attack Aerrow could meet. Carver bought his blade down and sent a line of burning crystal energy down the surface of the booster's top toward Aerrow. Aerrow gasped as he leapt out of the way just in time.

Before he had even gotten a firm footing from that, Carver was on him. Aerrow brought his blades up just in time to stop Carver's sword from entering his head. Seeing his attack blocked, Carver backed up and swung a kick at Aerrow's head. Aerrow leaned backward, ducking under his foot. It put him out of position to block another strike from Carver's sword, and he had to flip over backward to avoid it. It was the beginning of Carver gaining ground, forcing Aerrow back toward the pointed end of the booster.

At the other end of the booster, blue crystal energy began to spit out of its exhaust. Aerrow felt the ship rumble under his feet as the engines started, but it seemed like only a minor detail next to the attack Carver was pressing on him.

Piper watched fearfully as she saw Aerrow was losing ground, Carver pushing him ever further out. "Aerrow's in trouble," she gasped to the others.

At the news, Junko's face twisted into an angry Wallop snarl. He seemed to wish he could jump in and give Carver a beating.

But Stork had noticed something much more pressing. "Um, is it just me," he asked, pointing to the floor, "or is the _Condor_ moving?"

Piper and Junko turned back to him in surprise and then both looked up at the moving sky and feeling the rumbling beneath their feet. Stork was right. The _Condor_ was in flight.

Aerrow was able to hold off Carver long enough to turn to the side, trying to get out of his trap between Carver and the prow of the booster. He succeeded halfway, only to be meeting Carver in a ferocious show of fencing that momentarily stopped his escape.

But Piper was no longer watching. She was running up to the bridge, trying to figure out what was going on. Stork was right behind her. No one touched his helm without _his _say-so!

When they got to the helm, both stopped behind it in surprise. "Radarr," Piper gasped, "what're you doing?" Radarr was driving the _Condor_. And now was not the time for Radarr to be messing around.

But when Stork stepped forward to take the helm, Radarr proved he _wasn't_ messing around. He turned to look over his shoulder and gave Stork one of his most vicious growls, his fur standing on end and his ears lying flat against his head. He never relinquished his hold on the helm.

It frightened Stork enough that he cringed away and didn't even try to take the helm. "Okay, okay," he said, smiling nervously. He gestured to Radarr. "You fly."

Piper looked outside the window again to see the fight. The _Condor_ dipped downward under Radarr's control and then leveled out again. The fighters only shifted their weight and continued fighting, matching swing for swing.

Aerrow suddenly broke away from Carver and began striking like mad, swinging back and forth with both blades. Having only one sword to fight with, Carver could only block while one blade came, then the other, and then even Aerrow's foot. Carver was forced backward one step at a time.

But finally, when Carver was forced to jump back, he seemed to have had enough. He struck forward with ferocity and swiftness that put Aerrow on the constant defense. Quickly the tables turned, and it was Aerrow who began to back away. Vaguely he realized that Carver had been giving in to him on purpose before, to force the younger Sky Knight to spin with him. He now had Aerrow cornered to the pointed bow of the booster once again, and he was slowly forcing him back toward the edge.

Finally a blow came that Aerrow wasn't expecting. Carver struck the metal at Aerrow's feet instead of striking directly at Aerrow. The force of it knocked Aerrow backward off his feet. He landed on his back at the edge of the booster. His blades fell from his hands.

Aerrow gasped, sat up, and looked down as he saw his blades fall over either side of the booster. Then he looked back at Carver with a look that Carver took to be fear.

Carver smirked. The boy was down and weaponless, while Carver still stood with his sword in hand. It was over now.

But then Aerrow glanced down and looked up at him again before he did the unexpected: he rolled off the edge.

Carver gasped and lifted en eyebrow. They were flying over the Wastelands with nothing in between! But Carver knew their must be a catch. Aerrow was not suicidal, even in the face of death.

Huffing in frustration, he walked to the edge of the booster and looked down. They were not flying any longer. The _Condor_ had landed on a rocky, barren spit of a terra that had a valley of rock below huge cliffs that surrounded them, creating a natural amphitheater. Carver had been so caught up in fighting that he hadn't noticed the landing.

And there was Aerrow down below. He had landed squarely on his feet in front of his blades, which were still glowing and had landed blade-first into the ground, making cracks in the rocks as they buried into it. Aerrow pulled his blades from the rock and held them at the ready, looking up at Carver determinedly. He was ready to fight again.

Carver growled as he leapt down from the ship onto the terra. If Aerrow thought he still had a chance, he was wrong!

He landed on his feet yards away from where Aerrow stood. Pointing at him, he cried, "You can't run from me!"

Then, before Aerrow could attempt to run or even attack, Carver summoned all the power in his blade. With a yell, he released a powerful green pulse that Aerrow was not prepared to block.

The blow struck Aerrow right in the face. Aerrow had rarely ever screamed, but that pulse was one of the most painful things he ever felt. He was knocked five feet backward, dropping his blades in the process.

When he first opened his eyes again, it took a moment to even remember what had happened. As he slowly raised his head, he saw Carver standing over him, scowling. "It wasn't easy, you know," the man told him, "convincing everyone I was under mind control with a phony crystal."

Before Aerrow could even think up a response for that, Carver leaned over and snatched Aerrow up by one of his breast plates, pulling the boy's face close to his. "I'm disappointed that none of my earlier attempts to do you in worked," he smirked, "but I knew I'd get you in the end! After all, the big hero always wins!"

Aerrow tried to disclose terror for as long as he would . . . for, under any other circumstances, this would have been pretty terrifying. But when Carver finished his speech, Aerrow could only smirk. Carver had confessed everything! "Did you get all of that?" he asked, looking up at one of the cliffs above them.

Carver whirled around in shock, letting go of Aerrow in the process, to see Guy Skyly and his cameraman up on the cliff. "Every frame!" Skyly answered Aerrow back excitedly, putting his hands on top of his head. "This is the biggest scoop of my life!" He spoke into his microphone so that his voice might reach the cliff on the other side. "Hey, thanks for the tip, Radarr!"

All the other Storm Hawks had gotten out and stood on the cliff to watch the battle. Radarr was standing proudly on two legs. At Guy Skyly's thanks, Radarr chirped and gave him a thumb up.

Carver backed away from everyone, anger, shock, and yes, even fear clouding his face. Aerrow took the opportunity to get up and grab his blades. Now that the confession was out, Aerrow no longer had to hold back.

Carver whirled around to Aerrow, deciding to take out his fury on him. "You!" he cried, pointing to him. "You tricked me!"

Aerrow just smirked back. "Time to take you home Carver," he pointed at him with his blade, "back to Terra Atmosia Stockade!"

Every bit of fear and anger in Carver boiled forth. With a cry of rage, he flung himself at Aerrow, having no thought but to get rid of the smirk, to kill the thing that caused him so much grief. But he was acting on anger, not thinking straight, and Aerrow was confident and calculative. When Carver was almost upon him, Aerrow leaped over him, kicking backward to strike Carver in the back. Carver staggered forward and roared in fury at his failure. His eyes, red with rage, turned to seek Aerrow, to go at him again.

But Aerrow wasn't attacking. He had turned very passive, closing his eyes and concentrating. He was centering himself, concentrating on nothing but the power of the striker crystals in his blades. The power began to envelope him in a blue aura. Aerrow spun around to face Carver as he rose in the air. He opened his eyes, and they shined blue, as if he were only an extension of the crystals.

Carver only blinked in fear.

As Aerrow rose, he put his arms, blue, glowing wings opening with them. Then he brought his wings together and released the pulse . . . his Lightning Claw.

Carver could only watch, scream, and put his hand up to protect his face as the pulse hurtled his way. Once it struck, it sent him flying backward against the wall of the cliff, rendering him unconscious. His blade fell from his hand, clattering to the ground where he had stood.

Aerrow smirked at the fallen figure. "Aerrow, two," he said, "Carver, _zitta!_"

* * *

That evening, the Storm Hawks were watching the news again, with Radarr controlling the projector and everyone else sitting the couch. Surprisingly, Stork hadn't joined them.

The screen showed a growling Carver being locked in a cell. The screen zoomed out to show Guy Skyly reporting from his office. "_Scandal in the skies!_" Carver announced, gesturing the picture of Carver on his right. "_Jailbird Carver flew the coop, but he's back in the slammer to roost for good, thanks to those high-flying Storm Hawks!_"

As the news report ended, Aerrow couldn't help feeling content. There had finally been a report that had made him look good. Better yet, the news had brought good news this time. Carver would never again bother them.

Satisfied, Aerrow stood up, stretched, and yawned. It was about time to go to bed, he thought.

When Junko saw him stretch, he blinked in surprise. "Um, Aerrow?" he asked.

Aerrow turned to him, smiling. He had a feeling he knew what the question was.

"Why are you wearing the old stuff?" Junko asked.

Aerrow smiled as he looked at himself in his old uniform. Wearing it again felt comfortable, natural. He hadn't realized how much he missed it. It had been Lightning Strike's and now it was his and his alone . . . with no Carver influence.

Still smiling, he told the others, "We're going back to our old armor. The new ones aren't our style."

Junko frowned. Finn groaned and slumped back on the couch. Even Piper looked a little disappointed.

Aerrow smirked. "What?" he asked them. "You _like_ the new uniforms?" He found this kind of amusing. He hadn't been real fond of the uniforms recently.

Piper rubbed her leg, feeling the soft leather of her pants. "They are kinda nice," she admitted with a smile.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Kinda _nice?_

Finn hugged himself. "They're so cool!"

Aerrow laughed at Finn's antics. Maybe they had point. The new uniforms did look a bit more presentable than their old uniforms, and they were very well-made. "Uh, then maybe we can take them out on special occasions," Aerrow compromised.

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed quietly, clenching his fists.

At that moment, Stork showed up at last. He was carrying an octagonal cage of some sort that had some sides covered in black so that no one could see in. He set it on a stack of crates behind the couch. "So," he said, "I traded in the arachnoid for a new pet." He rubbed the cage lovingly. "This one is most assuredly the deadliest on Atmos." He looked up at them, giddy with glee. "Wanna see?"

The others cringed. "Uh . . ." Junko said, not sure how to respond.

But Aerrow backed away and put up his hands, shaking his head. He couldn't help but remember that Stork's last "deadly" pet was part of a plot to destroy him.

But Stork paid them no mind. He turned the case to the glass-covered sides so they could see in, grinning like a proud parent. The ugly, gross-looking creature let out an ear-splitting screech when it saw them.

Everyone cringed again, this time in disgust. "Ew!" they all said.

"Isn't it _great?_" Stork exclaimed, his face in his hands. He was squealing like a schoolgirl. "What should we name him?"

Aerrow didn't normally exercise his right as leader in _this_ way, but that . . . _thing_ was not staying on the _Condor_.

* * *

Author's Notes: Is it just me, or is that ending pretty lame? I mean, seriously, Nerd Corps spent fifteen minutes building up an intense plot of suspense and betrayal, put in an epic two-minute fight scene (that took me five pages!), and then what happens? Aerrow defeats Carver with ease with the same move he used last time! Why not have something different happen? At least make it difficult for Aerrow!

Then again, maybe Nerd Corps decided they'd put Aerrow through enough at that point. Or maybe they couldn't think of anything better for what little time they had left for the episode. Or both. Eh, doesn't matter now, does it?

I wanted to do a trivia on the spider, but I didn't know anything about spider species. So I tried to look up a species based on the arachnoid's name and its description. Jumping spiders were the only similar spiders in appearance (they are black with green spots on their backs). Otherwise I came up empty. And we all know "arachnid" is in reference to the spider family, and so I guess all I can say is that "arachnoid" is a synonym for "arachnid." (Microsoft Word may tell you "arachnoid" is not a real word, but it is. Look it up in the dictionary.)

But I did find a trivia! It's not related to the episode, though. Once again, it's in reference to Minky . . . this time for his species.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Gleep" actually is a word. It's a noun, meaning "fool" or "oaf."

Guess it fits the Wallops' views of Gleeps perfectly, doesn't it?

And now, don't be a gleep! Review!

Okay, okay, I know. Lame joke.

Now for "Radarr Love," another one of my favorites! Hmm, I have a lot of favorites. Although come to think of it, if I didn't have a lot of favorite _Storm Hawks_ episodes, this fic wouldn't exist, now would it?


	142. Radarr Love: Left Behind

_**Part 35**_

_**Radarr Love**_

_A team member is separated and a team reunited. Friends are not wanted, and friends are relished. A new figure makes a name for himself. A new enemy rises up, and a new hero takes a stand._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Left Behind

Things were eventually back to normal on the _Condor_. Aerrow was once again enjoying himself, so much so that he suggested they see a concert. Radarr was glad that Aerrow was at ease again. His world was never right when Aerrow was unhappy.

But in order to make the show, the Storm Hawks had to be quick about it. And they still needed to stop at Wayside as well. Many of them had errands to run.

Stork pulled the _Condor_ up to an open dock at Wayside as quickly as possible without being a danger. In their hurry, the other Hawks hadn't even put on their armor. They had already grabbed their rides and were waiting in the hangar bay. No sooner had the _Condor_ docked when Junko led the charge off the landing strip. Every skyride went off the end and landed, still in bike mode, on the ground below.

Once there, Aerrow and Radarr slid to a stop, and the others did so behind them. "Okay," Aerrow said, standing up, "if we wanna make the concert, everyone's got five minutes," he held up his hand to show all fingers and thumb, "to do what they need to do. Then we gotta go." He pointed his thumb behind him.

Radarr rolled his eyes. The likelihood of all of them being ready in five minutes (his eyes wandered to Finn) was unlikely. Aerrow knew that. The boy must really want to see this concert.

Piper was satisfied with the time. "Great," she answered, smiling. She held up a long blue crystal with a pointed yellow tip, looking at it. "I just need to grab another turbo crystal." Turbo crystals were like velocity crystals, only better, closer to the speed of a nitro crystal yet having a much longer life than one.

At that moment, they all looked up when they heard a scream. The _Stork-Mobile_ came bounding off the landing strip, Stork screaming as if he thought he was going to die. Aerrow and Piper cringed when he landed with a loud CRASH! on the ground. But the _Stork-Mobile_ was a Safety Buggy; it landed right-side up safe and sound, first being caught by the front wheels, then falling back onto all three wheels.

Stork looked at them and held up a finger. "I need a new protonic 'peller," he said.

By now, Junko had gotten off his Skimmer. He stood uncomfortably, grimacing a little with his knees close together. He held up a finger and announced, "I need the bathroom!"

Finn was already out of his seat, leaning casually against his ride with his arms crossed. "Um," he told the others, referring to Junko, "if you're wondering why he didn't go on the _Condor_," he shook his head, "don't ask."

Junko chuckled and smiled sheepishly. But then his belly gurgled. Gasping, he took off running toward the diner. The others were already on their way off on their own deeds as well.

Radarr was left standing among their skyrides, watching them go. He wasn't sure where Aerrow was going, although he knew it must be important. He wasn't sure where Finn was going, either, and he wasn't sure that the blond boy really had anywhere to be. But Radarr knew he didn't need to be anywhere. He'd just wait for the others to get back.

But that was before he caught the smell. As it drifted toward him, he raised his head in the air and sniffed inquisitively. Churring, he clenched his fists excitedly, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Someone was definitely cooking nearby! And it smelled _good!_

Looking around, Radarr saw the smell was coming from the back door of the diner.

Change of plan. Radarr was going to grab a bite to eat before they left.

Eagerly Radarr dropped to all fours and scampered toward the doorway. But when he got there, he stood up on two legs, glancing back and forth in confusion. This didn't seem like a very nice place to find food. There were dirty dishes stacked all over the place. Some of them were full of what must have been food at one point but was now black or brown mush. The floors, walls, and counters were disgusting. It was quite a greasy spoon kitchen. Radarr doubted it would pass a health inspection.

But Radarr's nose never lied. Somewhere around here was the food that brought with it the good smell. Radarr was determined to find it.

Cautiously Radarr tiptoed inside, knowing that he might not be welcome here. He was rarely welcomed into any diner without another Storm Hawk. Usually he was with Aerrow, so it didn't matter, but he never forgot to be careful when he was on his own.

At first there didn't seem to be anyone here. Radarr sniffed again for the cooking food, and it was definitely there, but there was also a strong smell of rotting food and chicken . . . _live_ chicken.

When another smell met his nose, Radarr stopped, confused. Then his sensitive ears heard the slightest sound of a slither. His heart pounding, Radarr slowly turned to his right.

There was a small cauldron sitting on the shelf beside him. Three tentacles were hanging out of it. And they started to move, turning toward him.

Terrified, Radarr let out a snake-like hiss, putting up his paws to protect him from a potential attack and backing away. He didn't know what that thing was or if it was friendly, but he didn't want to find out.

But just then, he slipped on a banana peel. Squealing in fright, Radarr fell backward. An automatic door behind him opened from his weight on its sensor. Radarr tried to flip in the air to land on his feet like a cat, but he failed miserably. He landed just inside the door on his face, letting out a churr-like groan. The door slammed shut behind him.

But he was not alone in the room. The sound made someone else look up.

Radarr gazed up at the man in horror. The man was heavy-set. Radarr was sure he'd seen him before. He was the cook at the diner, the grumpy man behind the counter. Finn said he once threw out two men who were fighting in his bar and then did the same to the Raptors . . . all with his fists!

Radarr could believe it. The guy looked almost as burly Snipe, if not a little thicker in the waist. And he was holding a live chicken upside down by the foot over an empty, chipped pot. There was a malicious smile on his face, as if he enjoyed such torture.

Not that Radarr blamed him for trying to cook the chicken. Radarr liked chicken. But he also liked live chickens, and because he never did the butchering, he had no problem separating the two in his world.

But when they both looked up and saw him, Radarr was disturbed by the man's vicious, beady little eyes, so much so that he stood up and took a step back.

The chicken met his eyes as well. Radarr's eyes widened. He _knew_ her! It was Wren's white hen, Radarr's constant stalker and would-be lover. Her beautiful picture was one of his most prized possessions!

But then the cook laughed. "Well, well, well" he said. "Looks like I just found me my Blue Plate Special." He pointed the pot at Radarr.

Radarr cringed. Did he mean _him?_ Chattering nervously, he looked all around the room, trying to seek an escape. But there was none. Radarr lowered himself even more to the floor, making himself as small as possible. A small whimper escaped his throat. This was not going well at all.

The cook cackled. "Whatever you are," he told Radarr, "you're the answer to my prayers! 'Cause today's mystery meat day!" He tossed the hen behind him nonchalantly. The chicken squawked in surprise and landed on her head behind them. The cook leaned toward Radarr. "And I'm all out of mystery meat!" he explained.

Radarr squawked in alarm, his eyes growing wide and his ears shooting up. The cook was going to make him into dinner!

With a yell, the cook tried to slam the pot down on Radarr's head.

But Radarr was a Storm Hawk. If the cook wanted a piece of him, he would have to fight him for it! He leapt onto the counter before the pot reached him and picked up a pan by the handle, holding in his paws like Aerrow would hold a blade. He spun around and held it at the ready, growling at the cook. Let's see if this guy had what it took!

Still determined to have his dish, the cook tried to hit Radarr on the head with the pot again. But Radarr stopped the blow with his pan, locking the two dishes together like swords.

Growing angry now, the cook tried to hit Radarr again and again, growling each time. And each time, Radarr met his pot with the pan, blocking each blow.

Behind them, the hen was just now getting to her feet, feeling a little woozy. Worried about her love and savior, she looked over at the two of them fighting.

As she did, she felt woozy again but for a different reason. Radarr was not only holding his own, but he seemed to be playing with the man. He was smirking at him, just as playful as Aerrow ever was in a fight. Each time the cook struck, Radarr warded him off with ease, displaying great strength to the hen. She found herself captivated by his confident smirk, the way his ears waved in the wind when he swung his pan, the way the fur ruffled on his head and body. His yellow eyes were deep, captivating. His white muzzle stuck out against his sky-blue coat, looking so handsome, and the hen could just see herself kissing those thin lips. Her heart pounded. He was gorgeous, perfect! The hen put her wing to her forehead and fell over, feeling faint with love.

Radarr finally found an opening in the fight. He jumped over the cook, landing on his back, and then leaped down to the floor. He saw the hen picking herself up off the floor. Now was their chance to escape!

He made a run for the door. The chicken squawked in surprise as he scooped her up in his arms—his strong, gentle arms!—as he ran out the door. Once he was out, he pounded toward the back door.

The cook chased after them, angry as ever. But Radarr was ready for him. With the pan, he was able to reach up to the buttons to close the mechanical backdoor. It slammed shut on the cook, who let out a loud "Oof!" as he ran into it, running into it hard enough to make an indention in the door.

Radarr frowned and set the pan down. Well, at least that was over with. Too bad he hadn't gotten any of that cook's food. He glanced down at the white hen he held tucked under his arm to make sure she was okay.

The hen seemed better than okay. She gazed at him with a silly smile and a dazed expression, her eyes shining with love.

Uh oh. Radarr had seen that look in her eyes before.

He screeched in horror as the hen suddenly moved to kiss him. Clucking and spreading feathers everywhere, she fluttered, trying to reach him, while Radarr used both front paws to hold her at arms length. He shifted her one way, then another, trying to get her off him, but she would not stop.

Well, looks like he would have to do this the hard way. Exasperated, he threw the chicken aside and ran on two legs toward the _Condor_, where he hoped to find an escape. Still looking dreamy, the hen flew after him.

But just when Radarr was about to reach the dock, the _Condor_'s engine was turned on.

Radarr's eyes widened. _No!_ He ran faster.

But there was no catching that ship. She was off the dock in seconds. Radarr whimpered and lifted his paws to the sky as he kept running toward the dock. They couldn't leave him here! Surely Aerrow would never leave him here!

But even as he was reaching the edge of the terra, the _Condor_ turned around and began to speed away.

Radarr waved his paws in the air, jumping up, screeching, doing whatever he could to get the _Condor_'s attention. But finally he realized there was nothing he could do. He slumped and let out a disbelieving churr as he watched the ship disappear in the distance.

* * *

On the _Condor_, all the other Storm Hawks were on the bridge. While Stork drove, Aerrow was looking at the clock just under the Timepulse receiver, checking their time. "Four minutes, forty-two seconds," he told Piper, standing up straight again. "Not a badly executed pit stop."

"Good thing, too!" Piper answered back with an excited smile. "We only got ten minutes to get to the show!"

Stork glanced back and smirked, knowing what they wanted him to do. Still smirking, he grunted gunned the _Condor_'s engine. The turbo crystal gave them a huge boost of speed that left Wayside miles behind.

No one was aware that Radarr was not on the ship.

* * *

Back at Wayside, Radarr was pacing the grounds in front of the diner in irritation, his face twisted in a scowl. How could the others just _leave_ him like that? It was so . . . wrong! Radarr wasn't crazy about the loud music at concerts—it hurt his ears—but he always had fun at those kinds of events. Now he was not only going to miss the concert, but he was stuck here! If this was some sick joke, it was not funny! This was a stunt he'd expected from Finn, but not from the others, especially Piper and Stork. And he had never thought it possible that Aerrow would put him through this. Then again, Aerrow did the unexpected all the time. He sometimes frightened Radarr with his daring stupidity.

He was so absorbed in stomping around and scolding and cursing each of the other Storm Hawks for leaving him that he forgot he was being hunted.

Clucking, the hen flew in behind him and landed.

Radarr's ears twitched when he heard the cluck, and his eyes widened. Uh oh.

Seeing him, the hen's eyes grew dreamy again, and she started jumping up and down, fluttering her wings, and clucking in excitement.

Radarr turned around just in time to see her half-flying, half-scampering toward him.

Squeaking in alarm, Radarr jumped out of the way just as the love-struck chicken was about to embrace him. She looked after him, bobbing her head and clucking uncontrollably before she charged at him again, her wings outstretched and ready to grab him.

Radarr ran as fast as he could from her. He kept glancing back at her to see if she was keeping up.

Perhaps he should have been looking where he was going. He screeched in alarm when he saw he was headed for the edge of a dock. He slid to a stop just in time, churring questionably and looking over the edge. That was a long drop down into the Wastelands.

Whimpering uncertainly, he turned around to get away when he squawked in shock. The chicken was standing right in front of him, clucking contentedly. She put a wing to her mouth and breathed on it, as if checking her breath, as if preparing for a _kiss!_

Great, Radarr thought. Just great. Now he was cornered between this edge and a crazy chicken who couldn't seem to recognize her own species. He wasn't about to lie and say he didn't like her a lot, but seriously, she needed to get herself a good rooster!

Then, just when Radarr thought he would have to commit to the kiss to keep from falling to his death, a strong wind whistled over him, ruffling his fur and making his ears flow back. A cargo train of barges was flying by the dock right at that moment.

Radarr squawked as he looked back and forth between the passing train and the hen. Sure, he had no idea where the train was going, but the lack of symbols meant it wasn't Cyclonian. And it would provide him an escape from the chicken.

Before he could change his mind, he squeaked as he made a run for the barge going past him, hopping into an open cargo hold.

There, he had made it safely on. He stuck his head out to look back at the dock he had left behind.

The chicken walked forward a few steps after him. When she saw he was leaving her, her eyes grew wide and watery. She looked absolutely heartbroken!

But Radarr was feeling self-centered at the moment. After all, she had him backed up to the edge of a dock! Breathing a sigh of relief, he stepped into the cargo hold.

Once inside, he realized it was really dark. Immediately he let out a slight, nervous chatter and cringed, curling his tail close to himself as he backed into the darkness. He'd been attacked a couple of times in the dark.

Then he heard a slight sound. A footstep. A _humanoid_ footstep.

According to Radarr's commonsense, friendly people did _not_ usually hang out in cargo holds. Cringing even more, he slowly turned to look to his left.

Three bent, pale, shabby-looking men were looking at him. They didn't look old but seemed aged by hardship. They were skinny and frail. People are not allowed in cargo holds, but homeless folks hitch rides. It was obvious to Radarr that these men were hobos. They looked kind of familiar.

One of them pointed to him, a man with dirty hair that may have once been blond. "You!" he exclaimed.

A bald, grey-bearded man, obviously older than the others, leaned toward Radarr, squinting at him as if to get a better look. "It's him!" he exclaimed. "From the belly of that sky beast!"

That's when Radarr realized where he had seen them before. They were with him in the mouth of the Leviathan! They were some of the survivors!

Radarr whimpered uncertainly as he remembered: they had tried to eat him.

The men were coming toward him now. Radarr squawked in alarm and backed away from them, only to find himself up against the wall. He whimpered uncertainly as they came closer. Oh, he should have taken his chances with the chicken!

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Piper was standing by the round table reading a book while Finn sat on the tabletop. Junko was on the other side of the bridge. Aerrow was by the helm with Stork, smiling as he gazed out the frontal window. "That turbo crystal's really got some kick," he said. "We're almost a hundred ticks from Wayside! Not bad, huh, Radarr?"

Aerrow looked down, expecting to see Radarr at his feet. After all, Radarr was always around him somewhere.

But when he looked down, there was no Radarr.

Mouth slightly ajar in surprise, Aerrow looked around himself before turning around. "Radarr?" he called into the room. The little guy was nowhere in sight.

Piper and Finn (who had been studying the book over Piper's shoulder) looked up from the book and looked around, trying to see if they could spot Radarr for Aerrow. Junko stepped up beside them and looked this way and that. "Huh," he grunted at last, shrugging to show he didn't know. Finn shrugged, too.

Well, Radarr had to be around here somewhere. He was never far from Aerrow. The Sky Knight tried to think of the last time he'd seen him. He had been in his Skimmer with him at Wayside. He hadn't flown back into the ship with him, but Aerrow had figured Radarr was already on the ship . . .

Oh no. Aerrow felt a wave of dread wash over him. They had to go back to Wayside!

* * *

In a cargo train heading awayfrom Wayside, Radarr whimpered as the men closed in on him. "We've got unfinished business with you!" the blonde one declared, his hands reaching out toward Radarr.

Radarr cringed. They were going to do what they failed to do last time: eat him! But there was nowhere for him to go. Radarr shut his eyes tight and tensed, waiting, hoping death would be painless.

He felt himself being lifted up by three sets of hands. But then he was flying in the air. And the men were . . . cheering? "Hazah!" they cried happily. They caught him and threw him up again. "Hazah!" Radarr squeaked when he when he was thrown up a third time. "Hazah!"

Radarr was more confused than ever. The men weren't eating him. They were treating him like a celebrity or something.

The men set him down gently on his feet, all smiling. "We never got to thank ya and your friends properly for savin' us last time we met!" he explained, pointing to Radarr.

Radarr chirped happily. Not being eaten was great; being thanked for being a hero was excellent. It was the first time Radarr relaxed since he met the cook. These men weren't out to harm him; they were his friends! Although Radarr thought it sad that they were here; now free of the Leviathan, they must have lost practically all their lives. They didn't have the money or boats to go back to sky fishing or whatever it was they did. Some may even have been hired into Tritonn's crew to track the Leviathan because they had nothing else they could do. But now they didn't have that job, either. They were hobos, living where they could with what they could. It was sad to say that they didn't seem in much better condition than they were in the Leviathan's mouth.

The bald hobo gestured to him kindly. "Now we want to make up for that terrible lapse in manners—"

"—with a feast," the blonde one finished, "in your honor!"

So about to be eaten was only a "lapse in manners." Oh well. At least they were making up for it.

While they had been talking, the brown-haired one had gone to get something in the back of the car. Now as the other two gestured to him, he came walking toward the group with a covered platter in his hands. Radarr chirped and licked his lips. That must be the _feast_ part!

Letting out a sound of pride, the brown-haired hobo grabbed the handle of the lid and lifted it as he lowered the platter toward Radarr. Radarr watched eagerly, his tail twitching. After all, who didn't like to eat?

But then the lid was lifted, and Radarr got a whiff of the "food" for the first time. It was terrible!

Letting out a hiss, Radarr grimaced in disgust at the food. It was a pile of raw dead fish, scales and all. They were green, but Radarr couldn't tell whether they were naturally green or whether they had just been sitting around too long. Whatever the case, they smelled wretched!

Radarr knew that this was probably all the hobos could afford to give him, and he did appreciate the thought. He tried to smile at them to show his appreciation. But the men only smiled back excitedly, and the bald one nodded encouragingly. They were waiting for him to eat—and enjoy—his feast.

Radarr stared at the food in utter horror as a fly buzzed around the platter. Whimpering a little, he grabbed a fish—the smallest he could find—opened his mouth, and held it over his mouth, preparing to swallow has quickly as possible. He had to eat it; after all, he didn't want to offend these kind men.

But just then, Radarr screeched in alarm as something shook the cargo hold, knocking him over backward.

The bald hobo ran to the open hatch and looked out. Gasping, he turned back to the others, his eyes wide with fright. "It be a sky shark attack!" he shouted, placing his hands on top of his head.

He and the other hobos started panicking. Radarr's head spun as he watched them run all around the cargo hold screaming.

Panicking was not Radarr's style. No, Aerrow had cured him of that a long time ago (otherwise he might have had a heart attack by now with all that boy put him through). But that didn't mean his heart didn't start hammering when he heard a roar and saw a sky shark float past the hatch.

Trying to get a better idea of what to do, Radarr crept toward the door, his ears lying down out of fear. He placed a paw on the doorframe and peered out.

A hoard of six sharks was attacking the train, shaking the cargo hold that Radarr and the hobos were in during their search for food!

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, sky sharks! Scary . . .

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Turbo is not truly in reference to speed itself. The usual meaning for turbo is as a synonym for turbine. That could be any machine that has a rotor driven by pressure, momentum, or reactive thrust from moving fluid (so it does _affect _speed). A turbocharger is a supercharger driven by a particular turbine turned by exhaust fumes from an engine. Finally another meaning for turbo is a vehicle with an internal-combustion engine that has a turbocharger. The turbocharger is what causes the speed.

Nothing else to say here. Guess you'll just all have to review and wait for the next chapter!


	143. Radarr Love: Stowaway

Author's Notes: I'm getting a lot of comments from people saying I must be having fun writing an episode about my favorite character. And the answer yes, I'm having loads of fun! Was it that obvious?

And now we get to the part where there are stalker hens galore . . .

* * *

Chapter 2: Stowaway

Radarr was definitely scared of the sharks, but when he looked down at the fish held in his paw, he got an idea. After all, sky sharks loved fish, from the water and the sky. With a little whurr, Radarr chucked the fish outside the cargo hold. All the sky sharks watched it fall.

The brown-haired hobo with the wild beard pointed out the hatch. "Look!" He and the blonde one ran to the hatch.

All the sharks were diving after the falling fish, leaving the cargo hold alone.

"He saved us!" the blonde hobo cried. "Again!"

"Hazah!" the brown-haired one cheered, throwing his hands in the air.

Radarr chattered happily as he peered down at the sharks. His plan had worked!

But the one of the sky sharks caught the fish and swallowed it. Once the fish was gone, the sharks looked back up at the cargo hold and growled at Radarr.

Radarr screeched in alarm. They knew it was Radarr who had given them the fish. And they wanted more.

Growling, the sharks spun around headed straight for the open hatch where Radarr stood. Radarr screeched and jumped back, flattening himself against the wall beside the hatch to hide.

But then a shark head burst through the wall above him! Screeching again, Radarr scampered away from the wall and stood in the middle of the cargo hold, trembling. But then a snapping shark head burst through the ceiling. Letting out a bleat-like moan, Radarr jumped aside, realizing he was trapped as yet another sky shark came flying toward the open hatch.

Then Radarr peered over to the other side of the car. There was another open hatch over there! Seeing his chance to escape, he took it, rushing for the hatch and running out onto the one of the boosters supporting the car.

But then he slid to a stop, screeching. There was nowhere to go now. He was at the edge.

But he couldn't turn back, either. The sky shark that had been flying in the hatch had flown straight through. Radarr screeched as the shark's jaws snapped at him. Radarr leaned to avoid those teeth . . . only to find himself falling.

Radarr screamed as he fell, waving his paws frantically. This was it! He was done for!

Then . . . pain. He didn't know what he hit. All he knew was that he wasn't dead. Death shouldn't hurt so much.

The bald hobo ran frantically to the open hatch where Radarr fell. "Look!" he cried, pointing down. The other hobos joined him and looked where he pointed.

Radarr had landed face first on the metal roof of another cargo ship.

Slowly Radarr got to his feet, putting a paw on his now-aching head. Churring questionably, he tried to make sense of what happen. What of the hobos? The sharks didn't get them, did they?

He looked up to see the three hobos smiling down at him, completely unharmed. Radarr chirped and waved to them, letting them know he was okay.

But then the hobos looked up and gasped as a sky shark swept over them. The hoard of sharks had spotted Radarr, and they were going in for the kill, growling menacingly.

Radarr squawked in fear and looked around for some other escape.

There was a circular escape hatch right beside him.

Oh. _Escape_ hatch. That'll work.

Radarr lifted up the door and jumped inside.

He landed cat-like on all fours at the bottom of the ladder. Once there, he pushed himself up on his hind legs, growling, ready to fight. He had no idea what was down in this dark room, and he wanted to be ready for it. After all, he was getting the feeling that he wasn't alone in here.

But then his eyes caught something in the darkness. A lump of some sort. His nose twitched, and her churred in surprise. The smell . . . But it can't be.

Clucking, Wren's hen stepped out of the darkness and into the circle of light coming from the open hatch. She fluttered her wings shyly and gazed at Radarr with loving eyes.

Radarr growled in disgust. Great. He thought he had finally gotten rid of this chicken! It appeared she had followed him by hitching a ride.

The odd thing was that the entire straw-covered room he was in smelled of chicken, as if the white hen had been here for days. But he had just left her at Wayside not half an hour ago.

But then he heard more clucking. And it wasn't coming from the white hen; it was coming from behind her.

More pairs of eyes peered out from the darkness, more than he could count. And then they came toward the light, and Radarr saw more clearly. They were all chickens. No, even worse; they were all _hens!_ These hens had various shades of brown feathers, unlike Wren's white hen and the hens on Terra Saharr.

But like Wren's hen, they stared at Radarr with lovesick eyes.

Up above, the hatch door closed.

The white hen suddenly clucked loudly and started toward Radarr. The others followed.

Radarr whimpered as he held his hands up, backing toward the ladder. When he finally reached it, he scampered up it as quickly as possible. Okay, he thought, these hens _really_ need a good rooster!

Once he reached the top of the ladder, Radarr leaped out of the hatch, screeching. He was running on two legs as soon as he was on the flat top. Following right behind him was a new horde . . . this time, instead of sharks, it was a horde of chickens. The white hen led the flight out of the hatch. Once out of the room, all the hens landed on the deck clucking and fluttering their wings and chased after Radarr.

Radarr ran as fast as he could . . . until he realized he was about to run off the ship! He squeaked and slid to a stop, teetering on the edge of the deck. A single white feather fluttered up in front of him from behind, reminding him of what he faced if he dared turn around.

His eyes were wide as he looked down. There was nowhere to go. Fearfully he looked back over his shoulder and whimpered as he saw the love-struck hens getting ever closer, the white hen in the lead. Once again, she had cornered him at a drop off . . . only this time, she had company.

Radarr simply couldn't deal with this. Unless he wanted to be attacked . . . er, smothered . . . er, _loved on_ by a hoard of hens, he would have to get out of here. And there was only one way to do that.

Realizing what might happen, Radarr clasped his hands together and chattered a little prayer, hoping that whatever being was in charge could hear him. Then . . . he jumped.

The chickens stopped in surprise when they reached the edge of the deck, looking down where Radarr fell, their clucking dying in their throats. There was a clank from below. The hens all cringed, and the white hen squawked sympathetically as Radarr landed face first—yet again—on a dock. He whimpered as his tail, sticking straight up, fell to lie with the rest of him.

The cargo ship had brought them back to Wayside.

Radarr lifted his aching head, groaning as stars danced around his head. That fall was one time too many, he thought.

But then he heard a loud squawk. He glanced behind him long enough to see that the chickens had jumped off the ship's deck and were right behind him. With a screech, he was up and running.

He ran in front of the doorway of the diner, the white hen squawking again.

Radarr was able to duck out of their sight long enough to fix himself a fake black mustache and grab a stray paper. Hoping the chickens would go by without noticing him, he put on the mustache and held the paper in front of his face, leaning against a tree and pretending to read a newspaper.

At first it seemed to work. The chickens ran right past him, clucking and fluttering.

But he made the mistake of putting down the paper and looking after them to see if they had really gone.

The white hen looked back and squawked loudly as she recognized him, seeing right through the mustache. She led the chase back in Radarr's direction.

Quick as can be, Radarr dropped the paper and ran. His fake mustache flew off in the wind.

The chickens chased him back the other way in front of the diner's doorway.

When Radarr passed by some crates, he got the idea of diving behind. The chickens passed right by his hiding place. Cautiously Radarr peered out from behind the crate over the top of it. All was quiet at last, and nothing seemed suspicious. Churring quietly to himself, Radarr lifted his head up above the crate and looked this both ways. No chickens! He'd lost them!

But then he a heard a clucking sound behind him that made him whimper. Swallowing, he turned around.

And there they were, having all popped up from behind a crate directly behind Radarr. They clucked excitedly and fluttered their wings when they looked at him.

Taking off with a squeal, Radarr was once again chased by the doorway.

But this time, he ran right into a bunch of crates stacked up like a wall. Radarr slid to a stop and looked up at the crates and barrels all around, searching for an escape.

There was none. They had cornered him . . . again!

He turned around, only to screech in horror.

The hens blocked the only way out. Slowly they approached him, their eyes shining with love. But surprisingly, the white hen was not among them.

Radarr whimpered and panted in fear, his forepaws held up to protect himself. But he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the approaching brown hens.

Then . . . the white hen showed up. She flew and landed on a barrel beside Radarr. Furiously she squawked and clucked loudly at the other hens. Then she leapt in front of them, getting right in between them and Radarr. She wasn't just furious; she was enraged! She was _jealous_. Radarr was _her_ prize! It had always been that way, and it would not change!

Well, the other hens were angry, too. Soon the entire lot was filled with angry clucks and squawks and fluttering wings as the hens argued.

Radarr certainly didn't want to be in the middle of a bunch of fighting hens, but he couldn't see any way past them. Then he spotted a little opening between two crates behind him. Why hadn't he seen it before? Taking advantage of the situation, Radarr backed out, unnoticed by the disagreeing chickens.

As he wandered further into the maze of crates, he became slightly aware that there was no longer grass under his back paws but metal paneling. Yet his immediate concern was that he got as far away from the chickens as possible before they realized he was gone.

There! Radarr pricked his ears forward and churred questionably. He had found an opening among the crates. He peered around a crate, checking to make sure the coast was clear before he ventured out.

What he saw made his ears stand straight up and sent him chattering with excitement.

The _Condor_ was docking across the way. The others had missed the concert to come back for him!

He had to let them know where he was! Radarr squawked and screeched, leaping out from among the crates to jump up and down and wave his paws in the air.

But before he could had even begun or had a chance to bolt for the _Condor_, he heard a deep voice saying, "I want those supplies stowed now, crewman!"

Radarr looked over. There was a bulky blonde man. He was speaking to a skinnier man with red goggles.

Both were wearing Cyclonian uniforms and helmets.

Radarr cringed and felt himself growing instinctively smaller, his fur and ears lying flat and his tail low to the ground. Talons! He had to hide! Quietly he crept behind a crate, peering out to watch the blonde man in the odd orange-and-green uniform, instead of the red-and-green most Talons wore. He was definitely a seasoned fighter; his left cheek bore a scar that traveled up from his chin, and his right cheek bore two large scars that formed the shape of an X. "Remember," he told the other Talon, putting his hands on hips proudly, "I run the tightest ship in Master Cyclonis' fleet!"

A Talon _commander!_ Radarr cringed again. He had to get away now! He tiptoed as quietly as he could from his hiding place and tried to head for the _Condor_.

But then he heard engines starting. And the ground began to move.

Radarr screeched in alarm, his voice drowned out by the engines of the ship. For he realized the metal paneling he was standing on was not part of the ground . . . but part of the upper deck of a _Cyclonian Destroyer!_

Radarr churred sadly as the Destroyer pulled away from the dock. His ears drooped and he started whimpering as he longingly he watched the docked _Condor_ getting smaller. Now not only was he separated from his friends . . . but he was in big trouble.

* * *

Aerrow, Piper, Stork, Junko, and Finn searched all over Wayside for quite some time, trying to locate their missing friend. But finally Aerrow was starting to get discouraged. He stopped in front of the doorway of the diner, watching chickens fluttering back and forth and leaving feathers everywhere. They seemed to be upset about something.

Piper came and stood by him. It was obvious she had as much luck as he did.

Finn and Junko walked up as well, looking sad. No luck on their part.

Then Stork stepped up to them. "Anything?" Aerrow asked him hopefully.

Stork spit out a white feather in disgust before catching it in his fingers. "A lot of chickens," he answered.

"But no Radarr," Piper added discouragingly.

Junko put his thumbs together, looking worried. "Poor little guy," he said quietly.

But Aerrow knew Radarr had to be around there somewhere, and it wasn't like Wayside was the most dangerous place on Atmos. "I'm sure he's fine," he told the others, trying to convince himself as well as them. He gestured to them and shrugged. "I mean, what's the worse that can happen?"

* * *

Meantime, on the Cyclonian Destroyer, the scar-faced commander was leaning over his prey. "I'm going to dispose of you personally!" he threatened with a smirk.

With that, he picked up the stinking trash bag with the Cyclonian emblem on it, blowing the flies out of his face as he did. Then he threw the bag into the waste tube, holding his nose at the terrible stench.

Radarr watched with interest—and a bit of fear—from his hiding place in the air vent above the commander. They were on the bridge of the ship. While the commander was taking out the trash, three other Talons were operating the ship, including the driver at the helm.

Then another Talon came in, the second Talon Radarr had seen on the deck. Radarr had come to know this Talon as the first mate. He was built like Aerrow: slight but strong. But his voice was wheezy, and he had a band-aid on his chin, both of which weakened his powerful image.

When he saw the commander turn to him, the first mate stood erect. "Sir," he said, "we just received a transmission from Ravess. You have authorization to commence the mission!"

Radarr pricked his ears forward and peered around as far as he could to see them. What mission?

The commander looked disappointed. "And what a mission it is," he grumbled sarcastically. "Deploying weather balloons!"

He started walking away from his first mate. "Do you know what my greatest fear is?" he asked him, holding up a finger. He didn't wait for an answer. "That when they make the movie about Master Cyclonis' conquest of the Atmos," he pointed to the first mate, "my role will be so insignificant they'll refer to me in the credits as," here he sniffed, "Cyclonian #2."

The first mate looked bewildered. So was Radarr. In a time of war, it seemed like such a ridiculous concern.

But the commander laughed, turning back to his first mate. "But I have a plan to avoid that fate," he announced proudly, holding up a finger. He started walking toward the helm. "I've even thought of what to call myself when I make my name in this war." Then he stopped and held a finger to toward his first mate. "Tell me," he asked, "which do you prefer: Commander Scar or Commander Scratcher Face?"

The commander's back was to him, so the first mate was able to show his true feelings. And he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

The commander heaved a sigh at his dilemma as he continued toward the helm. "I'll have to decide soon," he said.

He had at last reached the helm. The driver gasped as the commander knocked him to the ground with a swipe of his arm and then took control of the wheel himself. "This'll be my last routine mission," he said, "because I've augmented the weather balloons into Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom!"

The first mate blinked as if stunned by his commander's apparent stupidity. Radarr tried to mull over the term for the commander's weapons. _Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom._ Well, it that wasn't redundant, Radarr didn't know what was.

But the commander hadn't noticed all the weird looks his crew was giving him. He was smiling as he fantasized his success. "Exceeding expectations, takin' risks," he told the others. He pointed up. "That's what gets you noticed by the higher-ups!" He pressed a button on the helm.

In response, a conveyer belt in the cargo bay of the ship began to move. Some of the commander's modified weather balloons were on the belt, which stretched out of the ship and out into the open air. The first balloon fell off the belt, only falling a foot or so before the red balloon held it up.

Looking out the window and seeing the balloon drifting away, the first mate stepped up to his commander and saluted him. "Sir," he said, "the first, uh," he said this part uneasily, "_Doom-Laden Weather Balloon of Doom_," he brightened once he got it over with, "is away!"

The commander looked quite pleased. "Excellent," he answered, his hands on his hips. "My Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom will attack any cruiser they encounter," he said excitedly, clenching his fist. "No ship will be safe!"

"No ship?" the first mate repeated, sounding noticed.

Radarr flattened his ears worriedly. _They _were on a ship!

No sooner had the first mate called the mistake when the Destroyer shook from a blow, sending the commander and first mate off their feet and rattling the vent Radarr was in. Radarr turned around, feeling the need to get out of the cramped spot where a serious blow could really hurt him.

The commander got up again, staring fearfully out the window. His great war weapon was heading right for his ship. The crystal energy in its bomb-loaded end slammed into the frontal window, shaking the whole ship once again.

Radarr growled as he nearly lost his footing, his bare paws grasping at the slick metal of the vent. However, the blow wasn't serious, and soon he was scampering away as quickly as possible. There was not a doubt in his mind now that this commander—Scar, or was it Scratcher Face? Or how about Cyclonian #2?—was just a few cents short of a dollar, so to speak. The sooner he was off this deathtrap, the better.

But this ship was only dropping off "Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom" and then would be heading back to Cyclonia. Radarr would have to escape while still in free Atmos territory, which meant mid-air.

How the heck was he supposed to do that?

Well, first thing's first. He wasn't getting anywhere in this vent.

Radarr was finally able to find another grate, this one in the ceiling instead of the wall. He lifted it up and then stuck his head out, looking around to be sure he wasn't jumping into a room full of Talons. No one was there.

With a chirp, Radarr jumped down, landing on all fours like a cat. Once safely on the floor, he stood up and looked around, trying to figure out where in this massive ship he was.

This was some sort of office, it looked like. There was a desk with a spinning chair set in front of it. A diagram of the Destroyer from the front, back, and side view hung above the desk in a frame. On the far right corner of the desk sat a large machine with many gauges. A monitor for the ship, maybe?

But what caught Radarr's eye was the radio sitting on the desk in front of the chair.

A radio! Radarr chirped in delight. He could call the others and tell them where he was! They would get him out of this!

Radarr scampered on all fours up to the chair and leaped into the seat. He reached for the speaker, careful not to upset the metal mug sitting in front of the radio. Once he had the speaker, he tuned the radio to the _Condor_'s frequency.

* * *

On the _Condor_, everyone looked up when they heard a beeping sound. A blue light by the overhead speaker started blinking. "It's the com gear!" Piper explained in surprise.

Aerrow looked up with irritation. He didn't need someone calling them now he was so worried about finding his friend.

But it wasn't words that came over the speaker; it was a screech.

Everyone smiled in relief, and Aerrow let out a breath. "Radarr!" he exclaimed. He'd never felt more relieved. "Boy, are we glad to here your voice!"

The speaker vibrated again. Radarr told his story to the other Hawks through a series of churrs, whimpers, and chirps.

Aerrow was trying so hard to listen that he hadn't realized the others not only looked puzzled but had long accepted the fact that Radarr couldn't tell them anything. And yet Aerrow still tried to make sense of it.

"What?" Aerrow asked at last. "I can't understand what you're saying."

Radarr got more animated in his gesturing while he spoke, trying desperately to get his message across. But Aerrow couldn't make heads or tails of any of it, and he couldn't see Radarr for the little guy to act out his message.

But Finn tried to translate anyway. "Um, 'kay," he said. "You're stuck in a lava cave with rampaging magma beasts."

But instead of getting an answer from Radarr, all they got was the sound of a thud, repeatedly.

Frustrated and exasperated, Radarr was hitting his head on the desk . . . over and over again, about four times. Sometimes Finn's stupidity really impressed him.

But then Radarr suddenly raised his head, his ears flicked behind him. He had caught the sound of footsteps, long before a humanoid could have heard them. He looked over his shoulder at the door and squeaked in terror. The footsteps were approaching the closed door!

* * *

Author's Notes: And I leave it off at another cliffhanger . . . or at least, it would be a cliffhanger if everyone didn't already know what was going to happen.

Yah, some of you might have noticed that I didn't refer to the Cyclonian Destroyer as a "she" the way I do with the _Condor_. My thing with these ships and vehicles is that, if they have a name, like _Condor_ or _Blood Crow_, I call them "she." If they don't have a name, then their "it."

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Contrary to what some people think, chickens can fly. However, they can only fly short distances. Domestic chickens will fly to get to a higher perch or get over an obstacle or sometimes just to jump out of the way of something chasing it. A wild chicken will only fly if it is fleeing a presumed threat. Despite their ability to fly, even wild chickens are better runners than fliers. (Probably why early people domesticated them, eh?)

And that trivia will be more relevant in the last chapter of this part, but I couldn't find another trivia for this one.

Okay, y'all, don't forget to review! And this time, if you don't, I will send my chicken to stalk you!

*stalker hen approaches reviewers, who scream and quickly press review button*

Well, would you look at that? I finally got a review threat that worked!


	144. Radarr Love: A Storm Hawk's Mission

Chapter 3: A Storm Hawk's Mission

Radarr made a leap for the open vent in the ceiling just as the doors opened.

It was a pale-faced Talon. He looked around the seemingly empty room, sure he had heard voices. Seeming suspicious, he walked toward the chair and spun it around to see if anyone was in it.

The chair was empty. But the speaker was unhooked, hanging off the desk by the wire.

"What?" the Talon exclaimed in irritation. "Whichever crewman left this unhooked is going to get a reprimand!"

Good! He didn't have any idea Radarr was there. Radarr quietly put the grate of the vent back in place from within the vent, sighing with relief.

But now here he was, still stuck on the ship. Sure, he'd made contact with the others and let them know he was okay, but they had no way of knowing where he is or what trouble he was in. Radarr was still trapped on a Cyclonian Destroyer with a crazy commander set on some crazy mission to make the Atmosian skies unsafe . . .

Radarr squawked as the idea struck him. Of course! He had to stop this commander . . . Scar or Scratcher Face or whatever! Was it not his duty to protect Atmos? He was a Storm Hawk, after all, and a Storm Hawk's got to do what a Storm Hawk's got to do. He growled with anticipation as he smirked sinisterly. He had a great plan . . . and it was going to be fun!

* * *

Some time later, the entire Destroyer shook from some unseen force, knocking it off balance and shaking it until it almost seemed to fall forward on its nose. It righted itself again, but it was not the pilot who did it. Once the ship was righted, the pilot tried to drive on, the commander staring at his back. "It's not working!" the pilot told his commander.

Once of the Talons tried to pull one of the levers beside the helm, but the lever came off in a flurry of sparks and smoke. "Ah!" the Talon cried, staggering back.

Another Talon tried to go for another set of controls, but the same thing happened. "It's like there's a gremlin in the machine!" he cried.

* * *

Little did he know that this "gremlin" was very real and very much alive. Down below, Radarr had cut a wire that aided in control of the ship. He held up the two ends of the wire, sparks flying around him, letting out a growl not unlike maniacal laughter.

* * *

Up on the bridge, the commander looked out the frontal window when he heard the proximity alarms going off. One of his Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom was heading straight for them . . . to attack! "Defensive maneuvers, now!" he shouted, pointing at his pilot.

The pilot pulled the helm to the right as far as he could, but nothing happened. "Sir," the pilot answered back helplessly. "The helm is not responding."

* * *

Radarr smirked, knowing the Talons must be having a time of it up there. Churring in cruel laughter, he started bringing the sparking ends of the wire together to jolt the ship again, unaware of any approaching danger.

But then his ears shot up, a screech erupting from his throat when he heard a loud BOOM! The ship trembled. The Doom-Laden Weather Balloon of Doom had struck its front head-on.

All the Talons started screaming as the Destroyer tipped over on its nose and fell from the sky.

Frantically Radarr toyed with the wires, trying to fix them so the Talons could save the ship. Soon they had it righted again . . . much to Radarr's relief.

* * *

Moments before, back on the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks had been waiting expectantly for more from the speaker. But Radarr's voice didn't reach them again.

Aerrow didn't even realize that Piper had already gone to work without him. She was always the one with a level head. She pulled Stork away, too, giving him directions.

But Aerrow was too worried to do anything but wait to hear more from Radarr. All the while he watched the intercom with his arms crossed. Junko and Finn stood with him. But nothing happened. Aerrow put his hand on his chin, feeling uneasy. "I don't like the way Radarr's signal suddenly went dead."

"Don't worry," Piper's voice comforted him. Aerrow turned to see her leaning over the round table, a map already out with a red X marked on it. "We tracked the transmission. We're heading straight to him." She pointed at the X on the map.

Aerrow let out a sigh. Where would he be without her?

"And," Stork added from where he drove at the helm, heading the in the direction Piper had told him to go, "thanks to that turbo crystal, we're going twice our max speed." He laughed nervously. "We couldn't slow down if we wanted to."

Relieved, Aerrow leaned back on the table, gazing out the window expectantly. Soon he'd have Radarr on his shoulder where he belonged, and he could stop worrying.

Perhaps he should have worried a little more about not being able to slow down.

After a moment, Stork raised his head suddenly. "_Huh?_"

Aerrow's eyes widened as he peered out the frontal window. The _Condor_ was speeding right toward the back of a Cyclonian Destroyer!

Since he couldn't slow down, Stork tried to steer the _Condor_ out of the way. He swerved her as hard as he could, but they were going too fast. The _Condor_'s starboard pontoon-like booster hooked in between two of the three portside boosters on the back of the Destroyer in a loud, jarring collision that sent both ships turning onto their sides.

The Storm Hawks screamed as their world turned topsy-turvy. Piper spilled over the round table, knocking her head against it. Stork was dragged away from the helm. Finn landed on his back unharmed, only to be crushed less than a second later by Junko. Aerrow struggled to find footing, but he couldn't stop himself from falling, slamming his head into the wall. Oh, gosh, it hurt! His head pounded, and his eyesight swam. Struggle as he might, he found himself falling into blackness.

* * *

When Aerrow opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was Piper.

He groaned and blinked his blurry eyes, trying to decide whether what he was seeing was real or whether he was dreaming.

Okay, he wasn't dreaming. His head was pounding too much for it to be a dream.

Piper had a hand on her forehead as if trying to stave off her own headache. When she heard Aerrow groan, she smiled at him, looking like she'd just woken up, too. She seemed a bit relieved that he was awake.

Groaning still more, Aerrow pushed himself up on his elbows. His head spun. Boy, he'd really hit it hard during the crash.

But he blinked as he looked around. This wasn't the _Condor_.

They were in a red, metal-plated room of some sort with a black glass panel behind them. Aerrow was resting on a metal shelf of some sort, with Piper sitting beside him. Junko looked like he was just getting to his feet off the floor, yawning and stretching as he stood. Finn was already up. Across the room was a table with a chair on either end. Stork was in one of the chairs, his head resting on the table, out cold. Aerrow couldn't figure out why.

"Where are we?" Aerrow asked Piper. Piper didn't answer. She was looking around as if this was all new to her, too. Maybe she'd also just woken up.

Finn went to the door . . . which, Aerrow saw with dread, was open and _barred_ on the top. Finn grabbed the bars and peered out. "I'd say captured by Cyclonians," he answered nervously. He was looking at two Talons, one on either side of the door, each holding a Cyclonian staff in their hands. Yup, definitely guards.

Aerrow bolted upright. He knew now why the room was familiar to him. He'd been in one of these before. It was a prison cell! That's why there were bars on the door! And that's why there was that panel of black glass. It wasn't black; it was an observation window!

Before Finn had stepped back, the Talon commander came up, laughing in his triumph. He had captured Cyclonia's most wanted Sky Knight squadron! Their famous ship was tied to the bottom of his own. This was _his_ day to make his name at last! The commander stepped up to the door, which encouraged Finn to back away. The smirking Talon stared in at his prize.

Another Talon, this one with a brown beard, walked up behind the commander. "Sir," he said respectively, his hands behind his back, "with the Storm Hawks involved, perhaps it would be prudent to call in one of the big guns like Snipe or the Dark Ace for backup." He looked at the commander hopefully. He _really_ didn't want to have to deal with the Storm Hawks, if they were as troublesome as most Talons say.

But the commander looked angry at the suggestion. "And share the credit for my triumph," he bellowed, clenching his fist in the air at the thought of his own "triumph," "when I'm about to launch my master plan?"

He heard a gasp behind him, and he turned around. The Storm Hawks were clustered around the door. They didn't look scared all; in fact, they were smiling, watching him expectantly, waiting to hear his "master plan."

The commander scowled and turned to them, pointing to them. "Which I _won't_ be discussing in front of you!" he said definitively, crossing his arms. Honestly, did they think he was that dumb?

Disappointed, the Storm Hawks groaned and moved away from the door again.

"Except to ask," the commander amended, turning to the bearded Talon, "have we added the timer delay so we don't have another accident?"

"Yes!" the bearded Talon answered, saluting him.

The commander's words brought Aerrow back to the door to peer out at him critically, trying to figure out who he was and what he was up to. He was pretty sure he and his squadron had never encountered this Talon commander before. Piper stood back from him, not close enough to see but close enough to listen. Finn, too, was interested, sitting down on the floor beside the door and straining his ears to hear.

The commander clenched his fists excitedly. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "After today, Master Cyclonis is going to remember the name Commander Scarface!" He held up a fist and turned his face to the side to show off his X-shaped scar. But then, realizing his mistake, he turned his head the other way to show the cheek that the scar was actually on, repeating, "Scarface!"

But then he thought a moment, putting a finger to his lip. "Or," he said, "should it be Commander Fearstrike?" He clenched an excited fist at the name. "I . . . I still can't decide!"

Aerrow glared after the man's back as he and the bearded Talon walked away. That conversation had given them little or nothing to go on, except the fact that the commander didn't seem to be very sharp. Aerrow stepped back and sat down on the metal "bunk" again, trying to think. Piper remained by his side.

Finn glared down at the floor. "He seems like a total loon!" he told the others, commenting on the commander.

"Yeah," Piper agreed, "but who's gonna stop him," she gestured out the door, "if he's got us?" She put a hand on her own chest.

"Doesn't have all of us," Aerrow reminded him. "There's still one Storm Hawk out there . . . somewhere."

* * *

Meanwhile, that Storm Hawk had long since crawled back into the safety of the vent system and was just now getting out. Radarr kicked the grate out of his way as he came out of a vent in the wall. Chirping, he looked back and forth with his tail curled over his back and his muscles bunched together, waiting to run if he was discovered. But no one was there. He jumped down, landing on two feet.

He was right where he wanted to be: the cargo bay. Here they were sending the Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom on their way. Now he would stop those balloons.

The room was full of stacks of supply crates piled high to the ceiling. A conveyer belt came from a little hole in the wall, traveling down at an angle before flattening out. This belt ended out the hatch, its end over thin air and the Wastelands many miles below.

And a balloon was already on the conveyer belt and headed out.

Radarr screeched in alarm. He had to stop that balloon!

He zoomed up onto the belt and tried to take the balloon off the belt, pulling on its base, which was the bomb and tracker. But he was too weak to lift it.

Glaring and growling at it, Radarr jumped back a step. Fine, if the balloon won't move, he would just have to destroy it! He pulled out his bent wrenched and slammed it against the base.

Bad idea. Radarr screeched in pain as bolts of purple crystal energy traveled up the wrench from the base and lit him like a Christmas tree. It _was_ a bomb, after all.

Radarr collapsed, smoke rising from his singed fur. Then, as if that wasn't enough, his wrench went flying out of his hand and landed straight on his head, knocking him flat, his eyes rolling and a silly smile on his face. Oh, gosh that hurt. Why was it always him?

Radarr lifted his head and churred once he came to his senses. He looked up at the balloon. Did he destroy it?

But no. The Doom-Laden Weather Balloon of Doom seemed unaffected. Whimpering with worry, Radarr got to his feet, placing his front paws on the base. What would he do? He looked up, trying to get an idea.

The balloon. Of course, the balloon! Trying to act quickly, Radarr leaped onto the base, spun the balloon around to look for a good hold, and then leaped onto the balloon itself. Once he was on it, he growled and sank his teeth right at the top.

No sooner did he do that when he whimpered. He felt himself filling up with whatever gas was in the balloon. It filled him out as if he were a balloon himself, and soon he was off, zooming through the air as all the gas ran out his mouth, just like a popped balloon would.

But no matter how painful to Radarr, the plan did work. The balloon itself sank, deflated. Once it dropped off the conveyer belt, it began to fall, exploding quite a ways below the ship.

Radarr finally landed on the ground, eyes rolling. He whimpered, trying to get a grip. There has _got_ to be a better way to do this!

But before he would worry about that, the cargo bay's door opened.

"Hey!" Radarr heard a voice cry at him. Cringing, Radarr looked over his shoulder to see a Talon standing in the open doorway, his staff pointed at him. "What're _you_ doin' in here?"

Uh oh. Time to go!

Radarr was up and running as soon as the man took one step toward him, taking cover among the stacks of crates. But then he saw he was running himself into a dead end. He slid to a stop, looking around desperately.

There! To his left, in between two stacks, was an open vent. Churring in relief, Radarr made a run for it, diving inside head-first.

The Talon stepped up to the dead end just as he disappeared. Angrily he looked back and forth, trying to find the little creature. But it was nowhere to be seen. Deciding it was no longer a problem, he left, not bothering to report the ongoing.

Radarr slid down the sloped vent pipe on his belly. Which meant he was head-first. Which meant that when the pipe changed direction and sloped the other way, he hit his head full force and ended up sliding backward.

He tumbled, whacking himself against the walls of the vent, until he ended up flipped around on his belly again. He screeched in alarm when he saw he was heading for a grate, but there was nothing he could do to stop himself. He slammed into it head-first, breaking through and tumbling head-over-heels on the floor.

While Radarr lay there a moment, his tongue hanging out of his mouth and stars dancing around his head, he thought, oh, why did his adventures always end up painful? He'd always written it off as Aerrow getting him into trouble. But he seemed to be getting himself into many painful positions all on his own. In fact, he really wished the Sky Knight was with him now.

No time to be thinking of that now. What if he had landed in a room with Talons?

He sat up and looked around, cocking an ear. He didn't hear any Talons, although the place reeked of them.

The room was small and had a control panel with a chair in front of it. Above the panel was some sort of window. On the opposite side of the room was a door. That was it.

Radarr knew he must be in a room a deck or two below the cargo bay, toward the bottom of the ship. What was there? Not officer living quarters certainly, but perhaps bunk rooms for average Talons. Also the engine room and storage areas . . .

So what the heck was this room?

Radarr scampered over to the control panel and leapt into the seat. From there, he leaped onto the top of the panel, placing his front paws on the window and peering out. Maybe a view would answer his question.

He couldn't believe his eyes. There were all the other Storm Hawks, all huddled together! They were in a circle, their arms over each other shoulders and their heads bowed in. Aerrow was looking around at them determinedly, saying something. Radarr knew from his expression that he was giving orders.

Radarr had never been so excited to see them. They were here! They must be looking for him! He beat his paws against the window, trying to let them know he was there. Junko, having the most sensitive ears of the humanoids, raised his head and looked around. But no one else reacted, and when Junko saw nothing, he went back into the huddle.

Radarr whimpered. They must not realize he was here.

But what were they doing there, in that room behind this window, where there were bars on the door? For some reason, it reminded him of the cell he shared with Aerrow on Terra Zartacla . . .

That was it. The lower deck of the Destroyer included the engine room, the storage room, extra bunk rooms, and the prison. His friends were prisoners.

Radarr hung his head and whimpered. So close and yet so far. They didn't know he was there, and they weren't coming for him. What could he do _now?_

* * *

In the huddle, the other Storm Hawks were discussing a way to escape.

"Okay," Piper said, taking the initiative to speak. "Here's the situation: We're unarmed. We're trapped in a cell in the heart of a Cyclonian battle cruiser and by four hundred Cyclonians."

Aerrow looked around to see how everyone was taking this. Although Junko remained stoic, Finn and Stork both looked very nervous about their odds.

Piper continued with her plan. "Best possible course of action: Junko takes down the door, and we charge the guards!"

Junko smirked at the idea of taking out the door.

But Finn seemed to think the plan was pretty weak. He turned to Aerrow. "That's the plan?" he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the plan!" Aerrow agreed as he straightened up, pulling out of the huddle. After all, it wasn't like they had a better one, and he was confident they could manage. Besides, who was he to argue with Piper's good sense?

* * *

Radarr didn't know what had been discussed—without knowing how to work the control panel, the room he was in was pretty much soundproof—but he knew when the Storm Hawks pulled out of the huddle that something had been decided. And from the way Aerrow was smiling proudly and confidently, it seemed that they had decided they were getting out.

But then Radarr cocked an ear toward the vent. Footsteps. And they were coming from down the hall . . . on the other side of the cell door!

Chirping, Radarr turned toward the vent, trying to decide whether or not this was a threat.

He could tell from the sound that there were four people . . . and Talons no doubt. And then he heard the voice of the first mate. "Let's see how our prized captives are doing!"

Oh no! They were coming for the Storm Hawks, _right_ when they were about to try to escape! Radarr leaped into the air in fright, screeching at the top of his lungs, his fur standing on end. He turned back to the Storm Hawks and started gesturing wildly, pointing off to the side to try to warn them that someone was coming.

But even if they could have seen him, they weren't looking his way. The others were standing back as Junko got in front of the door almost back to the observation window. He gritted his teeth, loosened up his shoulders, and cracked his neck, preparing himself to take the door one-on-one.

Aerrow stood beside him, his hand up as if he held a flag to start a race. "Ready?" he asked Junko. Without waiting for an answer, he put his hand down, shouting, "Go!"

Junko charged forward with his shoulders bunched, bracing himself for impact. He looked like an enraged bull charging. His bellow sounded like a battle cry.

Radarr screeched in alarm. Junko was going to charge right into the Talons! He started jumping up and down, waving his arms. He had to stop him!

He didn't realize that he was jumping on one of the buttons on the control panel.

The two Talon guards heard the buzzing sound as the light above the cell door lit up. The men exchanged confused glances. That sound meant the door was unlocked and ready to open!

Radarr's paw hit the button again. The guards groaned as the doors flew open and smashed both of them into the wall on either side.

The doors had opened just as Junko burst through the opening. He had his eyes closed as he prepared for impact. But he never felt it. Confused, he slowed to a stop and opened his eyes, only to turn around and see the open doors swinging back just a little to reveal the wheezing Talons. How odd, Junko thought. He hadn't even felt the doors. Maybe he really was stronger than he thought.

Aerrow led the others through the open doorway, smiling at the good job Junko had done. He hadn't expected taking the guards so easily. This escape mission was going very well. At this rate, they would have no trouble at all getting back to the _Condor_ and getting out of here.

But then he and the others froze. A group of three Talons, each carrying a Cyclonian staff, rounded the corner. They were the men the first mate had sent. "Hey!" the first one shouted when he saw the Storm Hawks were free, pointing his staff at Aerrow.

At his words, three more Talons rounded the corner, and all the Talons lowered their staffs at the Storm Hawks.

So much for an easy escape.

Well, there was little they could do against so many Talons weaponless. The only thing there was to do was even the odds a little. "Split up!" Aerrow shouted.

Two hallways led away from the cell. Junko, Finn, and Stork took one. Aerrow and Piper took the other. Each group was followed by three of the Talons, all of which were shouting angrily at them.

As he ran, Aerrow put a finger to his ear to call the others. The Talons may have taken their weapons, but they neglected to take away their radios. "_Condor_'s gotta be tethered somewhere to the outside of the ship," Aerrow told his team. "Find it, and we'll meet back there!"

* * *

Author's Notes: And yet another would-be cliffhanger. This episode is so easy to make intense!

Wow, an entire episode without the stalker hen . . .

So I got a great trivia suggestion from BlueTiger321! (Thanks, Blue. I needed that!)

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Blue pointed out that the title of this episode, "Radarr Love," is a pay on a song written by Golden Earring called "Radar Love." The lyrics are about lovers who send their love to each other over distances without any communication. The Dutch rock band first recorded and released this song in 1973. Since then, "Radar Love" has been redone by U2, R.E.M., White Lion, Blue Man Group, Def Leppard, James Last, Nine Pound Hammer, Carlos Santana, Ghost Dance, and Ministry.

You know, the title kind of goes well with the description of the stalker hen; she always seems to know where Radarr is!

Okay, you guys know what to do, so I'll leave you to it.


	145. Radarr Love: Chicken Feather

Chapter 4: Chicken Feather

Radarr let out a sigh as he sat down on the top of the control panel. He had little doubt that the others would be alright; if they were alone, he would have worried about them, but as long as they were together, they would be fine. But now Radarr was right back where he started: separated from them and unable to make contact. Feeling let down, Radarr rested his hand on one of the levers.

The lever moved down.

Radarr paid it no mind, of course. But the observation window did. It lifted up, undoing the barrier between the prison cell and the observation room.

Suddenly Radarr heard an angry voice. "Hey! Who are you?"

Radarr churred in surprise, leaping to his feet and spinning around. There, standing in the prison cell and peering at him, was a Talon, his staff pointed in Radarr's direction. But he couldn't get at Radarr, right? The window . . .

Radarr felt for the window, trying to grasp at it with his paws. But there was nothing but air. And the Talon was getting closer.

Screeching in alarm, Radarr leaped off the control panel and ran for the safety of the vent, not bothering to close it behind him.

And once again, the Talon left without reporting the incident, thinking it was just some animal that had gotten on the ship.

Radar followed the vent back up to the cargo bay. Regardless of his own problems, he was still on a mission. He had to stop those Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom!

Wow, that was a mouthful!

When he reached the cargo bay's open vent, he peered out over the room. He screeched in alarm. One of the Doom Balloons was already on the conveyer belt and on its way out! How was he to reach it in time?

Well, he had to, one way or another. Spying something that might be of use, Radarr leaped onto the top of one of the stacks of crates. He reached up to one of the many ropes hanging from the ceiling, which were used to lift the crates into the cargo bay. Tugging on it just to be sure it would hold, Radarr gave one last determined growl at the balloon and then swung on the rope toward it.

He didn't quite make it, but it swung him in the right direction. Determined to reach the balloon, Radarr let go of the rope and dove for the Doom Balloon.

He didn't quite make that, either. Instead he slammed face first into the wall above the open hatch. Boy, that hurt!

But it sort of worked. Radarr slid down on top of the balloon, whimpering in pain.

Pulling himself up to the very top, Radarr looked over it to see how much conveyer belt was left. Not much. Soon the balloon was going to be dropped off!

Working quickly, Radarr bit into the top of the balloon, just as he had the previous one. This time, he was smart and didn't breathe in the gas, instead letting it run out.

Just when the balloon was deflated, it fell off the conveyer belt . . . with Radarr still on top.

At the last second, Radarr leapt for the end of the conveyer belt. The Doom Balloon kept falling without him, increasing in speed until it exploded.

Radarr had to run on the conveyer belt just to stay in one place. As he saw the balloon explode, he sighed. This hero thing was hard!

* * *

Meanwhile, the Talon commander was angry. He hadn't seen a single Doom-Laden Weather Balloon come out like he'd planned! He stomped to the office and picked up the speaker, putting the radio on intercom. "Attention!" he called. "Cargo bay! Why aren't my Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom being deployed properly?"

* * *

But there wasn't a single Talon in the cargo bay to answer him. It was just Radarr.

He had climbed up onto the Doom Balloon currently out on the conveyer belt. He churred and cocked an ear to the intercom as he heard the Talon commander babbling and then the silence that followed as he waited for a response. But Radarr gave none. "_Hello?_" the Talon commander called again over the intercom.

Getting back to business, Radarr bit into the top of the balloon.

* * *

Back in the office, the commander raised an eyebrow. All he heard in response was something that sounded like air leaking. "Hello?" he called again. But then he got the same response.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Aerrow and Piper had long since lost their pursuers in the maze of corridors. They were peering around a corner at two Talons who were both holding Cyclonian staffs. Only two, same number as them. That was perfect for what they needed.

Both Talons were distracted. They were looking up at the intercom as they listened to it. They heard the entire conversation, as had the rest of the ship . . . the commander scolding the cargo bay and the strange sound that was given in response.

Sounding uncertain, the commander called again. "_Hello? Is this thing on?_"

One of the Talons had put a hand on his helmet, as if puzzled.

It couldn't have been better for Aerrow and Piper if they had planned it. They crept up behind the Talons unnoticed.

Aerrow went up and tapped one of the Talons on the shoulder. "Huh?" he said, turning around. Would you believe it? It was the same Talon with the moustache that they kept running into. The other Talon turned around as well.

As one, Aerrow and Piper both swung a sucker punch to the face of the Talons each of them were facing.

Both Talons groaned and fell unconscious.

The strange hissing sound came over the intercom again. Sounding furious, the commander cried into the intercom, "_Oh, forget it! I'll take care of this myself!_"

An odd announcement, Aerrow had to admit. But now he and Piper could manage whatever came their way because of it. They each picked up one of the Cyclonian staffs, smiling at their good fortune. They were no longer weaponless.

But then Piper gasped and nervously held up her staff. Aerrow looked up to see what unnerved her, holding up his as well. Three figures were coming down the corridor just around the corner. They could see their shadows on the door at the corner.

Piper turned to Aerrow, waiting direction to attack. Aerrow nodded. Now that they had weapons, they no longer had to fear three measly Talons.

"Yah!" they both shouted as they leapt from around the corner, pointing their staffs at the three people.

The three of them cringed in fright. One even squealed. But it wasn't Talons at all; it was Finn, Junko, and Stork! They had lost their pursuers and had been wandering through the hallways.

Aerrow smiled at the sight of them, and he and Piper lowered their staffs. Nice to see they got away okay.

The three of them relaxed and let out sighs of relief as they recognized their would-be attackers. "Did you guys hear that announcement, too?" Finn asked them.

"'Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom'?" Piper repeated mockingly, pointing at Finn. "Yeah."

Yes, Aerrow agreed silently, Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom. It sounded like a dorky plan of Cyclonian conquest, but it was still such a plan, and as the Storm Hawks, they couldn't just ignore it. And with everyone here, they could finally do something about it. "Okay," he told the others. "Change of plan. We need to get to the cargo bay now!"

* * *

Someone else had already beaten them to the cargo bay: the commander.

As soon as he walked through the doors, his staff in hand, he let out a cry in surprise.

A little, furry, destructive creature was up on top of one of his Doom-Laden Weather Balloons of Doom!

At the sound of his cry, Radarr looked over his shoulder with a questioning churr, his tail curled over his back in alertness. Oh no. Would the commander recognize him as a Storm Hawk? Would he try to get rid of Radarr as vermin? Or would the man possibly just chase him out of the cargo bay and leave him alone like the rest of the Talons had done so far?

But Radarr had a feeling that he'd hit a nerve on the commander when the Talon shouted, "Get off my Doom Balloons! Shoo!" He started shooting at Radarr repeatedly with his staff. "Shoo, shoo! Shoo!"

Radarr ducked and whirled and moved all along on top of the balloon, trying desperately to avoid being hit. The sixth shot struck the balloon, deflating it. Panicked at the fact that he had run out of platform, Radarr leaped onto the balloon coming up on the assembly line behind it.

The commander kept shooting, and Radarr kept dodging. The eleventh shot hit this balloon, too, and Radarr fell on top of the conveyer belt on his rear, feeling stunned by the sudden attack. Well, at least he hadn't been hit. Heck, the commander had taken care of the balloons for him!

The commander just now seemed to be realizing that. He let out a sigh that sounded on the verge of dismay. That quickly turned to anger when he turned his eyes on Radarr once more. "Look what you made me do!"

Radarr got up, staring at the man in surprise. _Made _him do? He's the one who started shooting!

The commander's eyes had left Radarr and were following another Doom Balloon that was on its way down the conveyer belt. Seeing it, he turned to Radarr and started approaching the conveyer belt slowly, getting between Radarr and the balloon. He was not about to lose another Doom-Laden Weather Balloon of Doom to this creature!

Radarr knew he was in trouble now. Clenching his teeth in fright, he looked around as he kept moving along the conveyer belt. A ladder that led up to the roof deck was coming up on his left. With a chirp, he leapt for the ladder and started scrambling up it.

But the commander wasn't about to let him get away. He put his staff on a hook on his back and climbed up after Radarr.

No sooner were they out of sight when the cargo bay's door opened again . . . this time to the rest of the Storm Hawks. Aerrow ran in first, pulling up and looking around. Somewhere in here was that weapon with the ridiculously long name . . .

"There it is!" he cried. There was the balloon on the conveyer belt. It looked like an ordinary weather balloon, except its weather monitor was definitely no weather monitor. It was box-shaped, its sides blinking red.

They had to disable. And Aerrow had just the mechanic for the job. "Junko!"

"I'm on it!" Junko answered before Aerrow could give an order. He punched his fist into his hand and approached the balloon determinedly.

They were making so much racket that they didn't hear what was going on just above them.

Radarr had at last climbed as high as the ladder would take him. Hurriedly he unscrewed the hatched above his head. His hesitation was giving the angered commander time to catch up. Terrified, Radarr burst through the hatch, throwing it open, and leaped out with a frightened screech, racing across the roof deck. The commander climbed out and reached for him, but his fist slammed angrily against the deck when Radarr darted out of his reach.

There were piles of crates a way back from the hatch. Radarr ran to them, seeking safety. But when he looked, realized he wouldn't be able to clear the first set of barriers in time. Instead he turned around to face his foe, backing up against the crates.

The commander was before him, looking vengeful, his staff pointed at Radarr. Angrily he cried, "I will _not_ go down in history as the first Cyclonian commander defeated by some . . ." he tried to think of Radarr's species, but he couldn't place him, so he settled with, "animal!"

Radarr felt his back hit the crates, and he looked over his shoulder. He had backed as far as he could go. There was nowhere to run. Heart beating wildly, he turned back to the Talon commander, expecting the worst. And he didn't even get to see Aerrow one last time!

But then a white feather fluttered down in front of his face.

Radarr let out a confused churr, the equivalent of, _Huh?_

Clucking. There was clucking coming from behind the crate.

Clucking angrily, the white hen stepped from behind the crate Radarr was up against and squawked at the commander, her eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Huh?" the commander said. He wasn't the least bit frightened by the chicken's glare, but he did find it odd to be threatened by a chicken.

The white hen turned to Radarr. Smiling, she winked at him.

Then Radarr heard more fluttering and clucking behind the crates. Cocking an ear backward, he looked on all sides of him as suddenly an entire army of brown, Radarr-loving hens flew from behind the crates and landed protectively in front of Radarr, glaring at the commander. The white hen flew into the air with them and landed in front. Radarr's one constant stalker was obviously the ringleader here.

For once, Radarr didn't mind the chickens at all. In fact, for the first time all day, he thought they were just swell.

Feeling much braver now, he gave the commander a fierce growl. Hah, let's see if the Cyclonian wanted to mess with a whole army of angry chickens!

The commander let out a frightened gasp. He seemed to realize for the first time that he was in danger.

Shaking her head angrily like a stallion threatening to charge, the white hen crouched down to spring, and the other hens followed suit. Then, as one, they jumped him.

The commander screamed as he was suddenly attacked on all sides by the angry squawking chickens. They flew around him, spinning off feathers, clawing at him with their talons and pecking him like mad. And the white hen was the fiercest of all . . . and also seemed to be losing the most feathers.

"Get off me!" the commander exclaimed as he staggered to the side. The chicken horde just went with him. He cried out again, staggering back over toward the open hatch so he was leaning over it off-balance, one foot in the air. The chickens were relentless.

Seeing him off-balance, Radarr got a brilliant idea. Growling in anticipation, he crept up toward the commander, his claws extended for good measure even though he wouldn't need them.

"Get off!" the commander cried again, his voice sounding muffled. He couldn't see Radarr through the mob of chickens and had no idea the furry creature was there.

Now standing in front of the commander, Radarr began to act uninterested, examining his front claws instead. But then finally, with a single finger, he tapped the foot that the commander held in the air.

The commander fell over backward in an instant, falling down the vertical tunnel back down to the cargo bay. The hens fluttered like mad to keep from falling with him, flying away and scattering in a flurry of feathers. The hatch slammed shut in all the excitement, and the white hen landed on top of it and sealed it shut, smiling proudly.

Radarr smiled. He knew there was a reason he kept her picture!

The commander continued to fall, yelling in fright. The Storm Hawks below didn't know what the strange sound was until the Cyclonian had landed right in front of them.

Aerrow and Piper blinked a moment at the Talon covered in white chicken feathers before they remembered to point their staffs at him. But they had no need. He was already knocked out cold by his fall.

Instead there were other problems to worry about. The problems started with someone crying, "Hey!"

The Storm Hawks looked to the door of the cargo bay. Three Talons had walked in, and seeing their prisoners free, they started shooting at them with their staffs.

Junko remained on the belt while Finn and Stork took cover. Being the only ones with weapons, Aerrow and Piper crouched down behind some crates just beyond the door and fired over them at the Talons, hunkering down to avoid being shot at. One of the Talons let out a cry as Aerrow struck him, but he was soon firing again. It was the only shot that hit anyone.

Although Aerrow came pretty close to being hit. He let out a gasp as he suddenly whirled behind a crate, nearly knocking Piper over in order to avoid a shot that just missed his chest.

They couldn't hold them off for long, Aerrow realized then. They had to get out of there as soon as possible. But not before the weapon was disabled. "Junko," he called, "have you figured out how to disarm it yet?"

Junko was still standing on the conveyer belt in front of the balloon. "No!" he cried back in a panic. He looked over his shoulder. "There's only seconds before it falls!" He put his hands on his head in desperation. "I need more time!"

Aerrow and Piper exchanged exasperated glances before they turned back to Junko. "Then why not just take it off the belt?" Aerrow pointed out.

"Oh," Junko said sheepishly, putting a finger to his lip. "Right." He grabbed the balloon and picked it.

But he had waited too long. As he looked over his shoulder, he realized he was no longer over the floor of the cargo bay. With a cry of fright, Junko leaped for the floor and slammed down on his belly, the base of the Doom Balloon in his hands slamming against the floor.

That triggered something very wrong. With a loud buzzing sound, the base of the balloon began beeping and blinking.

Everyone stopped firing. One of the Talons pointed to the balloon. "It's gonna blow!" he cried. Screaming, all the Talons ran for the door, the bulkier one hesitating only to stop and grab his commander and drag his limp form out the door with him.

Running as fast as possible, the Storm Hawks followed behind. They wasted no time in getting to the _Condor_. The others hesitated when they saw how far the ship hung from the Destroyer, but Aerrow didn't waste any time thinking. He simply grabbed one of the huge cables and slid down onto the roof of the ship, his gloves protecting his hands from rope burn. The others followed suit, Junko coming in last and crying in fright as he slid.

Down in the cargo bay, the Doom-Laden Weather Balloon of Doom exploded with a loud _BANG!_

The explosion rocked the entire ship. Still up on the roof, Radarr screeched in alarm as he nearly lost his footing. The chickens fluttered around him in fright.

Then Radarr felt a lurch and was thrown forward. That's when he realized _the Destroyer was crashing!_

But the hens had come too far to let anything happen to their love now. Loyal as ever, the white hen took Radarr's arm in the grasp of her talons. The other chickens followed suit, grabbing his arms, legs, tail and the fabric of his uniform. Then they all began to fly, carrying him away from the crashing ship.

Radarr smiled from one long ear to the other. These chickens weren't just swell, he decided. They were awesome!

Just then, he heard the sound of an engine sounding. That couldn't be the crashing ship, could it? He looked down at the falling ship.

No. It wasn't the Destroyer. It was the _Condor_! Straining and heaving, the Storm Hawks had spent the last few moments after the explosion to free their ship from the cables and then get inside. Now the falling _Condor_ was starting her engines and pulling away from the Destroyer, the safety chutes fanning out on either side to stop her fall and reverse it. In a matter of seconds, she was no longer falling but rising, pulling away from the destruction.

Radarr's smile widened, if that was possible. He knew now that his friends were okay. And they were right _there!_ He could join them again!

Radarr looked up at the white hen, churring to see if she and her posse would be kind enough to drop him off. The white hen looked down at him fondly, and Radarr knew she would oblige. As they flew over the _Condor_, the chickens let go of Radarr. Radarr waved them goodbye as he fell toward the ship.

It wasn't the softest landing. He pounced on the rear of the moving ship's roof twice before he almost bounced _over_ the open roof hatch! Screeching in alarm, he flapped his arms in an effort to stop his bounce and dove for the hatch. Thankfully he got in and landed with a loud crash right on top of the round table among a remote, scraps of metal, a map, a banana peel, and a dead fish. Wait . . . What was a dead fish doing on the round table? Was that something Junko was going to eat?

The other Storm Hawks, who were in front him, suddenly whirled around when they heard the crash. Seeing him, Aerrow broke out into a huge, relieved smile. "Radarr!" he exclaimed, his voice reflecting his relief.

Shaking his head to stop the world from spinning, Radarr looked up at him and gave him the same smile in return, churring in greeting. Oh, it was so good to see him!

Aerrow, meanwhile, was feeling a little silly. Radarr had just fallen from the ceiling. He must have been there the whole time! And to think he'd been worrying over nothing! Aerrow stepped forward and gestured to Radarr. "Did you fall asleep inside the boiler hatch again?" he asked teasingly.

Boiler hatch? What? No! Radarr got to up on his hind feet, shaking his head. He had just had the strangest adventure ever!

He tried to explain what happened as best he could through acting. He jumped up and flapped his arms, screeching. Then he put his fists on his hips and flapped his elbows like chicken wings, clucking. He turned around and hugged himself, making kissing noises. He spun back to them and struck a fighting pose, then turned and punched an invisible foe. He explained everything: the cook, the chickens, the commander, the Doom Balloons, seeing them locked up and escape, the chickens saving his life . . .

But the other Storm Hawks just stared at him in bewilderment. Except for Finn. He had long ago given up trying to understand Radarr's charades. "Aw, man!" the sharpshooter exclaimed. "You missed all the excitement!"

Whimpering, Radarr glared at them through half-lidded eyes as they all excitedly starting talking at once, telling him about their strange adventure and making comments to one another as they talked. Even Stork was talking and smiling. Radarr just watched them, not bothering to listen since he knew what _really_ happened. Not like he could distinguish one voice from another in the noise.

But then they all stopped when they saw Junko sniffing suspiciously. The smell he caught seemed to come from Radarr. He leaned forward and sniffed the copilot. "Hey," he asked, "why do you smell like chicken lips?"

Radarr growled and slumped in annoyance. He just explained that!

The one time he saved the day, and no one even knew it. Figures.

* * *

Back the Cyclonian Destroyer, the Talons had kept it from crashing and had finally got it stabilized and running again. The cargo room, however, still gave off black smoke. The ship itself was tilted on its side, limping along slowly. Everything in the ship was thrown around, and the place was a chaotic mess.

The first mate, stuck under some rubble in the office, was able to get hold of the speaker when they were called. "Sir," he said, looking over at his commander, "Ravess is on the line."

After briefly listening and exchanging a few words, the first mate hung up. "If it's any consolation," he said, smirking in amusement, "it doesn't seem like she'll soon forget the name of, as she put it, Commander Chicken Feather!"

The commander looked down at himself in deep embarrassment and then up at his first mate. He was still covered in white feathers, particularly all over his arms and stuck in his helmet. Commander Chicken Feather. The first commander defeated by a bunch of chickens.

He'd never been more humiliated in his life.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ha, ha, Commander Chicken Feather! It almost makes you feel sorry for the guy!

Oh, boy that episode was fun! I'm sorry it's over!

Although BlueTiger321 did not suggest this trivia, he did inspire it with his last suggestion. Since I couldn't find a trivia for this episode, I did a trivia for, "Dude, Where's My _Condor_?"

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: "Dude, Where's My _Condor_?" is in reference to the 2000 American movie comedy _Dude, Where's My Car?_ Directed by Danny Leiner, this movie is always put down by critics, but it does have quite a number of fans since it was released on video. The movie is a crack-comedy story of two high school slackers who lose their car, which had their girlfriends' one-year annirversary presents in it. The two boys go on a crazy adventure to try to find the car. The title of the movie has been used as a benchmark for lots of other media; book and episode titles such as _Dude, Where's My Country?_ and "Dude, Where's My Karma?" are some examples.

And now, on to "Scout's Honor"!


	146. Scout's Honor: Rites of Halp

_**Part 36**_

_**Scout's Honor**_

_A decree for help is declared. A leader is forced, and a leader arises. Minds are bended and twisted. An old enemy returns, and new friends come to the rescue._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Rites of Halp

After their crazy adventure with Commander Chicken Feather, the Storm Hawks didn't get much rest before they were attacked by Snipe and a group of his Nimbus Chapter Talons. Everyone but Stork went out to face the Talons. Stork watched nervously through the frontal window and sometimes the periscope to get a better view.

The Talons didn't bring a ship but attacked only on skyrides, Snipe leading the way in his Talon Heli-Blade Elite.

But the battle was in favor of the Storm Hawks from the start. One by one the Nimbus Chapter Talons fell to the Storm Hawks. Surprisingly, Snipe stayed outside most of the battle.

Soon only two Talons were left facing the Storm Hawks, Snipe and another one of his men. Meanwhile, the Storm Hawks were seemingly untouched. Finn hadn't even had his Skimmer cut in half.

In fact, it was Finn who was engaged in attack with the last lower-ranking Talon. He was pursuing the Talons, pressing a button to bring out his crossbow from the bow of his Skimmer. He took aim and then fired.

His bolt struck the top starboard wing of the Switchblade, just as Finn intended. "Yeah!" Finn cheered in triumph.

The Switchblade began to spin due to the loss of its wing, which was spewing black smoke. Crying in alarm, the Talon jumped free of the crashing ride and deployed his parachute.

The Storm Hawks all joined together again in front of the _Condor_.

Finn cheered again, throwing his fist in the air. "That's the last of Snipe's posse!" he cheered.

"Great job, Finn," Aerrow told him. He and Radarr turned to the Talon commander before them, smirking. "Now it's just Snipe and us!"

Snipe was standing up in his Heli-Blade, looking cocky. But he _always_ looked cocky, and now he was standing alone.

Stork pulled back from the periscope he had just been viewing through. "Wow," he gasped. "Things might actually be lookin' . . . good!" The word "good" felt strange in his mouth, but he kind of liked it.

Piper smirked cockily at Snipe, looking as confident as Aerrow. "Think you can take us _all_ on?" she dared.

But Snipe still looked happy . . . not a good sign. "Don't have to!" the Talon commander answered. He held up a round remote by its long handle. "I'll let my new _friend_ do it!" he said, laughing. He then pressed a button on his remote.

In response to the button, something large and loud began to rise out of the clouds below. A gigantic fan on top of a huge barge emerged. Except the blades were reversed. This fan obviously wasn't meant for blowing air out; it was meant for sucking air _in_.

Radarr turned to Aerrow and whimpered, hoping the Sky Knight would give some sort of command. But Aerrow could only watch in stunned silence, his mouth hanging open.

Seeing Aerrow not doing anything, Stork looked at the smirking Snipe through his periscope before focusing the scope on the huge suction fan. So much for "good." "Oh, yeah," he sighed. "That's the last time I ever get optimistic."

"Bail out while you have the chance!" Snipe warned the Storm Hawks, even though he had no intention of letting the Sky Knight squadron get away. "My blend blaster loves choppin' skyrides into scrap salad!" And before any of the Storm Hawks could move, he pressed another button on his remote.

When the remote clicked, the fan started up . . . and began the breeze to suck the air in.

Aerrow yelled as their skyrides began to be sucked in with it. They reversed and tried to drive away. Piper and Finn were screaming, and Junko kept shouting, "Whoa! Whoa!" Even Radarr's constant stalker hen was caught in the wind currents. She squawked in fright, flapping her wings frantically but to no avail.

Surely Aerrow had something up his sleeve, right? But no. The naïve little Sky Knight was struggling along with the rest of them. "Even at full power," he gasped in effort, "can't escape the suction!"

Okay, Stork thought. Now they were doomed. And all he could do was watch.

They were getting closer to being chopped to bits. Snipe was laughing.

And then . . . the blend blaster's fan stopped. "Huh?" Snipe said, turning to his blend blaster. All it did was give off sparks and smoke.

"Yes!" Aerrow exclaimed in triumph. He and Radarr spun around and led the rest of the Storm Hawks back to the safety of the _Condor_, the chicken following behind. They laughed amongst themselves as they went and Finn whooped, all making fun of Snipe's misfortune.

With a sigh of relief, Stork left the helm, feeling woozy. That was _way_ too close!

Hearing their laughter, Snipe was madder than ever. "You blasted machine!" he cried at the blend blaster, lifting up his mace. "Work!" He slammed the mace against the rim of the fan.

Well, amazingly, jarring the blaster worked to turn the fan on again. But Snipe's strike sent the fan spinning in his direction. Now it wasn't sucking in the Storm Hawks; it was sucking in _Snipe!_

"Huh?" Snipe said when he felt the suction pull his mace out of his hand. He watched the mace fly into the blades and then get knocked away. "Ah!" he cried in fright. It was going to chop up his Heli-Blade! Frightened, he started screaming and turned his skyride around and tried to drive away, but the fan's winds had him in its grasp. "Whoa, whoa," he said, as if he thought he could stop the fan.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get away on his skyride, Snipe shouted, "Whoa!" and jumped for it, abandoning his ride just before it was chopped to bits by the fan. But he was caught in its way and was being sucked in by himself. Desperate, he tried swimming in the air in vain, screaming out his lungs.

Then, just before it got him, too, the fan stopped again.

Once it did, Snipe laughed in relief . . . only to start falling. He screamed until his parachute deployed about ten feet below.

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, the laughing group of kid Storm Hawks and Radarr made their way up to the bridge, still joking over Snipe's latest blunder. "One of these days," Piper told the others, "Snipe is gonna come up with a weapon that actually works, and then we'll be in _real_ danger."

They found Stork stretched out on the couch at the round table, an icepack on his forehead. "Oh," he said, "it was a close enough call for me. I can still feel the breeze!"

Stork was so traumatized that it wasn't until after he said it that he realized that _he_ had never actually been in danger to begin with.

But then Aerrow said, "Uh, Stork? That's not the wind."

Stork opened his eyes to see the other Storm Hawks peering over the back of the couch at him . . . and a little gray bird flying right in front of his face, holding a brown scroll in its talons.

As soon as he saw it, Stork bolted upright and screamed in terror. He watched the bird in horror as the bird landed in front of him, putting the message on the floor. He knew that type of bird anywhere. "A Merbian carrier pigeon!" he gasped.

"From your home terra?" Piper asked, holding up a hand.

_No duh! _Yes, from his home terra. But he had hoped it wouldn't come so soon! He squeaked in fear, putting his hands atop his head, as the pigeon dropped the scroll on the floor and flew out the open roof hatch.

Seeing that Stork was currently having a panic attack, Piper calmly picked up the scroll and read it aloud. "'It is hereby declared that today Merbian citizen Stork is honor-bound to fulfill his duty and commence the Rites of . . . Halp'?"

Stork squeaked again, his eye twitching.

"The Rites of Halp?" Finn repeated uncertainly, gesturing to the scroll. "W-what is it? Some kinda freaky ceremony?" He cringed. "Does it hurt?"

"More than you can ever _imagine!_" Stork answered, getting to his feet. He cringed at the very thought as he explained. "For one day each year, every Merb, no matter where they are, must submit themselves," he fell to his knees, "to the most punishing task imaginable!"

Finn and Junko cringed at each word. Finn hunkered down, hiding behind the back of the couch.

Stork held up a finger. "We must," here he cringed and squeaked, putting his hands on either side of his head, squeaking the last word out in fright, "_volunteer!_"

Finn and Junko raised their eyebrows, and Finn stood up. "That's it?" he said nonchalantly. He waved a hand dismissively. "What's the big deal?"

"But it could be _anything!_" Stork explained. He counted off terrible items on his fingers. "Like cleaning hairy snozz flat drains, or feeding the mouthless maggle drops!"

But Aerrow and Piper still weren't getting it. They were just looking at him skeptically. "Does it _have_ to be something terrible?" Aerrow asked.

But that moment, the Storm Hawks heard the sounds of an approaching vehicle. Stork's ears flicked backward toward the sound as it flew overhead and headed for their landing strip. He turned to the frontal window just in time to see a Merbian freighter pulling what looked like the barge of a transport bus.

Oh dear. That would be his community service.

The other Storm Hawks followed Stork down to the hangar bay. As soon as the hatch opened, Stork saw the vehicle had landed. The bus car was unhitched from the truck, and the trucker stood beside the bus, his eyes half-lidded and his ears laid back in a bored expression. He was a light-green Merb with brown hair and was dressed in a matching brown uniform and cap. In his hand he held a clipboard, which he was tapping against his leg impatiently as Stork approached.

Stork was trembling a little, cringing away from the Merb even as he approached him. The other Merb didn't seem disturbed. On Terra Merbia, it wasn't uncommon for someone to be so cautious.

Without a word more than was necessary, the trucker handed Stork the clipboard, which had an official form on it. "They're all yours," he said. And with that, he got back into his freighter and drove away without the bus car.

Stork quickly scanned over the sheet with his eyes and then squeaked fearfully, looking at the car. No way! Maybe he misread?

The others were waiting expectantly to hear the word. So Stork gave it to them. "Um," he said, looking at the sheet on the clipboard, "it says I'm supposed to go _camping_," he said the word with obvious disgust, "on some place called Terra Fauna with three young _Sky Scouts_," he raised his voice in fear, cringing, "_as their—?_"

But before he finished, the doors of the passenger car opened to three young Merb boys, who threw their arms up in the air and cheered excitedly. Then they looked around until they spotted a Merb and then ran out the car and stood in a line in front of Stork. "Are you our new Sky Scout Master?" they asked in unison.

"Yes," Stork groaned, looking away from them. Then he realized what he said, and panic gripped him. "Ah, no!" he cried. His heart started beating wildly. He had to refuse! He couldn't . . . !

But before he could think of away out of this, the Storm Hawks watched with surprise as Stork fainted right in front of them, clipboard flying in the air and landing on top of him.

* * *

The next thing Stork knew, he found his face twitching awake, cutting off a snore. He was a lying on something; it felt like the couch at the round table, where he had laid down after Snipe's attack.

When he opened his eyes, there was Aerrow, leaning over the back of the couch and looking at him gently. "Everything's fine, Stork," he assured him as if trying to calm a frightened child.

With a cry, Stork straight up immediately, putting a hand to his head. Oh, he was so relieved! It hadn't happened after all! This was just after the battle, that's all. He had fainted, and Aerrow had waited with him to wake up to tell him everyone was okay.

Still in a panic over his nightmare, Stork looked up as his Sky Knight gratefully. "Aerrow, what a relief! I had a dream that I was . . . Ah!" He froze, clipping off his sentence when he heard the clattering voices of children.

Smiling sympathetically, Aerrow pointed a thumb off to the side where the voices were coming from.

"Oh." Stork slumped. "So it wasn't a dream."

Well there went that great idea.

Glaring around the room as if to show his anger at his misfortune, his eyes fell upon one of the Merb Sky Scouts. Like all the others, he wore a green scout uniform with a red bandana and knee-high socks. His skin was a paler green than Stork's and his hair a muddy brown. Finn and Junko were watching the kid with horror as he jumped and flipped over the round table, landing successfully on his feet. Smiling at his success, the boy threw his hands in the air while Finn and Junko sighed with relief.

"Uh, that's Griffin,—" Aerrow said to Stork.

"Huh!" Griffin exclaimed, looking around the bridge with interest. "Uh, I could do lots of cool moves if this place were bigger!"

"—Owlsley,—" Aerrow continued, gesturing to another boy.

This one had tan skin as apposed to green, and he had an orange bandana and socks. He obviously wouldn't be the athletic one; his belly bulged over his belt buckle. But he proved to be just as much trouble as Griffin. He peered through his glasses excitedly at the gauges of the _Condor_ next to the helm, where all the levers were located. "Hey, what's _this_ do?" Owlsley asked, tapping a gauge. "And this?" He pulled down a lever, which released one of Stork's traps, triggering a punching mitt to come out of the wall. He then pulled another lever and had the same thing happen, although this time the mitt narrowly missed him.

Not realizing the trouble he was causing, Owlsley said, "Oh, I know a lot about machines and stuff!" He ran away from the helm just as Piper was coming up to check him. She was a second too late, and she ended grabbing the sphere of gauges instead of the boy.

Owlsley ran up to the _Condor_'s cannon, currently reeled back on its turret and the hatch closed. "What's that thing?" the Merb boy asked, pointing to it. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled out a wrench and loosened a screw on the cannon's turret. "I can make this way better!"

Piper ran to stop him, shouting, "No!" But she was too late. The boy ran off just as the cannon was loosened on the spring of the turret and jumped forward, running into the closed hatch.

"—and Pydge," Aerrow said at last, gesturing to the last of the Sky Scouts.

Pydge was had a gray tint to his skin that surprisingly looked natural as apposed to sickly. His bandana and socks were blue. He was slight and skinny, and like Owlsley, he wore glasses. Pydge was holding a very frightened-looking Radarr, hugging him close. "I _love_ animals!" he exclaimed, squeezing Radarr as tight as he could. Radarr's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. It looked like he couldn't breathe. Then Pydge suddenly dropped him. Radarr landed flat. "I can," Pydge said, pointing to himself with his thumb and stuttering a little, "I-I can talk to them!"

Radarr had just gotten up on his hind feet and was rubbing his head, recovering from the fall. Pydge turned to him and said, "Rrrrree, ree, chippie, chippie, ree!"

Radarr looked at his paws in the wildest alarm, his eyes bugging again. Whatever Pydge had said to him, it wasn't pretty. Radarr took off running across the bridge. And of course, Pydge chased after him. "Uh, hey, hey!" he cried. "W-where you goin'? Come back! I wanna talk!"

Stork looked around in absolute horror. And he was supposed to handle these hooligans _how?_

But then Aerrow shoved a map in his face, the map that the Sky Scout Association had sent of Terra Fauna. And Aerrow's shoving it toward him was a little more forceful than was typical of the Sky Knight. "You should get going," Aerrow told him with a gentle smile. But his voice was stern. When Stork looked up at him with a pleading look, the Sky Knight kept his smile, but he raised an eyebrow and said a little more forcefully, "_Now._"

Stork bit his lip nervously and took the map, looking it over. Aerrow was a very nice guy. He always tried to say things as gently as possible. Stork knew this was his way of kicking him and his Sky Scouts off the ship. And when Aerrow said "now," it meant _now!_

Gee, if Aerrow couldn't put up with them, who could?

* * *

The three boys talked excitedly with each other as they got in their seats in the bus car, which the Storm Hawks had hooked up to the _Stork-Mobile_. Griffin was jumping up and down in his seat before he finally was willing to sitting still. Only when he was seated did the Storm Hawks close the door. Even then, they could hear the boys from outside.

All the Storm Hawks were outside to see Stork and the Sky Scouts off. Aerrow stood beside the Safety Buggy.

Stork, already in the seat of his running _Stork-Mobile_, just looked back at the car, accepting his fate. "Let's get this soon-to-be total disaster started," he groaned.

"Come on, Stork!" Aerrow encouraged him. He gestured to the bus. "It's only campin' with some kids."

Says the boy who just kicked them off the ship.

"On the sweet green fields of Terra Fauna," Piper added, backing him up like she always did.

"How bad could that be?" Junko said lightly with a shrug.

Stork glowered in front of him as he began his drive off the landing strip, forcing himself to _not_ tell Junko how bad it could be. It could result in doom in so many ways . . .

Aerrow saluted the Merb as he drove by. Stork's eyes were half-lidded in annoyance. He shouldn't go saluting him when he practically _ordered_ him to go on this trip of doom.

They all waved as Stork drove away, except Piper, who cheered at him in encouragement instead.

As Stork drove off the landing strip and changed to flight mode, he heard the Sky Scouts cheering excitedly from the transport car. Oh, yeah. Total disaster.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Snipe's stronghold on Terra Nimbus, Snipe had his Terradon scientist, whom he had captured awhile back, tied up by his ankle and hanging from a rope above a gigantic cauldron of boiling green goo. "Your air blaster thingy was junk, Mr. Smarty Pants!" he shouted at the scientist angrily, clenching his fist. "Give me a reason why I don't drop you in the soup!" He lowered the rope a little, showing him that he really meant to do it.

But the white-haired scientist just blinked at Snipe through his red-tinted goggles and didn't look too worried. He gave a reason. "Uh, well, because," he said, holding up a finger (or _down_ a finger, since he was upside-down), "I've invented something better!"

He clapped his hands twice to signal his Talon assistants to come in as planned. Together the two Talons struggled to push in a large cage with a monstrous beast inside. The creature stood twice as tall as a man and had the body of a gorilla, even the bare chest. Its feet, however, did not belong to a primate; they were thick and splayed like a bird's, including talons, giving the appearance of the foot of a carnivorous dinosaur. Its face wasn't very ape-like either; its nostrils were wide and heavy and face thick and broad as any bull in a fighting ring. Its blue fur was long and heavy, and on its head the fur flattened out and splayed on all sides of the thick skull, giving making its head appear more like that of a bison than a domestic bull. The ears, long and straight as a donkey's, and the goatee made the face more comical. More menacing were the two horns on the back of its head that stuck backward and curved down. The beast's neck was covered in greenish-brown goo. Snipe couldn't tell whether it was slime from a bog or the beast's own slobber. For a bog is where this creature came from; it was the mighty, carnivorous bog howler. And it was wearing something on its head, a sort of metal hat that had three little attachments to the domed head of the creature.

The bog howler roared, charging against one side of the cage and grabbing the bars in one of its big, ape-like hands. That's when Snipe saw the device on its head. "Huh?" he asked in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

Hearing him, the bog howler turned to him, its piercing, glowing red eyes staring into him. Roaring a challenge, it slammed against the bars of the cage, trying to get at Snipe. Nervously Snipe flinched away. Was his scientist crazy? Why the heck would he bring in a bog howler?

But then the scientist dug into his pocket and pulled out a remote that looked exactly like the same remote he had made for the blend blaster. As the bog howler roared again, the Terradon pressed a button.

Immediately a beeping sound came from the antenna sticking out of the bog howler's strange hat. The howler froze, its expression going blank, even a bit confused. Then the scientist pressed another button, and music started.

Snipe couldn't believe it. Smiling at them, the bog howler rolled to one end of his cage and then stood up, holding his hands off to one side. Then he started sidestepping across the stage. He was _dancing to the music!_

The Terradon scientist announced his invention Snipe while the Talon commander was smirking at the dancing bog howler. "A remote-operated mind-control device that can make even the most ferocious beast your own personal puppet!"

Now _this_ was the kind of idea Snipe was looking for! Satisfied, he swung the scientist away from the bowl of goo and let go of the rope. The Terradon let out a cry as he fell to the floor and gasped as he sat up, holding his head. For the first time, his eyes portrayed the fear he felt while held over the cauldron.

Snipe smirked. He liked this invention. And he needed more. "Get started!" he ordered the scientist.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Halp is a word. It is a synonym of "help."

So the name of the volunteering ritual "Rites of Halp" is pretty accurate, don't you think?

Is it just me, or do the bog howlers look an awful lot like the Gorge sloths? I think they used the same basic shape for both. Real original, Nerd Corps. Real original.


	147. Scout's Honor: Merb Mess

Author's Notes: Thank you so much for correcting me, Thing of No Talent! She pointed out that in the "Rights of Halp," "Rights" should be "Rites." Again, thanks! I like it when people correct me. I'd rather be embarrassed and fix it than leave it incorrect.

* * *

Chapter 2: Merb Mess

Stork followed the map until he reached the terra it said they should arrive at. The terra didn't look like he expected it. A tall, pinnacle peak stuck out of the middle of the top, and shorter peaks stuck out all around it. Ringing the peaks were very green, vine-covered forests with shriveled, broad-leafed trees. The main forest on the center of the terra then ended at a cliff that went all the way around. The land below, the last level of habitable area on the terra, had a large lake spreading across one side of it, which was fed by two small but extremely tall waterfalls from the main forest above. The land was very swampy, and noxious gases rose up from different points the terra, smarting the nose.

Having parked the _Stork-Mobile_ and carrier in a muddy ravine that looked almost like a crater, Stork led the kids alongside the hole of green, goopy slop, like some sort of swamp or bog. A bog, most likely; swamps usually had trees in them. The trees were up above the ravine on firm ground. The bog was clear of everything, and a thick steam of poison gas—most likely a deadly carbon dioxide—was rising up from it.

The Sky Scouts were talking excitedly amongst themselves about the place, looking around curiously as Stork led them away from the bog. "Over there!" Griffin whispered louder than the rest, pointing. He had a band-aid on his nose now. He didn't say what he did to it, and Stork didn't ask.

The "Sky Scout Master" was currently most occupied with the Terra Fauna map. Nothing on the map matched up with what he was seeing. Where was the bog in a huge hole in ground that was dotted with scraggly bushes and the skimpy forest that sat above them on the top of the ridge? "Um," he told the Sky Scouts, gesturing to the map, "I'm not seeing the sweet, green fields promised on this Terra Fauna map." He tapped the place on the map where the fields were indicated.

The Sky Scouts looked amongst themselves as if they knew something Stork didn't. Griffin looked pointedly at Pydge.

Stork laughed nervously when he got no response. "The Sky Scout Association wouldn't send us here if it was that bad, right?"

They came up alongside another bog as they walked, not realizing that a pair of gleaming red eyes was staring out at them from the forest, a growl rising in the creature's throat.

Finally, after walking for quite awhile, Stork stopped, and the Sky Scouts stopped behind him. Looking around, he turned to the kids and said, "Okay, then." He pointed to the ground. "We make camp here."

The Sky Scouts looked around in bewilderment. After assessing it, Owlsley turned to Stork angrily. "Here?" he repeated. "This is a terrible place to make camp!" Griffin nodded in agreement, and Pydge joined Owlsley to glare at Stork.

"Could be worse," Stork reminded them, not willing to go any further.

The Sky Scouts looked around again. They were still in the ravine, but now they were beside another boiling bog again. On the shore just behind them were the bones of some long-dead animal. Uneasily the Sky Scouts turned back to the water, and Owlsley scowled. He knew this was a bad idea.

But Stork had made up his mind, and no matter how much the kids looked like they were meeting their doom (which they were), he was not relenting. "So," he said, trying to sound excited for their sake, "what now?"

Pydge held up a finger. "The Scouts' Manual says we pitch tents and make a fire," he responded, gesturing to Stork. He looked skeptical, as if Stork should have already known that.

Pitch tents and make a fire, huh? Yeah, Stork thought sarcastically, _real_ fun. "Go ahead," he grumbled to the kids, gesturing to them. "I'll watch."

"Ah, I don't wanna do that boring stuff!" Griffin said, waving his hand dismissively. "I wanna explore!" He started walking off.

Exploring? _Not _a good idea! Stork reached out to stop him, but before he did, Pydge and Owlsley ran in front of him, both glaring at him. "The manual says _you're_ supposed to teach us!" Pydge stated, pointing at Stork.

"Don'cha know anything?" Owlsley asked with contempt.

Stork cringed, because the truth was, when it came to camping, he didn't.

But then he saw Griffin, who had slipped away from him, jump five feet into the air and grab the loop of a vine hanging from a tree. He swung on the vine with both hands and flipped in the air, landing on a huge, moss-covered tree limb facing the others. He let out a sigh of triumph, throwing his hands in the air.

Stork smirked. He did know something. Walking toward the tree, he stopped at the base and said, "Well, I know that _that _type of tree," he pointed to the tree Griffin was in, "is where the poisonous bark snark usually lives."

Looking around, Griffin squeaked fearfully and jumped down from the tree at once. Stork smirked, satisfied with Griffin's reaction. That was _one_ way to get the adventurous kid to stay in one place!

Just then, he heard Pydge making a loud whirling sound by putting his hands to his mouth and howling in them. It was some sort of animal call. Proud of his accuracy, Pydge straightened and grinned at Stork.

Stork thought the noise was accurate . . . too accurate. "Go ahead," he told Pydge, gesturing to him. He put his hands on his hips. "Make that sound again and see what happens when a bog howler answers you!" He pointed to him, glaring.

Then Stork looked over and saw he'd also lost Owlsley. The boy was currently using an electric screwdriver (heaven knows where he got it) to drill into a tree. But this "tree," Stork noticed, had roots that looked like three splayed toes with talons. Owlsley was standing on one of these toes.

Stork walked up to the tree. "And that _could _be a tree trunk," he told the kids, pointing to it, "but it could also be a giant galumbus foot."

Hearing him, Owlsley's eyes widened in fear, and he pulled his drill away from the tree trunk, backing away slowly.

Pydge came up to him, excited. And like he always did when he was excited, he stuttered. "A-a-and what's this?" he asked, holding up a brown paper bag.

"That's my lunch!" Stork answered angrily. "Give me that!" Stork snatched the sack lunch out of Pydge's hand. The boy had no right to be digging through his things!

Meanwhile, Griffin walked up to the tree, putting his hand on the trunk. A small, purple snake was slithering up the vine next to him. "A harmless tree snake?" he asked Stork, daring him to say it was something dangerous.

"Yes," Stork admitted, gesturing to the snake, "but if it had a red spot on its head, it would be a venomous scapper serpent."

Pydge pricked his ears toward the snake, a smile on his face. Now that Stork was talking about something he was interested in, he was listening intently.

Now it was Owlsley's turn to ask a question. "And is that ugly thing harmless," he asked, pointing a thumb to a creature who was standing on a huge tree limb behind him, "or is it something scary like a bog howler?"

Stork looked over the animal briefly, noting the buffalo-like face, ape-like body, and taloned, three-toed feet as the creature growled at them. "Um, no," he answered Owlsley, turning his head away, "that is a bog howler." As soon as he said it, he realized what he said. He turned back to the tree, eyes wide with fright. "Ah!" he screamed. "Bog howler!"

Roaring, the bog howler leapt from the tree branch . . . _straight at them!_

"Run!" Stork screamed. He saw Griffin and Pydge take off, but Owlsley was frozen with fright. Stork snatched the bulky boy's shoulder, pulled him around, and shoved him along, moving him out of the way just in time for the bog howler to land where he had just been standing.

The bog howler growled as it pursued them, determined to have its new prey. The Sky Scouts screamed.

Stork didn't understand. Sure, camping meant certain doom and all, no matter where you were, but there was no way the Sky Scout Association would put them on a terra where there were dangerous animals . . . was there?

Stork dared a glance back. The bog howler was getting closer.

Stork turned back the way they were running, desperately looking for escape. Sure, it was completely impossible to escape the bog howler, but that didn't stop one from trying to survive.

Running under an arch made by a tree root, he saw a cave up ahead. The opening was too small for the bog howler to get through.

It was their last chance. "Go for the cave!" Stork shouted to the Sky Scouts, pointing to it.

Screaming, the Sky Scouts all tried to get into the entrance first. The three slammed into the entrance shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder and got stuck.

Stork slid to a stop behind them a looked back. The bog howler was almost upon them, grunting with every stride! Then it leaped for them.

Stork screamed. No time to be gentle! He turned and jumped at the Sky Scouts, shoving them inside with him tumbling after them. The four Merbs end up on a heap on the cave floor, with Stork on the bottom.

The bog howler stuck its head in and roared in frustration. The three kids whimpered, which only made the bog howler roar again. Growling, it studied the heap and then backed away from the entrance, seeming to realize it couldn't get them.

Stork looked around the cave. The cave was round and devoid of most everything except rock, a hole in the ceiling, letting in the sun, and a raised part of the floor just above the hole.

Griffin was the first one to his feet when the bog howler left. Putting his hands by his ears and waving his fingers, he sang, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" He put a finger to his nose, teasing the howler. "You can't reach us!"

The other boys got up snickering at Griffin's bold move. But as Stork watched as he got to his feet, he wasn't amused. "Oh, bad idea, kid!" he warned Griffin. That could encourage the bog howler to come back!

Griffin looked at Stork as if he was crazy. He wasn't doing anything wrong. The bog howler couldn't get them.

But the boy's reaction wasn't Stork's main concern. He pulled out his radio, realizing he'd have to use it, and his map, which he knew he had to look over again. Because he suspected something wasn't quite right here. "You know," he said to the Scouts, "either the Sky Scout Associate _really_ has it in for me," his voice lowered, "or we're on _the wrong terra!_"

* * *

After Stork reported his suspicions to the others on the _Condor_, Piper was trying to track their location on the navigation gear while she drove the ship. Junko and Radarr stood behind her, watching. Junko was happily eating a cone of vanilla ice cream. Aerrow stayed back a little, waiting for Piper's analysis, hoping that the Merbs would stay safe until they got there.

But after a few antagonizing minutes, Piper radioed back to Stork, saying, "I'm trying to match your map coordinates, Stork, but the navi-gear is acting all glitchy." She took a closer look at the gauge on the helm, as if that would somehow cause it to start working properly.

Junko just kept licking at his ice cream until he heard a whirling sound that grew into a whistle. He pricked his ears toward the sound. Aerrow followed his gaze to discover that the gauges on the sphere controls were spinning all out of whack, and steam was starting to come from the sphere.

The pressure built up inside the sphere until a bolt came out. Junko gasped as the bolt flew through the Wallop's ice cream, splattering the top scoop. It then banged into a pipe and changed direction, only to hit a wall and shoot off in yet another direction. With a grunt, Aerrow ducked just in time as the bolt sailed over his head and penetrated the pipe behind him, causing steam to escape.

Aerrow groaned as he stood up. These were not the first technical difficulties the _Condor_ had been having in the past hour or so. And he had a feeling he knew what the cause was. He pulled down the speaker to the radio. "Stork," he said, "the _Condor_'s been acting really weird since those Scouts were aboard."

* * *

When Stork heard that, his eye twitched, and he growled, turning to the Sky Scouts. If those brats had done anything to _his_ ship . . . !

His gaze immediately fell on Griffin, who he though of as the troublemaker. Smiling sheepishly, Griffin pointed to another one. "Owlsley did it!"

Owlsley turned to Stork nervously. Shrugging, he protested, "I just wanted to see how it all worked!" He pointed thumb off to the side at the last Scout. "Pydge is the one who messed with the map!"

Pydge turned to Stork, whimpering nervously when he met Stork's glare.

Stork growled. Okay, so Griffin wasn't the only troublemaker; they were _all_ troublemakers! And Owlsley had . . . ! And Pydge had . . . ! It took all of Stork's self-control not to ring their necks. He put his fingers to his temple and took a breath, trying to calm himself before he did something he regretted. Something told him that getting mad at the Scouts wouldn't help anything.

Pydge held up a finger and explained himself. "Terra Fauna is _boring!_" He pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I heard this place had lots of cool creatures and stuff!"

"And this place is?" Stork asked hesitantly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Piper had finally gotten their coordinates. The others gathered around the helm where she was driving while she looked at a map. Gasping, she said to everyone, including the radio, "They're on Terra Gruesomous, the most dangerous terra in the quadrant!"

Everyone turned to the speaker as Stork's voice came over it, answering Piper. "_A bog howler has us trapped in a cave, and we can't get to our transport. I'd say you're right about that!_"

Well, Aerrow thought, looks like the Storm Hawks were on a rescue mission. "Stay put!" he told Stork. "We're on our way."

Piper pulled lever on the helm to get the ship started forward. But all that happened was the engines puffed black smoke. The _Condor_ jumped forward and went still.

Aerrow heard a farting noise when the ship jolted. "Huh?" Piper gasped, putting a hand to her mouth as she surveyed the controls. Was that . . . ?

Aerrow and Piper looked back at Junko.

"Uh, not me!" Junko assured them, putting his hands on his chest. "It was the _Condor_." He laughed nervously.

Great, Aerrow thought sarcastically. The _Condor_ was acting up worse than they thought. This rescue mission might take awhile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Snipe was loading his ship. He had watched as one Talon pushed a caged bog howler up the loading ramp into his cargo hold. Two Talons were pushing another caged howler behind him. Snipe was talking to his first mate, who stood by supervising the loading, his staff in hand. "If this mind control thingy works," Snipe told him, gesturing to the bog howler being loaded, "I'm gonna need a lot more bog howlers for my army." He smirked. "Set course for Terra Gruesomous!"

* * *

Stork and the Sky Scouts waited a long time in the cave, waiting for the Storm Hawks to arrive. It was taking them much longer than Stork liked.

Finally Griffin seemed to have enough sitting around. He tiptoed toward the cave entrance and peered out. "Uh, I think the howler's gone," he told the others.

Stork had his arms crossed. These kids really knew nothing. "No," he corrected, looking at some grit stuck in his nails. "Some howlers can wait all day for their prey." He clenched a fist and twitched his eye, smirking at them, making it all the more dramatic for the Scouts.

Just then, he heard a loud roar. Spinning around, he gasped when he saw the bog howler leap inside through the hole in the ceiling, landing on the raised part of the cave above them. The bog howler growled at them. Griffin froze, and the other two Scouts whimpered, hugging each other and trembling, knocking their glasses askew.

"And some can't," Stork amended, pointing at the howler.

The bog howler stepped down toward where they were, letting out a growl.

Without letting go of Pydge, Owlsley whimpered, "How do we stop it?"

Stop it? Good question. "I'm going with throwing stuff at it!" Stork answered frantically, clenching his fists.

Calmed by an idea, Pydge let go of Owlsley and turned back to Stork, correcting his glasses as he did. "I could talk to it," he suggested, holding up a finger.

_Yeah, right!_ Stork thought. He was sticking with his own plan. He picked up a large rock on floor in front of him with both hands. "Here's a little conversation starter," he offered. And with that, he threw the rock over his head at the bog howler with a yell.

The howler caught the rock in its mouth, growling at Stork. It had absolutely no affect on it.

But it couldn't catch every rock. The Sky Scouts joined in with the throwing. The howler drew back in surprise as another rock slammed against its nose. As more rocks peppered it, it put up its hard hand to protect its face.

But the Scouts weren't just throwing rocks. Stork squeaked and clenched his fists to his face when he saw what Griffin had grabbed. "Not my lunch!" he shouted. But he was too late. Griffin threw the lunch bag at the bog howler.

But then something else flew by Stork's head. Stork's eyes widened. "_Not my radio!_"

The howler caught both the bagged lunch and the radio in its mouth. The radio was destroyed in an explosion of sparks when it was crushed between its teeth. The howler roared angrily, making it clear that it had quite enough of having stuff thrown at it.

Well, there was nothing else to do, but . . . "Run for your lives!" Stork cried.

Screaming, the Sky Scouts led the retreat out the cave entrance.

The bog howler growled after them, getting ever closer. When it saw that the Merbs were about to escape, it roared.

Stork glanced back just in time to see it leap for them. With a cry, he dove for the entrance.

He landed flat on his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Behind him he heard the sound of the bog howler's big body slamming into the rocky wall. Stork had gotten out just in time.

But then he looked back to see the bog howler stick its hand out the cave and raise it above Stork. Stork screamed. Oh, this was it! This was his doom!

At the last minute, Griffin grabbed his ear, Pydge grabbed his other ear, and Owlsley grabbed a lock of his hair. The three pulled Stork clear of the howler's reach just as the beast's heavy hand fell to the ground.

The three Merbs froze, breathing heavily, watching as the hand disappeared back into the cave with a low growl.

The Scouts released Stork, and he got to his feet. Well, that was a close one. He realized he owed his delayed doom to these kids. "Thanks, guys," he told them. "Good job!" But they weren't out of danger yet. "Now," he instructed them, "run like you've never run before!"

This time it was Stork who led their flight.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks had finally gotten the _Condor_ to go . . . sort of. They still had one little problem.

All of the boys and Radarr were clustered around the helm, where Finn drove. They clung to the railing and forced themselves to keep their feet pressed to the floor.

"This is seriously scary!" Junko said.

Radarr squeaked as he lost his grip on the floor and fell to the ceiling.

Finn just scowled. "Not nearly as scary as what I'm gonna do to that _kid_ for messing up our controls!" he retorted to Junko.

Down below, at Wayside, everyone looked up as a ship flew over them upside down.

* * *

On Terra Gruesomous, Stork and the Scouts had stopped running, but they kept walking, creeping along in the undergrowth for fear of being caught.

After awhile, Griffin, who was in the back of the group, stopped and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Uh, I think we lost the howler!" he told the others happily.

The others stopped, too. Stork let out a sigh of relief.

"Aw!" Pydge exclaimed. "I never got to talk to it!"

"Yeah," Stork agreed, holding up a finger. "I think that's one voice you _never_ need to here again."

Just then, they heard a deep, evil laugh, which sounded familiar to Stork. He squeaked fearfully. "That's another," he told the kids, pointing toward the voice.

The Sky Scouts' gaze followed Stork's finger. About fifty yards beyond them was a laughing Snipe with a remote control in his hand. Three Talons stood behind him, looking serious. Talons? Stork wondered. What were they doing here? Oh, as if their doom wasn't bad enough, being stuck here on Terra Gruesomous. Now they had to throw Snipe into the mix!

Stork crept closer, trying to see what the Nimbus Chapter commander was up to. He didn't realize that the Sky Scouts were following him. He took cover behind a tree while the Sky Scouts hunkered down behind some vegetation.

Snipe turned around to his men, smirking at them. "Now," he said, "let's see these puppies go wild!"

Puppies? What puppies? Evil puppies of doom? Well, whatever puppies, Stork knew evil and doom went with them.

Snipe pressed a button on his remote and then peered forward with a wide, evil grin.

Stork looked, too. There, in front of him, were three huge bog howlers wearing some sort of attachable metal helmet! But instead of turning ferocious, the bog howlers started yodeling and dancing. They had this whole dance where they start with their hands on their hips, then across their chest, then behind their head, and then ended it by turning around and shaking their rears at their audience. They weren't half-bad yodelers, either.

So, Stork thought, Snipe was going to destroy them all with yodeling, dancing bog howlers of doom? That didn't seem so evil or . . . doom-y.

Snipe's three Talons didn't seem to think so, either. They burst out laughing.

Snipe stared at his howlers in exasperation, his eye twitching. Then his face turned furious. Growling, he put a hand on his forehead "Stop yodeling and dancing!" he shouted. He started pressing random buttons on the remote. "I want scarier! Scarier!"

But no matter what he did, the bog howlers kept dancing.

In rage, Snipe began pounding his fist against the remote. "_Scarier!_" he shouted.

But then he looked up again. Stork did, too, and his already-cold blood chilled him even more. The bog howlers had lined up in front of Snipe, growling furiously.

Stork stared in dismay. Snipe's remote was some kind of mind control, he gathered. These bog howlers would be forced to do his bidding, which would certainly bring about their doom.

Piper had been right. One day Snipe would have something that actually worked, and that would mean _real_ trouble. Apparently that day was today.

Stork lowered his head in dismay. "This can't get any worse," he said.

Just as he said it, he heard something flying overhead. He and the Sky Scouts looked up to see the _Condor_ flying over them (right-side up now).

But one of the Talons, the green-haired moustache Talon that showed up so often, had also spotted the ship. "Sir," he told Snipe. "The Storm Hawks are here, sir."

Snipe smirked at that. "Lucky them!" he said. "They get to test out my new bog howler army!" He laughed evilly as he said it.

Stork sighed. "Oh, yeah," he told the Sky Scouts. "I'm wrong. It's worse."

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Fauna" is a word, as many of you probably know. Fauna refers to the all animal life of a particular region or period of time, just as flora would refer to all plant life in the same. The word "fauna" originates from the Latin word "faun," which refers to a creature in Greek and Roman mythology (called a satyr by the Greeks). This creature had the head, arms, and torso of a man and the horns, rear, and back legs of a goat. Fauns were followers of the god of wilderness and therefore represented the wild.

Kind of weird that Pydge would change the map to travel to a different terra to see cool animals when they were headed to a terra _named_ after animals, but that's just me.

Meh, I love Stork—I mean you've _got_ to love Stork—but he's very difficult for me to write for. I don't like it!


	148. Scout's Honor: Monster Minds

Chapter 3: Monster Minds

Stork and the Sky Scouts stared at the Talons and the mind-controlled bog howlers in dismay. Owlsley turned to Stork. "We gotta do something!" he exclaimed.

Stork didn't know what to say to that. Owlsley's statement sounded a lot like one of Aerrow's before the young Sky Knight led the Storm Hawks on a dangerous—and one-day-will-be-doomed—mission.

Pydge turned to Stork accusingly. "The Sky Scout manual says the Scout Master always has a plan!"

"Uh, right!" Stork exclaimed nervously, standing up straight and holding up a finger. Now was not the time to go against the manual. And Pydge was right, anyway. They needed a plan . . . even if all plans were doomed to fail, anyway. "Okay," Stork began uneasily. "Uh . . ." He cleared his throat and started again, reviewing their doomed situation. "The radio's gone – can't warn the others." He started tapping his finger against his chin thoughtfully. "The plan is . . ."

He looked down at the Sky Scouts, who were waiting expectantly, excitement on their faces. No matter what little terrors they could be, Stork couldn't lead them into an even more dangerous situation.

He pointed to them. "You Scouts stay here and hide while I go stop the bad guys!" he told them, slamming his hand into his palm, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

But as he started walking away, he mumbled under his breath. "And how I'm going to do that, I have no idea."

But just then, Griffin's angry voice stopped him. "You're leaving us behind?"

Stork turned around to see Griffin gesturing to the rest of the group. "We're supposed to be a team!" he reminded Stork.

"We've each got special skills," Pydge reminded him. "Uh, we can help!"

Stork raised his eyebrows. Them . . . _help?_ They had always been so troublesome that he hadn't thought about that.

But the Sky Scouts all lined up in front of him and saluted him. "Scout Team Stork ready to save the day!" they cheered in unison.

Stork smiled. It was nice to know that he wasn't in this doomed situation alone. And he couldn't help being proud at having his own team!

And maybe the Scouts really _could_ help . . .

Moments later, Snipe was still grinning at his bog howlers. He had just gotten word of where the Storm Hawks had landed. And now he was going to bring in the killing machines. He pressed a button on his remote, and the bog howlers all pounded their fists into the ground and stood up straight, awaiting his orders.

But just when Snipe was about to press another button, the Talon with the moustache walked up behind him. "Ready for your orders, sir," he said.

Snipe spun around with an evil smirk, his eyes beady and mean as he gazed at the three Talons. "Here's my _order_," he said. He pointed to them. "You're fired!"

The Talons leaned back, their eyes and mouths opened wide in shock and hurt.

"Heh!" Snipe grunted. He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "I got a bog howler army! What do I need _you guys_ for?"

The Talons couldn't believe it. Being a Talon was the only life any of them had ever known. Even though none of them liked Snipe, they couldn't imagine being fired. They walked off with drooping shoulder, the moustache Talon's lip quivered as he whimpered. He was one of the best lower Talon of them all and was always ready in a fight. Now, in a single instant, he'd lost his job.

Snipe just chuckled at the Talons' apparent misery. He loved making people miserable.

Delighted with himself, he turned back to his bog howlers. "Bog howlers," he ordered, hearing the howlers growling in response, preparing to press a button while he was talking, "attack the Storm Hawks on these—"

"I'll take that!"

It was Griffin. He hung upside down from a vine above Snipe and snatched the remote out of the Talon commander's hand. Using his momentum from his jump, he bounced back on the vine onto a tree limb, landing on his feet. "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" he sang teasingly at Snipe.

Snipe roared at him, shaking a fist in the air. But there was no way he could possible catch Griffin. The boy Merb was already running toward the trunk and then jumping onto another tree limb, running out to its end and then flipping off it and landing on his feet on the ground in front of Stork and the other Sky Scouts. "Piece of cake!" he told Stork proudly as he handed him the remote.

Stork took the remote and smiled at it. Wow! Who would have thought it would be that easy? Maybe they weren't doomed after all!

But then, just when he was thinking that, the remote jumped out of his hand and into the air. It hovered there a moment and then zoomed back to Snipe, landing in his hand. "Hah!" the Talon shouted. "That remote control," he held up a tiny look-alike remote, "comes with a remote control!" He laughed evilly at the four Merbs standing before him.

Never mind. They were doomed.

But then Snipe stopped laughing and squinted at Stork, scrutinizing him. "Hey," he said, pointing at Stork, "aren't you the Storm Hawk who stays in the ship?"

Oh, so that's all he was known for! Stork glared at Snipe. "Not today," he answered. If they were going to be doomed today, they would make sure Snipe's plan was doomed, too. "Sky Scouts," Stork shouted, holding up a finger, "Plan B!" Because believe it or not, they actually _did_ have a Plan B!

Owlsley pushed his glasses up his nose. "Electronics, check!" he said, holding up a finger.

Pydge put his hands on his hips. "Beast communications, check!"

"Diversion!" Griffin said, grinning at Stork.

"Check!" Stork agreed.

And with that, the Merbs split up in different directions. Left from there huddle was the white hen, the _Condor_'s frequent stowaway. Stork wasn't sure whether she had accidentally stowed away with the Merbs or whether she had come from the landed _Condor_, but she was there, and she was the first diversion. She clucked at Snipe, drawing his attention away from all the Merbs.

"Huh?" Snipe gasped, raising an eyebrow. He'd never had to face a _chicken_ before.

Grunting with each move, Griffin flipped, did a hand stand, and then flipped back onto his feet off to the side of Snipe. "Hey!" he shouted at Snipe, throwing his hands in the air. He pointed his thumbs at himself. "Come and get me!" he dared.

Snipe growled at his insolence. "You want some, kid?" he growled. "You got it!"

He pressed a button on his remote, and just like that, all three bog howlers took off after Griffin.

But as Griffin took off running, he looked back at the howlers and grinned. It was all part of the plan!

Stork could see Griffin had them on the run, but if the howlers caught him, it was all over. He laid a hand aside his mouth. "Griffin!" he shouted, pointing to the cave they had hid in before. "The rocks!"

Griffin made a beeline straight for the cave. Just when the bog howlers were almost upon him, he grunted as he jumped into the air and flipped, landing in the cave. The first bog howler leapt after him, but instead of getting him, it just slammed its head into the rock above the cave entrance. Shaking its head, it threw itself against the rock while the other two bog howlers waited for it to get their prey.

They had the bog howlers right where they wanted them. Stork laid his hand beside his mouth again. "Now!" he shouted to the others.

Owlsley and Pydge ran in together. Pydge leapt onto the neck of one bog howler. Owlsley, not quite as athletic, had to jump up onto another bog howler's rump before he could jump up again and straddle the thick neck. Roaring angrily, both bog howlers ran off in opposite directions, rearing, jumping, and bucking, trying to dislodge their riders.

But Owlsley was prepared. He pulled out his screwdriver. "Okay, then," he said to himself, drilling something into the helmet and shocking its system.

The bog howler plunged to a stop as quick as cowhorse anchoring a roped calf. Looking happy, it through back it's head and yodeled.

Stork smiled proudly. That was his boy!

Snipe let out a sound of disgust. "Hey, Howler 1," he ordered, "no yodeling! More fighting!" Angrily he pressed a button his remote.

But Howler 1 kept yodeling, moving his head from side to side in rhythm with its song. Owlsley swayed with it, smiling. Howler 1 was a dang good yodeler.

Meanwhile, Pydge's howler was still bucking, but Pydge clung to his thick fur. Finally, when he was able to, he leaned forward and began whispering in the bog howler's ear, speaking in his language. The howler slowed and stopped, shaking his head in bewilderment. Then it flicked his ear toward Pydge, hearing him out while Pydge told him how he was being controlled. That made the bog howler even more interested, for he did not appreciate knowing he was not working upon his own free will.

While that was going on, the third howler was still beating its head against the entrance of the cave and growling, trying to get in after Griffin. Little did it know that Griffin had already leapt out of the cave through the hole in the ceiling and was already on the ridge above the cave entrance.

Stork joined him there. He looked down at the huge, hulking creature. It was the only one left. The plan was going much better than Stork expected. He found himself ignoring the comment he had made earlier that day; he was being optimistic.

Excited about having a (possible) happy ending, he turned to Griffin and patted him on the back. "This one's ours!" he exclaimed, holding up a fist.

As one, he and the wildly grinning Griffin leapt onto the beast's neck. Stork landed in front of Griffin. Hurriedly he tried to pull the helmet off the bog howler's head while Griffin clung to his shoulders.

But the bog howler didn't like that. Shaking its head, it roared and stormed away from the cave, rearing and bucking, charging right by Pydge and his howler while Stork screamed.

Pydge was still explaining to the howler. He could get the helmet off, he told him. And then he told him how.

The howler looked up, his eyes resting on a tree branch not far away, tensing his muscles. Pydge tightened his legs around his neck, feeling his howler getting ready to charge.

The bog howler took off roaring, aiming right for path below the tree branch. When they neared the tree, the howler leapt in the air. Pydge ducked. The mind-control helmet slammed into the tree branch and was yanked off the howler's thick, domed skull, breaking the branch in the process.

When the howler landed, he stood up straight and defiantly scanned the horizon, a proud beast who had refused someone's bidding. Pydge smiled in delight. Oh, he loved wild animals! They were so much cooler than tame ones!

But then he looked over when he heard angry growling. Stork's and Griffin's bog howler was still bucking and whirling like a champion rodeo horse, determined to lose its riders and destroy them. Stork was struggling with the helmet in vain. "It won't budge!" he cried in dismay.

So much for being optimistic. They were _definitely_ doomed!

But then Stork heard a growl from somewhere else. He and Griffin looked over to see Pydge and his howler charging at them. Pydge wasn't trying to stop the howler at all; in fact, he sat low on the bog howler's neck, riding like a jockey on a racehorse, trying to stay as still as possible. Stork wished he'd do _something_ to try to stop the howler!

A thought ran through Stork's head. This was a different doom then he expected. Instead of being thrown off by the howler they were riding now, they were going to get barreled over and crushed by Pydge's howler instead.

But when the charging bog howler neared them, he didn't brace himself for impact the way a charging bull would. Instead he reared back his head and opened his jaws over the other howler's head, roaring ferociously.

Okay, Stork amended as he and Griffin screamed. So he wasn't going to barrel them over. He was going to eat them instead.

But Pydge's howler didn't grab them. Instead it grabbed their howler's helmet.

Stork's and Griffin's bog howler blinked in shock as it stopped, raising its head up suddenly and almost throwing Stork and Griffin off balance. Pydge's howler held the other howler's mind control helmet in his teeth. He towered above them, rearing up to his full height, over twenty feet. Then he landed on all fours again, threw back his head to throw the helmet in the air, and caught it in his teeth, chewing it up and swallowing it.

Stork gulped back his fear, replaced by astonishment. What in the world could possess a bog howler to eat a helmet? He and Griffin both gave Pydge bewildered looks.

Pydge just grinned triumphantly. "I told him it was tasty!" he explained.

* * *

Author's Notes: This trivia is pretty self-explanatory, but oh well.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The name "Gruesomous" comes from the "gruesome," an adjective meaning that something involved are depicts death or injury in a disturbing or sickening way.

Wouldn't all of you _love_ to go on vacation there?

I loved writing about the howlers! Heck, I like writing about _any_ animal! But I hate having to use all those it's. It's very annoying. If only I knew the animals' genders! The only reason I was able to call Pydge's howler a he is because Pydge refers to him as "him." Not a whole lot of evidence to plead my case, but it's better than calling him an "it." It's just as degrading to call an animal an it as it is to do the same to a human. Besides, humans are animals, too! Why do they get special privileges?

Okay, I think that counts as my rant for this episode.

Now, everyone, I'd like you to meet my new pet. This is Harry the Howler. Say hi, Harry.

Harry: *glares and grunts* Grrrr . . .

Whisper: *pats Harry on the nose despite his angry glare* Harry is going to help me today. You see, I told him that all people who read this and don't review are very tasty and that he should eat them. You like the taste of non-reviewers, don't you, buddy?

Harry: *grins and nods head*

Whisper: Good, Harry. Now watch this person, and if they don't review, you can eat them!

Harry: *turns to look at reader while licking his chops*

Whisper: Good boy, Harry! *to reader* I'd press that review button if I were you. Just saying.


	149. Scout's Honor: Sky Scouts Score

Chapter 4: Sky Scouts Score

Owlsley was having a lot of fun. He had long since leapt off Howler 1, and now the two were dancing to the howler's yodeling, following the same dance as before.

But Snipe was not nearly as amused as Owlsley was. Watching the boy and the howler dance in front of him made him feel like they were mocking him. In fact, he was certain the boy was.

But his nerves finally fried when the two did the part of the dance where they put their hands behind their heads and turned around, shaking their rears in Snipe's direction.

That was it! Why wasn't anyone grabbing this boy? He was right _there!_

He stalked over to his Talons, who were sitting on a large rock. The moustache Talon was tuning a guitar, and the other two Talons were playing a card game.

Snipe's eye twitched. So they were just _messing around_ while these Merbs made a mockery of him? "Hey!" he shouted at them angrily. "What're you standing around for?"

The Talons looked up in bewilderment. Looking uncomfortable, the moustache Talon reminded him hesitantly, "You fired us, sir."

Oh, Snipe thought. Right. "Well, you're un-fired!" he yelled. He jab a finger behind him at Owlsley. "Now get them!"

Eager to have their jobs back, the Talons dropped what they were doing and grabbed their staffs, running past Snipe as fast as possible to capture Owlsley.

The Talons completely ignored the other three Merbs, but that was probably because they were still sitting on the necks of two bog howlers.

But Stork wasn't fooled into thinking they weren't in danger. He felt the bog howler he was on tense and turn to the other bog howler, growling low in his throat. Pydge's howler stood calmly, as if through he had accepted Pydge has a friend. But bog howlers were territorial, and Stork's and Griffin's bog howler seemed convinced that Pydge's howler was invading its territory.

Griffin sighed happily, oblivious to the dreadful situation. "No more mind control!" he cheered.

Even as he said it, their howler nipped at Pydge's howler, giving him one last chance to run. Pydge's howler had only just started to notice the other's aggression. "Now it's back to being an ordinary, out-of-control bog howler!" Stork reminded the kids in a panicked tone.

The bog howler tensed beneath them, preparing to spring at the other one. "Jump!" Stork cried.

Stork, Griffin, and Pydge all leapt to the ground with a yell at the same instant that Stork's and Griffin's howler sprang at Pydge's, pressing him to the ground. Caught off guard, the large male howler tried to hold off the other's attack as best he could while the three Merbs made their getaway from the hulking beasts.

Once they were a safe distance away, Griffin and Pydge slid to a stop, waiting for Stork's instructions.

Stork didn't know why they needed instructions. Wasn't it obvious? "Now," he told them, "let's get outta here!"

But Griffin interrupted. "Uh, Scout Master?" He pointed a thumb ahead of them.

"Huh?" Stork gasped, turning.

He felt his blood run cold. The Talons were walking toward them with their staffs, laughing in triumph. In front of the group walked Snipe, who held Owlsley by the collar of his shirt. Owlsley had his hands on his head, encouraged by the Talon that kept his staff to his back. The boy had managed to disable the helmet on Howler 1 and take it off, but he hadn't been able to get away from the Talons.

Stork stared at them. How could he get Owlsley out of this? _Was_ there anyway out? They were probably doomed.

He waited for some suggestions from the others, but they were looking at him expectantly. "The Scouts Manual says you always have a plan," Pydge reminded him for the third time that day, gesturing to him.

Of course it did. Stork groaned. "I really hate that manual," he grumbled.

But there was nothing he could do. The Talons had them. And once they had approached them, Snipe shoved Owlsley toward them. He gasped and staggered, but Stork steadied him by grabbing his shoulders.

Snipe grinned at them wickedly. "Go ahead," he urged Stork. "Beg for mercy."

The Talons laughed as Stork cringed at the comment. Begging for mercy really _was_ all there was left.

Oh, what a way to meet their doom . . . on a camping trip that became their worst nightmare.

But just when Stork thought it was over, he heard Snipe say, "Huh?" and turn to the bushes.

Stork heard the sound, too. He flicked his ears toward the forest, hearing distinctly the sound of approaching skyrides.

Right on cue, the rest of the Storm Hawks appeared on their skyrides in bike mode. They leapt over an embankment and charged their way, a smirking Aerrow in the lead. Brakes screeching, they surrounded the Talons just as the Talons had surrounded the Merbs.

But then Finn's vehicle malfunctioned and jumped forward, squealing in protest, ruining the heroic moment. Snipe laughed at that.

Finn pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at Snipe. "Not the heroic moment we were going for," he commented.

But that didn't matter. All that mattered was rescuing Stork and the Sky Scouts Aerrow pulled out his blades and ignited them while Junko lit his Knuckle Busters. Radarr gave the Talons his most vicious growl.

The Talons growled right back, lowering their staffs at the Storm Hawks and preparing to fight.

"Let them go, Snipe!" Aerrow demanded, pointing a blade at the Talon commander.

Snipe laughed. As if he was going to just hand the Merbs over! "Come and get 'em!" he dared the Sky Knight.

Piper was quick to respond to that, pulling out her energy staff. But as soon as she extended it, it, too, malfunction, sending blue bolts of crystal energy coursing from the staff to her. She cringed and gasped as it gave her quite a shock.

Owlsley put his hands to his mouth, seeming to realize this was his fault. "Oops," he said. "Sorry."

The shock stopped, and Piper drooped in exhaustion, only to turn and growl and glower at Owlsley.

"Don't worry!" Owlsley declared, holding up a finger. "I can fix this!"

But then the staff shocked Piper again.

Snipe was no longer laughing at her pain. "Quit it!" he yelled. "You're freakin' me out!"

Stork knew there was no way the Storm Hawks could win with their rides and weapons acting this way. They were _all_ doomed! Unless . . .

He leaned over next to one of the Sky Scouts. "Psst!" he whispered. "Pydge!" He pointed to the bog howler in the corner of his eye. "Tell that howler that Talons are tasty!" He bumped Pydge in the back, urging him on.

Pydge grinned. He didn't need any urging. He immediately put a fist to his mouth and blew through it, making a churring sound. Then he cooed and cried like a howler monkey, only to send with a little squeak from pushing his glasses up his nose.

Snipe turned to him, looking amused. "What's that?" he laughed. "A bird call or something?"

Just then he heard a growl and looked up.

The three howlers they had been controlling were charging right at them.

Well, the Talons didn't need any other encouragement to flee. They all dropped their staffs and ran off. The three howlers were joined by a fourth, and while the lead one took off after Snipe, the other three went for the three Talons, who yelled as they ran.

When Snipe saw the howler coming his way, he screamed like a girl and took off into the woods. No way was he sticking around for _that!_

The Storm Hawks watched in bewilderment as the Talons and howlers disappeared into the forest before turning back to the Sky Scouts, blinking in amazement. They had just been . . . saved by the Scouts. "And we came here to rescue _you_," Aerrow pointed out, pointing at them.

"Okay," Finn said incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the children. "These are the same terrors from before?" He shook his head. "I don't believe it."

Stork just smiled at that, still having a hand on Owlsley's shoulder and having one on Griffin's shoulder. "Oh," he assured the others, ruffling Griffin's hair, "they're _not_ terrors."

Owlsley held up a finger proudly. "We're Sky Scout Troop 890, Sky Scout Master Stork presiding!" he proclaimed, smiling up at Stork.

Stork smiled. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at being the Scout Master of such a wonderful troop.

* * *

Meanwhile, Snipe was still running as fast as he could away from his pursuing bog howler, yelling as he did. At last, he reached his Heli-Blade, his heart beating wildly. He got in the seat and drove just as the beast nearly leaped on top of him. It snapped its jaws at him as it pursue.

"Ah!" Snipe yelled. "No biting! More yodeling!"

But there was no mind control. The beast just snapped its jaws at him again.

Snipe switched to flight mode, shouting, "Whoa!" as he flew away in safety just as the howler lunged and snapped its jaws at him again.

He looked down at it as he flew higher. The bog howler roared and pounded its fists into the ground, angry about being denied dinner.

In the sky, only two of Snipe's Talons joined him on their Switchblades, one being the moustache Talon. The third had not been lucky enough to get away.

* * *

The next day, the trucker came to the _Condor_ to pick up the Sky Scouts. All the Storm Hawks came out to say goodbye as the children lined up in front of Stork beside their ride.

Stork walked up to them, holding up a finger. "Sky Scout Troop 890, mission is done," he announced happily.

The kids smiled at him. "You were the best Sky Scout Master ever!" Pydge cheered.

They all cheered, throwing their fists in the air, and the next thing Stork knew, he was smothered in a hug. "Can't breathe!" Stork wheezed.

But he felt so loved that it didn't occur to him until later how much germs that spread.

Seeing the touching scene, Aerrow and Piper exchanged knowing glances. The others smiled at the Merbs, and Radarr clicked in pleasure, flicking his ears toward them.

The Sky Scouts got on their carrier and stood in a line, saluting Stork. Seeing this, Stork saluted back. Then the doors closed, and the trucker took off. The Sky Scouts were gone.

Stork watched them go. It was a bittersweet moment. Sure, they would no longer be getting him or the Hawks into trouble, but—and he was only now admitting it—he was going to miss them.

Aerrow came up beside the Merb, putting an arm around his shoulders. "See, Stork?" he said. "That wasn't so bad." He put a hand on his arm. "You helped some kids and saved the day!"

"And your mandatory volunteer duty is finished," Finn pointed out, uncrossing his arms and gesturing to Stork.

Oh . . . Yeah. "For . . . this month," Stork amended sheepishly.

The others raised their eyebrows at him. "Hmm?" Piper asked. Aerrow let go of Stork cautiously. Finn re-crossed his arms.

"Well," Stork explained, shrugging, "I may have, um," he cleared his throat, knowing they wouldn't be happy about this, "volunteered to take the troop camping," he pointed to the group, "next month."

"You did?" Junko, Finn, and Piper all exclaimed in unison, giving him a disbelieving look. Their tones sounded tired. Radarr chirped, popping his head up in front of them, asking the same question. His eyes looked uncertain.

But Stork had good reason! The kids were so ignorant of the terrors of this world. "Well," he exclaimed, holding up a finger, "someone needs to teach them about the dangers of dragon wasps," he pulled out a book and began looking at terrible creatures to be sure he didn't miss anything, "giant turkey slugs, man-eating poipanoids," he hid his face in his hand in exasperation, continuing, "pond fungus!" He turned back to the book. "Oh, and there's the monkey spores, saber spiders—!"

He didn't realize that while he saw talking, the others had walked away, leaving him alone on the landing strip.

* * *

Author's Notes: I tried to think of something I could say for bog howlers in my trivia this time. But I also found this important, too. We have to do the origins of the names of new characters, right? Although I don't think Pydge and Owlsley need explanation. (Pigeon. Owl. Birds. Duh.) So here's a trivia for Griffin!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: A griffin is a beast from medieval mythology. The animal is half eagle, half lion, having the front end of a bird, the back end of a lion, and eagle wings. Griffins are huge; one claw is said to be the size of a cow's horn. Their nests are made of gold. Although these animals will eat humans, their favorite prey is horse, reserving human prey to feed their chicks. It was once stated that a mating between a griffin and a horse would be the definition of impossible because of their hatred for one another (consequently, after reading that, a French monk then wrote a bestiary that included the hippogriff, the offspring of a griffin and a mare!)

Now I _was_ going to threaten you reviewers with a griffin, but . . . that didn't work out too well. I'm in her nest now—made of gold, by the way—and she looks kind of hungry . . .

Griffin: *grunts angrily at Whisper for speaking*

Whisper: Hey, you don't want me! I'm a wolf! I'm all furry and skinny and stuff!

Griffin: *stares at Whisper blankly and licks chops*

Whisper: I should've just stuck with Harry.


	150. Sky's End: Here, There Be Dragons!

_**Part 37**_

_**Sky's End**_

_Prejudices are held, and prejudices are challenged. New friends appear, and old enemies attack. A quest is issued to preserve the past for the future._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Here, There Be Dragons!

The day after the Sky Scouts left, the _Condor_ was caught in a series of storms. It was all Stork could do to keep the _Condor_ upright as she flew through a twister. Lightning flashed in the clouds, one striking so close to the _Condor_ that she trembled from the force of the shock.

No sooner were they free of that tornado when Aerrow looked out the frontal window and shouted, "Here comes another one!"

The _Condor_ started to go around and away from the storm, but then she stopped and reversed, despite her spitting engines. Stork yelled as the ship started to get sucked into the storm.

Aerrow knew there was no way they could avoid trouble. All they could do was try to stand it. Taking hold of the railing with a grunt, he cried, "Grab on to something, guys!"

Piper grabbed onto one of the controls while Junko clung to the round table. Radarr churred as he leaped up onto Junko's back, clinging to _him_. But when the lightning flashed, Radarr squeaked in fright and put his paws over Junko's eyes. Junko, who was somewhat afraid of the dark, let go of the table and screamed.

The _Condor_ started to whirl around with the winds, but Stork somehow managed to keep her upright. At first. But then the pipes started to building up pressure, bursting and letting out hot steam. Stork was having a harder time than ever. "Can't hold it together!" he cried.

"I got ya, Stork!" Junko cried, running to the helm and knocking Radarr off him as he did. The Wallop shoved Stork aside and took the helm from him, using his great strength to hold her steady.

Under Junko's strong hand, the _Condor_ flew out of the storms at last. Piper, Junko, Stork, and Aerrow let out sighs of relief as the sun shown through the frontal window, signaling clear skies ahead.

Aerrow walked up to the front, smiling, glad to be free at last. "Good work, you two," he praised Stork and Junko. "Now, any idea where we are?" The question was directed at Piper, his navigator.

Everyone looked out. They were at a place where the cloud line completely blotted out the Wastelands, a lot like it did at the cloud sea. But this was not the cloud sea of Terra Aquinos and Skyside Shanty. There were jagged peaks sticking out of the clouds, and the sky was nearly covered with clouds that were sickly green, as if it could generate more storms any minute. It was a place Aerrow had never seen before.

Piper pulled out a map of Atmos. "Way off course," she answered Aerrow. "Here." She pointed to the part of the map where there was a dotted line separating a lighted part from a dim part of the map. The light part, which was within this rounded dotted line, was charted with all sorts of terras and air passageways. But there was nothing beyond that line.

Piper looked up, looking a little nervous. "We're at the very edge of the charted Atmos, Aerrow," she said, "a place called Sky's End."

Stork came up beside Piper, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah," he agreed, holding up a finger. "_Our_ end, likely."

Aerrow and Finn were on the other side of the table. Aerrow had his hands on his hips, considering it all. Finn went ahead and snatched the map, sliding it across the table toward him. Looking at their location, he followed a little side note with his finger. "'Here, there be dragons'?" he read, looking at the drawing of the red shadow of a dragon in flight above.

Piper smiled at that as if he had said something funny. "Dragons don't exist anymore, Finn," she assured him. She waved her hand dismissively at the map. "Those pictures are just decoration."

But Stork sidled up to her again. "Oh, no!" he corrected. "They're _real!_ I hear sky traders whispering about them all the time!"

Finn's eyes widened in fright.

But Piper was still the voice of reason. "Well," she answered Stork, putting a hand on Stork's shoulder, "you shouldn't believe everything you hear, Stork."

Aerrow smiled, remembering how Stork had said, _I believe pretty much everything,_ when they first met.

Piper put her hand on her hip. "There's absolutely no way we're running into dragons out here," she assured them all.

Aerrow's common sense knew she must be right. Dragons have been extinct for thousands of years. But then his eyes were certainly deceiving him. "Then anyone want to tell me what _that_ is?" he asked, pointing out the frontal window.

There was a creature flying out there. It looked scaly, its tail long and clubbed, its neck long and the head horned. The wings were huge, and it had strong, humongous back legs that it tucked close to its tail as it flew. It was red with dark green undersides. Its horns were dark blue, showing strongly against its red scales. Its claws on the hands on the joint of its wings and the talons of its feet were the same color.

Finn screamed like a girl. That did _not_ look like the picture of a dragon that King Agar had shown him. This dragon didn't have front legs, but its wingspan was _huge _as if to make up for it. And so was the dragon itself. It was _much_ bigger and scarier than the one in the picture on Vapos!

And there was not a doubt in his or Aerrow's or anyone else's mind that this beast was a dragon.

The dragon roared, its glowing red eyes turning upon them. Then it began its charge on the ship.

Before Aerrow could give an order, Finn fainted.

The dragon dove for the ship and landed on it, its front claws gripping the front ends of the pontoon-like boosters, tilting the ship slightly toward its nose and jarring everyone. "Whoa!" Junko yelled as he staggered. Finn, who had just gotten to his feet, let out a cry as he fell over onto his back and then tumbled onto his stomach.

Piper shook her head as she stood up from her fall just in time to hear the dragon roar. She looked up to the ceiling through the glass-sealed roof hatch to see that it had left the ship and was ascending above them again.

Then Finn's face blocked her view with wide terrified eyes. "Let's get outta here!" he yelled before taking off across the bridge in a wild panic with a scream.

Aerrow had a feeling Finn wasn't so crazy about the idea of meeting a dragon.

Aerrow still clung to the round table to keep his footing. He looked up at the roof hatch to see the dragon dropping down on them. The Sky Knight groaned in an effort to keep his footing when the dragon landed on top of the _Condor_, jarring the ship once more.

That was it! If they didn't do something soon, the dragon would put their ship out of action for sure! "Quick!" Aerrow ordered. "To your Skimmers!"

Everyone knew Aerrow's orders well enough to know who he was referring to. Finn, Junko, and Radarr followed their Sky Knight down to the hangar bay, mounted their rides, and took to the skies, Aerrow and Radarr leading the way and Junko and Finn on either wing. Stork stayed behind to take care of the _Condor_ and Piper to try to come up with a better plan.

Immediately the wind lashed at Aerrow's face, throwing his hair back. Most air in the Atmos was relatively dry due to the lack of large bodies of water, but here the air was heavy with moisture, making the wind almost unbearable. Aerrow wished he'd thought to grab his goggles.

As the boys and Radarr approached the dragon, it roared at them, but it didn't seem intent on attacking them. Perhaps it was only being territorial and not out looking for prey.

As they got closer, Aerrow was surprised to see that the wings weren't leathery with skin stretched between fingers. Instead they seemed to be made up of plates laid out in a feather formation. That's strange. He'd never heard of dragon with those type of wings or seen such a thing in any picture.

The dragon didn't even attack them as the Storm Hawks split up and flew along either side of it, traveling in the opposite direction. Aerrow was doing it so they could judge their situation and act accordingly. Aerrow and Radarr and Finn flew to one side while Junko flew around the other.

The beast was massive, but Aerrow was a little disappointed. The creature didn't seem to have the power or presence of a ruler of the skies. He thought of the Leviathan, which he had thought of as graceful and majestic despite his ugliness and bulk. The dragon, however, was jerky and stiff despite its handsome features, not at all exhibiting muscle underneath that armor.

But Finn only seemed to be looking at one thing. "Man, this thing is huge!" he exclaimed as they approached the club-like tail end, which appeared to be able to fan out to help steer and create drag in flight. That alone was the size of their Skimmers! It was a dramatic end to their sight of the huge beast. Why, the Leviathan was the _only _thing that could possibly be bigger!

But Aerrow knew they had advantages against the dragon. He and Radarr pulled around behind the dragon and stopped, trying to think of something. "But we're faster, Finn," he reminded his sharpshooter as he and Junko flew up behind them. The dragon was slow, clunky, and stiff, Aerrow knew. If they could use that, they might be able to overcome the beast.

But before Aerrow could even imagine how to take the dragon on, it roared and dove for the _Condor_ again and landed on the front of the boosters. Within the bridge, Stork screamed as the ship tilted forward.

Aerrow and Radarr flew in at once, the others close behind. The way Aerrow figured it, they would distract the dragon and draw it away from their ship. After all, protecting the ship was their main goal. Only after they had the _Condor_ home free would they worry about what to do for themselves.

It was Finn who struck first. He was always the one to come from long distance. As he neared the _Condor_ and the dragon, he pressed a button on his handlebar to pull out his retractable crossbow from the bow of his Skimmer. And just when the dragon roared again, jamming its head toward the frontal window as if to break into the bridge, Finn fired.

The bolt struck the dragon's back. "Got him!" Finn cried in triumph, pulling aside, for he knew the dragon would be after them.

From what Aerrow could see, the bolt didn't seem to harm the dragon at all. There seemed to be plates overlaying themselves down its back, and they seemed to act like armor.

But the bolt _did_ succeed in annoying the dragon. Finn screamed when the dragon turned around and glared at him, taking to the skies once again to chase him.

But now Finn was the one needing rescuing, not the _Condor_, for the dragon was almost upon him. Then, just when Aerrow was thinking Finn's Skimmer might be able to out-fly it, the dragon blew a deadly blast of fire. Finn screamed as it headed his way. Aerrow tried to fly in, but he knew he would never get there in time.

But the _Condor_ did. Seeing Finn in trouble for saving them from the dragon, Stork apparently had decided to return the favor. The _Condor_ flew straight up, getting in between the dragon fire and Finn's Skimmer. The dragon was forced to pull up suddenly to keep from colliding with the ship.

Up above, the _Condor_ leveled off. Despite the black smoke coming off her roof, she didn't seem to be damaged by the fire—her armor plating was built to withstand such blasts—but her windows were completely blackened with soot from the flames. That can't be good.

Piper didn't think it was so great, either, especially since she was _in_ the _Condor_. "Whoa!" she exclaimed when she saw they'd lost all visibility.

But Stork seemed quite happy, like he always did when he and his _Condor_ were together in battle. "Not to worry," he assured Piper. "I got this under control!" Excitedly his fingers twitched before he pulled down a lever by the helm. On the one panel of glass directly in front of them—only a small portion of the frontal window—windshield wipers showed up, wiping away the black stains. "There," Stork said, gesturing to the clear window. "All better."

They still couldn't see if anyone was attacking them from the side, Piper wanted to point out, but she didn't. Besides, they were already being attacked from the front.

She and Stork both gasped as they looked out the window for the first time since it was cleared and saw the dragon charging straight at them, roaring angrily. Tensing, Stork swerved to port, missing the charging beast by inches.

The dragon slowed, staggering a little in the sky as it attempted to turn around. When it did, it had to stop to collect itself.

Aerrow and Radarr flew by the beast again, and still the dragon ignored them, as if it was only interested in attacking the _Condor_ and anything else that struck first. Aerrow knew its armored back, taloned feet, club-like tail, and horned head were well-protected, but what about its belly? That was always the vulnerable part of the dragon, right?

He and Radarr looked back at the dragon's underside as they flew past. It still had the overlaying plates even there, obviously armor.

But then Aerrow saw something. Down on its abdomen was something that looked like a blue crystal. It even glowed as such. There was no way it was a crystal, since it was attached to the dragon, but it was definitely something. _And it wasn't protected!_

"I think I found a chink in its armor," he radioed to the others. "I'm gonna aim for that . . . bellybutton-looking thing." He didn't know what else to call it.

Piper's irritated voice came back over the radio. "_Aerrow_," she said, talking at him like he was stupid, "_dragons hatch from eggs! Even if it was real, it can't have a bellybutton!_"

Huh, it can't. Aerrow had never thought about it one way or the other. He felt like some person on a comedy show where someone in the background was holding up a sign saying, _Duh!_ Still, Piper knew what he meant! She didn't have to go calling him stupid. Besides, she just said the "chink" he saw wasn't real. What was it, imaginary?

Not able to come up with a smart response, he just went to business. "Well, then, Finn, Junko," he ordered, trying to get over how flustered he was, "you distract it while I aim for its," he rolled his eyes at this, "_imaginary_ bellybutton."

And with that, he and Radarr flipped and headed back toward the dragon, coming up behind it. Once they were headed at it, Aerrow grunted as he leapt to the bow of his Skimmer, pulled out his blades, and lit them, preparing himself for this just as he would prepare for a battle with the Dark Ace.

Finn and Junko did just as they were directed. They got in front of the dragon and led it astray, urging it to chase. And chase it did. Finn began to fall behind Junko, and the dragon roared as it drew closer to the sharpshooter. It was making Finn nervous. "Aerrow," he radioed, "whatever you're gonna do, I think now is a good time to do it!"

The dragon growled as it got almost up on him and then . . . it bit at him.

Finn gasped. The dragon hadn't bitten him, really, but he sure did feel a draft . . .

He looked back and saw that the dragon had bitten off the seat of his pants, exposing his white, red polka-dotted underwear. "Hey!" he shouted angrily. He growled, shaking his fist at the dragon.

But the dragon didn't even look amused. It was completely expressionless.

Now was Aerrow's chance. The beast was completely distracted. Knowing what Aerrow was up to, Radarr drove the Vulcan up to the side of the dragon and flew underneath it. As they neared the underside, Aerrow grunted as he leapt into the air and brought his blades down, releasing a combined pulse from both straight at the bellybutton-thing.

Aerrow grunted as he landed back on the bow of his Skimmer with a jolt, but he smirked. Striking the crystal-like thing didn't seem to wound it as he had hoped; it completely paralyzed the whole beast. Blue crystal energy radiated out from the hit and consumed the dragon's body. It froze, and as the light faded from its eyes, it fell from the sky.

Radarr squawked in triumph.

"Yeah!" Finn cheered, throwing a fist into the air.

"Wahoo!" Junko yelled, throwing up both his fists.

Aerrow smirked cockily. How do like that? He'd just taken down one of the most ferocious beasts in the history of Atmos!

The Storm Hawks watched the dragon fall, hoping to go after the body for a little reconnaissance. After all, it's pretty suspicious—and pretty darn cool—when a creature that's supposed to be extinct shows up alive, even if it did attack them.

But little did they know that they weren't the only ones watching.

A skyfisherman was there with his little fishing vessel, which was dwarfed even by the _Condor_. He had a friend with him, a one-eyed beast that many would refer to as a pet, although he thought of her as a partner. She was long and pink like a gigantic worm, but she stood on skinny little pink legs and had similar arms. Both she and the fisherman wore brown caps.

They had stumbled upon the scene of the battle and kept low, fearing being seen by the dragon. But when the dragon fell right in front of their ship, dropping from the skies like a rock, the skyfisherman turned to his friend in astonishment, his jaw opening so wide that he nearly dropped his bubbling pipe. His friend let out a sound of surprise, which came out like a gurgle like one under water.

The skyfisherman new this was serious. Without hesitation, he spun his helm wheel around so fast that his friend went skidding across the bridge, gurgling in surprise.

The Storm Hawks dove down toward the spot only moments later, just a moment too late to spot the fishing vessel. They followed the dragon down to where it landed, intending to investigate.

The dragon landed on a small, barren terra with jagged stakes of rock sticking out around it and on its rim. These peaks dipped inward, making the terra look almost like some sort of sharp, threatening flower. Not sure what to expect, the Storm Hawks landed on the terra and went to the fallen beast (after Finn got another pair of pants).

The dragon lay in a clearing toward the center of the terra. As the Storm Hawks approached, Aerrow studied the creature to see if it would awaken. It didn't look like it would; it looked dead. It lay on its back, its odd wings stretched out on either side. Its mouth gaped open, smoke billowing from its mouth. The eyes—which didn't appear to have eyelids!—no longer glowed, and its chest did not rise and fall.

The Storm Hawks walked right up to the beast's mouth. Yup, definitely dead.

"Huh!" Finn said, sounding proud of himself. He gestured to the dead dragon. "We actually took down a dragon!" He clenched his fists. "Sweet!"

But Aerrow put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. He didn't like the looks of this "dragon." Something about it wasn't quite right. That armor on it didn't look like scales; it looked like metal.

Junko, who was the engineer of the group and knew what to look for, seemed to come to the conclusion a few seconds before everyone else. He knelt down and picked up a metal part that appeared to come from the dragon. "I didn't think dragons had brass vacuum housings and titanium turbine drives," he said, studying the parts of the "dragon."

Piper placed a hand on his shoulder. "They don't," she agreed. "It's a _ship!_"

Aerrow remembered thinking the dragon was clunky and stiff, not at all muscular or full of life and grace. It being ship explained everything.

But then Radarr churred to get their attention. Everyone stepped over the dragon's outstretched wing and came to where Radarr was pointing at the "bellybutton-thing" that Aerrow had used to stop this dragon-shaped contraption. The little copilot was whimpering uneasily as he pointed at it. Aerrow tensed. The "bellybutton-thing" that looked like a crystal really _was _a crystal. And it was positioned on top of a door that must be a hatch that went inside the ship!

And right on cue from Radarr's warning, the hatch began to clatter and rattle as if someone was trying to open it.

"Huh?" Finn gasped. Everyone cringed. Except Aerrow. He merely tensed and reached for his blades, ready to pull them out and fight. Whoever was coming out had attacked their ship and most likely meant them harm. Aerrow was to be prepared for anything.

The man who stepped out was middle-aged and stood a few inches taller than the teenagers in front of him. He was olive-skinned, and his black, graying hair was cut short. His leather outfit was green with gold pieces of armor in the shape of flames on his back, arms, and abdomen. Silver pieces of armor protected his thighs and shins. It was all knightly armor, which didn't make sense since this man did not seem to come from a terra nor had a squadron about him and had attacked Sky Knight squadron. But the strange thing about him was that he wore a conical Asian hat that kept his face hidden from them at first.

When he stepped down from the hatch, he didn't even acknowledge the Storm Hawks, much less attack them. Instead, he turned right around, looking back up the hatch in anger and dismay, having his back to them. The lack of aggression surprise Aerrow enough for him to let go of his blades without pulling them from their sheaths. Besides, the man was unarmed.

But he _was_ upset. "Everything is ruined!" he cried, gesturing to the ship. "Years of work!" He turned and faced them, and now Aerrow could see his small, pointed, black beard and his bright brown eyes. But right now those eyes narrowed and glared right at him, his black, bushy eyebrows lowered. "You doomed them all!" he growled.

Aerrow was so startled that he almost took a step back. He wasn't clear on whether or not this man was his enemy, but he didn't seem to be. But those words weren't fair greeting at all. How could he accuse them of defending themselves?

Making an effort to be polite, Aerrow gestured to the man and said, "Sorry about your ship, but you attacked us first."

From behind him, Piper held up a finger. "And exactly whom have we doomed?" she asked, genuinely curious.

The dragon ship driver groaned at Aerrow's logic, his shoulders drooping and the anger leaving his features. He held up a finger as he tried to explain himself and make amends. "It's true I attacked you first," he said, pointing to them, "and, and for that I, I beg your pardon as I see now that you're the Storm Hawks." His eyes had fallen on the emblem on the round silver pin on Radarr's uniform, which obviously had clued him in.

Finn and Stork exchanged glances, and Radarr didn't let down his fierce snarl. Aerrow frowned, knowing how they felt. This man tries to kill them and then expects their pardon? What the heck?

But the man continued, putting a hand on his chest. "I have good reasons for my actions," he said, holding up a finger.

Piper and Junko glared at him as if daring him to prove it.

To Aerrow, the man seemed genuine. But he was very interested to hear his story.

The stranger seemed to be deciding how to explain, putting a hand on his chin thoughtfully. Finally he shook a finger in their direction. "I need to show you something," he said.

He started leading off when he let out a gasp and exclaimed, "Ooh!" He stopped suddenly, as if realizing he forgot something. "But by the way," he told the Storm Hawks, shaking a finger at them again, "the name is Rinjiin, last of the Dragon Knights."

And with that, he turned and started leading off again.

Aerrow blinked after him. _Dragon Knights?_ Piper looked as perplexed as he was. There hadn't been Dragon Knights for thousands of years! Aerrow turned to look at Stork to see if he knew anything, since the Merb knew about all things dangerous, but the Merb met Aerrow's eyes and shrugged, shaking his head, his eyes wide in as much bewilderment as the rest of them.

Well, Aerrow didn't think Rinjiin was going to harm them, and they had to get to the bottom of this. So there was really no alternative but to follow this "Dragon Knight" and see where he led them . . . and to _what_.

* * *

Author's Notes: I struggled with finding the right point of view for this. As you will see, especially in the last chapter, there was no one character in focus here. I considered Piper as the main point of view and even Radarr (which, as you all know, would have pleased me greatly). I finally grudgingly picked Aerrow solely because of the beginning and the closing scene.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Here be dragons" or some other dangerous animal was a common phase written on Dark Age to Middle Age maps. It was written into maps by the cartographers for the simple reason that they did not know what lay beyond that point, either because it had not been explored or because it was dangerous. That is why it was common on sailing maps; no one knew what lay beyond a certain point at sea, especially for those who believed the world was flat. The Lenox Globe (ca. 1503-7) is now the oldest map around that bears the direct phrase "HIC SVNT DRACONES" (Latin for "here be dragons"). "Here there be dragons" was usually written for unknown northern regions. Sea serpents were also used in the phrase or drawn in on the map for unknown sea routes. The oldest version of this phrase for unknown land territories is "HIC SVNT LEONES" (Latin for "here be lions").

Ah, dragons! Got to love 'em!


	151. Sky's End: Devils and Dragons

Chapter 2: Devils and Dragons

Rinjiin led the Storm Hawks to a cave on the terra, stopping before its mouth. Here he stopped, turning to them. "My dragon vessel was used to frighten away any ship that came too close."

Finn stuck a pinky in his ear and began to clean the wax out of it, as if trying to appear nonchalant. "I wasn't scared," he said, flicking a wad of wax off his finger.

Aerrow blinked and then exchanged glances with Finn's best friend Junko. Not scared? Both knew Finn had been screaming like a maniac when Rinjiin's dragon ship had attacked them. And seriously, the ear thing was gross!

"_Well_," Rinjiin said uncertainly, rolling his eyes as if he didn't believe Finn, either, "unlike _you_," he nodded his head toward Finn, "people in these parts are superstitious."

Aerrow knew that statement was true. They were awfully close to skyfishing areas: Terra Aquinos, Terra Deep, and Skyside Shanty. Skyfishermen were naturally very superstitious people, since their professions often revolved around luck.

Rinjiin pointed a thumb over his shoulder at the cave as he continued. "It was the only way to keep my little ones safe," he explained.

Aerrow cocked an eyebrow. _Little ones?_

He didn't have time to inquire on it before Rinjiin turned around, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let loose a long, hound dog howl, one that rose sharply and then dipped.

The cave was then filled with screeching and the flapping of leathery wings. Aerrow squinted into the darkness. Bats, maybe.

But no. Aerrow's heart skipped a beat. The scaly creatures, twice the size of Radarr, flew out of the cave. They were—

Finn shrieked. "Dragons!" he screamed in terror. "Run away!" He threw up his hands and ran in the opposite direction.

The dragons chirped and squeaked as they flew over their heads. They were obviously juveniles. No, not juveniles. Babies!

But that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. Dragons were natural killers. Everyone knew that. Aerrow eyed Rinjiin, who was grinning in amusement at their cringing from the hatchlings. The man didn't seem at all upset. These were his "little ones."

Aerrow wanted to strangle him for putting them in this much danger unknowingly.

Screeching, four of the hatchings turned in their flight and swooped down toward Piper. Piper gasped and put up her hands to protect her face. Aerrow wanted to do something to protect her, but he knew he couldn't get there in time to stop the attack.

* * *

Meanwhile, lightning flashed across the sky at a small diner not far from Sky's End. It was a dismal place, one that didn't get much business. Although Skyside Shanty was a bit of a, well, shanty, it looked like a five-star restaurant next to this building. This was a diner built to travel; it was a ship in its own right, a platform with engines. "Dragon" attacks kept it on the move. Right now it was at a standstill. Four long, creaky wooden docks came off its metal deck. The building itself was neither metal nor wood, but stone, just like an old lakeside house from Terra Aquinos. A wooden deck surrounded it, perhaps to give an appearance of being a diner on a stable terra. A sail, stuck up for decoration, sagged above it, heavy with rainwater.

The dreary-looking place was not for the faint-hearted. This was a place for desperate souls, lost sailors, poor folk, hardened sky criminals, and the daring skyfishermen who dared to brave the skies of Sky's End.

This was the checkpoint where the old, grey, one-eyed skyfisherman with the brown cap docked and went inside. He left his worm-like friend inside; she was a sort of a secret to anyone and everyone.

The man turned the door handle to open the old-fashioned wooden door to the diner, his face glowing with excitement. No sooner had he foot in when he caught the attention of all in the little room, his gaze searching over the wooden, round tables and the bar, where a girl was working behind the counter. She was the same waitress as at Skyside Shanty; whether she was fired or working two jobs, one couldn't say.

Holding up a finger, the one-eyed man declared, "I just seen with me one good eye a dragon took down by the Storm Hawks!"

A quiet murmuring went up in the diner, some saying he was crazy, others agreeing he was right, and others looking panicky.

But one person reacted with only a gasp. He was a brown, scaly humanoid who was sitting at the bar next to another one of his kind. Black ropes of hair hung from his bald head. But the first clue to his identity was the skull on the back of his ruddy leather jacket, with three cross bones.

The man turned around, and the one-eyed sailor could see he wasn't alone in his handicap; this man had one piercing yellow, reptilian eye that narrowed at him. He, however, didn't have the decency to wear an eye patch; a nasty red scar, as if burned or perhaps skin and flesh had been scraped right off him in the making of the wound, covered half of his face, including his left eye sealed shut. A cat-like nose and sharp, pointed teeth completed the face.

"Dragon, you say," the scaly man repeated to be sure. A frightened smirk spread across his face. "Eyeball," he called to the man sitting next to him, "take a crew to Sky's End and return with a report."

The man he spoke to, the skyfisherman saw, was far too heavy, downright obese. He had lighter scales and green hair pulled back in a ponytail. A little, green pointed beard and green chest hair were there to match as well. But at least he had the decency to wear an eye patch over _his_ bad eye.

Eyeball lifted up his mug and gulped down the last of his drink . . . probably grog. Then he turned to his captain. "Right away, Captain Scabulous," he answered. He stomped on out the door past the one-eyed skyfisherman.

The skyfisherman cringed. _Captain Scabulous?_

But the Murk Raider captain didn't seem like he was going to be killing anyone in the bar. Instead, he seemed to be only thinking of the dragon. "I've lost three ships to that cursed creature," he snarled, running his metallic fingers along the scar on his face, adding, "and more than a little of my own skin!"

The skyfisherman lowered his gaze uncertainly. So the dragon had caused Scabulous to lose his eye. But if the dragon was dead, there was no reason for him to go out to Sky's End. So why did he send his first mate . . . ?

As if sensing his confusion, Captain Scabulous added, "With the guardian gone, who knows what treasures await beneath the mists."

The skyfisherman cringed. He had helped the world's most notorious pirate nab some more loot!

Seeing his terror, Scabulous let loose a deep, wicked laugh that rumbled throughout the bar while lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside.

* * *

At Sky's End, the horde of hatchlings pulled up, but one kept diving at Piper, screeching loudly. Piper screamed and put up her hands to protect it face. Her scream jolted Aerrow, who wanted to run to her and stopped the beast.

But before he could move, he heard Piper say, "Huh?" looking up from her arms.

The dragon hatchling was hovering in front of her. It nuzzled her arm and then gave her a big lick on the cheek, making Piper gasp happily. Seeming to decide she was a friend, the dragon nuzzled her again, purring contentedly.

Junko laughed at the sight, partially in relief and mostly in delight. Stork's mouth dropped.

Aerrow relaxed, a smile spreading across his face. Rinjiin hadn't been putting them in any danger at all. The dragons were friendly.

Now that he wasn't afraid for his friends, Aerrow could study the dragons more closely. Most of their scales and horns were a muddy red-orange, like the color of red clay. Perhaps it would darken to a brilliant red when they got older. Their underbellies, forearms, and the tops of their snouts were green, the snout ending in a dog-like nose. These dragons actually had the leathery, bat-like wings characteristic of dragons from the stories he'd heard. Their faces were tan, contrasting with the dog nose, and their brown eyes were wide, warm, and expressive. Embarrassing as it was for a guy to admit it, Aerrow couldn't help but think they looked downright cute.

Rinjiin smiled at the Storm Hawks' now warm reception of the hatchlings. "Truly, the dragons are harmless," he said, gesturing to the hatchlings who were circling over his head. "Even more," he grumbled, tilting his hat, "they're now defenseless!"

The way he glared at them made it clear to Aerrow that he blamed them completely.

Finn peered out of the rocks he was hiding behind, still eyeing the dragons uncertainly. "Uh, yeah," he said, sounding like he was swallowing a fearful lump in his throat. "You know," he added, gesturing to Rinjiin, "if you say so. Um," he pointed off in another direction uncomfortably, "maybe I should go back and, you know, guard the _Condor_ or something?" He pointed a thumb behind him in the direction of the _Condor_.

Aerrow didn't say anything to that. The way he saw it, Finn was being unreasonable. But the sharpshooter obviously wasn't comfortable with the dragons, so Aerrow wasn't going to stop him from leaving.

But when no one answered him, Finn seemed to abandon the idea.

Aerrow watched as one of the hatchlings flew down in front of Radarr, studying him curiously. Radarr wasn't much for dragons, either. Squeaking in alarm when he saw how close it got, he set his face in a snarl and held up his front paws in fists, ready to defend himself. The dragon just blinked at him happily, as if trying to ask him to play.

Piper, still shaken up over being charged at by a dragon, took a moment to regain her composure. Touching her necklace reassuringly as if to slow her heartbeat, she said, "I, uh, thought dragons had been extinct for, uh . . . forever!"

Even as she said it, her new dragon friend nuzzled her again. Piper giggled in delight and started to pet the creature.

"They were," Rinjiin answered, a thoughtful look on his face. "The skies of Atmos were once dark with dragons."

Although Aerrow had seen these friendly dragons, the thought of a sky "dark with dragons" made him shudder.

"When Atmos built wings and took to the sky," Rinjiin continued, "dragons were considered a deadly threat and had to be stopped! They fought back in self-defense, only to be hunted to extinction."

For some reason, Aerrow couldn't see how dragons could fall to humanoids in the first skyrides, which were nothing more than gliders with crude crystal engines. The image was pretty comical. But he tried to picture the dragon hunter as best he could. For some reason, he kept getting an image of Domiwick holding a spear and standing next to a downed dragon. Which was totally wrong. He didn't think Domiwick had the guts for such a hunt. Then again, maybe he had the stupidity if it was a deed that would make him famous. Other people where in Aerrow's mental picture with him; after all, he couldn't see Domiwick going it alone on a dragon hunt.

Rinjiin continued right on with his story. "Bedtime tales of, of dragon wickedness filled young minds and hardened young hearts. The age of dragons was over."

For some reason, when Aerrow tried to think of a parent who would "harden young hearts," he thought of the Sky Knight Council member Gull reading to his son. That man did annoy him quite a bit, always having a closed mind to everything. Aerrow could certainly see Gull saying that to his boy, picturing him reading a blue book with the picture of a green Asian dragon on the front. And the boy would believe every word his father read to him. And the only place he would ever see a dragon is a skeleton in a museum . . . a massive skeleton with large teeth that would make it easy to believe such stories.

"So," Rinjiin finished at last as a dragon hatchling landed next to him, "when I came across a clutch of unhatched eggs, I knew it was my destiny to care for them."

Junko stared at him in awe and reverence, as if Rinjiin was his new hero. Stork stared at the man with similar wide eyes and drooping ears, only his face was a face of dismay, as if he thought Rinjiin was crazy. Finn, who had finally felt safe enough to leave the safety of the rocks, flicked dirt out of his nails as if he could careless. Aerrow exchanged a glance with Piper, who smiled back as if she thought the gesture was sweet.

Aerrow thought it was brave. To take on caring for animals stronger than yourself just to ensure that its species survived took a lot of guts and a lot of will to do the right thing.

"In doing so," Rinjiin continued, "I've learned that these," he gestured to the hatchling beside him, placing a hand on its head, "are not beasts but friends." The dragon panted in pleasure as Rinjiin rubbed its head. "While this place," Rinjiin finished, gesturing out toward the rest of the terra, "has been the dragon's sanctuary against those who would hunt or harm them." He smiled lovingly at his dragon hatchling as he knelt down beside it, putting his arm over its shoulder. It returned his loving gaze.

Realizing what Rinjiin said, Piper gasped. "And we've opened you up to attack!"

Aerrow looked over to see she had left his side and was once again with her dragon friend. It was standing next to her, a front talon resting on her knee while she knelt beside it and scratched it behind the ear. The dragon purred in pleasure.

Aerrow turned back to Rinjiin. He felt really guilty about leaving the poor hatchlings defenseless like this. Besides, he wasn't sure he could tear Piper away from the cute things without having helped them first. "We won't leave until we've helped you fix your ship," he told the Dragon Knight.

The dragon that had been hovering in front of Radarr now flew in closer, nuzzling Radarr's cheek against his, purring in pleasure. But Radarr growled and stepped away from it. He didn't care what Rinjiin said. Aerrow may be willing to accept the dragons, but Radarr couldn't let go of the monster image of them. Honestly, what could stop these things from having him for lunch?

Seeing Radarr's reaction, Rinjiin chuckled and smiled in amusement. "Easy, my small friend," he told Radarr. "Rebuilding trust is as important as rebuilding this ship."

Radarr rolled his eyes at that. He didn't care. There was _nothing_ anyone could no to make him get near a dragon.

That is, no one but the dragon.

Screeching playfully, the hatchling interested in him flew up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders in its talons. Radarr whimpered fearfully as he felt himself being lifted off the ground! He looked around for someone to help him, but no one, not even Aerrow, moved in. Finn even pointed at Radarr and laughed at his misfortune.

Radarr glared back at him. Finn disliked the dragons as much as he did. He should be thinking about how _miserable_ Radarr was, not how funny he was to look at!

But before Radarr had quite gathered his bearings, the dragon carrying him turned and faced another hatchling. The next instant, the dragon threw Radarr into the air.

Radarr churred questionably as he felt himself flip in the air, heading in the direction of the other hatchling. They were treating him like a toy? Seriously?

The next dragon caught Radarr's front paws in its talons, but Radarr whimpered when he felt the dragon swinging him. It was obviously going to throw him. And it _wasn't_ throwing him toward another dragon.

Radarr let out a cry as he was falling. Oh, if he died now, he was _so_ going to haunt the others for letting this happen!

But then in midair, the first dragon caught Radarr by his shoulders again and began to lift him up.

Radarr took a moment to catch his breath. Then he churred, smiling up at the dragon. Once he got over the fear, that was actually kind of . . . fun!

The dragon then threw him toward the second hatchling yet again. This time, Radarr was ready. He somersaulted in the air, squealing in glee as he straightened out and reached out his paws to the next dragon. The second dragon caught his paws in its talons and then threw him to a third dragon, Radarr chattering happily. This was an awesome game!

He was thrown and somersaulted to the first dragon again. But this time, when the dragon threw him up into the air, it didn't toss him to another hatchling; instead it threw him straight up. Radarr, knowing what was expected of him, somersaulted and landed straddling the dragon's back.

Radarr churred and exchanged a smile with the hatchling he was riding. He was actually _riding_ a dragon!

Never mind about what he thought before. Dragons were awesome!

Chattering happily, Radarr looked ahead, feeling a thrill rush through his body at the speed they were flying. This was different than flying a Skimmer. When one sat on a live creature and really rode, it was like becoming _part_ of that creature. For the moment, he and his dragon were one.

But then Radarr churred questionably when he saw four shadows coming up behind him. He looked back to see them being followed by four other hatchlings, who were obviously out for a game of chase. But Radarr just smirk, squeaking in anticipation. If they thought they'd be able to take them on, they had quite a chase on their hands!

Radarr pressed down on the dragon's withers, and the dragon responded willingly. Stopping its flapping for a moment, it glided, coasting into a decline. The other dragons did the same, following on their tail.

One of the other hatchlings flew up until it hovered right overhead. Then it barrel-rolled until it came in right behind him. Radarr whimpered questionably when he saw its movement out of the corner of his eye, and when it pulled up behind them, he squeaked in alarm. The chase was getting close.

But then the game turned a little . . . heated. The pursuing hatchling let loose a stream of fire.

Radarr leaned against his hatchling, pressing his left leg against the dragon's side and his left hand against its neck. The dragon knew what to do. It instantly swerved to the right, avoiding the stream of fire. Radarr then signaled for it to left to avoid another stream of fire.

The hatchling was the smoothest mount Radarr had even known! Even in young age, he could feel its power and grace as it swerved to avoid the jets of flame and then cut across the pursuing hatchling's path to lose it. Radarr churred in delight, glad he was part of it all.

But then he lifted his nose, sniffing the air. Something wasn't right. For some reason, he smelled burning fur . . .

Then the tip of his tail began to feel very hot. Radarr screeched in alarm. He knew now where the smell came from. Frantically he looked back to see the tip of his tail was on fire!

Noticing the problem, too, the dragon quickly banked to the left, diving toward the ground while Radarr grabbed his tail and tried to blow out the flames. The wind and his blowing put most of them out, but red-hot sparks still flew, and his tail was making a tail of black smoke behind them.

When the dragon approached the ground, it dove as low as possible. Radarr jumped off immediately, and the dragon glided back up into the sky.

Radarr grabbed his tail and began stomping on it with his paw, squealing, desperate to put out the last of the sparks. But thankfully he caught it in time. When he had only stomped on it four times, he lifted it back up and smiled with relief to see that all the sparks were gone.

Dragons were still awesome. He still would have liked to play with them. But maybe next time they should play a different game.

Radarr looked around. They weren't anywhere near the others. In the game, the dragon hatchlings must have flown pretty far out.

But then Radarr heard a sound he should not be hearing . . . the sound of approaching skyrides.

Standing up on alert, Radarr looked up, hoping it was the Storm Hawks, although he doubted it.

Unfortunately, he was right. It wasn't the Storm Hawks at all. The three biplane skyrides belonged to Murk Raiders!

One of them, a big, fat one, pointed down at Radarr and the three hatchlings circling above his head. "Ooh, hoo, hoo!" he cried in delight. "Dragon hatchlings! We've hit the jackpot!"

Radarr knew that face anywhere! Eyeball! Which meant any mention of the dragon hatchlings would go straight to Captain Scabulous!

Well, not if Radarr could help it. He narrowed his eyes at the Murk Raiders, sizing up the situation. Then he turned in called to the dragons with a churr. Whimpering, squeaking, churring, and pointing up at the Murk Raiders, Radarr explained to the dragons in his own language, that those men meant them harm.

The hatchlings turned and looked up at the Murk Raiders angrily. One of them screeched in rage and growled menacingly at them before leading the charge against them.

Seeing the charge of two of the hatchlings, Eyeball seemed to realize they were in danger. "Uh, oh," he said, apprehensively, grabbing his controls to lead a retreat.

The third dragon who was not charging was Radarr's mount from before. It wasn't about to leave its new friend behind. Radarr wasn't about to be left out of the action, either, and was happy to oblige. When the dragon flew up behind him, he jumped up into the air and somersaulted. The dragon flew underneath him, and Radarr landed straddling its back as they took off after the others.

The Murk Raiders did not attempt any fight with the dragons. They fled as fast as they could, Eyeball screaming the whole way.

The dragons pulled up when they realized there was no use following them. Radarr glared after the disappearing skyrides, furious that they'd gotten away.

Well, there was no time to waste; Radarr had to warn the others! The dragons descended once more, one screeching in disgust while Radarr churred in dismay at the situation.

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, I want a baby dragon! They're so cute!

But again, I have to refer to every dragon as "it." Gah! If only I could know their genders! They all look male, but they can't _all_ be male, so I'm left not knowing. It's so frustrating!

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Dragon riders originate far back in time in the East, where people rode on the backs of their extremely powerful benevolent dragons of China, Japan, India, and other such countries in ancient folklore. However, in the West, dragon riders are a fairly new concept. The idea of a person riding a dragon did not come around until about the time of Renaissance or perhaps even later. With the printing press, ideas and stories were spreading as never before. This was the first time there was a demand for printed stories, and the first novelists began to appear. As a result, there was a call for new types of stories. There was also a decline in religious fervor and questioning of the truth of old myths and the fantastic creatures in them. Sympathetic views of old creatures believed to be evil began to rise, including a new view of the dragon. As a make-believe beast, it was believed that there was no harm in creating stories where it was benevolent or at the very least tamable. Of course, humans would be superior to the dragon and therefore as a sign of conquering it or befriending it, the human could ride on its back as if it were a horse.

I'm petting one of the dragons now! He's adorable! But I think I'll let him attack you if you don't review.

*dragon hatchling approaches reader and rubs against them lovingly, purring*

No! You're not supposed to be nice! You're supposed to threaten them so they'll review!

*hatchling cocks head toward Whisper in confusion*

Oh, never mind!


	152. Sky's End: Raider Rampage

Chapter 3: Raider Rampage

Once Radarr and the three hatchlings made it back to the other Storm Hawks, Radarr got up on top of a boulder in front of them and got their attention. Rinjiin wasn't there—probably tending some dragons—but everyone else turned to him. "I think Radarr's trying to tell us something," Junko stated the obvious, tapping his temple.

Well, they were terrible at understanding Radarr's speech, and Radarr knew it. So he fell back on the only thing he knew to do with them: charades. Tapping his wrist, he churred and then held up all the fingers on his bare, hand-like paw.

Aerrow, of course, understood him. "Okay," he said, counting Radarr's fingers. "Four words." (Radarr only had three fingers and a thumb on each hand.)

Churring, Radarr held up one finger. "First word!" Piper said, gazing at him expectantly.

Okay, this was going to burn, but it had to be done. Radarr leaned toward them, tapping his eyeball twice directly with his finger.

"Look?" Aerrow guessed.

Churring a no, Radarr shook his head.

"Nah, ah," Stork agreed. "See!"

"Saw!" Junko guessed.

"Uh, seesaw!" Finn said, holding up a finger.

Radarr slumped, growling at Finn's stupidity and the fact that none of them were getting it. Trying to get it across, he repeated the action.

Piper raised an eyebrow as she concentrated. "Eye?" she guessed.

Radarr screeched in triumph, throwing his paws up in the air. Yes! She almost had it!

"Eyeball!" Piper called excitedly, pointing to him.

Churring and nodding, Radarr held up two fingers.

"Second word!" Finn cried excitedly, getting into the game. Everyone gave him weird looks when he held up three fingers instead of two.

This time, Radarr pointed from his eye to them and back.

"Eyeball!" Junko said, smiling like he knew he was right.

Radarr whimpered, shaking his head at them. They just said eyeball!

Junko looked very confused. After all, pointing to one's eye was not that different then tapping it. "But," he said, "you just . . ." But Junko gave up. It was too confusing. "Okay," he said, slumping and deciding not to try to answer this one again.

But Junko was right. The actions were too similar. Radarr had to try something else. So instead, he pretended he was holding a saw in his paw and started sawing back and forth.

"Piston!" Aerrow guessed. He raised an eyebrow as he tried out the phrase. "Eyeball piston?" No, that didn't make any sense.

Stork put a finger to his temple as he just got an idea. "Oh, oh, oh!" he said excitedly, pointing to Radarr. "The death throws of a three-armed swamp gobbler?" He held up both his arms and a monkey-like foot to demonstrate three arms.

Radarr rolled his eyes, growling in exasperation. Why the heck would he be saying anything about a piston? And a swamp gobbler? Seriously? Getting irritated now, he tried the motion again.

Piper tracked his fist moving back and forth. "Reaching?" she guessed. "Uh, grabbing?"

"Sawing?" Finn suggested.

Radarr churred excitedly and held a finger high in each hand. Finn nearly had it!

"Seesaw!" Finn cried again, holding up a finger.

Well, that totally blew Finn's triumph. Radarr glared at him. Enough with the seesaw already!

But Aerrow was the one who figured it out. "Saw," he said. He shrugged and gestured to Radarr. "Eyeball saw."

Stork looked around in confusion, as if trying to place the term. "Eyeball saw?" he repeated. "Is that some kind of torture device?" He smiled wickedly, as if the thought gave him pleasure.

Radarr shook his head no and held up his paw, showing all four fingers.

"Straight to the fourth word," Piper said.

Churring, Radarr turned and pointed to the three dragon hatchlings circling overhead.

Junko raised an eyebrow. It seemed too obvious, but he said it anyway. "Um, dragons?" he guessed.

Radarr screeched a happy cheer and gave him two thumbs up.

"Yes!" Junko cheered happily, glad he'd finally gotten one. "This is fun!"

Finn put the words together. "Eyeball saw dragons!"

"Eyeball saw dragons?" Stork repeated, lifting an eyebrow. Obviously it wasn't making sense to them.

But Piper kept in mind that "dragons" was the fourth word, not the third. Her eyes got wide as the realization hit her. "Eyeball saw the dragons!" she gasped.

Aerrow turned and met Radarr's gaze. Eyeball? _Captain Scabulous'_ Eyeball! Of course! But that would mean . . .

Piper was one step ahead of him. "That means this place is about to be swarming with Murk Raiders!" she cried.

Radarr looked up at his three dragon friends, who flew in a circle with each other, unmindful of the danger they were in. His gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought of the Murk Raiders coming after them. They had to stop them!

Thunder rumbled in the gray clouds above, as if underlining the threat to come.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the moving diner, Eyeball had come back to report to Captain Scabulous. But he was having some fun with his reporting. Like Radarr, he decided to give the news in a game of charades.

Captain Scabulous had already guessed the first word: "you," in reference to Eyeball. "Second word," he said excitedly.

Just like Radarr had, Eyeball clenched a fist and began moving it back and forth in a sawing motion.

"Sawing?" Captain Scabulous guessed. "Seesaw!" No, that wasn't it. Then it struck him. "Saw!" He pointed at Eyeball. "You saw!"

Nodding and smiling exuberantly, Eyeball held up his entire hand, showing all his fingers. He only had two fingers and thumb, so Captain Scabulous said, "Third word."

But Captain Scabulous couldn't understand this next motion. "Sandwich?" he guessed. Nope. "Swamp gobbler!" No, that wasn't it, either.

Seeing he was having trouble, Eyeball changed motions and began flapping his arms like wings.

"Wings?" Captain Scabulous said. Then he held up a finger excitedly. "Wings!" he said. That had to be it. "You saw . . . wings." Wait, that didn't make any sense . . .

"Ooh, hoo, oh, ho!" Eyeball laughed. Scabulous sure was having trouble with this one. Eyeball took pity on him and added something to his charade: he made a pathetic imitation of a ferocious roar.

"Ah, ha!" Captain Scabulous said, clenching a fist. He had the answer at last. His voice dropped to a whisper excitedly, his heart beating wildly. "_A dragon!_"

"Hoo, hoo!" Eyeball cheered for him for getting it right, throwing his hands in the air. "Yes!" He clenched a fist and drew it back triumphantly.

Others in the diner cheered as well to hear a dragon had been spotted. Most of the cheering men were Murk Raiders.

This was the biggest news of Scabulous' piracy! He stepped up toward his first mate, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You saw dragons?" he questioned, just to be sure.

"Ooh, hoo!" Eyeball answered happily. "Yes, Captain. A whole, full flock of young hatchlings." He spread his hands out wide to demonstrate just how big this flock was.

A sharp light glinted in Captain Scabulous' eyes. _Dragon hatchlings!_ Their pelts would be the greatest sale ever. The Murk Raiders would have money like they never imagined if they sold those through the black market. Perhaps they could even sell the dragons themselves! Surely someone would pay big money for a live baby dragon!

And Scabulous would at last have his revenge on the dragon who took his eye.

"Assemble the fleet!" he cried. Again his wicked laughter coincided with thunder from outside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow had gotten the spyglass from the _Condor_, and the Storm Hawks went to Rinjiin and told him the news. While the others explained, Aerrow scanned the skies for any sign of ships. Even as he thought of the Murk Raiders coming, he was getting chills. He didn't know whether it was the situation or the sharp, cold, humid wind that buffeted his face.

Through the spyglass, he saw only the grey rain clouds that seemed to always hover over Sky's End. "Nothing yet," he said at last, lowering the spyglass and turning to the others, clenching a fist. "But they'll be here soon enough."

Despite the threat, the thought of protecting the cute, friendly dragon babies seemed to take all the fear out of the others and replace it with determination. Even Finn stood ready, his arms crossed.

Piper stepped forward. "We have to repair the ship," she said, gesturing beyond to the dragon ship.

"And protect the hatchlings," Rinjiin added, holding up a finger. His tone made it evident that he thought the Storm Hawks were forgetting the most important part of the mission.

But Aerrow had certainly not forgotten the dragons. "Don't worry about the hatchlings," he told Rinjiin. "Radarr," he ordered, gesturing to his copilot, "I need you to take the dragons to the cave to keep them out of sight."

Smiling as if he loved his job, Radarr chirped an agreement and gave Aerrow two thumbs up. Then he ran toward one of the hatchlings, who was on all fours, waiting patiently for him. Radarr ran to it on two legs, grabbed a shoulder as he threw himself over its back, and then settled with his hands and legs pressed against a dragon, seated like a jockey in a horserace.

Radarr chattered something to the dragon, pointing his nose to the sky. Pointing its nose as well, the dragon whistled in response and launched itself and Radarr into the air. The other hatchlings followed until the entire flock was on its way back to the cave.

Aerrow turned back to the others. "You all know what to do," he said confidently. "You just have to do it before the Raiders come."

Rinjiin offered no words. In fact, as the Storm Hawks ignored him and went straight to their work, Rinjiin couldn't help but feel compelled to follow Aerrow's orders. The Dragon Knight had never intended to let a fourteen-year-old boy call the shots, but nothing about Aerrow had given him any indication that the boy wasn't a good leader, despite his age. And for that reason, Rinjiin did not try to take the initiative in leading this battle. After all, they were _Aerrow's_ squadron, not his.

And so he set to work, hamming away at the nose of the dragon ship while he left the Storm Hawks to their work without an instruction.

Aerrow picked up a wooden hammer and hammered in nails and bolts that had come loose or completely unbolted. After some time of working, he sat up a moment and wiped the sweat from his brow, looking around at the others. Piper was busy shaping a broken plate, sparks flying from her blow torch. Radarr was doing the same, and Stork was busy using a wrench to tighten in another bolt.

But Finn had the most amusing job of all, Aerrow thought. The sharpshooter was humming to himself while he brushed the metal teeth of the dragon ship with a gigantic toothbrush.

Junko wasn't to be seen. He was inside the dragon, working on repairs on the interior.

Some time later, when Rinjiin was done with the snout and Finn with the teeth, Junko came out with a little remote in his hand, looking smug. He was sure he had finally corrected the dragon vessel's fire-breathing. Junko pried the mouth open and then stepped back and pressed a button his remote.

The mouth made a whirling sound from within as if it was trying to respond, but the sound quickly died, and black smoke puffed out the dragon ship's mouth and nostrils. But that was all.

"Hmm," Junko said to himself. That wasn't right. Had he not put something in place?

Humming to himself absentmindedly, he went back to his work, jumping up into the ship's mouth and tinkering a bit with the fire-breather.

But then, as something clicked into place, Junko dropped his tools in realization. "Oops," he said. Then, screaming, he tried to make a run for it.

He made it to the edge of the mouth before the stream of flame caught up with him, blasting over him.

He was stopped in mid-stride from the searing heat, and as the flames died away, he was left there blacked by soot, complete with the smell of burning flesh. There were no serious burns due to the toughness of his Wallop hide, but that didn't mean it had been painless. He laughed dazedly at his mistake and then fell forward on his face. That really, _really_ hurt!

Still hours went by. Finishing still more sets of tasks, the group congregated in front of the dragon ship as they assessed what little there was left to do.

Looking the ship over proudly, Aerrow said, "Well, Rinjiin, we're almost done."

Rinjiin agreed. "Just a bit more time to patch up the hull, and . . ." He stopped, tapering off and looking to the sky. "Oh!"

Aerrow had heard it, too: the sound of approaching ships' engines. He looked up as well.

Five humongous Murk Raider ships dotted the skies above them. And leading the fleet was the _Blood_ _Crow_.

Aerrow turned back to Rinjiin. "Time's up," he told him. He glared up at the ships. "Now we fight."

The _Blood Crow _must have seen them because Captain Scabulous' voice came over a loudspeaker: "_Surrender the hatchlings, or I'll burn you where ya stand!_"

Aerrow and Finn ran to their rides, taking to the skies immediately, while Piper and Stork went to the _Condor_. Junko stayed with Rinjiin to help finish up the dragon ship while the others held off the Murk Raiders.

Aerrow and Finn flew at the Murk Raider fleet. Due to the biting cold, moist winds, they had opted to wear goggles this time instead of going without like they had against the dragon ship.

"Uh," Finn squeaked fearfully at the sight of the fleet, as if trying to sound brave, "at least with this many ships, it's impossible to miss." He pressed a button on top his handle to bring out the retractable crossbow from the bow of his Skimmer. Then he fired two shots, which struck the bottom of the _Blood Crow_'s hull. Yeah, impossible to miss.

In the bridge of the _Blood Crow_, Captain Scabulous growled out the window at the boy who fired on his ship. "Big mistake," he hissed.

Aerrow didn't have the advantage of a long range attack, but he did have his blades. If he timed this just right, he knew he could strike without being attacked. He flew in too close for the ships to detect him, getting in between too of the ships of the line. Then he spun around the stern of one. Just before he came alongside the starboard engine boosters, he drew one of his blades with a grunt and lit it. Then he ran it along the booster as he swept by, splitting the metal open.

The Murk Raider ship listed to starboard and then nose-dived for the Wastelands. In one fell swoop, Aerrow had downed an entire ship!

But in doing so, he had revealed himself to the other ships. Cannons were trained upon him, and Aerrow doubted he could get close enough to try his trick again without getting shot out of the skies.

But the _Condor_ was coming to his rescue. Gritting his teeth as he prepared himself for what was to come, his eye twitching, Stork pushed the _Condor_ at nearly full speed in a direct charge against the _Blood Crow_.

Captain Scabulous, who was at the helm of the _Blood Crow_ with Eyeball on one side of him and the one-armed Merb on the other, he let out a gasp of "Huh?" when he saw the smaller ship coming in for a dead-on collision.

The Murk Raiders cried out in fear when the _Condor_ came at them. They thought for sure she would hit. But she only fired two shots at their prow and then pulled up at the last minute, swinging around to the _Blood Crow_'s starboard side. Cannon shots were exchanged back and forth as the two ships ran alongside each other. Neither ship was severely hurt, but due to the element of surprise and her swiftness and speed, the _Condor_ was able to leave a few marks on the _Blood Crow _with hardly a scratch, pulling out of the attack in less than a minute.

"Yes!" Piper cheered in triumph, exchanging a smile with Stork.

But the rest of the ships were retaliating. Piper screamed as she and Stork fell over backward from cannon fire that rocked the _Condor_.

* * *

Down below, Junko was busy using a blow torch on the outer armor, trying to finish. Rinjiin looked at the skies worriedly, only to look back down at Junko. "We best hurry if your friends are to survive," he said, gesturing the sky.

But Junko wasn't too worried about that. "They've been through worse," he said, turning to look at the skies, too.

But then his eyes widened with horror. The entire Murk Raider fleet had turned upon the _Condor_ and was firing at her, forcing her on the run. Even from where he was, Junko thought he could hear Stork screaming.

The _Condor_ was no match against four Murk Raider vessels, and their little ship had no escape route. Panic rose in Junko. Gasping, he turned back to Rinjiin, his eyes wild with fear. "Pass me that thermocouple," he demanded, pointing to the thermocouple, "and hurry!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Aerrow and Finn had been able to draw the attention of the _Blood Crow_ to them. The ship chased them, firing.

They had the ship right where they wanted it. Aerrow smirked. He had a plan: a simple maneuver from their keep-away games. "Finn," he called, "over and under!"

"Right!" Finn answered, giving him a thumb up.

The two split off on either side of the _Blood Crow_. Aerrow barrel-rolled as he spun around and came alongside the ship's starboard side, a blade drawn and lit in his hand. As he spun around the ship, the ship tried in vain to fire a cannon at him, but it was only one shot, as if not sure where he would appear next. Finn switched sides with him, further confusing the ship.

Aerrow was on the portside now, speeding toward the _Blood Crow_'s bow. He knew he couldn't get to the booster the way he had with the one ship; the Murk Raiders were expecting that now. But he could still do some damage. He took an aim at a cannon and then fired two powerful blasts from his blade.

On the bridge of the _Blood Crow_, all the Murk Raiders, including Scabulous and Eyeball, who was driving, let out cries as the ship shook from the blow. The cannon burst completely, falling in a heap of black smoke.

On the other side the ship, Finn had been running along the opposite direction. Now he dove below one of the boosters and came up again, running along the _Blood Crow_'s starboard side and firing successively from his crossbow. Most of his shots were aimed at a cannon perched high on the _Blood Crow_'s top deck, blowing the cannon off with a loud explosion and lots of smoke. He zoomed past it just in time to miss the debris of the explosion.

Finn looked back at the destruction he caused. "Yeah, baby!" he cheered, throwing a fist in the air. Let's see anyone else do _that!_

He and Aerrow were now in front of the _Blood Crow _again, daring her to chase them. But then Finn looked ahead . . . and gasped.

Aerrow, who was following, looked up to see what was wrong, and his heart skipped a beat.

The _Condor_ was dead ahead of them, cornered in by the other three ships of the fleet. Aerrow and Finn pulled up short and looked behind them again to see the _Blood Crow_ closing in.

All four ships had the boys and the _Condor_ completely surrounded.

On the bridge of the _Condor_,Stork ran to the frontal window, pressed his hands against the glass, and peered out, then ran to another part and peered out, as if frantically seeking an escape route. He squeaked. "This is bad," he said, shading his eyes in the hopes to see more. Still finding no opening in the Murk Raider circle, he ran to yet another part of the window. "This is very, very _bad!_" He screamed the last part.

Aerrow looked around. He didn't know what to do. He was out of ideas.

But then he saw something out of the corner of his eye that gave him hope. The dragon ship was flying.

The dragon ship rose up beyond the Murk Raider ships, who were so focused on Aerrow, Finn, and the _Condor_ that they didn't notice. Rinjiin narrowed his eyes at the ships determinedly. The Murk Raiders were in for it now! With a grunt, he sent the dragon ship forward.

The dragon vessel soared up to the ships, catching their attention. Then she flew over one ship and dove underneath one. Rinjiin sent his ship in a spiral with her wings tucked close to her hull, zooming straight up under the Murk Raider ship. With a dragon-like scream, the dragon vessel drilled straight through the Murk Raider ship through the bottom and then out the top. The cries of the doomed Murk Raiders could be heard as the ship listed and fell from the sky.

The _Condor_, Aerrow, and Finn made for the opening left by the falling ship, free at last of their cornered position. Immediately the _Condor_ was sent on retreat while Aerrow and Finn got out of the way of the battle to take a breather. They knew the dragon ship was almost invincible, if it truly was repaired. Rinjiin would be alright.

Captain Scabulous was furious at the loss of yet another ship, but as his eyes roved over the dragon ship in front of him, he saw what he was looking for. "Oh, not this time, beastie!" he yelled, pointing out the window with his maniacal hand. He was pointing at a point on the dragon vessel's "neck," where sparks were flying. "I can see where it hurts!"

Within the bridge of the dragon ship, which was really too small to be a bridge and too big to be a cockpit, Rinjiin looked back over his shoulder. "You're repairs are holding together!" he said happily.

Junko was at the door of the bridge, straining as he pushed on either side of the door. "That's because I'm holding my repairs together!" he responded in a strained voice. Even as he said it, too metal objects fell to the floor behind him, reminding him that the dragon ship could still fall apart at any moment. With Wallop yell, Junko pushed even harder against the doors, so much so that the sides of the doors bent, securing the ship's hull even more.

But the _Blood Crow_ had trained her cannons on the dragon ship's weak point, where the sparks were coming off . . . right where Junko was standing. "Fire!" Captain Scabulous shouted to his men.

A cannon shot struck true. Junko gargled a scream as his body was lit with bolts of red crystal energy that ran from the outside the ship into him. He was in too much pain to let go of the doorframe even if he wanted to.

At the sound of his cry, Rinjiin looked back to see what was wrong. With a silent gasp, he took the dragon ship down, knowing that they couldn't keep fighting. The Murk Raiders cheered as the dragon ship disappeared below the clouds, its neck on fire, leaving a black tail of smoke behind it.

Captain Scabulous turned away from the dragon. The adult dragon was taken care of. "Now," he said to himself, "one last set of wings to clip!"

He sent the _Blood Crow_ in pursuit of the _Condor_.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: A thermocouple is a junction between two different metal parts. It produces a voltage that makes it a temperature sensor for measurement and control. It can also convert heat into electric power.

The next scene coming up is going to be great! I can hardly wait!


	153. Sky's End: Dragon Heart

Chapter 4: Dragon Heart

The _Blood Crow_ opened up the jaws of her bow as she headed toward the _Condor_. The Murk Raiders loaded up the cannons to their max and then rolled them out. They weren't just going to shut the _Condor_ down; they were going to _board_ her!

The first shot was fired from a cannon at top, striking the _Condor_'s stern. Stork squeaked and Piper screamed as they fell sideways from the force of the blow.

Down below, Radarr was watching everything from the mouth of the cave through a set of x-ray peepers, the dragons clustered around him. He was worried, his face having a long frown on it as he lowered the peepers.

He could see another Murk Raider ship blocking off the _Condor_'s escape from the _Blood Crow_. The two Murk Raider ships closed in on the _Condor_ from both ends, both striking, shaking the smaller cruiser and sending her this way and that. She listed and then began to fall.

Radarr wasn't the only one noticing the trouble. Aerrow looked back over his shoulder fearfully. "Finn," he said, turning to look at his sharpshooter, "we gotta get back to the _Condor_!"

Finn didn't need any prompting. When Aerrow dove for the ship, Finn was on his tail. Aerrow just hoped they weren't too late.

Seeing that the ship was falling, Piper went to the levers off to the side the helm to help monitor the ship's speed and to help Stork keep her in flight.

Two grappling hooks shot out from the front of the _Blood Crow_ and buried themselves in the falling _Condor_. Once they were caught, the Murk Raiders reversed the wench. Piper gasped as the _Condor_ jerked toward the _Blood Crow_ and started being pulled into her opening jaws. "Not this again!" she cried, knowing what was coming. The last thing they needed right now was to be boarded by a horde of Murk Raiders.

But the _Condor_ couldn't put away. Piper screamed and turned away just as the _Blood Crow_'s teeth clamped down on the _Condor_'s portside booster, holding her.

Within the _Blood Crow_, Captain Scabulous smirked in triumph. He drew his saber and held it up, shouting, "Strike with abandon, lads!"

As the boarding ramp was lowered onto the _Condor_'s landing strip, the heartened crew ran down, waving their lit cutlasses and shouting their battle cries.

Aerrow and Finn wasted no time in landing, their rides screeching to a stop. With a grunt, Aerrow leapt out of his ride, readying himself for a fight. Finn was right beside him.

But as heroic as that might have looked, Aerrow realized he may have made a serious mistake in that move.

The Murk Raiders closed in around the boys, backing them to the hangar bay door, cutting off all escape. Aerrow and Finn got back to back so neither could be surprised, but there was no break in the circle.

Just then, the hangar bay door opened to Piper holding her staff and Stork holding up two pots, smirking as if he couldn't wait to hit something with them. "We got your back, guys!" Piper told Aerrow and Finn.

Growling, the Murk Raiders all turned it them.

It seemed to be at that moment that the two realized how many there were. Piper lowered her staff, looking dismayed. Stork fainted.

But then surprisingly enough, the Murk Raiders put out their cutlasses, as if in respect. Aerrow tensed as he saw one Murk Raider making his way through the crowd. Captain Scabulous pushed his crewmen aside until he was face to face with Piper, Eyeball beside him. "And I've got yours, girly," the captain told her with a wicked smirk, pointing at her.

The Murk Raiders cackled at that. Aerrow's reached for his blades, pulled them out, and lit them, expecting the worst.

The captain stared down at Piper. "Tell me where the dragons are, and you'll save yourselves a world of pain!" He raised his fist threateningly.

The other Murk Raiders took that as a cue. All around Aerrow and Finn, the Murk Raiders laughed, lighting their cutlasses again. Aerrow raised his blades in front of him, waiting for the attack, knowing that he and Finn stood little chance, cornered as they were.

"Tell me," Captain Scabulous demanded of Piper, lighting his saber, "or else!"

Aerrow wished he could see the man's face. He hated not being able to glare down his enemy; it gave him courage if he could. Look an enemy in the eye, and he could break. At the very least he'd think you weren't afraid. And Aerrow wanted to put the fear of all in a man who dared to threaten his friend's life. As it was, though, he decided it might be smarter to keep his eyes on the crowd of Murk Raiders closing in on him and Finn. No telling when they could strike.

At first, no one moved. There wasn't a sound. Piper met Captain Scabulous' eye in a steely glare, her mind whirling, trying to think. Aerrow stayed ready to fight, waiting for the Murk Raiders to strike.

But then a screech sounded, and then another. Everyone looked to the sky.

A portion of the flock of hatchlings was diving down upon them. And up above them sat Radarr on a dragon, directing the whole thing. Aerrow smiled at his copilot. He was brilliant!

Piper smirked at Scabulous. "You wanted dragons?" she said. She clenched a fist. "Well, now, you got 'em!"

The dragons circled above them, like vultures above a carcass, screeching their distaste for the Murk Raiders. Aerrow smirked with amusement as one of the dragons grabbed the back of the hem of Captain Scabulous' pants and lifted him up into the air. The Murk Raider captain screamed in pain. Another dragon did the same to Eyeball, who screamed as well, only Eyeball didn't seem light enough for the dragon hatchling to lift.

Finn couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing.

Eyeball whimpered as his dragon pulled harder.

Finn pointed at the two in amusement. "Wedgie!" he cried.

The dragon finally pulled so hard on Eyeball's pants that there was a ripping sound. "Ooh," Eyeball gasped, covering himself when he saw there was nothing on his legs but his pink boxers.

From somewhere in the Murk Raider ranks, someone let out a wolf whistle. Aerrow cringed. The very thought made him want to be sick.

Meanwhile, Captain Scabulous' dragon was struggling to lift him so high and was bringing him up in jerks. Every time the dragon jerked upward, the captain gasped in pain. Finally the hatchling couldn't ascend any further and only began to bob Scabulous up and down, making Scabulous gasp more. Amused as he was, Aerrow winced. That must be the most extreme wedgie he'd ever seen!

But then Captain Scabulous' pants ripped off as well, showing the world his dark red boxers. At first, the captain sighed with relief. Then he seemed to realize there was nothing left holding him in the air. He only had time to gasp, "Oh, no," before he fell screaming onto the landing strip, landing right on top of Eyeball.

All the Murk Raiders winced in sympathy, staring at their captain and first mate in bewilderment.

But Captain Scabulous recovered quickly. Growling, he sat up off Eyeball, who still had stars floating around his head, and glared at his men. "Well, don't just stand there staring at our gitch!" the captain shouted. He pointed at the Storm Hawks. "Attack, you dogs!"

Switching right to battle mode, the Murk Raiders raised their battle cries and closed in the circle on Aerrow and Finn. With a loud cry in return, Aerrow immediately locked blades with a Murk Raider. Finn had to duck as one of the Murk Raiders swung at him. When he came up again, he punched the guy right in the face. The Murk Raider staggered back, stars dancing around his head, and fell over unconscious.

Eyeball, recovering from his fall, got to his feet as well. With a cry, he tried to bring his cutlass down on Piper, who stopped it with her staff. The two were locked, but Piper wasn't sure how long she could hold it. Eyeball was stronger than her. And he knew it, too. The first mate cackled at her, pressing down harder.

But then the hatchlings came back.

Screeching like angered bats, the horde of hatchlings dove down and flew in among the Murk Raiders. Crying out in fright, some even dropping their cutlasses, many of the Murk Raiders ran for an escape. Many dragons chased bunches of Murk Raiders right off the landing strip, forcing them to parachute. Others helped the Murk Raiders abandon the ship by grabbing their shoulders in their talons, lifting them off the landing strip, and then dropping them.

Eyeball left Piper in his fright. He and Captain Scabulous got back to back, holding their weapons out and spinning, waiting for the dragons to attack them and trying desperately to hold their ground.

But then Eyeball spotted something. "Cap'ain!" he cried. "The big dragon! It's back!" He pointed as the dragon ship flew past them, beating her mighty wings. Rinjiin and Junko had gotten her back in the air.

Captain Scabulous narrowed his eye at the dragon vessel, revenge burning within him. "Looks like we've got ourselves some unfinished business!" he declared. Immediately he ran for the boarding ramp, Eyeball hot on his heels.

Aerrow was trying to hold his own against a bunch of Murk Raiders, but with the dragons' help, he had gotten rid of all but two of them. Another dragon came in and picked up one of the Murk Raiders, screeching as he did. Okay, now Aerrow had only one. The Raider leapt at Aerrow, raising his cutlass to strike him, but Aerrow was quicker. With a grunt, he kicked the guy in the stomach, sending him sprawling over the landing strip.

Aerrow kept his weapons raised, waiting for the fallen Murk Raider to come back for more. But to his surprise, the Raider ran for his own ship.

Aerrow looked up as the man disappeared inside the _Blood Crow_'s mouth. The boarding ramp was pulled back into the mouth behind him, and the _Blood Crow_'s engines roared to life. She slowly released the _Condor_ and pulled away from her, closing the jaws on her bow.

Within the bridge of his ship, Captain Scabulous let out a determined yell as he sent the _Blood Crow_ charging past the _Condor_.

Aerrow watched the ship, not understanding. One moment Captain Scabulous was all over them, and the next, he was leaving them? Aerrow knew Scabulous didn't retreat from prey as small as the Storm Hawks and their _Condor_. So what could . . . ?

But his question was answered as his eyes followed the _Blood Crow_'s path. "He's going after the dragon ship!" he yelled to his team, pointing a blade at the ship.

Radarr heard. The _Condor_ was in no position to pursue, but Radarr and his dragons were. And he had a plan! With a smirk, he whistled to the rest of the dragons and urged his mount after the _Blood Crow_. Screeching in excitement, the entire flock of hatchlings followed.

Seeing the hatchlings pursuing, another Murk Raider ship followed them, intent on assisting the _Blood Crow_.

Within the bridge of the _Blood Crow_, Captain Scabulous smirked, having taken the wheel. He knew he was beat, but he would have his revenge. "The day may be theirs," he growled aloud, "but I'll still have my dragon!"

The dragon ship stretched out her wings and glided in front of them.

The _Blood Crow_ had a cannon saved for times just like this. It came up from the very top of the ship, its mouth coming from the open mouth of a skull. This cannon could channel all their loaded crystals into one deadly blat.

The captain narrowed his eyes at the dragon ship, readying himself to shoot. "Wait for it," he muttered to himself.

Just before he could shoot, the dragon ship drew her wings together and dove below the heavy clouds.

Captain Scabulous was about to send the _Blood Crow_ after her when Eyeball looked down at their radar. "Cap'ain!" he cried. "Behind us!"

"Huh?" the captain gasped. There's no way the dragon had flown fast enough to get behind them! It must be the _Condor_. "Turn about!" he cried, spinning the wheel as sharply as he could.

The _Blood Crow_ spun at once to face the fog in front of them. And in the thick clouds, Captain Scabulous could see the silhouette of a huge dragon.

But that was impossible! "What kind of trick . . . ?" the captain gasped.

The dragon flapped its wings and appeared to get closer.

Now was his chance to end this once and for all. "Fire all crystals!" the captain cried.

He slammed his fist against the firing button for their cannon.

The largest crystal pulse possible burst from the cannon's mouth, shooting at the dragon silhouette like a purple comet. Immediately the silhouette broke up into separate little pieces. It was the dragon hatchlings! They scattered. Radarr gasped as he and his dragon were almost caught in the firing, spinning out of the way just in time.

The pulse did strike something, but it wasn't a dragon. Radarr watched in amusement as the shot hit the following Murk Raider ship's portside engine and sent it crashing to the Wastelands.

Radarr screeched a cheer, throwing his paws in the air triumphantly. His dragon screeched a cheer with him. Two more dragons chirped in front of them and spun around each other in celebration. They had caused Captain Scabulous to shoot down one of his own fleet!

Captain Scabulous stared out the window at the dragon hatchlings in rage and disbelief. "What?" he gasped. He roared in anger. "You evil beasts!"

Behind them, something huge was rising out of the clouds.

Eyeball squealed in fright as he looked at the radar. Turning around to face his captain, he pointed to the radar and said, "There's another dragon behind us again, Captain!"

Captain Scabulous sighed and lowered his head, shaking it. He knew what was coming, and there was nothing he could do about it. "Prepare for impact," he said.

Within the bridge of the dragon ship, Rinjiin narrowed his eyes at the _Blood Crow_, an angry scowl on his face. Then he let loose a blast of fire from his ship's mouth.

Captain Scabulous and Eyeball gasped as they and their crewmates were sent to the floor from the jar. The _Blood Crow_ listed to the side as Scabulous accidentally spun her wheel in the direction of his fall.

Scabulous looked up as his ship righted herself to see the dragon vessel zooming past them, flying after the _Condor_, which was leading the flock of hatchlings back to safety.

Eyeball got to his feet, holding his aching head. Scabulous got up on shaky legs. The _Blood Crow_ only had one other ship on her side, and the Storm Hawks and the dragons all seemed untouched. Even Scabulous knew when it was hopeless. "That's enough for today," he said, his voice wavering a little, still shaken from their blow. "Call a retreat, Eyeball." He turned to his first mate. "We'll get a bigger fleet," he growled determinedly, "and come back for the dragons!"

Eyeball held up a finger. "And our pants, Captain?" he asked.

Captain Scabulous drooped sadly at that and turned around, unwilling to look at Eyeball. Instead he stared longingly out the frontal window. "No, Eyeball," he said. "We'll never see our pants again."

As the _Blood Crow_ limped back the way she had come, her stern smoking, Eyeball's dismayed cry rang throughout her decks. Those had been his favorite pair of pants!

* * *

Down on the dragons' terra, Rinjiin and the Storm Hawks had long since landed their ships. The Storm Hawks clustered around Rinjiin at the dragon ship, even Radarr, who was joined by five of his hatchling friends.

"Ah, that was awesome!" Finn exclaimed. Aerrow smiled, knowing the sharpshooter loved nothing more than an epic victory . . . except for maybe girls.

"Yes," Rinjiin agreed hesitantly, holding up a finger, "but with the secret out, it will only be a matter of time before someone else comes back for the hatchlings.

Piper and Junko both looked very thoughtful at that, but Aerrow just grinned. He hadn't told them yet. He turned to Rinjiin. "We've taken care of that," he said, gesturing to him.

Just then, a horn blew over them, and everyone looked up. The _Skyquod_ appeared from the clouds, a fleet of three Aquinos ships following in her wake. On her landing strip stood two familiar figures. One was Horrace, who had a mop in his hand. The other was a great Sky Knight and friend who saluted in greeting to the Storm Hawks.

Even Stork smiled at the sight of their friends. "Tritonn and the Neck Deeps," he said aloud.

Aerrow turned back to Rinjiin. "All the Sky Knights have agreed to help you defend the hatchlings until they're old enough to fend for themselves."

Aerrow didn't think anyone could have looked more grateful than Rinjiin looked at that moment. He took off his hat to them and placed it on his chest. "Thank you all!" he said, turning back to look up at the _Skyquod_ as if she were his savior.

Just then, Aerrow felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. He turned to see Stork beside him. "Um," the Merb said, "you don't have any idea how long it will take for the hatchlings to grow up, do you?"

"I have a feeling you're about to tell me," Aerrow answered.

Stork's face looked grave. "Sixty years."

Aerrow shook his head and blinked in shock. Sixty _years?_

Well, that changed things a little bit. He held up a finger to get everyone's attention. "Uh, did I mention we'd be working in shifts?"

Junko and Finn exchanged glances. No, he hadn't. It wasn't like Aerrow to leave out a detail like that. Aerrow just laughed as everyone looked at him strangely.

With their work done, the Storm Hawks made preparations to leave. Aerrow couldn't help feeling that they had done something great that day.

* * *

Author's Notes: It's pretty obvious that I had trouble finding a closing statement for this episode. Yes, this ending sucks. Tell me something I don't know.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In Japanese mythology, the huge, large-mouthed dragon Rinjin (also called Ryujin) is the Dragon King that lives in a palace called Ryugu, or "Dragon's Court" at the bottom of the ocean near Ruy Ku Islands. His name means "Luminous Being." His palace is made of red and white coral and has a hall on each side for each of the four seasons. His daughter, called Otohime or Toyo-Tama, is the "Luminous Jewel" dragon who married Prince Hoori. Rinjin controls the tidal waves with the Tide Jewels. He bears the beautiful jewel _tama_. Turtles are often used as his messengers. The Japanese royal family is said to be descended from his human grandson, the son of Prince Hoori, and thereby descended from the dragon god himself. The other most popular tale about Rinjin is the tale of how the jellyfish lost is bones.

So Rinjiin is named after a god and the first of the royal family of Japan!

Next up, another one of my favorites: "Five Days"! An Aerrow one again. Looking at the episode coming up, I think I might be stuck on him for awhile. Well, like I said when I began this fic, Aerrow is an episode hog.


	154. Five Days: Wounded Warrior

_**Part 38**_

_**Five Days**_

_A hero is injured, and a hero is healed. A friend betrays but stays loyal. A villain has suffered a great loss and looks for compensation. The unloved proves that they have known love._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Wounded Warrior

Not many days after the Storm Hawks had left Sky's End, it was dusk at Gundstaff's home terra. He was busy messing with something in a large pot—perhaps doing laundry—when he heard his doorbell chime. Growling in irritation, he turned around and immediately looked down, for he didn't expect any giant visitors. "What do you want?" he growled in irritation.

It was Stork and Junko, although many wouldn't know it. Both were disguised. Junko had on a white poncho-like coat, sunglasses, and a tiny, two-part, fake moustache and a little, pointed fake beard to match, both matching the color of his grey hair. Stork had on a brown trench coat and business hat along with a humongous fake moustache. He carried a cane with him, one that had a bird skull for a handle. Needless to say, though he'd seen the Storm Hawks before, Gundstaff didn't recognize either of them.

"What we need," Stork began, clearing his throat, "sir, is something that will give us a _little_ light."

"Not too bright," Junko added, holding up a finger.

"But that makes it so that we can see better, um, in the dark."

As Piper listened, she had to admit that this distraction made Stork and Junko sound simple-minded, but it was working. Even though the door was open, Gundstaff didn't notice at all that Piper was being lowered down a rope from the ceiling of the crystal vault, searching among the shelves for a particular crystal that they were in dire need of, a backpack on her back. She pushed herself off Gundstaff's gigantic ladder to a platform on the far side of the vault, thinking she'd be able to observe the room better from that vantage point.

"Yeah," Junko agreed with Stork. "Without _spoiling_ the dark."

Gundstaff was annoyed with these two visitors' talk. "Get a nightlight and leave me alone!" he bellowed angrily, turning back to his work.

Junko realized they had to do a better job of getting the giant's attention. He was turning around and heading into his crystal vault! "Ooh, ooh!" Junko said, clenching his fists in fake excitement. "A nightlight! Uh, do you have any?"

Gundstaff picked up his mace, which he kept just inside the door of the vault. With an angry growl, he slammed the mace against the ground right in front of the visitors. "Does it look like I have a nightlight?" he growled.

But then Gundstaff blinked. The force of the tiny earthquake Gundstaff's mace had caused had made the fake facial hair, Junko's sunglasses, and Stork's hat to fly right off their faces and caused Stork to drop his cane. Now, without the facial cover-up, Gundstaff got a better look at them. "Wait," he said, lifting an eyebrow. "I know you." He pointed to them.

The two Storm Hawks gasped. Stork put mouth his hands over his mouth, realizing his moustache was gone. Junko put one hand around his mouth and the other to his eyes, looking for his sunglasses and facial hair.

They both looked up at Gundstaff, smiling nervously. Junko laughed sheepishly.

Gundstaff just kept raising an eyebrow at them. They were so familiar, but he couldn't quite place them . . .

"Um," Stork tried to say, laughing. He refused to take on hand off his mouth. He pointed at Gundstaff. "Uh, anything for, um, eh, facial hair loss?" He pointed at his own face.

Gundstaff growled as he leaned over them. Now they were asking him for bathroom products? What was with these guys?

But Piper was proud of the boys for holding him at bay so long, and they would soon be done. She smiled as she stepped along the platform toward the shelf it was level with. There she found a little green crystal waiting just for her. She picked it up and blew some of the extra green crystal dust that had collected on it, testing it to see that she had the right one. It reacted accordingly, flashing a little and ringing. "Nil crystal!" she whispered to herself triumphantly. "Gotcha!" She put it in her backpack and gave Stork and Junko a thumb up. They had what they came for.

Stork and Junko saw the signal. Now they just had to get out of there before Gundstaff realized what was going on. "Hey, come to think of it," Stork said, taking his hand away from his mouth at last, "I know just the place for nightlights!"

Gundstaff stood up straight and snarled at them suspiciously. Behind him, in the crystal vault, the boys could see Piper had untied herself and was sliding down Gundstaff's ladder to the floor. They had to keep him distracted a little longer.

Junko nodded, pretending to agree with Stork. "Um, far away from here," he added. He waved at Gundstaff. "Bye-bye!"

Piper was down on the ground by now and headed out. Taking that to mean they were in the clear, Junko and Stork took off for the door.

But Gundstaff knew something was fishy here. "Hey, wait a second!" he yelled at them. But his door already slammed shut as they left. "What's going on here?"

Outside, Junko and Stork pulled off their disguises, having worn their uniforms and Junko having worn his armor underneath. They and Piper ran for their rides and took off as quickly as they could into the darkening sky, which quickly turned into night around them.

Stork was more than eager to get back to the _Condor_. He sped his _Stork Mobile_ ahead while Junko and Piper fell back.

Junko sighed with relief, glad they were finally away from Gundstaff. He turned around to the girl. "I sure hope this crystal thing of yours works, Piper," he said earnestly.

"Trust me, Junko," Piper assured him. "One thing most people don't know," she pulled out the nil crystal, which she had set in a little, round, metal stand, "under just the right circumstances, this dull little nil crystal can fix anything."

Eventually they made it back to the _Condor_. It was nearly midnight. Piper led the way, holding the nil crystal as delicately as she could, while Stork and Junko followed.

In the hallway outside the infirmary, Finn was down on his hands and knees, scrubbing the floor with a sudsy brush. He looked up guiltily as he saw the others walk past him toward the infirmary.

The three stopped in the doorway. Junko again thought of what Piper had said about the nil crystal fixing anything. "Anything," he said aloud, "or any_one!_"

Aerrow awoke to the sound of Junko's voice. He groaned, feeling sore just about everywhere. He lay on his back on his bed in a full body cast, his right leg held up in a sling.

Finn came in after them. Radarr, who had been waiting faithfully in the infirmary, now came to Aerrow's bedside, placing his paws on the bed as he peered over him, looking up at Piper hopefully.

The boys all clustered on one side of the room as Piper stepped forward to Aerrow. She showed him the crystal with a smile on her face and told him how quickly it would heal him, pulling the crystal out of the holder and attaching the holder onto the cast on his right leg while she talked.

Yes, it could heal him fast. But it didn't seem fast enough to him.

"Five whole days?" he repeated incredulously. He cringed at the idea of being stuck in this room for that long. "You sure it can't go any faster, Piper?" His eyes flitted to the ceiling. "I've already counted the ceiling rivets in here about a million times."

"Sorry, Aerrow," Piper answered, sounding genuinely sympathetic. "You broke pretty much everything."

She put a hand on his leg (or rather, leg cast) and then stuck the crystal into the holder again. As soon as it was plugged in, it flashed. Aerrow was sure he felt a small sensation run through him when it did. Now the crystal was doing its work on him.

Looking satisfied with it, Piper straightened again, putting her hands on her hips and giving Aerrow her I've-got-everything-covered smile. "Don't worry," she assured him. She looked over at the clock in the room. "By midnight of the fifth day, you'll be as good as new!"

Aerrow sighed. Five whole days stuck here. Distress calls would go unanswered, and work was bound to pile up. Besides that, he was going to be just plain _bored!_ He normally couldn't stay put for more than five minutes, much less five _days_.

As if sensing his distress, Junko stuck his face in Aerrow's, smiling broadly. "We got all sorts of really fun plans to pass the time," he assured him. "And I," he put a hand on his chest proudly, "am going to do all the cooking for ya!" He pointed at Aerrow.

Aerrow fought the urge to cringe, forcing himself to smile at Junko as the Wallop laughed a deep, "Ho, ho, ho!" and kissed his figures like a chef speaking of his dishes. Aerrow had a feeling he was going to lose a little weight in the next five days because there was no way he was going to be able to stomach Junko's food _every single meal!_

When Junko moved away, it was Stork's turn to console Aerrow. He zipped up next to Aerrow's bedside, a blue book with a Merb skull on the front of it in his hands. "You're in luck!" the Merb said excitedly. "My new tome of Merbian darkness poetry just arrived!" He gestured to the book.

Great, Aerrow thought. So he also had to listen to some of the most depressing poetry in Atmos. And all he could do without hurting anyone's feelings was grin and bear it.

Piper was the first one to give him _good _news. "And don't sweat any Sky Knight duties," she told him. She put a hand on her chest. "I've got us on a course that will keep us far away from any trouble till you get better."

No Sky Knight duties, eh? Aerrow thought about that. Fixing up the place was what the Storm Hawks often did when nothing else was going on. "Well," he said aloud, "I guess we can use this downtime for some maintenance on the _Condor_."

"Already on it, dude!" Finn exclaimed happily, pointing a trigger finger at him.

Aerrow couldn't help but glare at him, trying to think of a _nice_ way to say this. "No offense Finn," he managed, "but your 'maintenance' is what got me here in the first place."

Finn laughed sheepishly at that, putting a finger to his lip and looking away guiltily. Aerrow guessed he was probably remembering the moment of disaster just as he was.

_That morning, Finn had been down in the hangar bay, his head stuck underneath his Skimmer, trying to fix it. His efforts were resulting in a puddle of black oil flowing across the floor._

_Aerrow had been walking through the hangar bay carrying a supply crate in hand, getting ready to put it on the pile with the others. Because of the crate, he didn't see the puddle._

_Aerrow let out a cry as he slipped on the oil. He scrambled to find his footing, but that only made him trip and sent him hurling forward into the garbage shoot._

_When he heard Aerrow yell, Finn got out from under his Skimmer and looked up . . . too late. He winced as he heard Aerrow clanging on down the pipe head-first._

_And for Aerrow, it wasn't very comfortable at all, but it was no worse than that tunnel they had tumbled through in the Forbidden City. But unlike then, _this_ tunnel didn't have such a nice landing spot._

_Aerrow let out a cry as he found himself falling head-first toward his destination: the gears that worked the trash smashing. Knowing what was coming, he had closed his eyes and grit his teeth, preparing for the worst._

Aerrow winced at the memory. Everything had hurt after that for a moment, but he'd been lucky enough to black out. His friends had been quick to shut off the trash smasher and pull him out of it but not before much damage was done . . . enough damage that he could have been crippled for life. If it weren't for Piper and her great crystal knowledge. And of course, Gundstaff's crystal.

Finn saw Aerrow wince, but he quickly tried to reassure him. "Well," he said, "let's just say, that won't happen again!" He thought back to how he had spent hours on end scrubbing that floor with a brush and soapy water from a wooden bucket. "That floor's so clean now, you could eat off it!" he exclaimed, gesturing to Aerrow.

"Hah!" Junko said, jumping in to help Finn. "I already did!" He showed his hands to Aerrow, turning them palms up and then palms down to see everything. "See? No dirt!"

Aerrow turned back to his wingman. "Thanks, Finn," he said, realizing that Finn's frantic cleaning had come out of guilt.

"And no sweeping dirt under the deck plates anymore!" Finn declared holding up a hand. He paced in front of him, looking proud. Putting a hand on his chest, he said, "By the time I'm done, you'll be able to see your reflection on every pipe on the _Condor_!"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. He hadn't known Finn _did_ sweep dirt under the deck plates. Huh. But at least Finn was channeling his guilt into something productive.

Piper was going over a sheet up paper on a clipboard, tapping it with her red pencil. Aerrow guessed she was making sure she had everything in place for his recovery. Looking concerned, she met his eyes and said, "Aerrow, it is very important that you remember, as long as that nil crystal is plugged into your cast," she tapped the part of the cast above the crystal, "you can't move _at all!_" She pointed her pencil at him demandingly. "It'll mess up the healing process."

Aerrow raised his eyebrows. No moving? _At_ _all?_ For _five whole days?_

"Seriously," Stork agreed with Piper, pinching his fingers together, "if you move even a little bit, even your tiniest toe," Aerrow found himself looking down at his toes, "your Sky Knight days are over."

Aerrow's eyes widened in shock, and he stared straight ahead of him. That was . . . really kind of scary.

Piper put her pencil to her lip thoughtfully. "Let's just say moving is bad," she said, pointing her pencil at him. "Not moving is good," she added, nodding.

Aerrow liked Piper's way of explaining it better.

Aerrow looked around at all of them, knowing that no matter what they did or said, they were all concerned and had his best interest at heart. "Uh, thanks for looking after me, everyone. Although I've gotta say," he added, "stealing this crystal kinda makes me uncomfortable."

"Technically," Junko corrected, gesturing to him, "we borrowed it."

Piper smiled reassuringly. "As soon as you're all fixed up, I'm putting it right back."

Aerrow smiled at her. Leave it Piper to make sure everything was as it should be. He didn't know what he'd do if he didn't have her, especially in a situation like this.

He wasn't exactly entertained by this conversation and had been sitting there for awhile. Moreover, he couldn't move his hand to cover his mouth. So he had to yawn widely for all of them.

As if trying to be discrete (and failing), Piper laid a hand aside her mouth to block the sound from Aerrow and whispered to the others, "Aerrow needs to rest." She led everyone but Radarr out of the infirmary.

"Right," Aerrow agreed after them. "Rest."

Stork stopped in the doorway. "And remember," the Merb said, turning around to glare right at Aerrow, "_no moving!_"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. Stork could not only be paranoid but _seriously_ creepy.

But in truth, Aerrow had been resting all day. The yawn had been out of boredom, not weariness. So now, with the others gone, he sighed, looked back up at the ceiling, and started doing the same thing he'd been doing for hours: counting ceiling rivets. "One, two, three, four . . ."

* * *

"Five," Master Cyclonis hissed. "Place the rod at level five!" She practically growled the last word.

It was Aerrow's first day of recovery. Master Cyclonis and Snipe were in laboratory, where she had great columns set up all around he machine, where she was working with her crystals, one red one situated in the middle. Master Cyclonis' hood was closed. Snipe was behind her, grunting as he picked up a heavy, canon shaped rod beside two wooden crates. He looked around at the columns questionably. "Which is level five again?" he asked.

"To the right," Master Cyclonis answered, reminding herself to be patient with Snipe. It was the only way to get work done efficiently.

"Um, my right," he asked, looking to his _left_, "or yours?" Never mind that Cyclonis had her back to him and had the same right as him. He turned to the right. That's when disaster struck.

The rod, balanced over his shoulder, cut a rope connected to a power amplifier sitting on a crate. The power amp fell to the floor as the rope sailed up. The other end had been holding up a rod, similar to Snipe's, above their heads. "Uh, oh," Snipe said with fright.

"Uh, oh," was right. Master Cyclonis let out a cry as she spun around in time to avoid the falling rod. It smashed right into her machine, crumbling it and all the crystals to pieces.

Master Cyclonis turned around in shock, staring at the sparking mess in front of her. "No!" she cried in rage and dismay, running to it.

Worried now, Snipe set down the rod and stepped up behind Master Cyclonis.

Master Cyclonis couldn't believe his idiocy! This was all _his_ fault! She spun around with hate in her eyes. Snipe's eyes widened in fright when he saw the fire smoldering within her. "You've ruined _everything!_" she whispered too calmly, with a growl at the end.

Snipe lowered his head in shame, his heart pounding in fear. "I'm sorry, Master Cyclonis," he said as Cyclonis turned back to study the mess. "I'll fix it! I promise!" He leaned forward and was about to lift the fallen rod off the crumbled machine.

But Master Cyclonis spun around again, venom dripping from her voice with controlled rage. "Touch nothing in this room!" she said, waving him away. "I'll take care of it myself! Call in the Night Crawlers and ready my ship." She lifted her eyebrows at him, challenging him. "Or is that too much for you to handle?"

Snipe nodded obediently and then realized what the question really was. He quickly shook his head. No, not too much to handle at all.

* * *

By the next evening, the Night Crawlers were there with Master Cyclonis' ship ready to go. Master Cyclonis always preferred Night Crawlers over Talons. Night Crawlers were stealthier, more efficient, less like idiots, and they did not try to suck up to their leader.

The Night Crawlers drove Cyclonis' ship right to Gundstaff's terra. Master Cyclonis used a crystal of hers to levitate in the air. Like this, she approached Gundstaff, who had a bucket on his worktable where he was washing his clothes.

As soon as he noticed her, Gundstaff turned to her in surprise . . . and perhaps with even a bit of fear. "Master Cyclonis!" he exclaimed. Still looking fearful, but with obvious respect, he added, "What an unexpected surprise!"

Not bothering with formalities, Master Cyclonis simply said, "I need a crystal." Without waiting for his response, she flew into the open doorway to his crystal hatch. It's not like he would refuse her. He would be a fool to do that.

Once she was inside, she flew immediately to where she knew she'd find what she was looking for: the nil crystal. But when she came to that shelf, there was nothing there but a note. "What is _this?_" Cyclonis demanded to Gundstaff, who stood beside her and was now head-level with her.

"I don't know," Gundstaff answered, looking genuinely perplexed. "There should be a crystal in there."

Master Cyclonis didn't like that answer, but she decided she'd read the note before she got angry with the pathetic giant. She pointed her crystal staff at the note, and the violet crystal on its end began to glow as it summoned the note. The note began to glow violet as well and then flew into Cyclonis' open hand.

Once she had it, Cyclonis cut off the crystal energy and unfolded the note. "'Sorry,'" she read aloud. "'Will return nil crystal shortly. Sincerely,'" she hissed at the last part, throwing the note aside, "'the Storm Hawks'!" Of course! They were always ruining her plans! And a crystal missing had Piper written all over it!

Gundstaff growled as he thought back to the strange two visitors who had come to him. "I thought they looked familiar!" he growled aloud. "When I get my hands on those kids!"

"Leave that to me," Master Cyclonis answered calmly. She wasn't about to let the Storm Hawks get away with this. She _needed_ that crystal, and she would not wait for them. Besides, why not use an excuse to hunt down your most hated enemies?

* * *

Soon after she was back on her Cyclonian Destroyer. As it took off from Gundstaff's terra and headed out into the dawn, the sky was already starting to turn yellow at its base. Master Cyclonis surveyed the bridge from her balcony up above, her mind already set.

The red-eyed Night Crawler captain was the one manning the ship from the bridge. He turned to her. "Destination, Master?" he asked.

"Find me the Storm Hawks," Cyclonis answered coolly.

The Night Crawler captain bowed his head obediently.

* * *

Author's Notes: After all the crazy stunts Aerrow does, all the danger he puts himself in, he gets nearly all his bones broken by falling in a _garbage chute!_ Seriously, Nerd Corps, that's _so_ anti-climatic! Maybe that's supposed to be giving the audience a major taste of irony.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The word "nil" means "zero," "nothing," or "uncountable." Often it is used to mean something that does not exist.

Not quite sure what that has to do with healing or fixing things, but there it is.

Well, y'all know the drill. I'll leave ya to it.


	155. Five Days: Intolerable Invalid

Chapter 2: Intolerable Invalid

Night fell over Atmos, drawing a close to Aerrow's second day in bed. The _Condor_ circled Terra Nostrus, which, with its high waterfalls and jungle climbing up three pinnacle peaks, was not unlike Terra Amazonia.

Up by the clock in the infirmary was a sheet of paper that the Storm Hawks had put up to give Aerrow encouragement. It marked off the days he'd been in recovery. Right now it had only two tallies.

Aerrow was sleeping peacefully in the infirmary, with Radarr curled up next to him.

Or at least, he had been sleeping peaceful. Until . . .

Aerrow gasped, "What the . . . ?" as his eyes flew open. "Oh, no!" He had a strange tingly feeling within him. He tried to ignore it, but it only got worse.

He needed help. "Radarr!"

At his cry, Radarr was awake at once, getting on his four feet. He turned and looked at Aerrow questionably.

"Problem," Aerrow explained. "I got an itch!"

Radarr churred in understanding and held up his front paws with a chirp, showing Aerrow that his fingers were ready for scratching.

Aerrow winced. Every moment he sat there, the itch just got worse! Oh, it had to be scratched somehow! Remember what Piper had said. He _couldn't_ move!

Seeing his distress, Radarr hopped up on top of Aerrow's legs, looking around at him and waiting for Aerrow to indicate exactly where the itch was.

But much to Aerrow's dismay, he knew Radarr couldn't do it for him. "I think it's too deep, buddy," he said.

Radarr squawked in alarm at being unable to help.

Oh, the itching sensation was only getting worse! Aerrow willed himself to stay still. "Ah, Radarr, help! Quick!"

Radarr took off at once, leaping to the floor in a dead run and scampering out into the hallway on all fours, only hearing a gasp from Aerrow as he left. He had to get Piper. Piper always knew what to do!

Radarr was still going full-speed when he slammed into the round table on the bridge, stopping himself from crashing by catching himself on the tabletop with his front paws. Piper was there looking over a map, which she was setting down on the table. When she saw Radarr's panicked face, she asked, "What's up, Radarr?" Stork came up beside her, obviously made uneasy by the way Radarr was acting.

Radarr squawked and pointed frantically down the hallway with both paws. Then, whimpering, he started scratching himself all over, on his side, his ear, his neck, and even inside his ear with his foot.

Stork gasped in fright and grabbed Piper's shoulders, pulling her back and away from Radarr. "Radarr has fleas!" he hissed in dismay.

What? No, that wasn't it at all! Growling in frustration, Radarr snarled at Stork and pointed down the hallway in Aerrow's direction again.

Stork put his fists to his mouth nervously. "_Aerrow_ has fleas?" he asked.

Radarr face-palmed. Enough with the fleas!

At that moment, Finn and Junko walked in. Junko was carrying a cauldron, probably containing Aerrow's dinner. Finn crossed his arms when he saw Radarr doing charades, as if he wondered what it was about this time.

But Aerrow couldn't wait any longer for Radarr. "Piper!" he cried. "This itch is killin' me! If I could just wiggle just a little bit . . . !"

When Piper heard that, she gasped and came running, the rest following behind her. "Don't move an inch!" she cried as she ran into the infirmary.

Aerrow used all his willpower not to move as the tingling, tinkling sensation grew worse. "Easy for you to say," he answered Piper, his voice strained and his eyes crossed with effort.

Finn and Junko came in right after Piper and Radarr. "Ah, we're here for ya, buddy," Finn said, gesturing to Aerrow. "Where does it itch?"

"Uh . . ." Ooh, that was not a very comfortable question to answer. "Well, um, ah . . ."

"On your knee?" Junko guessed holding up a finger. He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Uh, foot? Ah, elbow?"

Aerrow looked away in embarrassment. "Not exactly . . ."

Radarr, who stood beside Aerrow's bed, churred to the others. When he had their attention, he turned around and patted his rear.

"_Oh_," Junko said, holding up a finger and looking at the floor. Once so eager to help, he seemed to shrink toward the door.

"Ooh, sorry, dude," Finn said, putting his fingers together. "Can't help you there."

Piper glared at the two boys. Sure, she wasn't exactly too keen on such a task either, but it was such a simple thing. They scratched such itches all the time without thinking about it. Imagine not being able to scratch!

Rolling her eyes at Finn's and Junko's unwillingness to help, she got their extra-long backscratcher with the motorcycle-like handle. She then went to Finn and handed it to him. "You've got the best aim," she pointed out.

"Aw, man!" Finn groaned.

The itch kept getting steadily worse. "Ooh, ooh," Aerrow gasped to himself, trying with all his might not to move.

He saw Finn holding the backscratcher, and he _knew_ what that thing would be hitting if Finn didn't get it _just_ right! "Finn," Aerrow gasped, "more than ever, _don't miss!_"

"Aw," Finn groaned, rolling his eyes. This was the _last_ thing in the world he wanted to do at the moment.

Junko was so nervous when Finn stuck the backscratcher under Aerrow that the Wallop gasped and hugged Stork close to him.

Finn found the spot and started scratching.

Aerrow puffed in pleasure. "Wahoo!" he cried. _Finally!_ "Gah, that's it!" he told Finn. At last, the itching stopped!

Happy it all worked out, Junko laughed contentedly, letting go of Stork. Both of them sighed in relief.

Finn was just happy that was over.

Piper smiled down at Radarr and patted him on the head, thanking him for looking out for their friend. Radarr just closed her eyes in pleasure and churred, looking up at her and giving her a thumbs up.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Terra Blizzaris, Suzy Lu and one of her female squadron members where driving their Ice Grinders as fast as they could go over the snow. And for good reason. They were still miles away from the village, and a Cyclonian Destroyer was shadowing them.

The two Blizzarians split up, trying to confuse the Cyclonians. But the ship just kept pursuing Suzy Lu. Two Night Crawlers glided down silently behind the Sky Knight.

Suzy Lu was startled to see one of the Night Crawlers beside her. She looked to the other side to see there was another gliding along silently there, too.

Just then, she heard a thud. She turned to look ahead again to see that the first Night Crawler had landed on the bow of her Ice Grinder.

Suzy Lu didn't know who these guys were, but whether or not they were on her side, they were pretty talented with the stealth. "Woo!" she told the one in front of her. "Your work is a natural, there!"

Smirking, the Night Crawler on her Ice Grinder pulled out a red crystal. Suzy Lu saw a sudden flash of light, and with a cry, she went limp.

* * *

She slowly came to, wondering what could possibly be happening. Her vision was blurry at first, but slowly everything came into focus. She gasped in fright at who she saw in front of her.

Master Cyclonis stepped toward her, holding her crystal staff in her hand. "You are gonna help me find the Storm Hawks," she hissed. "Right now."

Suzy Lu considered that. She looked at her situation. She was tied to the back of the chair she sat in, and two of those black stealthy guys stood on either side of her. A pretty hopeless situation. But, Suzy Lu noted, they hadn't taken her gum from her mouth. Satisfied with that knowledge, she chewed on it and blew a bubble before answering Cyclonis with the only answer possible. After all, the Storm Hawks were not only her friends, but they had saved her entire terra. "Not on your life, girlfriend," she answered. She cast the Master hard glare with a cocky smile. "Can't make _me_ talk!"

Master Cyclonis smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"

Suzy Lu smirked right back. Did this little witch honestly think she would . . . ?

Master Cyclonis lowered the tip of her crystal staff so that the violet crystal on its end was pointed at Suzy Lu. The Sky Knight gasped as her eyes began to glow violet like the crystal.

* * *

Though Suzy Lu had not known it, she had been out for nearly twenty-four hours. The three tallies on the sheet of paper hanging under the clock in the infirmary were enough indication—one of the _only_ indications—Aerrow had of knowing that.

Piper was in the corner of the room with her clipboard, making sure everything was in place for Aerrow and giving him an update on what had been happening. Stork had spent the day setting up an intercom system so that if Aerrow had any more itches or other such emergencies, he could let them know. Just now Aerrow watched as the Merb adjusted the speaker, which hung from the ceiling, in front of the invalid's face. Once done, he smiled at Aerrow, letting him know he could try it out.

"Testing, testing," Aerrow called into it, clearing his throat. "Testing, one, two. Testing."

Down the hallway, a brown hen clucked as she came out of hiding from behind a potted plant, cocking her head toward the new sound.

Aerrow smiled. It worked! He turned back Stork. "Perfect!" he said. "Thanks, Stork."

"Great!" Stork answered, smiling broadly and holding up his book of Merbian poetry. "Now, for the next verse of 'Darkness, Total Darkness, Purest Black'!"

Aerrow cringed as Stork opened the book. Stork had been reading him the beginnings of the poem earlier that day and the day before, and Aerrow simply didn't have the heart to tell him that morbid, depressing poetry was not his style. No, not just that; he _hated _it! Lying there listening to it was its own form of mild torture.

Luckily for him, Stork had just cleared his throat, held up a finger, and opened his mouth to read when Junko interrupted with, "Uh, guys?"

Stork drooped and glowered at Junko for the interruption, giving a huff. Piper couldn't help chuckling at his expression.

Junko now stood in the doorway next to Piper, holding a lidded food platter in his hands. Looking excited, Junko shoved the tray toward Aerrow saying, "Fresh plate of nummy, nummy strool bugs!"

He lifted the lid, and Aerrow gave a horrified gasp. The strool bugs were little brown creatures with tan markings all over them, all about the size of a man's fist. These bugs were served to Aerrow still intact, their wiry, hairy legs sticking out from under their three-sectioned bodies. Aerrow couldn't help but think that their shiny black eyes were watching him.

This was another one of the "mild tortures" Aerrow had been putting up with: Junko's cooking. Oh, well. His friends _thought_ they were looking after him. It was the thought that counts.

Tell that to his stomach.

But all the same, Aerrow knew how to get out of this. Now, he thought, was the perfect time to mention the problems he had been noticing. "You know, guys," he said, "I have a better idea. I've been noticing a slight knock developing in the left engine pod. Uh, Junko could you check on that?"

Junko had been lifting up a strool bug off his platter while Aerrow talked. Licking his chops, he stuck it in his mouth, chewed it up quickly, and swallowed. Then he stopped and cocked an ear, listening for the knock Aerrow had mentioned. He should have heard it; due to his species, he had the best hearing of anyone on the team, with the exception of Radarr. But when he turned back to Aerrow, he shrugged. "I don't hear anything."

He would eventually, Aerrow figured. Instead he went to another problem. "And Stork," he said, turning to the Merb, "I think the _Condor_ is listing about a tenth of a degree to the portside."

Looking insulted, Stork slammed his book shut. "Fine," he declared, stomping out of the room after Junko. "I'll read to myself!"

With only Piper left in the room, Aerrow turned to her. "And Piper," he said, "I'm pretty sure that clock is running three ticks two slow." His eyes went up to the clock on the wall above their tally sheet.

Piper followed his gaze and then looked back at him with a bored expression. "Three ticks?" she repeated with a raised eyebrow. "I think you've been cooped up in here too long."

"Three ticks add up after awhile," Aerrow pointed out.

Just then, Stork's bored voice came over the intercom. "_Incoming call for Piper on the radio._"

Piper smiled; Aerrow could have sworn it was a look of relief. "Duty calls! Have to get that clock later!" she added, pointing her pencil at him and winking.

Aerrow knew Piper. And as he watched her walk out of the room, he doubted there would be a later. Meanwhile, the slow clock would continue to bother him, for it was the one thing he watched most of all, wishing it would go faster.

Piper went out and picked up the radio on the bridge. When she heard it was Suzy Lu, she smiled and immediately made herself comfortable, sitting down on the floor and leaning an elbow on the small table—more like step-stool—where the radio sat. "Great to hear from you, Suzy Lu!" she said. "You couldn't have called at a better time!" Yes, Piper wasn't busy with anything . . . and she wasn't sorry that this job took her away from fixing the clock like Aerrow wanted. "We're just circling around Terra Nostrus for now. What about you?"

But then strangely enough, all she got was static. "Hello?" Piper called. No answer. Well, wherever Suzy Lu was, she must have drifted out of radio range.

* * *

Suzy Lu couldn't have felt more ashamed. The light from Cyclonis' crystal began to leave her eyes as the control was taken off her. But the damage was done. She had betrayed the Storm Hawks, even if she had not chosen to. She dropped her head while the Night Crawler that had been sitting next to her and holding the speaker to her mouth hung up the speaker, cutting off the call.

Meanwhile, Master Cyclonis had gone to her map of Atmos, showing on a glow screen. With a lift of her crystal staff, the screen zoomed in on one particular terra: Terra Nostrus. With an amused chuckle, she ordered the Night Crawlers, "Search over Nostrus. When you find the stone, wait for my orders."

Suzy Lu didn't understand. Stone? What stone?

The lead Night Crawler bowed his head obediently. "Yes, Master," he answered. "And the Sky Knight?" He turned his red-eyed gaze on Suzy Lu.

Master Cyclonis smirked.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise on the next day when the Night Crawlers were ready to leave. The hangar bay opened, allowing three Night Crawlers to drive out. Once in the air, they pulled apart their rides to form their engine-powered gliders and flew off stealthily into the daylight. They did not seem to fear the sun's rays at all.

A fourth Night Crawler led a confused Suzy Lu to the edge of the hangar bay. Then with one hand against her back, he pushed her forward off the speeding ship.

Suzy Lu grunted painfully as she hit a rock formation, bounced off, and then landed flat on her stomach on the ground.

As she recovered, questions buzzed in her head. Why was Master Cyclonis after the Storm Hawks at all costs? And what stone did she speak of? How did it relate? And where the heck was _she?_

Gasping through the cloud of dust she made, Suzy Lu pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, looking around in confusion. "What's goin' on, eh?" she asked. She got to her feet and looked around. "What am I doin' in the middle of a desert?"

* * *

As the day wore on, back on the _Condor_, Aerrow was watching the clock as usual. Everyone else was trying to follow through with his never-ceasing corrections.

Junko headed down into the engine room with his red toolbox, tiptoeing in the hopes of hearing the engine click that Aerrow was talking about. When he still didn't heart it, he got out a stethoscope and put its cup to the main pipeline for the left engine pod. Still nothing!

Just then, Aerrow's insistent voice came over the intercom. "_Junko, I'm still hearing the engine click._"

Junko growled. Was it seriously that important? Frustrated, the Wallop grabbed a bent wrench he had taken out and laid against his toolbox, dropping the stethoscope onto the floor. Then he lightly banged the wrench against the pipe, hoping it might stop the clacking. He cupped his ear with his hand and leaned toward the pipe, trying to hear if he had solved the problem.

Aerrow's voice came back over the intercom. "_Now I'd call it more of a clack._"

Junko groaned, his eye twitching, his hands clenched in fists. This was getting ridiculous!

"_And Stork_," Aerrow's voice called over the intercom, "_we're on keel now, but maybe, like, two degrees of yaw?_"

Stork was on the bridge, his hands press against the glass sphere of the Timepulse receiver as he peered at it, trying to see any irregularities and adjust the ship to sooth Aerrow.

But his concentration was broken when he heard a slight breeze and felt it lightly strike his face, waving his hair a little. "Huh?" the Merb said, turning around and raising his head. "What was that?" He pricked his ears forward to catch the sound.

An air hatch, which was used to equalize pressure in the cabin and control the ship's temperature, was open when it should have been shut. Stork went over to the lever on the wall beside it and pushed it up, shutting the hatch.

Just then, Aerrow's voice came back over the intercom. "_Stork, are you letting in a draft?_"

Annoyed, Stork turned around to the speaker. "You know," he said, speaking into it so his voice was projected over the intercom, "I'll be really glad when Captain Notice Everything has better things to do than _notice everything!_"

As night fell over Terra Nostrus, the Storm Hawks were still hard at work. Piper, Stork, and Junko were all on the bridge. Stork was still checking the Timepulse receiver, Junko was turning a wheel on a pipeline to seal it up, and Piper was walking around with her clipboard, making sure everything was in working order. Finn was down the hallway still cleaning, as he had been doing nonstop for the last four days. Radarr was in with Aerrow.

Everyone was so absorbed in their own work that no one noticed the two Night Crawlers flying up to the _Condor_ and infiltrating through a back entrance.

They crawled up one of the ventilation pipes until they came to a grate. Peering out, the two Night Crawlers saw that they were in the hallway. Finn was hard at work scrubbing the floor, pausing only to sit up and wipe the sweat from his brow. Radarr happened to be walking by him at that moment, holding a tray with small glass on it, carrying a drink to Aerrow.

The Night Crawlers exchanged glances. They were satisfied that they were undetected, if even the furry creature could walk right by without sensing them.

Piper went in to the infirmary about 11:40 to make sure everything was okay for the night. She stopped in the room to look at the clock a moment, where the sheet of paper underneath now had four tally marks. Almost there.

Aerrow, meanwhile, had been feeling uncomfortable for some time now, almost like his entire body was tingling and not exactly aching, but just feeling . . . strange. Sometimes he had that sensation when something was about to happen. In battle it meant he was about to attacked. But in his current state, he couldn't be sure that the sensation meant anything.

All the same, he admitted it to Piper. "Something feels . . . off."

Piper turned around and gestured to him. "You've been in bed for almost five days," she pointed out. "_Everything_ feels off! Now try to get some rest," she said soothingly, only to clench her fist and add, "'cause you're starting to drive everyone crazy!"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow. "I am?"

"Huh, little clacks?" Piper pointed out, holding up a hand. "Two degrees of yaw? Three ticks too slow?" She smiled at him reassuringly. "Relax! Everything is under control."

Now that Aerrow thought about, he had been kind of particular lately. But could he help it? He was so bored and stir-crazy! He looked up at the clock. "Well," he said, "at least I've only got twenty-four more hours to go."

Piper started walking toward the door, stopping to look at the clock. "Twenty-four hours and twenty minutes, if you wanna be picky," she corrected. She waved to him. "Goodnight, Aerrow!" And with that, she left him alone to sleep.

Aerrow decided he would have to be satisfied with that. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. It wasn't too hard, since he'd spent the entire day concentrating on irregularities on the _Condor_.

No sooner was he snoring softly when one of the Night Crawlers leapt down from the vent in the ceiling. It then proceeded to scan a violet crystal over him.

* * *

By the next day, the Night Crawlers had presented the crystal to their Master. Master Cyclonis cackled in delight as she held the crystal in her hand, looking over the small, violet-shaded holographic image of Aerrow in his body cast, including the nil crystal attached to it. "Oh, this is too good," Master Cyclonis said, putting a hand to her temple to calm her laughter. "The nil crystal and Aerrow defenseless!" She let out another short huff of amusement and turned to the lead Night Crawler. "Ready my ride," she ordered. "This oughtta be fun!"

The Night Crawler captain put a hand to his stomach and bowed to her.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, Aerrow's in trouble now . . .

Although I got to say, it's pretty sad that the Night Crawlers could get that close without anyone noticing. That takes real stealth. Although if they were that successful, why didn't the one Night Crawler just take the initiative and strangle the defenseless Aerrow and take the nil crystal instead of bothering with a holographic image of the whole thing? It makes a whole lot more sense. But maybe it was required to follow only its orders and no more. Or maybe I'm putting too much thought into a cartoon in which the creators didn't do the practical thing because if they had, there wouldn't have been a plot with a happy ending.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The terms Aerrow had used with Stork, "keel" and "yaw," are sailing terms. The keel was the structure that was the center line and main structural element of a ship. It runs from the bow to the stern along the ships bottom and provides stability. Being "on keel" or "on an even keel" meant the ship was in a steady, stable condition and running straight over herself, not leaning to the left or the right. To put a ship on yaw means to deviate from its straight course, turning just a little. When Aerrow said "two degrees of yaw," he was saying that the _Condor_ was turned slightly in its course by two degrees.

Um . . . yeah, that's pretty much it for now.


	156. Five Days: Night Attack

Chapter 3: Night Attack

It was the last day . . . and thank goodness for it. At midnight tonight, Aerrow could get this cast off and be good as new!

Until then, he had to put up with Junko's cooking.

"Last dinner in bed!" Junko said cheerfully, pulling the lid off the platter that he held in front of Aerrow. "Fresh, tasty sky squidies!" He shoved the platter toward Aerrow.

Aerrow watched with disgust as the two sky squids wiggled in front of him, even though they steamed from cooking. Radarr, who was standing next to Aerrow, resting a paw on the bed, looked exasperated for Aerrow's sake. He had watched Aerrow put up with Junko's cooking for five days now, and he figured the Sky Knight had earned a break.

But this was one more meal than Aerrow could take. Quickly he thought up an excuse. "Mmm!" he said, looking at the squids. "Looks yummy, but," he smiled up at Junko, "I'm still full from your Lopian wiggler lunch."

"Huh," Junko said with a shrug. "Alright. More for me then!" Aerrow watched, disgusted, as Junko held up the platter and dumped the sky squids in his mouth, downing them in less than thirty seconds. Just as he finished, he put a fist to his chest and then turned to Aerrow, letting loose a long, loud, _stinky_ burp right in Aerrow's face. Aerrow cringed at the smell, the blast strong enough to ruffle his hair.

Once done, Junko smiled sheepishly. "Oops," he said with a slight chuckle. "Sorry."

Aerrow never had to think up a response to that. Instead he gasped as he felt crystal fire rock the ship! "Piper, report!" he called into the intercom.

* * *

On the bridge, Piper stared out the frontal window in dismay as she saw the approaching skyrides. They were black gliders with engines, really, which meant only one thing: Night Crawlers. But there was also someone in front of them on a Talon Switchblade. Violet crystal shots from all attackers peppered the ship.

While Stork peered through the periscope to get a better look at their attackers, Piper grabbed the cupped intercom mouthpiece to answer Aerrow. "We're under attack!" she answered, grunting as another shot rocked the ship. "Cyclonians found us!"

"Not just any Cyclonians," Stork added. "It's _her!_"

He zeroed in the periscope right on Master Cyclonis' smirking face.

Mater Cyclonis held up her crystal staff, a signal to the Night Crawlers. "Attack!" she ordered.

The Night Crawlers resumed firing on the _Condor_. Their shots were so many that the _Condor_ rattled with them. In the infirmary, Aerrow gasped as he bounced helplessly across the bed toward the side. On the table next to the bed, one of Piper's crystal devices fell over. Aerrow hoped it wasn't anything unstable.

As the ship continued to rock, Stork took as tight a hold as he could on the _Condor_'s wheel, his teeth clenched in fright. Junko, meanwhile, grabbed the back of a couch for support. "Why is Master Cyclonis here?" he asked in confusion. "What could _she_ want?"

Junko had a point. Master Cyclonis wouldn't be going out to attack one single squadron—even the Storm Hawks—without due cause.

But it didn't matter now. While Aerrow was out of commission, Piper was in charge, and they would be following her lead for the battle.

She ran across the bridge toward where her backpack was hanging on the wall. "I'm guessing we're about to find out," she answered Junko, pulling a flame-colored crystal from the front pocket of her bag. "Junko, Finn," she ordered, "stand by at the cannon." She pulled out her staff and secured the burner crystal on its tip. "This burner oughtta take out the Night Crawlers."

Stork kept his eyes on their attackers. As the Night Crawlers swooped closer, Stork glanced over his shoulder and warned, both to those on the bridge and over the intercom, "Incoming! Hang on, everyone!"

Now was the time to stop them! "Shield your eyes!" Piper warned as she held up her staff, pointing its crystal-tipped end at the frontal window. Through squinted eyes, she watched as the crystal grew brighter from her calling on its power. Then it let out an explosion of light as bright as the morning sun, filling the bridge and shining out the frontal window in rays, sweeping over the Night Crawlers outside.

But when the light went out and Piper opened her eyes again, she saw the Night Crawlers were still coming, one of them chuckling in amusement at her failed attempt.

That's when Piper realized: the light wasn't affecting their armor! "Upgraded Night Crawlers?" she gasped. "We're in trouble!"

Outside, Master Cyclonis chuckled with amusement. She knew who must have been smart enough and wise enough in the way of crystals to generate that blinding light. "Nice try, Piper," she said. Then she pointed her staff at the _Condor_. A great explosion of light went out from the violet crystal on its tip in pulses.

Immediately it put out all exposed crystals. Piper gasped and covered her face to protect it as the burner on her staff zapped and had energy explode from it so strongly that it bent the end of her staff up and left its end smoking, sparks flying.

The Night Crawlers were dangerously close now and shooting as much as ever. The pulses shook the _Condor_ enough to make Piper lose her footing, and she fell against the round table, where she caught herself.

There was only one thing left to do. "Junko, Finn," she ordered, "open fire!"

Finn and Junko both got in the seats behind the cannons and opened up the hatches, the turrets sliding out onto the platforms on the starboard side of the ship. Finn came out with a war cry. "Let 'em have it, Junko!" he shouted to his comrade.

"You got it!" Junko answered. With a Wallop roar, he commenced firing. All the Night Crawlers swerved and ducked out of the way of his shots, returning fire.

But not all were good enough to avoid Finn. With a yell, the sharpshooter fired a volley of shots, one of which struck a Night Crawler's glider and sent the Night Crawler parachuting to the Wastelands.

The boys were so caught up in exchanging fire with the Night Crawlers that they didn't notice Cyclonis flying up along the _Condor_'s starboard side, then skimming over the top and diving down to circle around the back.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Aerrow lay in his bed knowing that Master Cyclonis and the Night Crawlers had attacked, knowing that Piper had tried to drive them away and failed, and knowing that now the _Condor_ was in an exchange of fire. And he could do nothing to help! He could only lie there, useless and helpless. He kept looking at the clock. His recovery time was almost at hand; he had only that!

But the constant rocking of the ship and the bouncing he had been doing had finally knocked him just to the edge of the bed. "Whoa!" he cried as he felt himself falling off the edge.

But Radarr was there to save him. Whimpering, the little guy ran to his side and caught him just before he had slid far enough to fall, holding him up on the bed. But he didn't have enough strength to push the boy back up.

* * *

Meanwhile, while Junko and Finn were well distracted by the Night Crawlers, Master Cyclonis had managed to get right under the _Condor_'s rudder without detection. With a yell, she fired a crystal pulse from her staff toward the underside of the ship's stern.

The purple pulse was absorbed by the ship and radiated out on it, until the entire ship glowed violet. It was over in less than a second, but that was just enough.

Stork gasped as the wheel's spring sank to the floor, taking him with it. "We've lost steering control!" he cried into the intercom.

The firing stopped as well. After repeatedly trying to fire, Finn let out a growl of frustration. "My weapons are out!" he shouted to Junko.

"Mine, too!" Junko answered back, sounding scared.

Stork knew what that meant. They were completely defenseless. "Please, prepare to be boarded," he said.

The Night Crawlers began to swoop in on the ship and dropped from their gliders, landing on the top of the boosters, their clawed hands gripping the metal to keep them in place. Some continued to fire, rocking the ship, which was now unable to fire back.

This was too much. Piper was out of ideas and no clue what to do. She immediately went running to the one person who always knew.

But when she got to the doorway of the infirmary, she gasped. Aerrow was sliding, threatening to fall off the bed. Radarr was the only thing holding him up. The little guy had his front paws pushing against Aerrow and his back paws pressed against the side of the table behind him, so that he was suspended between the two to keep Aerrow in place.

Radarr screeched urgently when he saw Piper, and Piper could see his arms shaking as he started to whimper. He couldn't hold out much longer.

Piper quickly ran to the opposite bedside. "Whoa!" Aerrow gasped as Piper righted him immediately, setting him once more in the middle of the bed. No longer caught between Aerrow and the table, Radarr collapsed on the floor.

Aerrow's eyes strayed toward the clock again. So close! But he needed more time!

He turned to Piper. "Keep 'em outta here," he instructed her. "I just need a few more minutes!"

Piper looked up at the clock to see that it read about 11:40. "You've got twenty minutes to go!" she answered. "I don't think we can hold them off that long!" Even as she said it, another crystal pulse rocked the whole ship.

But Aerrow just lifted an eyebrow cockily and said, "Trust me."

Piper didn't know what to make of that, but she had always trusted Aerrow's judgment before. Now was not the time to question him. Hoping he was right, she ran back out into the hallway, feeling the floor shaking under her feet from beating the Night Crawlers were giving the _Condor_.

But as she ran by a corner in the wall, she thought she saw someone huddled down in it. She stopped and turned around, saying, "Huh?"

Two Night Crawlers crept out of hiding, cackling at her. Piper gasped and looked for an escape . . . only to see three other Night Crawlers creep out of nooks and crannies all around her. The five Night Crawlers had her surrounded. And the one Night Crawler right in front of her was their red-eyed leader.

The captain put his finger to his hood, speaking into his radio. "We're in, Master," he said.

"_Aerrow is mine!_" Master Cyclonis answered over his headpiece. "_The rest you can have._"

"Yes, Master," the Night Crawler answered back. And with that, he smirked and pointed his arm-mounted crossbow at Piper. Piper looked around to see all of the others doing the same.

Her heart beat a mile a minute. Cyclonis was after _Aerrow!_ She must know Cyclonia's most hated Sky Knight was defenseless. It was the only explanation that made sense. But how could she know?

It didn't matter now, Piper realized. She was defenseless, surrounded, and at the point of crossbows. If the Night Crawlers took her down, she couldn't protect Aerrow from anything.

But just then, she heard a Wallop roar. Junko appeared, leaping at the captain and the Night Crawler next to him, Knuckle Busters blazing. With one mighty swing of his fist, the two Night Crawlers were sent flying through the air.

They landed in a heap by the wall . . . right beside Finn, who stood there proudly holding Piper's staff. Meeting her eyes, he threw it to her.

Piper snatched it out of the air, no longer feeling so scared. She had a weapon now, and these Night Crawlers were going to get it! With a yell and one swing of her staff, she knocked two of the Night Crawlers' away, getting them tangled on a pipe hanging from the ceiling. The two were suspended there a moment only to fall to the floor.

Finn laughed at the sight, only turn to and screamed when he found himself face to face with the fifth Night Crawler, who was leaping to attack him.

But Junko saved the day yet again. He got in between them, and the Night Crawler face-planted right in the Wallop's chest. Then, letting out a sound that was more like an animal's wail than a human scream, the Night Crawler flew backward and bashed against the wall, knocking lose some pipes as he did, which clattered to the floor in front of him as he slid down the wall.

They all looked around at the five Night Crawlers lying around on the floor, most of them unconscious. Scattered parts that had been knocked about during the fight lay with them in clutter.

Junko rubbed his neck guiltily. "Sorry, Finn," he said, gesturing the mess, "but I think I messed up your floor."

But Finn wasn't too worried about that. He had his eye on one of the Night Crawlers, the only Crawler still conscious, who had landed with his upper body just outside the garbage chute. The chute had recently been cleaned out by Finn and was now open to the outside. As the Night Crawler came to and raised his head, Finn took the liberty of kicking him the rear. The Night Crawler screamed as he was sent sliding down the chute and shot out the back of the _Condor_.

Finn grinned. "Hey," he said, "this cleaning thing really works!"

* * *

But since the boys were in the hallway helping Piper, no one was on the bridge to assist Stork when trouble came his way.

The Merb had already known he was doomed, but he sensed it coming when he saw a patch of the ceiling of the bridge start to turn red with heat. Then the ceiling began to crumble, and Stork gasped and turned away as the last of it broke in an explosion of white light.

When he turned around, he gasped again in terror.

Master Cyclonis descended from the hole in the cloud of dust. She was levitating via the power of a crystal, though Stork couldn't guess which type. He could only squeak in horror as the Master hovered ever closer. "Hello, Storm Hawks," her ice-cold voice greeted him, lengthening her crystal staff as she did.

But then Stork took heart when he saw what Cyclonis was hovering over. Gathering his courage, he held up a finger and said, "Goodbye, Master Cyclonis!" And then he pulled down a lever by the helm.

Master Cyclonis screamed as the spring underneath the ejection platform sprung upward, shooting her out the open skylight.

But it didn't get her to go away; it only magnified her anger! With a squeal of rage, she caught herself in midair above the _Condor_, spun around, and fired a blast from her staff back at the _Condor_.

Stork's eyes widened as the blast struck the ejection platform, making it explode into little pieces. And once again, Master Cyclonis descended in the cloud of dust from the explosion. But this time, she looked peeved. No, that word wasn't strong enough. She looked _enraged_.

"Uh, oh," was all Stork could say. Doom, here we come.

Master Cyclonis flew at him and with a yell sent a crystal pulse from her staff right at the Merb. Stork cried out and tried to get out of the way, but it was too fast for him.

He gasped and coughed as the pulse struck him. All he knew was pain and a blinding flash of violet light.

The sharpness of the pain began to dull only to find him on the floor on his back. But his head was pounding and couldn't quit spinning.

Desperate, he reached up for the mouth of the speaker and called over the intercom, "A little help on the bridge, guys?" It was all he could manage before he fainted.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Terra Nostrus' name may come from the word "nostrum." A nostrum is an ineffective, or "quack," remedy with no scientific basis prescribed by an unqualified doctor.

Kind of an ironic name for the terra Storm Hawks are circling, considering Aerrow's condition and his treatment.

Eh, this battle never really interested me. (You can tell that by my writing.) I'm anxious for the last few scenes in the next chapter!


	157. Five Days: The Light of Day

Chapter 4: The Light of Day

Finn and Junko had heard Stork's call. Master Cyclonis didn't even have time to move before the door opened and the two boys stood in her way. "Freeze, Cyclonis," Finn ordered boldly. He aimed his crossbow at her while Junko lit his Knuckle Busters. "We got you surrounded!" The two boys nodded to each other, letting each know it was time to attack.

But Cyclonis didn't have time for this. Still angry over Stork's rude welcome and dissatisfied with the Night Crawler's apparent failure, she was quick to act. She lifted up her staff with a yell and shot a blast that sent Finn right into the closed door. Gasping and groaning, the boy fell over on the floor. Before he could get up, she used her crystal staff to make the two levitate off the ground. With a swing of her staff, the two were sent careening to the opposite wall. Junko hit his back against it, and Finn hit his back against Junko. The two fell over. Junko was out cold, and he pinned Finn underneath him, who only groan and try in vain to move.

Satisfied with this, Master Cyclonis flew threw the open door where the boys had entered. "Now," she said excitedly, "where is Aerrow?" She was so close to her quarry! He had to be nearby.

She looked around and saw the many Night Crawlers lying on the floor unconscious, confirming her suspicions that they had failed on their end. But it was alright. There was nothing she couldn't handle.

At last, Master Cyclonis saw the sight she was looking for. At the end of the corridor was a room with an open door, and through it, she could make out the end of a bed with two heavily bandaged legs, one resting and one held up.

She smirked. At last, her searching was over! She started hovering over to the infirmary.

But then Piper stepped out of the infirmary from beyond the doorframe and blocked the doorway, holding up her staff defensively, a blue crystal on its tip. "Not a chance, Cyclonis!" she growled. If Cyclonis wanted Aerrow, she was going to have to get through _her!_

Master Cyclonis smirked at her. She didn't seem worried in the least, which made Piper even more nervous. "Well," the Master said, "if it isn't my best friend forever."

Piper ground her teeth together at that. She hated the very mention of that affair!

Anger hardened, she cast Cyclonis an ice-cold glare. "You may have found us," she said, pointing her staff at her, "but we're not gonna go down without a fight!"

But there was one last Night Crawler ready to battle. He suddenly leapt out from his hiding place in the infirmary. Piper went down under him with a cry, fighting with him over the staff.

Master Cyclonis drifted in nonchalantly, looking down at Piper arrogantly. "Yes," she said, "you are."

Aerrow could only watch, helpless to do anything, as Master Cyclonis used the crystal of her staff to levitate Piper and the Night Crawler. Then she sent the two hurtling into the far wall. "Piper!" Aerrow cried.

Even after the two had fallen to the floor, Master Cyclonis kept the power of her crystal upon them, knowing that if Piper tried anything she could simply whisk her away again. But Piper wasn't trying anything at the moment. She groaned but didn't seem to be fully conscious.

Master Cyclonis turned around to Aerrow. "What happened to you?" she asked teasingly. "Slipped on a banana peel?"

Her closeness to the truth was almost embarrassing. "Something like that," Aerrow admitted. His eyes glanced momentarily away when he saw Radarr picking up a stereo and hoisting it over his head. Knowing he had something in mind, he quickly turned back to Cyclonis, hoping she hadn't noticed him looking away, trying to distract her long enough for Radarr to succeed.

"Oh, really," Master Cyclonis answered him with a chuckle.

Radarr was right behind Cyclonis now and was just about to drop the stereo on her when Cyclonis pointed her finger at the stereo without turning around. The crystal on her staff started to grow brighter, and then a bright light shot out of her finger. Radarr let out a squeal of shock as the stereo changed it an anvil and landed right on top of him so only his tail could be seen, sticking up in the air.

Aerrow shook his head slightly, bitter now that Radarr's plan didn't work. But it wasn't hopeless yet. His eyes met the Master's. "What do you want, Cyclonis?" he snarled.

Master Cyclonis just kept smirking at him. "Piper must have you on a five-day plan," she said, taking her staff in both hands. "Smart girl. Too bad you have ten minutes left and I'm already right here."

Aerrow glanced at the clock. It did read ten till midnight.

On the floor, Piper was just starting to push herself of the ground but found she couldn't move. She was still glowing violet, stuck to the floor by Cyclonis' crystal's power.

"Now," Cyclonis continued, "you have something I need." Aerrow watched her hand reach for the nil crystal. With a grunt of effort, she pulled it free of the plug on his cast.

"No!" Piper cried. Without that crystal, Aerrow would forever be crippled!

But Aerrow tried to portray fear to Cyclonis, knowing that she had a worse fate in store for him. Laughing as she balled the crystal in her hand, she lowered her staff toward him with the other, pointing her crystal right at his head. "Now," she said, "to finish off one of my biggest annoyances once and for all!" The crystal tip extended, and crystal began to glow bright and sizzle with energy. She was about to release her death blow.

But Aerrow just smirked at her.

Confused, Cyclonis lowered her staff . . . a mistake that Aerrow did not fail to miss. "What are you so happy about?" she growled.

"I know something you don't know," Aerrow answered tauntingly, the smirk never leaving his face. He turned to the clock. "That clock is three ticks too slow."

Master Cyclonis gave him an impatient look. "And this concerns me because . . . ?"

Aerrow's smirk widened. "I was healed _two minutes ago!_"

He was still in the body cast, but now at least he could move. He kicked up with his raised leg, and Cyclonis let out a cry as he knocked her staff out of her hand in doing so.

Piper gasped and looked up. When Aerrow had knocked the staff away from Cyclonis, Piper had been released from the crystal. She could move again.

Aerrow grunted as the kick sent him rolling over and landing on the floor on his face. But the cast protected him from harm. Undisturbed, he wiggled free of as many bandages as he could, enough to free his limbs of all but a few roles on the forearms, his upper legs and his lower legs. His chest was still encased in the bandage that he held his ribcage in place. Other than that, the only thing he wore were his red and purple boxers.

Still wiggling free, Aerrow sat up and grinned at Cyclonis. "Those ticks add up," he said, taunting her.

Cyclonis growled angrily, obviously losing her temper. She raised her staff and was about to bring down a blow on him when Radarr suddenly leapt up and grabbed her staff with a savage growl. Cyclonis screamed and danced, trying to get him off.

Piper got to her feet. She knew Aerrow could defend himself, if he only had a weapon. But he was defenseless.

No, he _wasn't!_ Piper lifted up her own staff. "Aerrow, catch!" she cried.

Aerrow turned in time to see the staff. Getting to his feet, he easily caught it in his hand and readied himself to face Cyclonis.

Cyclonis still spun around, growling and trying to get Radarr of her staff. Aerrow waited until just the right moment. As the end of her staff as headed his way, he let out a yell as he struck it with Piper's staff.

The violet crystal that had done so much damage was knocked off the end of the staff. Now it was _Master Cyclonis_ who was defenseless.

Aerrow smirked. Not only had Cyclonis failed, but she had given him a chance to end this war once and for all! He pointed Piper's staff at her. "Now," he said, "about my biggest annoyance!"

But Master Cyclonis looked undaunted. "I already have what a really came for," she said, pinching the nil crystal between two fingers while she showed it to him.

Aerrow's eyes widened in surprise. So this whole thing _hadn't_ been about him. It had been about the nil crystal! But . . . why? What terrible device did she need to fix with it?

Master Cyclonis smirked. "Maybe next time," she told the Sky Knight. She slammed the other end of her staff against the ground, which still had a red crystal on its tip. Aerrow gasped as the force of the red blast sent him flying backward. Piper and Radarr squinted against the light and held their hands up to protect their faces.

Then in a moment, it was over. Aerrow was left lying on the floor on his back, Piper's staff still clutched in his hand. Radarr stood next to him to check on him, and both stared up at the ceiling. Piper walked over to where they were to see what held their attention and found herself looking up at a hole burned in the metal ceiling, its edges ragged with twisted metal. Aerrow sat up and squinted up beyond it, trying to spot Master Cyclonis, but she was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

The next morning, Finn was out in the hallway with a broom, gloomily sweeping up what he could. But even as he looked down the hall, all he saw as a mess of objects on the floor, sometimes so thick that the floor couldn't be seen. He groaned. So much for the cleaning he promised Aerrow. Now he had to start all over again! Stupid Night Crawlers!

Piper gave him a sympathetic glance as she passed him by, but she didn't stop. She was carrying a tray with two cold drinks with bendy straws stuck in them. She figured a certain someone deserved a little refreshment.

She headed into the infirmary and couldn't help broadening her smile. It was nice to see Aerrow up and about and back in his own clothes. Bandages never did him justice.

The Sky Knight was sitting on the cot, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. He was terribly stiff after holding still for so long, and no matter what he did, his limbs had the tingly feeling of being asleep. But at least he could move again. It was a great relief. But the greatest relief of all was the feeling of being absolutely healthy. There was no pain or soreness in any of his movement; a miracle, considering how much it had hurt to wiggle at all when he'd had broken bones.

Piper walked up him, offering him the tray. "Feeling better?" she asked.

"Good as new!" Aerrow assured her, taking a glass from the tray gratefully. "Eh, thanks to you, Piper."

She set down the tray at the end of the cot and took a seat next to him, taking her own glass. Aerrow was amazed at how calm and collected she was after having a night like they'd had. Aerrow had been dwelling on it for quite some time. "I only wish Cyclonis didn't get away with your crystal," he said to Piper, who was taking a sip from her straw.

"Gundstaff's crystal, remember?" Piper reminded him. "No telling what she's gonna do with it." She, too, looked worried. And tired. Perhaps she wasn't as unconcerned about the event as well as Aerrow had thought.

But whatever the case, they were all alright, even Stork, who was only a little sore after he'd regained consciousness. And in the light of the morning, the happenings of the night before seemed less daunting. It was only a nil crystal, after all. Able to fix things, yes. Able to make or harm things? No. So Cyclonis must be fixing something.

Aerrow held his glass up to Piper. "Well, whatever it is," he said, "I hope we never find out."

The two clicked glasses. That was one toast Piper was definitely agreeing to.

* * *

Back in Cyclonia, Master Cyclonis had just arrived in her laboratory, still levitating. She lowered herself down to the ground and looked at the mess in front of her. The huge, barrel-shaped rod was left right where it had fallen. Trying to be as gentle as possible, she pointed her staff at the rod and let a line of energy shoot out from it and consume the rod in violet light, lifting it slowly from the wreckage. Then with a swish of her staff, the rod was tossed off to the side nonchalantly.

There lay the wreckage of her a machine and shattered bits of crystal. But Master Cyclonis ignored the machine altogether. Her sad eyes instead fell upon one shattered crystal in particular, broken into bits of aqua blue. Careful, holding her breath and daring to hope, she lifted the nil crystal and pointed it at the aqua-colored shards.

The green light of the nil crystal intermingled with the glowing light blue, and it appeared that the light morphed and swam in ripples as the many blue shards began to come together again, pressing against each other and forming intact cracks, which sealed, ringing and crackling.

At last, the nil crystal's energy died away as the aqua crystal shards once again formed into a round, ball-shaped crystal with flat edges all around. Cyclonis smiled. It was not a malicious or even triumphant smile but one of joy and contentment.

As she drew her hand away, the round crystal flashed, and a light blue haze, like smoke, began to rise from it. In this haze appeared a holographic image that made Cyclonis' heart warm with closest thing she'd ever felt to love. This was what she had wanted to preserve, the reason she had so fervently sought the nil crystal. It was so that she may always retain this holographic picture.

There in the haze was the image of her grandmother, the Master Cyclonis before her, sitting on her throne that had once occupied the place where Master Cyclonis' machines did now in the throne room. Sitting next to her in the chair was a little four-year-old child with violet eyes and cascading black hair that hung in front of her face. The child's eyes were also old and cold, and she clung to a doll that was so grotesque and inhuman that it should have made all who saw it cringe.

But Cyclonis could only smile at the child, for she knew it to be herself.

But her greatest look of joy was for that of the face of the old queen who sat beside the child, wearing the aubergine cloak of the Master of Cyclonia with the hood open and splayed. The older Master's face was lined but stern, cold, and unmoving, unloving. Her long hair, flimsy and white with age, fell flat against her head from under a crown shaped like a bird's head, reminiscent of a Mynall bird, the bird of life and protection of Atmos.

The young Cyclonis bowed her head honorably to image. It was for her grandmother that she did what she did. The old Master had dreamed of a world united under the flag of Cyclonia, where all would know the Master as the guardian. Cyclonis knew she would make the old Master's dream come to pass . . . no matter what the cost.

The crystal flashed again, and the image disappeared.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Holographic images are made when light is scattered by an object and recorded at the same time. This can later be reconstructed as it appears to be in its relative location to the recording medium when it was recorded. This technology has existed since the 1960s.

Ooh, I liked that last scene! In some episodes, Nerd Corps really does a good job of showing a gray area in Cyclonis, and this is one of them.

Next time, we're going to see the beginnings of the Dark Ace's dissent from Cyclonis! Yay!


	158. Energy Crisis: Medulla Mayhem

Author's Notes: I'm _so_ sorry this took so long! I've had a couple of computer problems that have made me loose lots of information. I had the episode halfway written the first time and then had to rewrite it. Then I nearly finished it and had another problem and then had to rewrite it _again!_ So in affect, I've written this episode three times. Sorry if the writing sounds like I'm bored. It's because I was by the time this was finally typed up, I _was_ bored. I did my best, though.

* * *

_**Part 39**_

_**Energy Crisis**_

_An old enemy rises up with a new weapon. Power is sought, and power is lost. Hunger for power breeds more appetite._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Medulla Mayhem

Shortly after Aerrow was healed, the stir-crazy Sky Knight was more than eager for a trip to Terra Saharr when Piper pointed out that the team was low on supplies.

Aerrow and Radarr led the way down the street, looking for anything interesting. Stork was lagging behind the group, his eyes scanning over his list of must-have objects. Junko was reading the list over his shoulder. "Stork," he said, "do you really need to buy another venomous cricket?"

"Um," Stork answered, "I need the venom to make anti-venom, which is important since the first cricket is still loose somewhere on the ship."

Junko stopped fearfully at that. "Uh," he said uneasily, holding up two fingers, "maybe we better buy two."

Finn, meanwhile, had stopped at the wooden booth of a toy dealer, looking through the various items. Ignoring the huge teddy bear on one of the posts and the flower, princess puppet, and microscope sitting on the counter beside him, he searched through various objects. Soccer ball. Already have one. Jack-in-the-box. Lame. He picked up a rubber ducky and squeezed it twice, listening to it squeak. Lam_er!_ He threw that over his shoulder and then picked up a Harrier action figure and squeezed the legs, making it move its arms. No _way!_ He sighed and threw that over his shoulder with the ducky. "Okay," he asked the toy dealer, "what else you got?"

"Ah!" the young brown-haired dealer exclaimed, holding up a finger. "A unique puzzle guaranteed to challenge the mind!" He picked up a glowing yellow square with various block-shaped parts sticking out of it and then handed it to Finn.

Finn held it up to the sky, squinting at it. He chuckled. "This?" he said. "This doesn't look so hard!" The game was pretty straight forward. All you did was shift the various parts around until the sides were smooth, even, and square-shaped. Nothing more than a puzzle. But just to test it out, Finn started playing with it.

Just then, the game morphed into a guitar right in Finn's hands. Delighted with the change, Finn strummed the strings, only to gasp as it then morphed into a huge teddy bear, then to a full-sized surf board.

Finn smiled. This game was _cool!_

"Some say the game is impossible," the dealer said. "Some say it drives men made. Some say—"

Finn interrupted him, shoving a green dollar toward him. "I'll give ya a buck for it."

The dealer grinned. "Sold!" he said at once, snatching the dollar out of Finn's hand.

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed, looking at his surfboard-game again, which then proceeded to morph into meat-eating plant, like those found in the Black Gorge. Finn squealed and cringed away as the game plant snapped at him.

Piper, meanwhile, was walking down the aisle of booths and tents, looking for the various items the Storm Hawks actually _needed_. She at last smiled as she saw a bottle of something she wanted and was just reached for it when a man stepped in between her. "Out of my way!" he growled angrily.

Piper stared after the man angrily. He must be a local, she decided, for he wore the long, hooded robe characteristic of a desert native. "Excuse me!" she shouted after him. "That was rude!"

But then the man began to turn around. Piper gasped fearfully and ducked behind two wooden crates, peering at the man in between them.

The man under the red cloak with green trim—Cyclonian colors—peered out angrily at the marketplace with blazing red eyes. He scanned over the area, looking for the person who dare shout at him, but all he saw were two wooden crates with a bunch of glass bottles sitting on top of them and a white hen standing beside the crates, clucking. Grunting angrily, he turned and stalked off.

Piper peered out from behind the crates, hardly daring to believe she had seen who she thought she saw. "Dark Ace," she breathed.

Piper watched as the Dark Ace stalked up to a brown-haired man looking at oranges. He spun around the man around roughly, grabbing his collar and pulling him close. "You!" he growled. "I'm looking for Renswick's shop. Where is it?"

Quivering with fright and looking shocked and confused, the man pointed off to the side at one of the larger tents.

As if being mean just for the heck of it, the Dark Ace tossed the man into the oranges, knocking many of them into street and making a hidden cat squeal in pain.

Growling, the Dark Ace stalked off toward Renswick's tent.

Piper remembered Renswick. The crooked, shady merchant dealt with all who came to him. Piper remembered disguising herself as Ravess so she and Junko, disguised as Snipe, could get the black box from him, meant for Master Cyclonis herself! Renswick was also very knowledgeable about all he sold, including ancient artifacts and crystals. Had Renswick agreed to sell another dangerous object to the Cyclonians? Was the Dark Ace about to make him a proposition? Piper didn't know. But whatever it was, they needed to get to the bottom of it!

She put her fingers to her ear, turning on her headpiece speaker. "Guys," she radioed to the others, "we have a situation."

* * *

The Dark Ace barged right into Renswick's shop, throwing the tent flap aside and letting it close behind him. A table ran along one side of the tent, and he growled at seeing not just a lamp, a Timepulse receiver, books, and scrolls scattered across it, but also two Storm Hawks emblem, which were obviously for sale. Directly in front of him was a man in a desert robe, who was putting away books on the shelf. To the other side of the tent was a path laid with rugs, which led to a back room in the tent structure.

Due to the Dark Ace's quiet entrance, the attendant did not hear him come in. So the Dark Ace decided to inform him. "Renswick," he demanded.

"Hmm?" the man asked, turning around. He met the strange costumer's penetrating, blood-red glare.

"And be quick about it," the Dark Ace added, giving him the or-else-I'll-kill-you-where-you-stand stare.

Lip trembling in nervousness and arms still full of books, the brown-haired assistant went around back to fetch his employer, the crooked merchant Renswick.

An older man stepped out from the back. The Dark Ace stared hard at him. This old man was also wearing a dark-colored desert cloak, and he had dark skin, unlike most residents of Saharr. But surprisingly, though his moustache and eyebrows were white with age, the hair seen under his hood was so dark it was nearly black. Perhaps the old merchant had colored it.

Renswick cleared his throat. "Uh, can I help you?" His voice sounded scratchy and high-pitched.

But there was good reason for the inconsistencies. Aerrow was in the back room, and he peered around so he could see Piper, disguised as Renswick, meeting the Dark Ace face to face. It made him nervous, but he knew only Piper could play Renswick, despite their lack of similar appearance. Only she could pretend to know as much about ancient artifacts and crystals as the merchant . . . because, oftentimes, she did.

The Dark Ace seemed to believe the disguise. Good. Aerrow turned back to Renswick, who was hiding around back with the rest of the Storm Hawks. "Trust me," he told the merchant, "you don't wanna deal with this guy."

Renswick nodded fearfully, rubbing his hand over his knuckle in his nervousness.

The Storm Hawks had beaten the Dark Ace to the shop. They had come in and questioned Renswick to see if he knew why the Dark Ace was coming to see him. Despite being involved in shady dealings in the past, the merchant claimed to know nothing and even seemed frightened about the idea of meeting with the Dark Ace. The Storm Hawks had quickly devised this plan to see what the Dark Ace was up to. If he was asking for merchandise, they planned to intercept.

Aerrow went back to peering around the entrance to the next room, watching the scene carefully.

"I normally go to one of Master Cyclonis' experts, but this need not concern her," the Dark Ace told Piper. "Do I make myself clear?"

Piper nodded, just slight enough not to disturb the hood and fake facial hair that were her disguise.

The Dark Ace looked from side to side, as if to be sure they were alone. Then he turned back to Piper. "There will be dire consequences if you speak a word to _anyone_ about what I'm going to show you."

Aerrow grit his teeth together. What was so horrible, so powerful, so diabolical, that the Dark Ace didn't even want Master Cyclonis knowing about it? And since when did the Dark Ace keep secrets from Cyclonis? Aerrow thought he was her most trusted follower.

But the Dark Ace was the Storm Hawk who betrayed the Atmosian cause and destroyed his squadron and the Atmosian alliance, all so he could be a powerful Talon commander instead of a Sky Knight's copilot. Who's to say that he wouldn't hurt even Cyclonis for power?

The Dark Ace reached into his cloak and pulled out a blue, nearly oval-shaped crystal. "I need to know if this is real," the Talon said.

He held the crystal out for Piper to see. It was a pretty decent size, and standing on a rounded end, it might have reached Radarr's knees. It had an irregularly-shaped surface that was rippled and folded. It was like looking at a lump of glowing, blue brains. At least, that was the image it gave Aerrow. And he didn't quite understand the Dark Ace's question. Of course it was a real crystal! Unless someone painted a weird-looking rock with glowing paint!

But when Piper saw it, she let out a gasp of horror. Aerrow clenched his fists at that. That couldn't be good. Aerrow didn't know what was so special about that crystal, but if it scared Piper, then it was certainly something that didn't belong in the hands of the Dark Ace. He prepared his team to attack.

The Dark Ace smirked. "I can see from you're reaction that it's authentic," he said. He put the crystal back in his cloak. "That's all I need." And with that, he turned to leave.

But just as he was about to exit the tent, Piper called, in her own voice, "Not so fast, Dark Ace!"

"Huh?" the Dark Ace gasped. He spun around to see that "Renswick" had thrown off the cloak and the fake eyebrows. And there stood Piper in her uniform with her fake moustache. She pulled it off and gasped, putting her hand to her face, her eye twitching. That hurt worse than a band-aid!

With yells, the rest of the Storm Hawks emerged from their hiding places, taking fighting stances behind Piper.

The Dark Ace's eyes widened in shock. "The Storm Hawks!" he exclaimed.

Piper narrowed her eyes at him, letting her moustache flutter to the ground. "I don't know how you got the Medulla Crystal, but we're not letting you leave with it!" She drew her staff and lengthened it in front of her. In the same instant, Finn pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at the Dark Ace, and with a grunt, Aerrow drew his blades and lit them.

But the Dark Ace only smirked as he sighted the lamp burning on the table. It was a traditional oil lamp rather than a crystal lamp. Grinning like mad, he grabbed the lamp and threw it up into the air.

Aerrow gasped. If the lamp fell and shattered, the whole tent could go up in flames! Dropping his blades, the young Sky Knight leapt forward on his stomach, catching the lamp upright in his hands.

Pulling off his cloak to allow him to run, the Dark Ace fled out the tent, laughing at them.

The rest of the Storm Hawks all raised eyebrows at that. "Um," Finn said, gesturing out the tent, "did he just run away?"

Aerrow got to his feet. Whatever the Dark Ace was up to, he wasn't getting away with it. "After him!" he cried.

The Dark Ace managed to get to his Switchblade before the Storm Hawks could catch him. Still determined not to let him get away, all but Stork got to their own rides and pursued.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes as the Dark Ace led them into a canyon, flying under a stone arch. Was he trying to lose them? Why wasn't he turning to fight? It wasn't like the Dark Ace at all, especially when Aerrow was involved. Where were the death threats and insults and sword slashing?

Finn and Junko got ahead. Finn pulled out the retractable crossbow on his bow and met Junko's eyes. Smiling back, Junko lit his Knuckle Busters. The two best friends were going in together.

They pulled up on either side of the Dark Ace's stern, planning to trap him. The Dark Ace glared over his shoulders at them. But at the last minute, the Talon pulled up, laughing triumphantly.

The boys just raised eyebrows in confusion . . . until they saw what was right ahead of them. Junko gasped. Finn screamed. They had been so focused on the Dark Ace that they hadn't realized they were flying straight for the top of an arch of stone!

Aerrow and Radarr gasped at the sound of Finn's and Junko's Skimmers crashing into the rock. Finn and Junko were both hurled right over the top, having never touched the stone. But now they had no rides. Finn turned to Junko and grinned sheepishly, knowing they were both going to fall.

But they didn't fall. Aerrow and Radarr winced in sympathy as Finn and Junko slammed face-first right into another arch. "Ow!" Junko said as the two slid down the soft incline to the bottom.

Aerrow watched them just long enough to know they were alright and then kept going.

The Dark Ace was headed for a tunnel. Already he was making his way for the hole in the face of the cliff side. He had to turn his ride sideways to get in without getting his wings sliced off. Aerrow and Radarr followed suit.

Piper was forced to pull up at the entrance. There was no possible way for her to fit her Heliscooter through unless she pulled a stunt—going without helicopter blades for a few moments—and she doubted she could. She wasn't Aerrow.

Aerrow and Radarr pulled up right behind the Dark Ace. Aerrow was irritated with this whole chase; this entire time, he had waited for the Talon turn to on him and fight it out like they usually do, but no such luck. "Running away?" Aerrow called after him. "Didn't think that was your style!"

But the Dark Ace didn't take the bait. "You give yourself too much credit, Aerrow," he called back to him. "Let's just say, I have a little surprise in store, and I'm anxious to unwrap it!"

At last, he pulled his sword and lit it. But instead of turning it on Aerrow, he fired two shots at the ceiling. Each struck a stalactite. Radarr squealed and cringed as he saw the stalactites break apart and threaten to fall upon their Skimmer.

They got clear of most of it, but Aerrow gasped and ducked, listing to avoid a rock that threatened to hit his head. It worked to protect himself, but the rock struck the top portside wing and knocked it right off. "Wha?" Aerrow gasped as he felt his Vulcan teeter.

He looked up to see that they were headed towards the other exit. The Dark Ace turned his ride sideways to get through. Still wobbling from having more wings on one side than the other, Aerrow was still able to turn his Skimmer sideways in time, but no sooner were they out when the Skimmer hit the ground, skidding to a stop and jarring Aerrow and Radarr when it halted.

Aerrow grunted in irritation as he watched the Dark Ace fly away laughing. The Talon wasn't even coming back to try to finish him!

And there was nothing Aerrow could do to stop him from getting away!

* * *

Once they were all back on the _Condor_, Piper pulled out her blue book and set it on the round table, about to explain what was so important about the Medulla Crystal. Aerrow and Stork got on either side of her. "Years ago," Piper began, "a Sky Knight inventor built a battle suit. He called it the Suit of Untold Vengeance!"

But just as she opened the book and was about to continue, they all heard the sound of a crystal flashing, and they all looked up. Finn was sitting on the couch on the opposite side of the table, playing with his new game, looking much more interested in it than Piper's story. "Finn," Piper snapped irritably, "do you mind?" Stork shook his head at him.

"I'm listening," Finn answered without looking up. "Keep goin'." As he said it, the puzzle turned into a brown drink in a glass with a bendy straw and a little red umbrella. Finn tossed it from hand to hand, looking distressed that it had changed.

Piper gave him one last glare before she turned back to her book. "Now where was I?" she asked herself. "The Suit of Untold Vengeance!" She showed them a sketch of it in her book. The Suit was bipedal and heavily armored, its chest looking a bit like the front end of a car. Its hands and feet appeared to have metal talons. "Lightweight," Piper said, "transformable, enough firepower to level a building!" She showed them a sketch of a mushroom cloud, obviously a demonstration of the Suit's firepower.

Piper laid a finger on the Suit's sketch. "But legend said it was cursed."

"Ah!" Stork gasped, drawing away. "Cursed!" Then he calmed down and drummed his finger together, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "I like the sound of that."

Aerrow will never understand the way Stork's mind worked.

"The Suit wasn't _really_ cursed," Piper corrected, gesturing to Stork. "It was just too complicated for one person to control. But the blue Medulla Crystal acted like a second brain." She tapped a colored picture of the crystal in her book.

Finn still seemed more interested in his new game than anything Piper had to say. He growled when it morphed into a pie. "This toy thinks it's smarter than me?" he exclaimed. "Ha!" He got to his feet, pointing at it. "I'll show it who's smart!" It morphed back, and he continued playing, growling in frustration when it morphed again.

Piper glared at him for the interruption. "_But_," she continued, stressing the word to call everyone's attention back to her, turning a page in her book, "the Medulla Crystal was seriously unstable. Anyone who used it went crazy! So the Suit was buried at the top of Mount Vulture," she gestured to a sketch in the book of a jagged peak of rock with the top shaped like a crouching vulture, "and the crystal was destroyed. At least, it was _supposed_ to be."

Obviously not, Aerrow thought. This was not good news. "Well," he said, gesturing to Piper, "if the Dark Ace has the crystal, then he must be after the Suit." No telling what a guy like the Dark Ace could do with such a weapon . . . especially if he went crazy.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yeah, I capitalized Medulla Crystal. Did that because on the website, some crystal do have capital letters at the beginning of their names (while others don't), and this one is the only one of its type.

This trivia actually relates to the Medulla Crystal. An interesting one, I think, and unlike it usually is, this one's not so obvious.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The medulla oblongata is the lower half of the brainstem. It contains sensory and motor tracts. The medulla is essential for respiration, heart function, digestion, swallowing, and sneezing. This part of the brain is found in all vertebrates in some form or another. If the medulla is compromised, it is nearly always fatal. The medulla oblongata is oblong in shape (never would have guessed, right?) and wrinkled.

Therefore, the medulla crystal actually _looks_ like a gigantic medulla oblongata! And it functions like one!

I don't know whether that's extremely creative on Nerd Corps' part or not. I guess that depends on how you look at it.

Y'all know what to do! Again, sorry for the wait!


	159. Energy Crisis: Wary of the Wearer

Thank you, Snakewings, for pointing out my mistake! I couldn't for the life of me tell what that word was! I listened to that scene dozens of times before I finally settled on something that sounded right. Oppinsaur said "finite," not "pinemike". It is now fixed on the previous chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2: Wary of the Wearer

Quickly the _Condor_ headed for Mount Vulture. As they neared the pinnacle mountain, storm clouds filled the sky, and the winds began to swirl so much that the _Condor_ wavered and shook in the air.

They landed on the only ledge on Mount Vulture large enough for a small airship. Rather then coming off on their skyrides, the Storm Hawks, minus Stork, who was staying behind, walked off the ship down the boarding ramp.

Aerrow stared up at Mount Vulture's cliff side as he stepped outside. The mountain was even more imposing when viewed in person with its steep, jagged sides that had sharp points of rock protruding like spears. This was not going to be easy. Clenching his fists determinedly, Aerrow led the way down the ramp.

But as he did, he couldn't help hearing the sound of a crystal flashing, and he knew exactly what it was. Turning around behind him, he gestured to his annoyance and said, "Finn, put the game away! It's time to get to work."

Finn huffed. "I almost have it solved!" he said, shoving yet another part of it into its square frame. "Oh, no! I had it!" But just when he was about to correct his mistake, he gasped as the game morphed into an Atmosian jellyfish.

Alright, that was it! Aerrow had enough of that thing! Just as the game morphed back, Aerrow turned around and crossed his arms, glaring at his sharpshooter. "Finn?" he said testily.

Finn laughed nervously and put the game behind his back. Aerrow didn't get annoyed easily, and when he was, it was _really_ time to start following his orders.

As they stepped off the ramp, Junko peered up at the mountainside in front of them. "Why can't we just fly to the top?" he asked.

"Mount Vulture's too windy," Piper answered, peering up as well. "The only safe way is to climb."

Finn looked up at the imposing cliff incredulously and pointed to it. "_This_ is safe?"

Maybe not a hundred percent safe, but it was doable, as far as Aerrow could see. He wasn't concerned about being able to get up there. He was concerned about being able to get up there fast enough.

He raised his binoculars to his eyes and searched the mountainside until he saw something suspicious. Zooming in, he saw it was a Talon Switchblade Elite parked on a ledge about halfway from their location to the top. That could only mean one thing. Aerrow raised the binoculars until he saw something crawling up the cliff. Still more magnification confirmed his suspicion: the Dark Ace had already begun climbing and was more than halfway there.

Aerrow lowered the binoculars. "Come on," he told his team. "The Dark Ace has a big head start."

With that, they all started their way up the cliff. Aerrow and Junko led the way, with Radarr following in Aerrow's exact footholds and Piper doing likewise behind Junko. Finn lagged behind.

Finn forced himself not to look down, not understanding how the rest of them could take this all in stride. Okay, Aerrow was fearless, so he was supposed to take it all in stride, but couldn't the others show _a little_ trepidation so Finn didn't feel like a coward?

Up above Finn, Radarr's foot loosened a rock. Finn gasped as he had to let go of the cliff with one hand and swing clear in order to avoid the falling stone. As he did, he found himself looking down. Already they were a hundred feet above the _Condor_! Or at least, so it seemed to Finn.

Heart pounding, he put both hands back on the mountainside to see the others were far ahead of him now. Worried about being left behind and having no one to catch him if he fell, he scrambled after them, shouting, "Uh, hey, guys, wait up!"

* * *

Long before they were up there, the Dark Ace made it to the ledge just below the vulture head-shaped peak. He grinned as he looked up at the peak, which almost looked as if the vulture head were peering down at the Dark Ace in congratulations. And directly below it, right in front of the Dark Ace, was a rectangular cave entrance, its doorway indicated by having two pillars of stone bricks on either side with one large slab of rock resting on the pillars above the entrance. Something was written on this slab over the entrance, perhaps a warning. The Dark Ace didn't pay it enough mind to tell.

The Talon looked down at the Medulla Crystal in his hand and smirked. It seemed to be glowing brighter than ever. "I must be close," he told himself.

Confidently he strode into the cave.

* * *

It was some time later before the Storm Hawks finally neared the top. Aerrow was ahead of the group and nearing the top.

Piper was trying to follow right behind him. She had just placed her hand on a handhold when suddenly the rock crumbled under her hand. She screamed as she lost her hold and was left dangling from the mountainside with one hand, her hand slipping. This wasn't good . . .

The rock under her hand broke yet again, and Piper screamed just as she was about to fall.

Then a hand reached out a grabbed her wrist. Piper let out her breath as she looked up at Junko's smiling face. "Allow me," the Wallop said, lifting her up to where she could find a foothold.

Piper looked down, breathing a sigh of relief. That could have definitely been worse.

By the time Piper got up to the top, Aerrow had been there for a few minutes and was looking down at everyone impatiently. He knew the Dark Ace must have beaten them up there, which meant every minute was a minute he could be getting closer to the Suit. They had to hurry.

At last, everyone had made it except Finn. Aerrow watched as the sharpshooter finally placed his hands on the ledge and started to heave himself up. He was gasping for breath. "Mountain climbing isn't so bad," he said in between pants, "except for all the climbing."

But before he had even gotten up onto the ledge, a rumble was heard from within the tunnel. The Storm Hawks turned toward the sound, grimacing. Aerrow had a feeling he knew what it was, but he hoped he was wrong. Nervous and seeking comfort, Radarr leapt up on Aerrow's shoulder.

Finn scrambled up just in time for a large, purple and silver metal machine to burst through the face of the cliff. Rocks flew in every direction as the machine barreled its way out, widening the cave's entrance in doing so and making Finn scream in fright. The machine's sides, which had a set of tires underneath it, stuck out beyond its front.

Aerrow felt his heart race. They were too late.

Finn cringed. "Ah, man!" he exclaimed.

Right before their eyes the machine began to transform. Its sides lifted up and became legs and the back separated into arms; its main body lengthened vertically to become a torso; its main cabin rose above them, sitting upon the "shoulders" of the "torso." And sitting in this huge, helmet-shaped cabin was the Dark Ace. They could see the Talon's face in the helmet's jagged opening.

The Dark Ace slammed the Suit's huge metal fists together, its claw-like fingers clanking against one another. His eyes rested on the Storm Hawks, and he laughed in triumph. The Suit was his . . . and the Storm Hawks were about to meet their doom.

"Storm Hawks!" the Dark Ace said triumphantly. "How convenient!" He took a step toward them. The Suit's foot nearly shook the ground as it landed. "Saving me the trouble of having to hunt you down!"

Aerrow knew the Dark Ace was crazy, but he had always given the Talon a _little_ more credit than to believe he was so dumb as to pull off a scheme like this. He took a step toward the Talon. "We know about the Suit, Dark Ace," he said. He pointed up at him. "What makes you think you can control it?"

"For one thing," the Dark Ace answered, clenching his new mechanical fist, "I'm not a weak-minded Sky Knight!"

Before Aerrow could come up with a response to that, the fist sank into the Suit's arm, only to have a blaster come out of the opening. Aerrow cringed, and Radarr squeaked in alarm. They had feeling that was for them.

The Dark Ace lowered his arm and fired a powerful blast of red crystal energy at Aerrow. Radarr leapt clear of Aerrow's shoulder, trying to get away. Expecting the attack, Aerrow leapt out of the way and somersaulted on the ground, landing on his feet. In one swift motion, he drew is blades and lit them, readying for battle. The shot struck the ground where Aerrow had been standing, blasting the rock and sending debris up into the air. A blow like that would have definitely been fatal.

Radarr stood beside him. Glaring up at the Dark Ace, the furry creature motioned for the Dark Ace to come at him, daring him to attack. But instead of following it up, he squealed and leapt out of the way again as the Dark Ace took the challenge by firing another blast his way.

It was Finn's turn to try. Having drawn his crossbow, Finn fired a bolt right at the Suit's chest.

But the Dark Ace just held up his arm and blocked his chest. The bolt bounced harmlessly off the Suit's armor. Finn screamed and jumped up into the air as the bolt doubled back and almost hit his feet.

"I'm on it!" Junko cried as he took his chance to attack. He charged the Dark Ace with his Knuckle Busters lit, shouting a Wallop battle cry.

But when he slammed his Knuckle Buster-enhanced fist into the Suit's leg, the Suit wasn't affected. It was a different story for Junko, however. "Ow!" he exclaimed, half in pain and half in surprise. He put out his Busters and looked at his throbbing hand, which was starting to turn red.

The Dark Ace laughed at the Wallop's predicament and, with a single sweep of his arm, sent him flying through the air. He landed on his stomach on the ground next to Piper.

Piper stood in a battle stance, her staff held at the ready. When she saw Junko land, it looked to Aerrow like she wanted to run to him. But seeing her, the Dark Ace had turned his sights on her. She screamed as she leapt out of the way just in time before the Suit's gigantic foot nearly squashed her.

Enough of this! When the Dark Ace threatened his friends, he had gone too far. Aerrow got up on top of a boulder. With a yell, he flipped in the air and fired a powerful blast from one of his blades straight at the Dark Ace's chest, landing in a crouch with a grunt.

It should have worked. In any other battle, it would have. The Dark Ace did not see the blow coming, and he gasped in shock when it struck him dead-on. The blue crystal energy sizzled all over the Suit, and for a moment, Aerrow thought he might have finally put some damage on it.

But then the Suit glowed red and seemed to suck the striker crystal energy right into it. "Yes!" the Dark Ace exclaimed.

Aerrow didn't understand. Had the Suit _absorbed_ the pulse?

The Dark Ace smirked at him. "You may have been trouble for me once," he said, "but times change!"

Aerrow's eyes widened. He was in for it now!

The Dark Ace pointed both his arms at him, and instead of having hands, each had a blaster at its end. Before Aerrow had a chance to move, the Talon started firing.

Aerrow tried desperately to move, but every step he took, it seemed the rocks exploded under his feet from the blows, and the light from the explosions blinded him. Only his movement kept him from a direct hit.

The seventh shot finally blasted right at his feet, sending him hurling forward off the boulder. He flipped in the air and landed on his back, the breath knocked out of him. He didn't think he had the strength to move. Even so, he struggled to get up. If he didn't, he knew he was a goner.

Radarr ran to his side, only to squeak and leap away from him when the Dark Ace nearly hit him with a blast.

Finn had raised his crossbow again, trying to get the Dark Ace's attention away from Aerrow. He was only a short distance away from Radarr when he was shot at, and he cringed away from the blast. Seeing him, the Dark Ace fired at him, and Finn was forced to jump out of the way.

The Dark Ace then turned upon Piper and Junko, who stood side by side as if ready to try another attack. They, too, had to leap aside as the Dark Ace sent a volley of shots at them. Together they took shelter behind a boulder.

When the firing stopped, they both peered tentatively over the rock, hoping the Dark Ace was no longer paying attention to them. But he was still staring right at them. "Whoa!" Junko yelled as the Dark Ace fired another shot. Piper screamed, and they both ducked down as the blast struck the boulder, exploding its front.

The Dark Ace laughed in triumph. It felt so good to finally see every one of the Storm Hawks running away in fear! He was _unstoppable! _He put back his blasters and brought out his hands again. "Pure power!" he exclaimed. "Mine to control! And nothing can . . ."

But he trailed off when he heard the whirling sound of a dying mechanism. "What the . . . ?" he gasped, lifting his arm and looking at the fuel gauge. The needle was almost on empty. The Dark Ace raised his eyebrows. "More fuel?" he gasped. "Already?"

He growled in contempt. It figures. He finally had Aerrow and his pesky kid squadron and was about to finish them off. So of course, something had to go wrong. He glared at the Storm Hawks. "Consider yourselves lucky," he growled to them.

And with that, he was off, running across the ledge. Aerrow, long since recovered and having gotten to his feet, watched in bewilderment as the Dark Ace picked up speed as he reached the edge. Once he did, he dived right over. Aerrow blinked in shock. Surely he would fall to his death when the Suit smashed against the _Condor_ below!

But the Storm Hawks watched as the Dark Ace's black battle glider opened up on the back of the Suit. Now Aerrow was certain the Talon had lost his mind long before he got the Suit. There was no way that little glider could hold up something that heavy.

But then part of the boosters on the Suit's back fired up, spewing red crystal energy. Like jet packs they propelled the Suit upward.

Okay, so the Dark Ace wasn't so stupid after all. The glider was only for a little help in steering.

Junko, a mechanic always at heart, kept his eyes on the Suit as it flew away with the Dark Ace inside. "Whoa!" he exclaimed in awe. "It can fly, too?"

"Admire it later," Aerrow told him. Right now, they needed to catch it. "Back to the _Condor_!"

* * *

Once everyone was back onboard, the others explained what happened to Stork, who sent the _Condor_ off in the direction the Dark Ace had flown. But they weren't in time to have any trail of him to follow.

Aerrow turned to his pilot. "Stork," he said, "let's monitor all channels. Any sign of the Dark Ace, and I wanna hear about it."

"Huh, right," Stork said, pressing something on the helm.

But behind him, Aerrow heard the sound of a crystal flashing. And it was from the same source it had been from all day.

Okay, this was getting old.

Finn sat on the couch at the round table behind him, doing his best to make his puzzle take on a perfect square shape. It flashed in his hands, turning into a sky chili dog with mustard. Whimpering in frustration as soon as it changed back, Finn slammed his fist into a part he was pushing in and was about to keep going when he got the feeling he was being watched. He looked up to see Junko studying him, and Aerrow and Piper with their hands on their hips . . . Junko and Piper looking exasperated and Aerrow just plain irritated. Piper sighed, rolled her eyes, and shook her head, as if giving up on Finn as a lost cause.

Finn knew he had been at this for a long time, but every moment he got closer to winning! "I'll be done in a sec!" he exclaimed, playing faster.

Finn just didn't get it. Playing between anger and exasperation, Aerrow said, "Come _on_, Finn! We need to be focused on finding the Dark Ace right now."

"Uh, yeah," Finn answered absently as his game proceeded to turn into a baby bottle. "But what are we gonna do when we find him?" he asked as the game changed back, only to turn into a brown clucking hen for a split second and change back once more.

Piper, who had gone to lean against the couch, gestured to the sharpshooter. "Finn's actually right," she admitted. "The Dark Ace still has the battle suit." She held up a finger. "With that kind of upgrade, he's invincible!"

That dilemma was something Aerrow had kind of been saving for when they found the Dark Ace, but Piper and Finn had a point. But something Piper said gave Aerrow an idea. "Hmm," he said to himself, putting a hand on his chin thoughtfully. He held up a finger. "Then maybe we need upgrades of our own," he said, clenching a fist.

Under Aerrow's orders, the _Condor_ headed for a tiny terra where Oppinsaur's Terradons had been taking refuge ever since the Storm Hawks and Starling helped them escape Terra Bogaton. The terra was so small that only a little cruiser like the _Condor_ could possibly have landed upon it. The _Condor_ landed on the only spot open. The ledge she was on had a staircase that led up to circular, fortified laboratory. Two blasters were erected on long poles on either side of the laboratory, much like the defense system the Terradons had designed for Bogaton. Apparently they had supplied the same thing here, although on a smaller scale.

The Terradons welcomed the Storm Hawks warmly, still recognizing them as their saviors. The Storm Hawks explained their dilemma.

Once they were done, Oppinsaur gasped. "The Dark Ace has the Suit of Untold Vengeance? The SUV?"

Aerrow smiled and shrugged to them. "We figured since you guys were the best scientists in Atmos, you'd have something we could use to stop him." He wasn't just trying to flatter them to get their help for free (although that was part of it); he really believed what he said. Behind him, Piper nodded and all the others smiled, except for Finn, who was still busy playing his game.

The two Terradons blinked in surprise, and the one behind them jumped up, trying to get a look at the Hawks. Then all three exchanged glances before wrapping their arms around each other's shoulders in a huddle and murmuring among themselves. Aerrow could only catch little snatches of the conversation like "the Suit" and "very powerful."

Aerrow turned to Piper doubtfully. This did mean they had something, right? Piper just shrugged and smiled nervously, not having an answer for him.

Once they broke apart, the Terradons went their own separate ways. Oppinsaur led the Storm Hawks into a small, secured chamber with a viewing window that gave them sight to platform that had a huge cannon in front of it.

Oppinsaur gestured out the viewing window. "My assistant Beaker will demonstrate her latest invention, an enhanced shield crystal."

Aerrow noticed with a twinge of guilt that, looking at the Terradon on the platform, he never would have known she was female. To him, she looked almost identical to Oppinsaur, even in her gray hair and spiky hair style. But that was just one of the things about being a reptile, Aerrow guessed.

Beaker was staring at the cannon, trembling in fright, which gave Aerrow the idea that this would be an all-too-real demonstration. On her head she wore a hat, which had a deep blue crystal on the front of it that must have been the shield crystal. And the hat was shaped like . . . a duck?

Oppinsaur smiled as he noticed the Storm Hawks eyeing the hat. "The ducky makes it fun," he explained.

Aerrow didn't like the way Beaker was trembling. What if something went wrong with this demonstration? Aerrow opened his mouth to stop this but not before Oppinsaur giggled and pressed a button on his remote.

In response to the button, the cannon in front of the platform lifted its nose and pointed at Beaker. Then it shot a stream of blue crystal energy at Beaker, powerful enough to be very harmful. Beaker let out a gasp and covered her head but did not run.

And apparently there was no need to. A blue, sphere-shaped barrier surrounded Beaker just as the pulse almost reached her. It continued to protect her while the cannon emitted a steady stream and then was finally cut off.

Aerrow's eyes widened in surprise, and he could feel Radarr pulling himself up on his shoulder to get a better look, as if he couldn't believe it, either. Aerrow had never seen a shield crystal so powerful! What an asset that would make!

"The shield can only take a finite amount of damage before its depleted," Oppinsaur warned.

It was only then Aerrow realized the Terradon was handing something to him. "Huh?"

Oppinsaur was holding out a ducky hat with a shield crystal for him to take. Hesitantly Aerrow took the hat. "It's not much," Oppinsaur admitted, "but it _might_ give you a chance."

Junko's delighted laughter rang out to his left. Glancing over, Aerrow saw the others had already each gotten their ducky hats. Piper looked up at the hat in dismay. "This is _so _embarrassing!" she said, putting a hand to her forehead. Stork seemed to agree. His arms were crossed, and he looked absolutely disgusted wearing his ducky hat, tapping his fingers against his arm in aggravation. Only Junko looked happy with that hat. With a gleeful smile, he placed it on his head and then shook his head lightly to make it quack.

Aerrow and Radarr looked down at the hat in Aerrow's hands and then exchanged disappointed glances. Aerrow had hoped for more than this . . . perhaps some powerful weapon or something that might have some sort of effect on the SUV. But all the Terradons could offer them was protection that _might_ work.

And why in the world did they have to be embarrassing ducky hats?

* * *

Author's Notes: For the record, I like the ducky hats. But I'm with Aerrow on this one; I would not wear them in public if I didn't have to.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: There is a real Mount Vulture. Monte Vulture is an extinct volcano just north of Potenza, Italy. It is a fairly large Italian volcano, with a height of about 1326 meters. Its rich volcanic soil is the most viticultural zone (grape-growing and wine-making zone) in Basilicata. This fertile region has taken on the name of the volcano: the Vulture. The Vulture region is one of Italy's largest producers of grapes and olives. It is famous for its DOC and DOCG red wine called Aglianico del Vulture (named after the grape it is made from and the region cultivated).

That doesn't sound _anything_ like the _Storm Hawks_ Mount Vulture, other than being a mountain, but there you have it.

Okay, well . . . You know, review, tell me all the good stuff . . . and bad stuff . . .

_*inside Whisper's head*_

Whisper's Pride: But I don't like to hear bad stuff about _my _writing!

Whisper's Conscience: Get over it, you egomaniac!

Whisper's Pride: Egomaniac? I'm the same person you are!

Whisper's Conscience: And you keep getting in my way from being a better person!

Whisper's Pride: And you keep getting in _my_ way from being a person I love to be! *pulls out hammer threateningly*

Whisper's Conscience: *smirks and pulls out chainsaw*

_*outside Whisper's head*_

Whisper: Whoa . . . I think I'm getting a headache. Feels like there's a hammer pounding against my head and someone is slicing through my brain. Ugh! Hate that feeling.

. . . Why are you looking at me like that?


	160. Energy Crisis: Power Failure

Chapter 3: Power Failure

On Terra Tundras, it was an ordinary day, with Talons working the open-pit mine and wheeling the carts of pink raw crystals out to be lifted up by cranes that sat at the rim of the pit. But today everyone was apprehensive. Their head commander, the Dark Ace, was among them, and he was not acting . . . normal.

The Dark Ace, in the SUV, stood over one of the full crates left alone for the moment. He had come straight here after he had left the Storm Hawks at Mount Vulture, knowing that Terra Tundras had exactly what he needed. "I need crystals!" he proclaimed. With an angry yell, he thrust his metallic hand into the crate of crystals. His arm began to have violet bolts electrify it as the armor absorbed the crystals' power. The needle on the gauge of the arm rose to almost halfway. Soon the crystals were completely drained.

The flow of raw power was amazing! The Dark Ace felt ready to take on the world! With a mighty roar, he lifted up the crate and threw it aside, clenching his fists. His eyes glowed red, as if they two held some crystal power. "Cursed?" he muttered to himself. "Nothing cursed about this!" His eye twitched as a smile crossed his face. "I feel fine! I feel _great!_ The entire Atmos is _mine_ now!" His eye twitched again.

"Um, sir," he heard a voice say behind him.

His face twisting into a scowl at being interrupted, the Dark Ace turned around and looked down to see a Talon walking up to him nervously. "There's an incoming call from Master Cyclonis," the lower Talon explained, pointing to where they kept the radio.

Master Cyclonis? What did the Dark Ace need _Master Cyclonis_ for when he had the _Suit of Untold Vengeance? _"Take a message!" he retorted angrily. And with that, he let out a cry and leapt over the Talon, who covered his head fearfully. Master Cyclonis was having _no part_ in the Dark Ace's great power! It was all _his!_

And he needed more!

He landed in front of another full crate of crystals. With a mighty roar, he thrust his other hand in it. Again the hand lit up with violet bolts of energy until the crystals' power was consumed. Then he thrust the crate behind him with one mighty swing of his arm.

The Talon whimpered nervously. He didn't know what was scarier: having to go back to the radio and deny Master Cyclonis or seeing his commander lose his mind!

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, everyone was gathered at the bridge. Piper stood in front of the boys with a pointer in her hand, standing next to a stand that had a rolled up sheet on it. All the boys had gathered around and were ready to listen, even Radarr, who currently was hanging off Aerrow's back and peering over the Sky Knight's shoulder. The lone exception was Finn, who seemed more interested in playing his game than listening.

"Assuming a diminished capacity on the part of the Dark Ace—" Piper began.

Finn stopped playing and looked up at that. "A what-inished?" he asked, leaning his head closer as if to hear better.

Piper scowled at him for the interruption but explained anyway. "It means he won't be himself," she answered. She pulled down the sheet on the stand, unrolling it, and tapped her pointer on her Dark Ace drawing. "The best way to find a weakness is to try and confuse him," she explained.

Aerrow blinked. The plan laid out did _not_ look like something genius that Piper normally thought up. This looked . . . pretty hopeless.

The picture was a hand-drawn, pencil- or crayon-colored picture of a confused Dark Ace (in Talon uniform, no SUV) surrounded by five . . . ghosts?

Finn raised an eyebrow and even stopped playing his game to stare at the plan. Junko just laughed out loud, pointing to it.

Stork, normally supportive of Piper (well, more supportive than he is to other people), was the one who was the most skeptical . . . or at least, the most blunt about it. He held up a finger. "By dressing up as ghosts," he added to Piper's plan, pointing to it. He face-palmed.

Piper raised an eyebrow at him at Stork walked past her toward the helm, shaking his head. She was used to him acting like the boys were dumb, but he had never before implied _she_ was dumb.

Hard blow. Aerrow didn't like the look on Piper's face, so he offered the only kind words he could for the plan. "He'll be confused, alright," he said, shrugging.

Radarr frowned, his face strained. It was a lame, futile move on Aerrow's part, and he knew it.

But even Piper seemed to know the plan was bad. "It's all I could come up with on such short notice," she defended, gesturing to the sheet. Still, she slumped. "Ah, forget it!" she growled, pulling the bottom of the sheet to roll it up.

No sooner had she done that when the all heard the sound of Finn sliding another piece of his puzzle into place.

Already upset, Piper turned to Finn and growled, clenching her fists. "Finn! You know, that is getting _really_ annoying!"

"Ah, I know!" Finn answered without looking up or stopping his playing. "Annoying how hard this thing is!"

Piper crossed her arms and growled, but she didn't get a chance to retort before Stork said, "Incoming message!"

They all turned to the helm, where Stork was gripping the wheel and looking down at their message receiver. "A distress call," the Merb announced. "The Dark Ace has been spotted heading towards . . ." he trailed off and took a frightened breath. "Oh, no."

Aerrow stared hard into him, waiting for an answer.

"_Terra Neon!_"

* * *

On the crowded streets of Terra Neon, Gull's son walked down the street hand-in-hand with an older girl, perhaps a sister or babysitter. Just then, he spotted something in the air and stopped, pulling at the girl's hand and pointing up to the sky for her to see.

She looked up to see an item zooming closer and closer. A scream rang out as they realized the thing wasn't going to stop. It spun around, and the girl grabbed the boy and pulled him out of the way just before the huge hunk of metal landed where he had been standing, falling so heavily that it left cracks in the ground. The thing seemed to land on its "feet"; now safely on the ground, it stood up and straightened. Screaming in fright, the crowd ran for cover, quickly clearing the area, and soon, the entire terra.

The hunk of metal was the SUV. But the Dark Ace didn't bother chasing the people. He only smiled in amusement as they all ran away when he took a step toward them.

But soon his eyes left them. He wasn't here for people. He was here for _power!_

He couldn't help but grin. This terra, with its eternal night, was bright as day with neon lights, all powered by crystals. Many of the rides required massive amounts of energy.

This place was the _perfect_ place to begin recharging for his takeover of Atmos!

His eyes rested on the Ferris wheel. A good place to start!

The Dark Ace stomped up to the ride, looking up at it with his eyes blazing just like the wheel. But his eyes didn't stay resting on the turning wheel and its brilliant array of lights for long. He looked down until he saw the power grid to the ride. With a growl, he wrapped his hands around either of the two stands the power grid sat on and absorbed the power, his armor coursing with red light as he did. Once the power was drained, the Ferris wheel stopped turning, and its light went out.

The Dark Ace laughed in delight. Oh, _the crystal energy!_ He could feel it sizzling in him like raw power!

But then he raised his eyebrow when he heard a cranking sound. "Huh?" He looked down at the gauge on his arm.

The needle _still_ didn't even reach halfway!

Anger boiled within the Dark Ace. "I need _more!_" he growled. Furious, he punched the stand of the Ferris wheel, breaking it.

Little did he know that standing right behind him were the Storm Hawks. They all wore their ducky hats and were ready for battle.

Finn gasped when he saw the Dark Ace break the stand. "The Ferris wheel!" he exclaimed cringing.

Piper, who held her staff in her hands, turned to him and raised an eyebrow. He was worried about the _Ferris wheel_ at a time like this?

Finn turned to her and gestured to her, explaining. "I haven't even gotten to ride that one yet!"

They all cringed as they heard the creaking sound of bending metal. The Ferris wheel was no longer able to support itself with a broken stand, and it fell over on its side.

Finn groaned and shrugged. "Maybe next time."

At that moment, the Dark Ace spun around and spotted them.

Finn whimpered, and all of the others cringed. Except Aerrow. He glared at the Dark Ace right in the eye. His experience was that if you met the Dark Ace's gaze, you let him know that you weren't afraid. It was also easy to guess what the Talon commander was thinking that way; his eyes revealed everything.

But now it was no help at all. The eyes Aerrow was looking into was not those of the cool, calculating commander who taunted Aerrow in swift battle. No, these were the eyes of a madman with a thirst for blood. The Dark Ace's glowed red as if lit with crystal energy, and the pupils were dilated and did not seem to focus well, like someone who was high on a stimulant. His skin was drained and pale, almost sickly-looking. He narrowed his eyes at the Storm Hawks, and he spoke the one word that seemed to be the only thing he could comprehend: "Enemy!"

Before the Storm Hawks could react, the Dark Ace retracted his hands into his arms and turned his hands into guns instead. Aerrow gasped as he aimed right at the Storm Hawks and fired.

All the Storm Hawks were forced to jump clear, scattering. The blasts landed right where Aerrow had been standing.

Because Aerrow was the target, the force of the blow had come right behind him and knocked him off balance. He landed flat on his stomach. He had braced for it, so he hadn't lost his breath, but boy did it hurt!

But when he looked up, he found his eyes resting on the Bumper Pods ride. He smirked. Now there's an idea!

Junko was the first to recover from the shot, and so he was the first to challenge the Dark Ace. "Hey!" he shouted, stepping up to the SUV. He punched his knuckles together, lighting up his Knuckle Busters, and then smirked up at the Dark Ace. Let's see him take on _these!_

The Dark Ace just smirked back and bunched the Suit's fists together. They began to glow red with crystal energy . . . like giant Knuckle Busters.

Junko looked down at his own Knuckle Busters, which seemed puny and weak in comparison, and then laughed sheepishly up at the Dark Ace. He hadn't seen that one coming.

Before he could react, the Dark Ace reeled back a fist and punched a screaming Junko across the clearing. The Wallop groaned as he landed on his back.

But though the attack was a failure, Junko had given Aerrow just the distraction he needed. Now he was ready to put his plan into action. "Hey, Dark Ace!" he yelled tauntingly.

The Dark Ace turned around to see Aerrow charging toward the edge of the rink on the Bumper Pod ride on one of the bumper pods. He was going so fast that when the pod hit the edge, it sailed over it into the air, heading straight for the Dark Ace. Aerrow leapt clear with a yell. The Sky Knight easily landed in a crouch.

The Dark Ace grunted as the pod slammed into his chest. But to Aerrow's disappointment, it didn't even dent the armor. The Dark Ace only staggered backward and then straightened again. His eyes found Aerrow, helpless on the ground. The Talon commander laughed with glee.

Before Aerrow could move, the Dark Ace raised his left hand, which currently was a gun, and fired.

Aerrow knew he couldn't dodge in time. He simply put up a hand to protect his face, waiting for impact.

But at the last possible second, he heard a squeal and felt something small and furry slam into him. Radarr had knocked Aerrow out of the way just in time. The shot slammed into the ground behind them.

The Dark Ace raised his gun at Aerrow again, ready to fire once more and end this nonsense. But then he let out a cry as a crystal-tipped bolt slammed against his shoulder. Three more bolts came, striking his chest. With each one, the Dark Ace let out a cry and staggered back until at last he tripped on a food stand and fell over on his back.

And Aerrow's savior, the shooting of the bolts . . . was Finn. He stood up proudly, glaring at where the Dark Ace had fallen, his crossbow in his hands. "Alright," he said. "Let's finish this!"

Piper ran up beside him, a wide smile on her face. "Wait to go, Finn!" she cheered, throwing her hands in the air.

Finn put down his crossbow to take out his puzzle. "I just gotta get back to that game!" he explained.

Piper drooped, scowling. _That_ was the only reason he wanted to win the battle quickly? "Figures," she muttered.

But the Dark Ace wasn't having any of that. While Finn was preoccupied with his game, the deranged Talon commander had gotten to his feet and was pointing one of his guns at Finn.

Finn looked up just in time for the shot to be fired.

There was no time to dodge. All Finn could do was shut his eyes and drop his game. He didn't even have time to be afraid.

But just before the shot nearly hit him, a blue barrier got in the way.

Finn opened one eye, then the other. He was . . . alive? Quickly he started feeling over his body, making sure he had no injuries and that everything was still attached. There was not a mark on him.

The shield crystal! It must have protected him! Confidence grew in him. With his ducky hat on, the Dark Ace couldn't lay a hand on him. Feeling cocky, Finn pointed up at the Dark Ace. "That's right!" he taunted. He spread his arms out wide. "Can't touch the Finn-tabulator!" He pointed his thumbs down at himself.

But then Piper shouted to him, pointing at his hat. "Finn, your shield!"

Huh? What about his shield? Piper's yell didn't sound very reassuring. Finn put his hand to his head and felt for the crystal. Then he gasped.

_Its light was out!_ It had no more power left!

He and Piper weren't the only ones to notice. The Dark Ace smirked as he took note, too. Again he aimed his gun at Finn.

In last desperate measure, Finn pointed off to the side, toward Aerrow. "Aim that way!" he whimpered.

At that moment, the Dark Ace fired, and Finn screamed, covering his face with his hands.

But again, there was another blue barrier that got in the way.

Finn took his hands away from his face. How was he still alive? He touched his crystal again, but it was still out. What had protected him?

Then he realized Piper was standing next to him, her staff clenched in her hands. And her shield crystal was out now. She had used it to save Finn.

She pointed her staff at the Dark Ace as if to hold him, but it looked like a twig next to the SUV.

"The Suit is too powerful," Piper said to Finn, sounding so nervous that her voice quivered. She held up one finger. "These shield crystals will only hold for one shot!"

Finn squealed in fear. Sure, he had kind of guessed that, but hearing it confirmed just made it all the scarier.

Seeming satisfied that Finn and Piper were defeated, the Dark Ace reached over. With one hand, he picked up the wiggling forms of Aerrow, Junko, and Radarr. Junko was whimpering, and Radarr was upside-down. All of their shield crystals were out.

Aerrow hardly got a view of Finn's and Piper's faces before the Dark Ace let him, Radarr, and Junko go. "Whoa!" Junko cried as they fell. Finn and Piper cringed in sympathy as the three landed in a heap at their feet.

They all looked up as the Dark Ace approached. Aerrow, Junko, and Radarr got to their feet, and the Storm Hawks clustered together. They had nowhere to run, were unable to hide. All they could do was stare fearfully up at the Dark Ace. Junko glanced at Aerrow, as if waiting for Aerrow to tell them a new, improvised plan or do something spontaneously heroic. But Aerrow could think of nothing to get out of this one.

The Dark Ace pointed their gun at them and cackled evilly. He had them now!

Finn, Junko, and Piper all backed up behind Aerrow, and Radarr took the liberty of leaping up onto the boy and hugging his chest. It almost made Aerrow sick with guilt. Even in the face of death, they still seemed to cling to the hope that he could save them.

But all he could do was glare up at the Dark Ace. He would not show fear. If he was going to die here, he would not die cowering.

But there was one Storm Hawk left.

The _Condor_'s horn sounded above the music and noise of the rides of Terra Neon. Aerrow looked up and could hardly believe his eyes; the _Condor_ swooped down low over the terra. It flew right over their heads, startling Radarr into scrambling from Aerrow's chest onto his back.

And then the ship rammed straight into the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace let out a cry and toppled backward. Aerrow had hoped he would have some damage, but as his luck would have it, the Dark Ace was unharmed.

Stork lifted the _Condor_ clear of the terra before it could run into any tall rides. "So much for the new paintjob," he muttered to himself.

Down below, the rest of the Storm Hawks at first could only stare at the fallen Talon in the Suit, unable to believe they were still alive. But as the Dark Ace got to their feet, Aerrow knew _now_ was the time to leave. "Everybody, fall back!" he ordered, pointing behind him.

By the time the Dark Ace had risen to his feet and started walking toward them, the Storm Hawks were already mounted on their skyrides. With the sound of squealing tires, the Hawks spun around in drive and then changed to flight mode, taking to the air to head for the safety of the _Condor_.

The Dark Ace growled angrily. They honestly thought they could get away from _him?_ He triggered his jetpack to power up and his glider to open.

But before he could take off, his jetpack engine quit. It retracted, as did the glider wings.

_What?_ The Dark Ace looked down at his power gauge for explanation. It had dropped considerably, only a block from zero. The Dark Ace growled, clenching his fists. The stupid Storm Hawks had drained him of his power! He needed _more power!_

When he looked up, his eyes rested on the Constellation Theater. The theater had crazy searchlights dancing around it and was lit with bulbs all on its front. Inside were the many crystal-powered stage lights and special effects, as well as all the lighting required in all areas of the building.

The Dark Ace smirked and laughed maniacally, starting to walk toward it. Soon that walk became a run and his laugh a roar.

The theater had power! _His _power!

* * *

Author's Notes: The Dark Ace really is kind of scary in this, isn't he? Not fun to write, but certainly fun to imagine . . .

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: In real life, SUV stands for sport utility vehicle. This is a vehicle that is in the style of a station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis. These vehicles are usually able to tow and handle off-road driving. Often they have four-wheel drive. The idea for an SUV was to combine the towing capacity of a truck with the passenger space of a minivan. They tend to be major gas guzzlers.

A large, lightweight, powerful, highly useful machine that uses up a _lot_ of energy. Yup, sounds a lot like the _Storm Hawks_ SUV, alright.

I owned an SUV, by the way. I use it to pull my horse trailer and other barn work, as well as mountain driving in the Appalachians. So, if you don't review, let's say I track you down and run you over with my big SUV . . .

_Ha!_ The SUV's not alive! This threat won't turn on me! Mwa-ha-ha!

Hold on a second . . . who's that outside? Hey, stop! No! Come back! You're stealing my car!

. . . So much for that.


	161. Energy Crisis: Rival's Rescue

Chapter 4: Rival's Rescue

Back on the _Condor_, once the boys had gotten out of their armor, Aerrow gripped the railing in front of the frontal window and peered out over Terra Neon in astonishment at what just happened. More frightening than even the Suit's power was the change he had seen in his arch-nemesis. "He's gone crazy!" he exclaimed. "Power-hungry!"

Piper was standing next to him, gripping the railing almost as hard as he was. "With all the crystal energy on Terra Neon, we'll never stop him!" she gasped.

But their worried exclamations were interrupted by the sound of a certain game in transformation.

The two turned around to see Finn standing a little way off, once again busy with his puzzle. "Come on!" he grumbled to himself.

"Finn," Piper scolded, clenching her fists, "that's enough!"

Aerrow put his fists on his hips. Oh, yes, he agreed with Piper on this one. Completely. If Finn didn't put that game up soon, Aerrow would personally take it away from him.

If Piper didn't snap first and do the honors for him.

But Finn paid neither of them any mind. "Don't break my focus!" he gasped, putting up a hand as if to stop them. "I almost got this!" He put another piece in place just as the puzzle transformed into a cat-sized yellow mushroom. "Just a few more seconds and I'll be the supreme master!" he said excitedly, closing his eyes and holding the game close to him, which had currently turned into a cat-sized, five-point, three dimensional yellow star.

But just as he said that, Aerrow heard a whirling sound like a dying engine. The glowing that had always come from the game stopped, and it immediately reverted back into its true form . . . with still no glow and all its puzzle pieces out of place as they had been before.

Finn's eyes flew open wide. "What?" he gasped in horror. "_No!_"

Piper rolled her eyes, making no secret that she thought Finn was overreacting.

"It's outta power!" Finn gasped, shaking the game. "Help me figure out some way to recharge it!" He started looking all over it, trying to find some sort of plug or opening for a crystal. Not finding it, he started shaking it again, cocking an ear to it, trying to listen for a rattle.

But Piper stomped up to him and snatched the game out of his hands. "You are _not_ recharging that thing!" she snarled.

Finn looked at his hands in shock, as if he couldn't believe the game was no longer in his hands. The next instant, he had leapt at Piper and now had a grip on the puzzle just like she did. Aerrow blinked as he watched the two get into an unplanned tug-of-war.

Great, now there was going to be a fight. Well, at least Finn had stopped playing his game for awhile. And for that reason, Aerrow hoped Piper ended up getting the puzzle. It was pretty useless so long as it was out of power. He was pretty sure such a high-tech game drained a lot of power, anyway, so it's no wonder it hadn't even lasted a day. A lot like the Suit, really . . .

His eyes widened. "Power," he whispered to himself. _That was it!_

He looked up to see that now Junko, Stork, and Radarr also had a grip on the game, and all five of Aerrow's squadron was yanking at the game, trying to get it from the others.

"Guys!" Aerrow ordered them. "Grab what's left of the shield crystals! We're goin' back out there!"

At that, despite their fight, they all froze right where they were: Junko, Stork and Piper all pulling on the game, Finn holding it and shoving a hand in Junko's face to get him off, and Radarr hanging off the game with all four paws on it, suspended in the air. Not one moved as they all looked at Aerrow incredulously. "Back? O-out there?" Junko repeated nervously, not bothering to remove Finn's hand from his face.

"In the ducks?" Piper added in disbelief.

Finn looked around at the others. "Has he lost his mind?"

* * *

"Yeah," Stork grumbled, his arms crossed. "He's lost his mind."

The Storm Hawks were all out on the street on Terra Neon again, all wearing their ducky hats with never-been-used shield crystals installed. Everyone looked nervous, with the exception of Aerrow, who was striding around like this was normal, his hat still in his hand; and Stork, who just seemed plain irritated.

"Aerrow's knows what he's doing," Piper assured the others, gesturing to them. "Eh, right, Aerrow?" She turned her gaze to him. Oh, not that she would ever _doubt_ him, but . . . just to be sure.

Aerrow put his hat on his head and then turned around to address them, his face twisted in a battle-mode scowl. It looked pretty determined, kind of crazy, more than a little scary. "Run out there and let the Dark Ace hit you!" Aerrow ordered, punching his own shield crystal lightly, which made the hat quack.

Piper's half-hearted smile fell to a frown, and she groaned. She had never doubted Aerrow before, but this seemed really . . . stupid.

_Suicidal_ was the word the others would have preferred. Their startled, bewildered, horrified faces proved it.

Whimpering, Radarr fainted and fell over backward, his ducky hat bouncing off him and quacking as it fell on top of him.

Aerrow turned to peer in the direction he knew the Dark Ace had gone. Time to face a man with a super powerful suit with only a hat that can protect you for one shot. This had better work. If it didn't, nothing would.

Here goes everything.

* * *

Later on, the Dark Ace was stomping through the same stretch of street. Having just drained another booth, he tossed the booth aside. It landed in shambles on the street, a teddy bear prize flying from it and squeaking as it hit the ground. The Dark Ace didn't pay the bear any mind but instead crushed it under his foot. Only one thing was on his mind. "_Power!_" he shouted, his fist clenched.

"Um," the Dark Ace heard, followed by the sound of someone clearing his throat. "Um, uh, uh . . ." The Dark Ace looked down to see Stork standing at his feet, waving to him. "Hello!" the Merb greeted him, laughing nervously and looking terrified. "Dark Ace! I'm here, and, um," he put his hand in front of his mouth and added, "(temporarily)," quietly, "unable to run!" He held his hands up to the Dark Ace as if in surrender.

That was all the incentive the Dark Ace needed. His hand turned into a crystal gun, and he aimed it at Stork.

Stork whimpered and covered his head with his arms, knees shaking.

The shot hurtled right at Stork and was stopped by a blue force field that appeared to surround the Merb.

Once the shot was over, Stork straightened and gazed up at the Dark Ace. His crystal was now out, and he was defenseless. Which he was pretty sure meant likely doom . . . positive doom if he stayed there another second. So, giving him a sheepish smile, he turned and ran away, whimpering.

The Dark Ace chuckled to himself at having frightened his prey so. After all, all should fear his power!

But then a banging sound interrupted his laughter. The Dark Ace stopped, confused. The banging came again. And again. And again and again. Finally the Dark Ace looked down at his feet to see Radarr hitting the Suit's foot with the copilot's with a crowbar.

The Dark Ace growled. No one hit _him_, the all-powerful!

When Radarr realized he had the Dark Ace's attention, he dropped his crowbar and held out his arms, giving a little churr, inviting the Dark Ace to shoot him. No, he wasn't inviting; he was giving the Dark Ace a sly smirk, _daring_ him to try to hit him!

The Dark Ace quickly summoned his gun again, aimed, and fired. Radarr squealed as he leapt out of the way just in time. The crowbar was blown to bits.

The Dark Ace looked around in confusion as he slowly seemed to comprehend that his prey had left him. "Huh?" he grunted, his diluted eyes flitting back and forth like those of someone who'd had too much of a drug.

But he wouldn't find Radarr on the ground. The little guy had climbed up on top of the Suit's helmet. He smirked as he thought about what he was about to do. Laughing to himself, he leaned down until his head hung upside-down in front of the Dark Ace's face. Then he pulled back the sides of his mouth and stuck his tongue out at the Talon. _Can't catch me!_ he thought.

The Dark Ace grunted like an angry bull when he sighted him, his nostrils flaring, his strangely-crazed eyes finally finding something to focus on in a maniacal stare. Radarr decided that was his cue to get off. With a squawk, he launched himself off the SUV, landing on the ground behind it.

The Dark Ace started out growling, a growl which grew into an animal-like roar of rage. In an instant, he spun around, his gun aimed at Radarr. Radarr realized what he'd done in time to squeak in terror and cover his head with his paws but not in time to dodge.

Just as it had with Stork, the shield crystal protected him.

When it was over, Radarr was clutching his hat with all his might, knowing it was his lifeline . . . or _had been_. He knew he was shaking uncontrollably, which wasn't good; one can't shake while you dodge. And now his ducky hat was useless. He slipped it off his head and held it in his paws, only then daring to look up at the Dark Ace, quivering all the more.

The Dark Ace didn't raise his gun again, as Radarr thought he would, but he let out a screech and held his paws up to his face as he realized that the Dark Ace was lifting his foot high above him. He ran away squealing just before the SUV's foot nearly squashed him.

But before the Dark Ace continued pursuing him, he heard the whirling sound like a dying engine, and he knew what that meant. He looked down at his power gauge. It was nearly down to the last tick. _He needed more power!_

But before he could anything about that, he heard Piper's voice. "Dark Ace?" she called up to him, popping up from within a ducks shooting gallery booth. "What's the matter?"

Finn popped up beside her. Putting his hands on his hips, he taunted, "My grandma can shoot straighter than you!"

The Dark Ace grunted in anger. They _dare_ insult him! He could shoot anything! He was all-powerful!

Finn and Piper realized what he was doing a millisecond before he did it, and both of them screamed and ducked down in the booth again. As soon as they did, the booth was shot off them, leaving both of them splayed on the ground, exposed.

Finn was getting to his feet when the Dark Ace pointed his gun their way. With a roar of rage, he fired at Finn first, striking the force field of Finn's shield crystal.

Finn gasped, thankful to be alive, but he looked up in time to see his shield crystal's glow flicker out. "My shield's done!" he called to Piper.

Piper only just sat up when she gasped as the Dark Ace shot at her, striking her force field. "Mine, too!" she called back.

The Dark Ace was going to shoot again when he caught a glimpse at his power gauge. It was dangerously low. "Power!" he yelled for all to hear. He turned to look at the shooting gallery he had knocked aside. It had landed upright and weathered the shot well. It still had crystal power the Dark Ace could use. Smirking, he reached for it.

But suddenly the booth was raised in the air. The Dark Ace blinked and looked down to see Junko holding it up. "Oh, no, you don't!" the Wallop yelled at him, holding the booth above his head. He could not let the Dark Ace recharge! He started running away with the booth.

The Dark ace growled with rage. _No one_ got away with _his _power! He raised his gun and fired it at Junko.

The shot struck Junko's force field with enough force to send him flying out from under the booth with a cry. He groaned as he bounced off the ground, only to somersault in the air and slam his back against the "Test You Strength" pole. The fist shot up when he hit, only to fall back down on top of his shoulders.

Being a Wallop, the falling and slamming hadn't done any bad damage. But the Dark Ace's shot _had_ done damage to his crystal. "I'm out," he told the others as he looked up at his helmet to see the crystal's light fade.

"Hey! Over here!"

The Dark Ace frowned and looked up to see Aerrow standing on the front seat of one of the rollercoasters, which was currently perched on the highest hill of its track. "You need power?" Aerrow taunted. "Come and get me!"

The Dark Ace growled and shook his head before launching himself off the ground toward Aerrow, his jetpacks ablaze.

Aerrow smirked. The Dark Ace had taken the bait! The Sky Knight cast a knowing grin toward Radarr.

Radarr was down by the controls for the rollercoaster, a hand on its lever, and he took Aerrow's glance as a signal. He chirruped and gave Aerrow a thumb up before he pulled the lever down and released the rollercoaster.

With a yell, Aerrow jumped into the air and landed sitting in the front seat just as the rollercoaster started to move. It was time for his plan to be put in action! And he got a free rollercoaster ride while he was at it! "Wahoo!" he cried as the rollercoaster sped down its first hill and started up the next.

The Dark Ace reached the tracks just in time for the rollercoaster to slide away from him. Roaring in anger, he fanned out more exhausts from his arms, going into full-power flight, with every intent of putting an end to the boy and his mockery.

Aerrow knew, as the rollercoaster started its third hill, that the Dark Ace must be pursuing. He glanced back just in time for the Dark Ace to change his mechanical hand into a gun, growling at Aerrow like an animal. He prepared to shoot. Aerrow only hoped the Dark Ace didn't get smart on him too quickly, or else he was done for.

Thankfully, the Dark Ace wasn't thinking straight. It took him eight shots of firing at the rollercoaster before he figured out that the rollercoaster was moving to fast for him to shoot right at it. The pulses were hitting the tracks just a millisecond too late to hit the rollercoaster.

So the Dark Ace changed strategy. He shot at Aerrow's head.

Thankfully the track was in Aerrow's favor. The track dipped to the left just in time to avoid a pulse. The next pulse missed when the track dipped to the right. Still another a shot, and the track started downhill again, rolling over some small hills. Aerrow smirked. The rollercoaster almost gave him a sense of immortality. The Dark Ace couldn't touch him!

But though his mind was still not quite in place, the Dark Ace was still thinking and learning. And he wasn't repeating his mistakes. He pulled up and watched the rollercoaster, which, having made its loop, was heading up the largest hill again.

Now was his chance. The boy was not getting away again! He turned his gun toward the top of the hill and blasted a gap in the tracks.

Aerrow didn't know the damage until he had almost peaked the hill . . . and gasped.

The rollercoaster rattled full-tilt toward the hole and sped off the track, falling to the ground and smashing into smithereens. Aerrow's quacking ducky hat fluttered down toward the wreckage.

Aerrow looked down at the crash from where he hung off the broken track, having bailed just in time. His heart fluttered at seeing the pulverized rollercoaster. That could have been _him!_

He heard the sound of approaching engines and looked up to see the Dark Ace land on the tracks in front of him, the impact of his feet on the tracks rattling the entire structure so much that, for a moment, Aerrow thought he'd lose his grip.

But Aerrow smirked. He wasn't done yet! He still had one more trick up his sleeve. He launched himself off the tracks and extended his battle glider. Let's see the Dark Ace try to catch him in the air!

But just before he glided away, he yelped as he was wretched backward and then left dangling in the air. _The starboard tip of the glider was hooked to the broken track!_

Aerrow looked around helplessly and saw his friends down below, looking up in horror. "Aerrow!" Junko cried in terror. But they all seemed to know they couldn't reach him in time.

Aerrow peered up at the Dark Ace, who loomed above him. His mind whirled, but no idea came. He couldn't think his way out of this one. With his ducky hat gone, the Dark Ace only needed one shot.

Laughing manically, the Dark Ace raised his gun and pointed it at Aerrow, its interior starting to glow red as it prepared its charge. Aerrow shut his eyes, turned away, and put his hands in front of his face, waiting for the worst.

But just then, he heard the whirling sound like something mechanical was . . . shutting down. He looked up in disbelief. Did it really work?

The Dark Ace tried to fire. And then again. But Aerrow was left blinking at him while the gun did nothing. The Dark Ace raised his arm to his face in confusion, which turned to disbelief when he checked his gauge. He stared in shock as the entire Suit shut down and returned back to its regular position, standing upright, arms at its side. The Dark Ace couldn't move.

He was out of power. Just as Aerrow knew he would be.

Feeling ever-triumphant, Aerrow swung on his battle glider until he was able to grab onto the tracks again. Then he retracted the glider and jumped up onto the track in front of the SUV. "Ride's over, Dark Ace," he said, smirking. "Time to step off."

His smirk widened after he said that. He was going to enjoy this.

With a single finger, he pushed the front of the Suit.

The Dark Ace just snarled at him . . . until he realized the Suit was starting to tip over backward. He shouted as he went tumbling down the track until he reached the bottom of the hill.

Aerrow saw the Dark Ace climb out of the Suit's helmet. His eyes had returned to normal, and as he pulled himself completely free, they stopped glowing.

Aerrow never felt so happy to see the Dark Ace looking like . . . well, the Dark Ace. It's as if the real man had been trapped by the Medulla Crystal. Satisfied with his work, Aerrow opened his battle glider and took to the skies, making his way down to the others, who were approaching the track.

But even as his mind returned to him, the Dark Ace looked down at the wreckage of the SUV with longing. "My Suit . . ." he said in disbelief.

"Hey, what do ya say, Dark Ace?" Piper asked.

The Dark Ace turned to see her, Junko, and Finn standing over him from the roof of the control unit of the rollercoaster ride, smirking at him with obvious pleasure. And much to the Dark Ace's dislike and embarrassment, Aerrow soon joined them, landing beside Piper and then retracting his battle glider, looking prouder and more arrogant than any of the others.

Piper put a hand on her hip. "Ya gonna thank us for saving you from the Medulla Crystal?" she dared.

Aerrow crossed his arms, smirking his ever-annoying grin of triumph. "Or is that too much to ask from a weak-minded Cyclonian?" he taunted.

The Dark Ace growled. He owed them _nothing!_ He was doing just fine on his own. He did not have to explain himself to any of them.

And what _was_ it with Aerrow stealing _his_ words?

Growling at them in contempt, the Dark Ace contemplated attacking them, but he had no real weapon, no ride, and . . . frankly, it would feel wrong. They'll have to take his willingness to not slit their throats this moment as their thanks.

He opened his battle glider, deployed his jetpacks, and without a backward glance, he took off into the sky, headed back toward Cyclonian territory.

Piper waved after him. "You're welcome!" she called tauntingly.

Aerrow put his hands on his hips and smiled in satisfaction. Yup, good to have the old Dark Ace back!

* * *

Once they were all back on the _Condor_, the storm Hawks made quick order of leaving Terra Neon and heading off into the night sky, taking the Suit and the crystal with them.

For Aerrow, the course of action was clear. They were still in the hangar bay when he took out the Medulla Crystal and laid it on the top of a crate. Then he drew a blade, lit it, and with a yell, smashed the crystal to bits.

No one would ever be corrupted by it again.

Junko was looking at the SUV parts in admiration. He even put the helmet on his head, banging against it just to test it out. "What about the rest of the Suit?" he asked Aerrow.

Aerrow knew Junko really admired such a sophisticated piece of machinery, but he hoped he wasn't too attached. The thing was just too dangerous. "Stork's gonna melt it down and recycle it," he explained to Junko as he put his blade back in its sheath.

Piper smiled and nodded in agreement. Like Aerrow, she thought that was the only proper course of action.

But then they heard lots of banging and crashing. All looked over to see Finn going through the parts of the Suit piled up in the hangar bay. "Man, where is it?" he growled to himself, standing up and walking away from one pile with clenched fists, only to walk over to a crate and lift up its lid to look inside. "Hey," he asked the others, sounding irritated, "has anyone seen my puzzle?"

Piper looked at Aerrow. Aerrow exchanged glances with Junko.

_No one_ tell him!

"Um, no," Junko answered, putting a finger to his lip.

"No, Finn," Piper said a little too blithely, pointing to him and smiling innocently.

"Not me," Aerrow said, holding his hands up, sounding equally innocent. But he couldn't help chuckling nervously. After all, he did have _something_ to do with its disappearance . . .

* * *

Down in the boiler room, Stork was already getting started with melting down some of the parts. After all, why wait? Watching things slowly heat to a sizzling temperature and then melt and becoming part of highly dangerous, overheated pool of liquid death . . . was one of the highlights of his day.

He threw the metal plate with the gauge on it into the heated, molten metal mix of the heating tank first. "Never wanna see _this_ again," he said as he dropped it in. Then he dropped an SUV hand in. "Never wanna see _this_ again." Then he dropped in a metal foot. "Never wanna see _this_ again."

But the next object, he picked up was Finn's puzzle, completely recharged. In fact, the Merb blinked as it changed shape in his hands before quickly reverting back into a game.

Stork put a finger to his lip thoughtfully. "And never wanna see this," he said, pointing to it, "_ever_ again!"

He took one last glance around to be sure no one was watching. Then, with a wicked smirk on his face, he dropped the game into the pool and watched as it began to melt and sink and eventually disappeared.

Stork chuckled with pleasure and smirked maliciously. _That's_ what happens when you dare mess with Stork's peace.

* * *

Author's Notes: That last scene was fun! Too bad I had to rewrite it. It was even more fun to read, and to write, the first time around, before stupid computer problems lost it!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Powerful human suits may sound like science fiction, but there are actually some in existence. Super suits are called "powered exoskeletons" in the science world. The first of these exoskeletons was created by a partnership between General Electric and the United States military (doesn't the U.S. love making military weapons? Oh, I live in such a peaceful country! *sarcastic smile*) The suit was called Hardiman and gave the human nearly superhuman strength, making 250 pounds feel like 10. However, the suit's movements were extremely violent, and for this reason, a human has never worn it. The suit weighed three quarters of a ton, anyway. There have been no successful complete suits since, but six different designs exist of successful mechanical arms and legs. These mechanical limbs, however, usually do not provide any superpowers; rather, they aren't even as good as the limbs they replace but are used in times of necessity, to use a mechanical arm instead of having no arm or use a mechanical leg instead of crutches or a wheelchair. Again, like Hardiman, mechanical limbs were first invented by the military, for the military and have only been available to civilian medicine quite recently. However, some mechanical limbs have been invented with "superpowers"; some of these limbs, such as Sarcos/Raytheon XOS Exoskeleton, can allow a person to lift over 198 pounds with little effort! Power supply has always been a problem for powered exoskeleton designers. Currently, there is no known portable power source that can sustain a true powered exoskeleton, such as Hardiman or the XOS Exoskeleton, for more than a few minutes.

Yup, those last two sentences completely fit the _Storm Hawks_ SUV description!

That's a rap! Hopefully I'll have "Dark Waters" ready soon! (Everything's backed up _three times_ on various flash drives, so no more computer failure excuses!)


	162. Dark Waters: Dark Depths

_**Part 40**_

_**Dark Waters**_

_Old friends are saved, and an old enemy is rescued. A hero is left behind. Monsters are released, and a new world is revealed._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Dark Depths

After a short period of rest and recuperation from the Dark Ace's crazy plot for power, the Storm Hawks were soon called in again. Upon hearing the trouble, Aerrow was quick to answer.

The report was troubling but not frightening. Nonetheless, Aerrow somewhat emotionally tied to this mission. It one of those things that comes with the territory when one of your friends has disappeared.

Soon after the distress call, the Storm Hawks found themselves on Terra Aquinos for the first time.

The place was as unique as any terra Aerrow had ever been to. The mountain's peak was nothing more than a huge crater filled with water. Aerrow wasn't sure whether the place had once been a volcano or whether a meteor had made this crater long ago, but whatever the case, the lake that now existed was the largest in Atmos. And it was home, not just to a number of aquatic animals, but to a civilization. The Aquions had the ability to breathe on land _and_ in water. The amphibian humanoids had settlements around its murky waters and were just at home within as they were without.

The people here were fisherman. In fact, calling them "fishermen" was an understatement. They _lived_ off fishing. Aerrow had noticed all the signs and buoys out in the sky as they approached, directing skyfishing ships and skyfishermen to various locations and giving a number of signals and instructions. And within the waters, the creatures fished from the lake were the staple food and staple crop.

In fact, it was interesting to Aerrow that the village and marketplace they were in could exist at all. They were in the town of the "landies," as the Aquions called them. Nearly every landy living here as a resident was human. The tourists were a mixed bunched. Like all settlements on Aquinos, the town itself was not even perched on dry land but on a dock, which, the Storm Hawks had been assured, was as stable as they come. All and all, it made the streets and docks an interesting place to see. And it was such a safe, peaceful spot; it seemed like nothing such as fierce phoenixes or murderous Cyclonians could possibly scale the walls of the crater and reached this tranquil spot. Even the few odd brown hens they saw wandering around the village seemed content.

Having turned their _Condor_ over to the shipwrights to prepare for underwater travel, the Storm Hawks had time to kill in the marketplace. Piper and Aerrow did most of the shopping for supplies. Finn, nonchalant as ever over their search-and-rescue mission, had brought his surfboard, hoping to have a chance to watch some waves. Obviously no one had informed him that Aquinos' lake was a very calm water body on top with hardly any waves.

Stork was also happy to be there—surprising, since he never seemed happy to be anywhere—but it was for a totally different reason. While in town, he bought a shirt that bore the serpentine picture and name of the one creature he hoped to see: Bessie, the legendary monster of Aquinos' lake. He wore the orange shirt proudly down the street, a camera around his neck and a stand to place it on, if he got the chance when the opportunity came.

As they made their way back to the dock for their ship, Aerrow shouldering their bag of goods while Piper carried the rest in her backpack, Finn couldn't help bugging Stork about his crazy belief. "Come on!" he told the Merb, holding out a hand. "Everybody knows Bessie is just a story Terra Aquinos made up to sell t-shirts."

Whether or not Bessie was real, in a way, Aerrow knew Finn was right. The landies on Aquinos made their livelihood off tourism, which came around mostly because people wanted to see the famed monster. But Aerrow had to admit, he didn't believe it.

But Stork believed just about everything. "Oh, ye of little faith," he told Finn, rolling his eyes at him.

Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head. Stork was never going to give it up.

"Sure no one's found any 'evidence' she exists,'" Stork admitted, putting air quotes around "evidence" before adding, "yet," under his breath. "_I'm_ gonna prove all you naysayers wrong!" he insisted.

"Stork, we got bigger fish to fry," Aerrow reminded him. The last thing he needed was his team getting sidetracked from their mission.

"Aerrow's right," Piper agreed . . . not that Aerrow expected her to do otherwise. "It's been three days since Tritonn and the Neck Deeps followed that distress signal to the bottom of the lake. No one's heard from them since," she added worriedly, casting a concerned glance Aerrow's way.

Three days of disappearance was never a good sign for a Sky Knight squadron. On the plus side, they knew the Neck Deeps were in the lake. And they were Aquions. It's not like they could drown.

Finn thought a moment and then suggested, "Maybe their cruiser sprang a leak?"

"Not likely, laddie," a voice answered with a slight Scottish accent.

The Storm Hawks had made it back to the docks while they talked, and without them realizing it, the master shipwright had approached them. He was a hulking Aquion with a pot belly, currently covered with an apron stained with oil and grease. His skin was green, his fish-like face striped with blue, silver gray hair, and his fin-like beard the color of mud. Even from behind the small pair of glasses balanced on his nose, his green, fishlike eyes were sharp and determined as an eagle's.

In one webbed hand he held a paper. The other he placed on his chest. "The master shipwrights of Aquinos know how to make a ship watertight," he assured them, flicking his paper and then clenching a fist. He held up a finger. "We've only been doin' it for nigh on five hundred years!"

"I sure hope so," Aerrow answered, "because when you're done with the _Condor_, we're takin' her straight down to the bottom!"

His gaze turned to the _Condor_, perched in the air on an airship dock, built many stories above the waterline. Six other Aquion master shipwrights were walking across her top, drills going, sparks flying, doing the last-minute touches before her big underwater launch. He hulking booster engines had been replaced with propellers. Lights were placed on her front, and her hull was now painted the colors of the water: blue, battleship gray, and orange red, like the clay and dirt floating within the murk. Her engines had been switched for those meant for the water, and her landing strip had been covered to protect it from water damage. Everything was watertight, just as the master shipwright promised.

Stork's eyes were aglow as he stared at his changed beloved ship, as if looking at a lover in a gorgeous new dress. "She looks so beautiful!" he gasped quietly.

The master shipwright smirked knowingly at them. "We took the liberty of modeling your Skimmers for underwater running as well," he said. He gestured behind him to where a rope was being pulled by a crane perched on the air deck beside the _Condor_. Soon, from below the deck and platform was pulled up on the rope, on which sat the boys' three Skimmers . . . but not exactly. Their wings were completely covered to prevent water from getting in the gears, and the tops were sealed with a bulletproof glass casing, much like how the Storm Hawks had outfitted Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer for the exosphere.

"Cool!" Aerrow told the shipwright. This was much more than he had been expecting.

Meanwhile, Finn had gone off to try the Storm Hawks' new wetsuits, provided for them by the shipwrights. Again, it was much like the suits Stork had designed for the stratosphere, with a speaker in front of the mouth to project the voice while the helmet was being worn. But the helmet seemed even more restrictive to Finn than the stratosphere one had been. Even with the air tank on his back, the helmet felt somewhat suffocating and chaffed his neck. "Get this thing off me!" he cried, dancing around awkwardly in his red flippers. He finally jumped in the air, flapping his flippers, and yanked on the helmet with all his might, finally getting it off. The force of it made Finn land in a heap of metal with a groan.

The master shipwright put his hands on his hips and gazed at Finn in amusement as the boy stood up in front of him, holding the helmet under his arm. "That _thing_," he defined, "is a breather. There's one for each of you," he added, turning back to the others. He held up a finger. "I wouldn't advise you landies going out into the depths without one," he told them, pointing down at the waters.

"Eh, never mind Finn," Aerrow assured the shipwright, waving his hand dismissively. He placed a hand on his heart, bowing just slightly in respect. "We appreciate you doin' all this for us."

The shipwright met his eyes. "We didn't do it for you, laddie," he corrected him. He turned his gaze away, looking around them. "This terra owes everything to the Neck Deeps!" Solemn, his gaze settled on the Storm Hawks once more. "Find the _Skyquod_. Bring them back!"

The Storm Hawks turned to Aerrow. Aerrow nodded to the shipwright. If there was one thing he wouldn't do, it was leave someone in need. Especially if that someone was a friend, like Tritonn.

The ship was ready for them shortly, in about the time it took for the other Hawks to convince Stork not to wear his Bessie t-shirt. Once shown how to use the new equipment, the Storm Hawks loaded up. Stork started the _Condor_'s engines. Along with the engines, her new propellers began to whirl. The shipwrights released her from the dock, and the running ship fell from the dock and plunged nose-first into the dark waters of the lake, her lights flashing on at once.

Finn and Junko went to the window, staring out into the dark, watery world. "Whoa," Finn breathed in awe, his hands pressed against the glass. Curious to see, Radarr squeezed between them and popped up in front of the window. He squawked in agreement with Finn.

Four sky squid swam by the window, seeming ignorant of the ship. A school of purple fish fled in their wake. A giant eel, much like the one found in the Black Gorge, passed them and the school of fish by without so much as a second glance. Perhaps it had already eaten. Another school of fish swam away from them, this time green, while a confused school of yellowish shrimp swam toward them, only to scatter when they discovered the ship in their path. More sky squid drifted in front of them.

It was a strange new world, all right. Aerrow could spend all afternoon just trying to chase the wildlife and observe them. He'd never been much for the science of the whole thing, but he'd always felt companionship for animals as he would people. If he hadn't, Radarr wouldn't be in his life.

Junko rubbed his stomach as the last two sky squid floated by. "This place is making me hungry," he said. He laughed joyously when he came face to face with a poisonous jellyfish that was staring directly into the window. "Oh, yeah!" Junko cheered, licking his chops.

If the wildlife weren't careful, Aerrow decided, they might end up being on Junko's dinner plate.

Piper, meanwhile, didn't have eyes for the view but only for their tracker. "We've got something on the sonar!" she announced to the others.

Indeed, the sonar, which beeped and blinked red in alert, showed a little red dot drawing nearer to them.

"The _Skyquod_?" Aerrow asked hopefully.

"No," Piper answered, turning to him. "Too big, and too fast."

Stork jumped away from the wheel, gasping. "Bessie!" he exclaimed excitedly, jumping behind his camera, which was placed on tripod beside the helm. Excitedly he zoomed in his camera and peered through the lens.

But it was not a creature that met his eyes . . . but an underwater storm.

Aerrow's eyes widened in shock as he stared over Stork's head. Something that looked like an underwater tornado was hurtling straight toward them!

Stork gulped. "Ah!" he cried. "It's a maelstrom!"

"Hard to starboard!" Aerrow cried.

Screaming, Stork ran back to the helm and yanked the wheel to the right. "Whoa!" Finn cried as he, Radarr, Junko and Finn were sent careening into the wall. Aerrow felt the floor come out from under him, and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with Piper.

The _Condor_ swung clear of the maelstrom just in time. As Stork sighed audibly in relief, Aerrow let out his breath. That had been too close of a call.

Meanwhile, Finn and Junko were still piled up against the window, Junko having slid down it on his head and Finn with his back against it. Radarr whimpered from where he was, still sliding down the glass.

Finn sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "That storm was a monster!" he exclaimed. "It just came outta nowhere!"

Piper was the first to pick herself off the floor. "You know," she told Aerrow as he got to his feet, "I bet it was one of those maelstroms that gave people the idea that there was a monster in this lake," she said sensibly. She was smiling that same proud smile she used whenever she figured out something that no one else seemed to have thought of. And to Aerrow, the theory made perfect sense.

But _some_ people just refuse to believe logic. "Bessie's real," Stork insisted from where he still stood at the helm, chuckling quietly to himself. "I know it! If only she'd give us some kind of sign!"

No sooner had he finished saying that when Aerrow heard something that made him freeze. It was a far-off whistling, musical, wavy, almost mystical sound, like that of a singing whale. But majestic as it was, there was one thing certain about it; either it was coming from some strange machine that shouldn't be there or it was coming from some large _creature!_

Stork's face lit up. Junko, Finn, and Radarr looked around wildly, terror in their eyes. Squealing in fright, Junko and Finn brought their heads together, squishing Radarr's head between them.

Aerrow didn't know what is was, but whatever it was, it sounded big enough to be dangerous. "Where's it coming from?" he demanded to know. Not being able to _see_ the possible threat was making him even more uneasy.

Stork tried to train on the source of the sound—after all, he was still hoping it was his Bessie, and right now Aerrow wasn't willing to discount the theory. But all Stork could see threw the lens was the few fish who kept swimming too close and fleeing from the ship's wake. "Can't see anything in these murky waters," he told them. "Let there be light!"

With that he pressed a red button on the helm. In response, the top hatch opened, which apparently had been sealed off by the master shipwrights. From within the nearly-made chamber opened by the hatch, a stand came out, holding a huge solaris crystal. Light streamed from it, penetrating the dark waters around the ship, the first large amount of sunlight to ever reach these depths.

Aerrow and Piper came to stand by Stork with the camera, watching to see if anything came at them. Meanwhile, Junko, Radarr, and Finn pressed against one side of the frontal window, peering out into the nearly-lit world.

It was because of this that they saw the "thing" first. "W-what's that?" Junko asked hesitantly, pointing to something heading their way.

Aerrow turned, but he couldn't make out what it was Junko saw.

Finn put his hand over his eyes to block glare in the window. "I didn't see any—Ah, ha, ha!" he cried in shock.

Aerrow gripped the railing behind the helm to keep from reeling back. The creature that swam past them was _enormous_ and looked extremely dangerous! It was shaped a bit like a fish with fanlike fins, but it had a large mouth like a whale and a horizontal tail that beat up and down, also like a whale. Its smooth-looking skin was blue with black spots running in a line down its sides. Its dorsal fins were also black, in contrast to its white underbelly. Huge tusks, each longer than a person, curved out from its mouth like mammoth tusks, pointing forward. Most startling were its glowing violet eyes, piercing and predatory.

But while everyone else cringed away in fear, Stork had snatched his camera off the tripod and was flashing pictures. "Finally!" he exclaimed after three pictures. "Proof you exist!"

They all watched as the creature swam around the front of their ship and then began to swim off. "Ha, ha!" Stork cried in triumph. "Don't worry, people! Bessie is totally harmless!" He started clicking more pictures.

Harmless? Aerrow could deal with that.

"Okay," Finn told Stork, pointing to the beast, "but if that's Bessie," he pointed off behind the creature, "then who are they?"

Aerrow's jaw dropped, and he and Piper blinked in shock. Stork slowly lowered his camera.

An entire pod of the creatures were circling the _Condor_!

Stork didn't pay it any mind. He was more excited than ever, snapping pictures all over the place, laughing and squeaking in excitement.

But Aerrow didn't like this. Perhaps the creatures were only being curious, but as they circled closer, he couldn't help feeling like the pod was closing in on them the way they would close in on prey.

Stork's fifth picture caught one of the beasts by surprise. Blinking at the sudden flash, it turned and snorted at them. Then, letting out a pterodactyl-like cry, it charged at what it must surely see as a threat. "Whoa!" Finn cried as it hurtled straight at the window where he, Junko, and Radarr were standing. Finn screamed and the three jumped back as the creature slammed into the glass, shaking the entire ship.

"Totally harmless?" Finn repeated to Stork, looking wide-eyed and frightened.

There was no damage, to the creature or the ship . . . but the creatures weren't giving up yet. The Storm Hawks felt another tremor.

That was it. "Stork!" Aerrow ordered. "Get us outta here!"

Stork went to the helm at once and began steering the _Condor_ clear. Piper went to the periscope and looked out. "They're chasing us!" she cried.

But Stork, as usual, was prepared for something like this. "Now you see us," he said, pressing a button on the helm that turned off all the _Condor_'s lights, "now you don't."

He lowered the _Condor_ down until they were within a trench, using the sonar to guide them through the dark. The creatures sang overhead, as if emitting sonar of their own, but the _Condor_ was no longer in front of them, and without its light, they lost it completely.

Stork landed the _Condor_ in a dip in the trench. The creatures swam overhead, oblivious that their target was right below them.

Aerrow paused and listened. Nothing. "I think we lost them," he assured the others. At least, he hoped so.

No sooner had he said that when he heard another all-too-familiar pinging sound. "The sonar!" Piper exclaimed, pulling away from the periscope and peering down at the screen.

"Great," Finn grumbled, his arms crossed. "What now? Another maelstrom? More monsters?"

"Nope!" Piper answered with a smile as she peered out the periscope once more. "It's the _Skyquod_!"

Aerrow peered out the window as the _Condor_ swam straight overhead of the _Skyquod_. The beaten, old ship was on the lakebed and seemed to have its bow jammed into a rocky cliff face.

Piper went to their intercom, setting it to be heard outside the ship as well as inside. "Storm Hawks hailing the Neck Deeps," she called. "Tritonn, can you hear me?" She stopped, and all listened, all expecting an answer. So when Piper got only static, she tried again. "Hello?"

Aerrow's eyes widened as only more static met them in answer. Something must be wrong.

Junko cringed, ears drooping fearfully. "Why aren't they answering?" he whimpered to Aerrow.

"Only one way to find out," Aerrow answered, slamming his fist into his palm. "Time to suit up!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, I always liked this episode! This is going to be quite fun!

Now, for a trivia related to Terra Aquinos.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Famous for being the home of St. Thomas Aquinas, the city of Aquino is found in central Italy in the region of Lazio and has a population a little over 5,000. It has a few historic sites within it, including ancient ruins that date back to the time of Cicero. The famous Roman road Via Latina passes through it. People whose heritage lies in Aquino may have surnames such as Aquinas, D'aquino, and Aquinos.

I was unable to obtain information on whether or not Aquino is on the coast, but from the look of a very large map, it doesn't appear to be, although it is definitely close. Like most ancient cities, it is located near a river. No large lake of which I can speak of.

Well, at least we know Nerd Corps didn't make up this terra with the intent of butchering the word "aqua."


	163. Dark Waters: Beasts of the Other Side

Chapter 2: Beasts of the Other Side

It took only minutes for each of the Storm Hawks to pull on their wetsuits and their breathers . . . even Stork and Radarr. No sooner were they ready when all of them set out into the deep, dark waters and began to swim toward the _Skyquod_. Aerrow led the way.

As usual, Finn was trailing behind, feeling rather spooked by the darkness this far down in the lake and the fact that he was free swimming; there was something that felt more dangerous about swimming than walking. He started whistling to help make himself feel better.

No sooner did he start that up when something menacing-looking drifted up in front of him. "Ah!" Finn screamed, cringing back.

But it was only Radarr, giving Finn a weird face. He squawked in amusement at Finn's reaction, pointing at him smugly.

Finn huffed in irritation and raised an eyebrow at the little guy. That was so . . . _mean!_

He completely ignored the fact that he irritated Radarr in one form or another multiple times daily. For Radarr, that little joke could hardly _begin_ his payback.

Radarr swam away before Finn could try to grab him or, worse, get back at him somehow. The little guy's eyes found Aerrow at the head of the group.

Aerrow and Piper swam side by side as they approached the _Skyquod_. When they were close, nearly right above it, Aerrow turned and pointed down, telling her he thought it was time to dive. Piper nodded in agreement, and the two led the others down toward the ship. Once beneath it, they all angled up.

Aerrow was the first to spot the surfacing hole. He swam for it and was the first to surface, the others soon following. Then he looked around.

They were in a little entrance area, a bit like a tiny hangar bay without having the opening for vehicles. Currently the room seemed to be used as a storage room, with wooden supply crates stacked up against the walls, some of them knocked over. The surfacing hole the Storm Hawks were in was a pool in the middle of the room, with a ladder leading out of it. Only one door led into the room, an automatic metal door that was currently shut, facing the ladder.

Aerrow grabbed the sides of the ladder and pulled himself out of the pool as quietly as possible, doing his best not to make a splash. The door was the only place an enemy could have come from, right? He tiptoed toward it, listening hard not just toward the door but also for his teammates behind him, hoping they made as little noise as he had. He could hear the disturbance in the water as they got out, but that was all. Surely, quiet as they were, they could get to the door undetected.

Together they tiptoed in that direction, their flippers flapping against the floor with reach step just slightly. Junko was in the back, cringing in fright, his imagination thinking all kinds of scary people and monsters who could be behind that door. So naturally, when he felt someone laid a hand on his shoulder, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Aerrow and the others whirled around. Had the intruder who had silenced the ship gotten Junko?

But no sooner had Junko turned around when he yelled in delight, "Tritonn!"

Tritonn met them with a friendly smile. "Storm Hawks!" he exclaimed. "Thank the waters!"

Aerrow put his hands on his hips and smiled back. He should have known nothing could touch Tritonn!

Tritonn didn't waste much time. He greeted them warmly and then led them toward the bridge, telling them he'd explain everything once they were gathered with his squadron. Along the way, the Storm Hawks told him about their short adventure finding them, including the meeting with the strange whale-like beasts.

Aerrow smiled at being back on board the _Skyquod_. She had been patched up and her top deck re-roofed, but it was still the same ship for sure. In fact, she looked much better than the last time Aerrow saw her.

When they were at last all gathered on the bridge, the Storm Hawks came face to face with Tritonn's three squadron members, all Aquions. Aerrow smiled as he recognized Horrace, Tritonn's brother. He was looking better than when Aerrow last saw them.

Tritonn ran over the situation as quickly as he could, telling them that they were here because of an opening in the Endless Caverns, which lie in the lake.

"I'm not sure I understand," Piper said. "Endless Caverns? What are they?"

Tritonn peered at them solemnly, his eyes traveling to each of them. "They stretch all the way down from the bottom of the lake to the center of the Atmos . . . and _beyond_."

"Beyond?" Aerrow repeated. Beyond Atmos . . . "You mean all the way to . . . _the other side?_"

"So they say," Tritonn answered.

Aerrow had always thought going over the Barrier Cliffs was the only way to reach the far side of Atmos. It had never occurred to him to go _under_ the mountains.

"But the lakebed entrance has been sealed for longer than any can remember," Tritonn told them.

"Until now," Piper answered solemnly.

"Aye, lass," Tritonn agreed, walking over to what appeared to be a closet. Turning back to them, he added angrily, "The unworldly creatures you encountered escaped from the depths below when an entrance was blasted open!" He turned and wrenched open the closet doors. "You'll have _him_ to thank for that!"

The closet was empty except for one familiar figure who sat on the floor, his back to them. Flipping up his wide-brimmed hat, the man glared over his shoulder at the rest of them. Aerrow could hardly believe his eyes!

Piper's eyes narrowed at the man. "_Domiwick!_" She dropped his name like a curse.

Setting his face in a snarl, Domiwick turned around to glare at them. Aerrow scowled back. In case the bastard was wondering, no, Aerrow had not forgotten what a jerk, a pig, and most importantly, a _traitor_ he had been the last time they met.

Tritonn reached in and grabbed the man by the shoulder. Domiwick gasped as he was wretched out of the closet and plopped on his feet in front of them all. Not at all pretending to be gentle, Tritonn shoved Domiwick forward, making the explorer grunt and glare at him. Radarr helped Tritonn's aggressive scene by fixing his gaze on Domiwick with a fierce snarl.

Tritonn turned back to the Storm Hawks, his eyes ablaze. "I risked my squaddies' necks answering this land dog's distress beacon!"

Domiwick spoke as if Tritonn was not even there, even though the fish-like Sky Knight was casting him a glare that would knock him dead if looks could kill. "I am on a great journey of exploration to the other side!" he exclaimed. "Encountering those Domiwick Beasts was just a . . . minor setback!"

Piper blinked at him in disbelief. Stork, who stood behind a snarling Radarr, lowered his head and raised an eyebrow, pricking an ear forward as if to hear better. "Domiwick Beasts?" he repeated skeptically.

Domiwick straightened, putting his hands on his hips. "I discovered them," he stated arrogantly. He held a hand up, shrugging. "Why not take credit for it?"

Piper crossed her arms and exchanged a glance with Aerrow. Aerrow knew from simply seeing her stormy eyes that if there was one person who hated Domiwick more than himself, it was Piper. "Well," she said, "they are totally thoughtless and highly destructive." She turned back to Domiwick, smirking. "I'd say the name fits."

Aerrow smirked at Domiwick in triumph, raising an eyebrow. Wait to go Piper! She totally smoked him!

And Domiwick knew it, too. All he could manage in response was to clench his jaw and growl at her.

Stork frowned in disappointment. "So," he said, "that wasn't Bessie."

Aerrow turned to Stork and shook his head in answer, looking at him in sympathy. He knew the Merb really wanted to believe, but he had to give it up.

"Bessie?" Domiwick exclaimed in loud amusement, laughing heartily at Stork's expense. He held up a hand and mimicked talking. "That's just a story the Aquions use to sell t-shirts," his tone turned from teasing to intellectual, "no doubt inspired by the frequent maelstroms in the lake."

Stork glared at him and gave him his fiercest snarl, his eye twitching. Aerrow clenched his hands into fists, trying to resist the urge to knock that amused smirk off Domiwick's face. Stork did _not_ need to be talked down to for having believed, _especially_ not by this pompous jerk!

Tritonn gave Domiwick a warning glare, but he addressed the Storm Hawks, giving Stork an apologetic glance. "Aye," he agreed with Domiwick. "He speaks true," he added, sounding like he regretted that fact. "There be no monsters in this lake."

Stork's face fell, but at least he didn't seem upset.

"At least," Tritonn added, turning to glare at Domiwick again, "not till now!"

Domiwick snarled in response.

"Had to ram me ship into the hole to keep more from coming up," Tritonn told the Storm Hawks.

_He remembered ramming the ship in the hole, remembered the rest of the creatures retreating from the ship. Those ones who had already come through stared down at the ship, as if in disbelief that the rest of their pod could not get through. But they accepted the scenario quickly and turned around to swim on into their new territory, letting out one last whale-like song . . . perhaps toward the pod members they were leaving behind._

But Tritonn hadn't been the least bit sorry for them, only angry that they had gotten through. "Our very lives depended on these safe waters," he told the Storm Hawks. "We'd've swum for it," he crossed his arms, "if not for _him!_" He nodded toward Domiwick, scowling. "Wouldn't be right to leave him behind, even if he does deserve it."

The Storm Hawks all scowled at Domiwick. This whole mess all came back down to him.

Just then, they all heard the song of one of the "Domiwick Beasts" as they felt the ship jolt. Aerrow and Piper turned to the window. They didn't see anything, except for following crates and a jolted periscope, but the creatures were out there. And just maybe they weren't too crazy about being separated from the rest of their pod. Even if it meant tearing the _Skyquod _apart!

"We need a plan, now!" Aerrow told the others, slamming a fist into his hand.

Piper put hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Way I see it," she said, "we've got three objectives: pull the ship out of the hole, round up the creatures and drive them back down, and then seal it up for good!"

"Sounds awesome!" Finn exclaimed, through his fists in the air. Then he drooped, looking irritated. "Awesomely impossible!" he grumbled.

Aerrow smirked at him. Never use the word _impossible_ when he was around!

"You're making a mistake!" Domiwick warned them. "Don't seal it up! Let _me_ find a way to the other side!" He gestured out with his head.

Tritonn blinked at the man like he was crazy. Pointing outside, he said, "When those creatures find our settlements, Terra Aquinos will be ruined! They have to go!"

There was no need to argue that point, Aerrow felt. "Then let's split up and get it done," he told them. "Fast!"

* * *

The plan they came up with (and "they" means mostly Piper) was not simple or straightforward, but Aerrow felt it was workable. In due time, the Storm Hawks and the Neck Deeps had a huge clamp made. This clamp, which can also activate a crystal within it, was so large that it took three Neck Deep men, including Tritonn, to carry it to the rocky face of the stone structure above the tunnels where the _Skyquod _was stuck. Horrace swam behind them with the crystal, a huge magma crystal bigger than Horrace's head. Junko swam along behind them to help if necessary. He was the only one wearing a wet suit and breather; Aquions were made for underwater.

Tritonn and his other two man swam up until they were hovering above the place they wanted the clamp. Then they let it go, and the clamp landed against the rocky face with a loud thud. Its four spindly legs then attached themselves to the rock.

Tritonn turned and gave a thumb up signal to Horrace. Horrace smiled at the cue and started to swim forward with the magma crystal. As he swam up in front of the clamp, he reached out to place the magma crystal in the hole in the center of the clamp.

But suddenly a red and blue jellyfish swam between him and the clamp, making Horrace fumble with the magma crystal. "No!" he exclaimed as it began to fall.

Junko gasped and dove, getting underneath Horrace. He grabbed the crystal just before it hit the ground. "Easy!" he told the Neck Deeps, still gasping in fright. "Piper says that magma crystal can melt rock! I don't wanna know what it can do to us!"

Since he was now the one with the crystal, he swam up in front of the clamp and gently placed it in the hole. The four holders on the sides of the hole closed in on the magma crystal. Junko winced and laughed nervously, hoping he didn't put it in wrong and it wasn't going to blow them to bits. But nothing happened. The magma crystal was in place.

He looked back at the _Condor_ in silent signal. It was time for the reel.

The _Condor_ was positioned behind the _Skyquod_. At Junko's glance, she shot out cable with a clamp on its end. The clamp grasped the stern of the _Skyquod_, and the cable was pulled taunt. Junko went to test the cable, which was thicker than his arm. He pulled to be sure the clamp would stay. It wouldn't budge. Smiling, he gave the _Condor_ a thumb up. The _Skyquod _was prepared to be pulled free!

With that, Junko dove down under the _Skyquod _and headed back to the magma crystal and the Neck Deeps.

* * *

On the _Condor_, Stork checked everything was in place, looking at all of his gauges. "Stabilizers: check. Engines: check!" But then he drooped and mumbled quietly to himself. "Incredibly complicated plan with too many variables: check."

"I heard that!" Piper's voice sang from the other end of the bridge.

Stork cringed and growled, turning to glare at her. He had _specifically _been quiet so she wouldn't hear that! But he did mean what he said, and he wasn't about to take it back.

Piper had her hands full. Her job in the mission was to look after Domiwick . . . a job she openly elected herself. She leaned against the round table, one hand resting on it and the other hand on her hip, smirking smugly at Domiwick, who sat at the round table with a plate of Junko's potato salad in front of him and a fork in one hand. Domiwick took one whiff of the "potato salad" and reeled back, spitting in disgust. "You call this food?" he growled, shoving the plate toward Piper.

Piper smirked back. She wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but she was enjoying this mild torture. "I hear the jail in Aquinos only serves its prisoners raw squid," she taunted. "Better eat up."

Scowling at her, Domiwick pulled the plate back toward himself and stabbed the middle of it with his fork angrily, making the whole "salad" jiggle.

* * *

Out in the open waters, Aerrow and Finn were cruising through the rocky trenches in their submersibles, propelled by propellers on what used to be there exhaust pipes. Finn turned to Aerrow, and the Sky Knight heard his voice over their radio. "_So how are we gonna find these—_"

Just then, they both heard the song of the "Domiwick Beasts." Finn screamed, and they both pulled up.

The pod was swimming above them, milling around each other.

Aerrow grinned at how easy that was and turned to Finn. "Next question?" he asked.

"_Okay_," Finn agreed, the radio talking over one of the beast's rumbles. "_How're we gonna get 'em to follow us?_"

Aerrow grinned. Already thought of that! He looked back to see Radarr free swimming up between them, right on cue. His furry friend wore Piper's Solaris Crystal on the top of his breather, like some underwater beacon. Radarr grinned at Finn's astonished face as he swam by and kept on swimming.

Finn looked after him in surprise and then laughed to himself. "_You got an answer for everything today, don't you?_" he joked to Aerrow.

Aerrow grinned arrogantly. Didn't he _always_ have an answer?

After thinking about that a bit, he thought, okay, scratch that. Didn't he _usually_ have an answer?

While the boys stayed a ways back to stay safely hidden, Radarr swam up behind a rock, peering out at the creatures. Then, puffing his chest out as if he were taking a deep breath and gathering his courage, Aerrow saw him push off the rock and start to swim toward the pod, completely out in the open.

One of the creatures turned its head toward him when it spotted him. Bearing its yellow teeth, it charged.

Radarr squeaked in alarm and swam away so quickly that the Solaris Crystal fell from his breather. He didn't need it anymore. He had already gotten this beast's attention. And after its charge, the rest of the pod followed.

Radarr swam as fast as he could go, but the far side creatures gained on him faster than Aerrow had thought possible. Radarr squealed in fright and looked over his shoulder. As soon as he did, he squeaked again; the lead creature roared, opening its jaws wide. It was almost right up on him!

But Aerrow had known from the beginning that Radarr couldn't out-swim these creatures, and he was ready. He pulled out of his and Finn's safety zone and charged right for Radarr and the horde of hungry water beasts.

Radarr saw the submersible coming and made a grab for it. Aerrow heard a loud clank, and the next thing he knew, Radarr was clinging to the starboard "wing" (now fin) of the submersible, squealing loudly as if to say, _Great Atmos! I'm going to die!_

He wasn't _too_ far off in that prediction. Now that Aerrow had Radarr, he knew he had to pull up, for he was headed straight for the open jaws of the lead water beast. With a yell, he spun the submersible around just before the creatures teeth came smashing down upon it. Radarr squawked in terror as the jaws slammed shut just inches from him.

Once Aerrow got the submersible completely turned around and was speeding away from the bests, he looked over at his copilot. "Nice job there, Radarr!" he congratulated him.

Radarr crawled up onto Lightning Strike's shield on the submersible's fin, finally getting a firm grip on it. Smiling, he turned to Aerrow and chirruped proudly. He had done a good job, hadn't he?

Aerrow grinned as he looked back at the creatures, now chasing him. They may have been able to keep up with Radarr, but they would have a hard time catching the submersible! And the poor beasts had no idea where this submersible was leading them!

* * *

Back at the hole, the Neck Deeps and Junko were still at the clamp. Horrace pressed a button on the clamp, activating the bomb and making the lights around the clamp's rim light up in red. Then Horrace turned to Junko and smiled.

Junko knew what that meant. He turned around and gave Tritonn a thumb up. "Everything's set!" he said. The magma crystal bomb was ready to blow the rock apart and seal the entrance when the time was right.

Tritonn was standing on the balcony of the _Skyquod_ . . . or at least, what little of it was still exposed. He nodded to Junko, his eyes solemn. Now all that had to be done was to wait for Aerrow, Radarr, and Finn to appear with the creatures.

* * *

Aerrow wasn't finding that to be as simple as he had thought.

For one thing, the creatures were faster than he had thought. He grunted as one of them clipped his stern with its tusk. Radarr squeaked at the jostling, still clinging to the fin for dear life. He exchanged a frightened glance with Aerrow, one that said: _I hope you know what you're doing!_

Aerrow was starting to wonder about that himself. He peered over his shoulder to see the lead beast, the one that had spotted and then nearly eaten Radarr and had just clipped the stern, getting ever closer, the rest of the pod right behind. With an angry roar, the beast darted forward and grabbed on of the submersible's propellers in its mouth, ripping it off with one jerk of its head.

Radarr screeched in alarm, looking back at the sparks in the water that the broken end of the submersible was making.

Aerrow looked over at Radarr. "Not sure we didn't need that," he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Radarr clamped his jaws shut and looked away. So typical of Aerrow!

* * *

Meanwhile, back on the _Condor_, Piper followed Domiwick into the kitchen. The ex-explorer was carrying his empty plate and headed straight to the counter, where there was more "potato salad" waiting.

Piper glared at his back, her staff elongated and clenched in her hands. She couldn't help feeling suspicious. "For someone who hated our food," she growled, "you sure seem eager for seconds."

"Everyone deserves a _second_ chance," Domiwick told her over his shoulder. Unbeknown to her, his fingers wrapped around the handle of a frying pan. Then, before Piper had any reason to be suspicious, he turned around and threw it at Piper with a "Yah!"

Piper held up her staff to block the frying pan from hitting her head, closing her eyes and preparing for impact. The pan bounced off the staff harmlessly, but then Domiwick reached forward and snatched the staff out of her hands before she could realize what was going on.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Domiwick holding her staff and pointing its blue crystal-tipped end right at her. She let out a cry of surprise as Domiwick shot and struck her, knocking her over backward.

Domiwick stepped over to her side, looking down at the girl. She groaned but appeared to be unconscious, just as he had hoped. "Wouldn't you agree?" he taunted her, referring to his earlier comment.

Laughing in triumph, he walked out of the room, dropping the staff on his way out and letting it clatter on the floor in the doorway.

* * *

Author's Notes: Bad Domiwick! Bad! Who wants to smack that guy?

Now, for something that refers to the Aquions.

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: Legends of merpeople first arose from Mediterranean lore and were part of Middle East and Greek legend. These merpeople tended to be all female and depending on the legend, were sometimes related to other beasts that were part woman, part bird (in the Middle East, these beasts were often specific deities or _jinns_ (spirits), while in Greece, they were called harpies). Of the merpeople, legends usually consisted of descriptions of the upper half of a woman attached to the lower half of a fish or whale. They were often malevolent and could be either beautiful or ugly, depending on the legend. Throughout the ages, these descriptions of merpeople have merged with other cultures' mythical water creatures, including the Gaelic sharp-shifting water horse known as the kelpie and shape-shifting seal known as the selkie, humanoid underwater monster of Norse mythology, and even Native American legends of underwater people with gills like a fish. In some modern mythology, merpeople are much more humanoid, a human (including legs) that looks either kelp-covered or fishlike, with gills and webbed appendages.

Very little of what Nerd Corps comes up with is completely original, is it?

I have a merperson here with a trident! He'll stab you if you don't review. Right, merman?

Merman: *grunts*

Wolf: You'll attack them, right?

Merman: *steely stare*

Wolf: . . . Right?

Merman . . . You're annoying

Wolf: *turning back to reviewer* Um . . . just give me a moment . . .


	164. Dark Waters: All But One

Chapter 3: All But One

Tritonn stood on the deck of the _Skyquod_, his yellow eyes staring off into the dark waters. Aerrow should be here any minute now with the "Domiwick Beasts." Any minute now . . .

Then he heard the sound he had been straining to hear: the whistling, whale-like song of the far side creatures. "Here they come!" he announced.

Aerrow's submersible zoomed into view, heading straight for them, with Radarr still clutching to its fin. Behind them was the entire pod of far side beasts. Aerrow was weaving back and forth, doing his best to avoid being caught. The lead creature was still nearly right on his tail, and due to the missing propeller, the submersible was swimming slightly lopsided.

Junko and the Neck Deeps swam as quickly as they could, getting out of the way and heading toward the _Condor_ to board. "Stork, go!" Junko shouted over their radio.

Stork was ready. As soon as Junko gave the signal, he pulled back on the _Condor_'s helm. Her propellers began spinning, hauling her backward. The cable between her and the _Skyquod_ tightened and strained, and the _Skyquod _began to inch out of the hole little by little, groaning in protest. Then she was wrenched free, she and the _Condor_ shooting backward from the sudden lack of pull.

Aerrow narrowed his eyes as he saw the opening revealed. "Let's send these things home!" he told everyone over their radio.

Aerrow zoomed into the tunnel. Radarr jaw dropped in fright as Aerrow began spinning to pick u speed. "Wahoo!" he yelled as they entered the dark tunnel, coming dangerously close to razor, jagged stone edges all around the sides of the tunnel. Behind them, Aerrow heard the whistle of one of the creatures, and it sounded close. He glanced back to see the pod following. They had fallen right for the bait! "I just hope we got all of 'em," he said to himself.

Stone pillars began impeding their way, and Aerrow began to swerve back and forth. This actually saved them, really; the lead far side beast had almost been upon them but were forced to slow up to weave through the pillars.

At last, Aerrow and Radarr lost the creatures, and the pillars stopped popping up. Aerrow stole a quick glance behind him to see if he and Radarr were in any serious trouble yet and then turned to look ahead of him. As soon as he did, his eyes widened. "The Endless Caverns!"

The tunnel had led to a huge chamber, truly gigantic in proportion, and this chamber seemed to have dozens of tunnels leading off from it. Aerrow stared in wonder. No telling where these caverns led! All he knew is that most of them probably led to the land of blinding light that he had seen from the exosphere, beyond the Barrier Cliffs.

The places they could see! The discoveries they could make! It was all so tempting. "Maybe we could just take a quick look," he suggested.

But in response, he heard the creatures again . . . not another whistle but an all-out roar. Radarr glanced back and screeched in fright. Aerrow was almost afraid to look, but he turned his head anyway. The far side beasts had found them again and were almost upon them.

"Guess not," Aerrow said to himself. If he dared put their mission, and himself and Radarr, in jeopardy just to explore a tunnel or two, he was no better than Domiwick.

Setting his jaw, he shot the submersible forward again and sent it around the chamber, getting the beasts to follow. The lead creature began snapping at them again. Radarr screeched in fright as Aerrow jerked the submersible up, sending it speeding toward the ceiling before leveling out again.

It didn't look good. The "Domiwick Beasts" were blocking the tunnel from which they had entered, and they didn't dare enter another tunnel for fear of being cornered.

But then Aerrow spotted the biggest floor-to-ceiling pillar in the place, wider than even one of the beasts was long. It gave him an idea. "Hold on!" Aerrow warned Radarr. Then he sent them around to the far side of the pillar. The beasts followed, spinning around the pillar to the other side. But the submersible kept circling until it was pointing back the way it came. The beasts turned and followed once they figured out the trick, but Aerrow got what he wanted. Now his submersible was speeding toward the tunnel where they had come in. He and Radarr fled for safety with the creatures close behind.

He glanced back to see the distance between him and the lead creature. This was going to be a close call, that was for sure. They would have to time it just right.

As soon as Aerrow could see the exit, he radioed to the _Condor_. "Stork, hit it! Now!" he added as he and Radarr shot through the opening.

On the _Condor_, Stork pressed the button to blow the top of the tunnel. But nothing happened. He pressed it again and again. Nothing. Stork frowned. "Uh oh!"

"What went wrong?" asked Tritonn, who was standing behind Stork. His voice projected over the radio, so Aerrow heard it, too.

"_Domiwick!_" Aerrow immediately answered.

But it was two voices who shouted the name, and only one other person could have guessed: Piper. She came running onto the bridge, having just woken up on the kitchen floor. She ran to the periscope and pulled it down to look through it. At first, all she saw were craggy peaks, but as she lowered the view to the lakebed, she saw what she was looking for: Domiwick, with a breather on, holding a very large crystal. "It's him, alright," she told the others, "and he's taken out the magma crystal!"

Immediately she went to the radio and called to Domiwick. "What are you doing?" she demanded. Whatever it was, it was crazy!

"_Making history!_" Domiwick answered back, smirking up at the _Condor_. Then he turned around and swam into the tunnel, shouting, "Fools!" behind him.

Aerrow couldn't believe it. Was Domiwick that stupid? He was going to be killed. "We gotta go after him!" he radioed the others.

But right after he said that, they all heard an all-too-familiar whistling song. "_Look!_" Tritonn called over the radio. Aerrow peered into the tunnel to see a set of gleaming red eyes from a far side beast right at the tunnel entrance. "_It be too late for that, lad,_" Tritonn told Aerrow.

As much as Aerrow hated it, Tritonn was right; it was too risky to go in after Domiwick, and they could not risk Terra Aquinos' safety for one man. Whatever happened to Domiwick now was not their responsibility. They had done their best.

What mattered now was making sure the creatures didn't leave the tunnel until Aerrow and Radarr got the bomb ready again. "Finn!" he radioed to the other submersible, which hovered beside him.

"_Already there!_" Finn answered, pressing a button on his dashboard. His retractable crossbow popped out, and he aimed at the tunnel.

The lead creature whistled as if in curiosity as Finn approached, but its song soon turned into a frightened screech as two of Finn's bolts struck the top of the tunnel. The far side beasts retreated further inside, looking absolutely bewildered. Aerrow doubted they had ever been shot at before.

Finn turned to Aerrow with a proud smile and saluted him. "_Chica-cha!_" he said.

"Keep it up, Finn," Aerrow ordered. "We'll rearm the device."

"_You got it!_" Finn answered back, peering through the viewfinder of his crossbow again. The creatures, brave even in the face of the unknown, were venturing toward the entrance of the tunnel again. Finn fired four shots, enough to get another frightened roar out of the lead creature and cause them all to turn tail and retreat further back.

With the creatures further inside, Aerrow drove for the magma crystal, diving and then skimming over the lakebed. Radarr, meanwhile, reached down below the fin. As they ran over the magma crystal, Radarr scooped it up against his arm just in time for Aerrow to veer up to avoid hitting the cliff face. As he rose, he passed right over the device. Radarr squawked and let go of the submersible Skimmer as it drifted over, the magma crystal clutched in his paws. Then he swam for the clamp and chirped as he stuck the magma crystal inside it again.

Once Aerrow saw everything was secure, he turned around and came back for Radarr. Radarr screeched in fright as once again Aerrow came at him at full speed, forcing him to reach up and grip the starboard fin as Aerrow swam over.

They were ready. Aerrow turned to Finn. "Let's blow up this thing and go home!" he said.

Finn smirked. "_Consider it done!_" he answered, peering through his viewfinder again. He moved around until he had the magma crystal in his sights, and then he fired. The bolt struck true, and the top of the tunnel crumbled in on itself, breaking into boulders that tumbled down over one another and sealed the entrance.

"_Sweet!_" Aerrow heard Finn exclaimed.

Aerrow and Radarr and Finn immediately made straight for the _Condor_, not even bothering to get out of their wet suits once they got out of their submersibles in the hangar bay. As soon as they stepped onto the bridge, Aerrow heard Piper shout, "Yeah!" Everyone was cheering and throwing their fists in the air.

They all clustered around the three heroes. Even Stork was happy, giving Radarr a low five. Junko immediately grabbed Finn by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug, shouting, "Ha, ha, yeah!"

Tritonn stepped up to Aerrow and gave him the most appreciative look of gratitude Aerrow had ever received. Aerrow offered his hand, and Tritonn gripped it in his, squeezing it in silent thanks. But it didn't seem to be enough for him. Still gripping Aerrow's hand, he put his other arm around the boy's shoulders, patting him.

Aerrow couldn't have gotten a greater compliment or a better understood thank you.

Piper just looked around at all the happy faces with joy and giggled. "Yes!" she exclaimed, throwing her fist in the air.

Everything was as it should be. Only Domiwick was lost, and in truth, Aerrow could not feel sorry for that. With things ready to be set underway, the Neck Deeps unhooked the _Skyquod_ from the _Condor_ and boarded their own ship once more. Triton and the rest of his squadron stood on the deck, smiling at the Storm Hawks as they prepared to surface. Tritonn was at the helm. He saluted them, saying, "See ya topside, mates!" And with that, the _Skyquod_ rose from the lakebed with the Storm Hawks waving after them. They all remained at the frontal window watching as the _Skyquod _swam off into the murky waters.

It wasn't until they were almost out of sight that Aerrow gave his order for them to follow. "Take her up, Stork," he told his pilot, turning around to Stork and pointing a thumb to the ceiling. He clenched his fists triumphantly. "Mission accomplished!"

As eager to leave as anyone, Stork set the _Condor_ forward immediately, making her leave the lakebed and head off after the _Skyquod_.

Little did they know that within a rocky crag on the lake's floor, one last far side creature was watching the ship with hungry red eyes. With a roar, the lone beast sped after them, whistling her hunting song. Her sights narrowed on the _Condor_ until she was almost upon her. Then, she charged the hull. She didn't quite get her jaws on the ship, but she was able to stick her tusks into it.

Up on the bridge, the jar she made sent all the Storm Hawks except Stork onto the floor, yelling as they slid into the portside wall. Once the ship stopped tilting, the alarms began blaring.

There was only one thing that could have done this, and they all knew it. Finn didn't move from where he landed against the wall as he stared fearfully in front of him. "I thought we had them all!" he cried.

"I guess not!" Aerrow answered as he sat up.

The beast didn't appreciate having her tusks stuck in the ship. Angrily she pulled until she could wrench herself free. Unfortunately, she took out a chunk of the hangar bay wall as she did. The hangar bay filled with water almost instantly.

Up on the bridge, Stork peered down at his instruments fearfully. "Uh oh," he said. "Uh, we got trouble!"

That did _not_ sound good. "Stork, what's wrong?" Aerrow asked frantically as he got to his feet.

"The skimmer bay's been breached," Stork answered. "The submersibles are gone!"

Indeed, Aerrow looked up to see the submersibles floating in front of the frontal window, having drifted out of the hole in the hangar bay. They appeared to be floating up . . . but that was probably because the _Condor_ was sinking.

As the starboard side began to fill with water, the _Condor_ listed toward that side slightly onto her noise. The Storm Hawks yelled again as they were sent sliding into the opposite wall.

"And we got flooding in all three decks!" Stork announced, looking down at his instruments to see all three red blinkers lighting up.

Aerrow got to his feet again. "Can we contain it?" he asked Stork.

"That would be 'no,'" Stork answered calmly.

Well, that was it, then. The _Condor_ was lost. "Grab your breathers!" he ordered. "Abandon ship!"

Immediately everyone put on their wet suits, ran to their breathers, grabbing them off the round table, and started slipping them on. Stork, Finn, and Junko all placed theirs securely on their heads, and Aerrow was about to put his on when he heard Piper's panicked gasp. "My breather!" she exclaimed. She spun away from the round table, her hands clenched in fists in anger. "Domiwick took it!"

Aerrow's teeth clenched. Quickly he began thinking up a plan. There had to be a way to get them all out. Six of them, only five breathers. The flooding . . . there must be a way to stop it, but it would be risky. He could see only one option.

Aerrow held out his breather to Piper. "Hurry! Take mine."

Piper drew back, horror written on her face. "No, Aerrow!"

"There's no time to argue," Aerrow insisted. "There's still two miles between us and anymore air!"

"So, what?" Finn gasped, his voice projected out his breather's speaker. "You're . . . you're just gonna go down with the ship?"

"I'm not givin' up on the _Condor_ yet," Aerrow told the others. "There's still a chance we can save her if the engine room doesn't flood."

"But you'd have to close it off from inside the access duct!" Junko pointed out.

"Which I won't be able to do in a bulky breather!" Aerrow answered back. His tone made it clear his was the final word on this. He turned and shoved his breather against Piper, practically forcing her to take it.

Piper took her hands out of the way, as if frightened to touch it. With wide, scared eyes, she looked up and met Aerrow gaze. Aerrow gave her a small smile and nodded to her, letting her know everything was going to be okay. And it would be. If he didn't believe that, then there was no point in trying. And if he didn't believe it, Piper would not have faith in him to make it out alive.

Piper stared at him with such sad eyes that Aerrow feared she might begin to tear up. But at last, she took the breather in her hands, closing her eyes with a small sigh. Holding the breather under her arm, she turned to Aerrow and opened her eyes, and this time they were giving him a determined, firm glare. Gripping his collar, she growled, "You better make it back."

Aerrow smirked arrogantly as she let go of him. She needn't worry so much. "Hey, it's me," he reminded her. He placed a hand over his heart. "I'll find a way."

* * *

Author's Notes: Is it jus me or does Aerrow grow more arrogant with every passing episode? It's as if in the first ones he was sure of himself but not so high and mighty, and that attitude grows to high and mighty until he gets told he's not going to be in Atmos' future (news which would humble anyone, I think).

I like the title I chose for this chapter. It could refer to the fact that they missed one creature when rounding them up. Or it could refer to the fact that Domiwick did not get away with the others. Or if could refer to the fact that Aerrow choosing to be left behind. Any of those could work, really.

And now, to point out some similarities between the "Domiwick Beasts" and cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises).

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Cetaceans live in pods. Pods of whales tend to consist of animals of the same gender, and if they are female, it will include their young. These get together for mating and migration and are not permanent. Dolphins, however, have pods made up of closely-related family members, led by the eldest. The other members are the leader's siblings, offspring, offspring's offspring, and so forth. The leader is almost always female. As for the songs of whales, humans still aren't sure what all the reasons are for whale singing. Surely mating is one of them, but male humpbacks also appear to sing to show off to another male or simply for pleasure. Whales also have the most complex songs of any animal besides humans; their multi-noted songs have distinct dialects and many variations of tone, quality, and keys. And although every whale's song is distinct, a whale's song will change over time, especially if it has met a whale of another dialect. Clicking, which is also sometimes considered whale singing, and less complex songs are used for more practical reasons by cetaceans: to find prey and to communicate to one another. Baleen whales do not click, but use various "songs" for different purposes (the most complex always reserved for mating).

So the merman left in a huff, but now I have a killer whale! He'll get you to review, won't you, orca?

*orca swims in circles and then surfaces*

That's right, go get the naughty readers who don't review! You're such a good boy!

*orca opens mouth for tongue rub*

Wait . . . You're supposed to be ferocious! _Killer_ whale, remember?

*orca clicks and whistles, asking for tongue rub*

Great, another cuddly review threat.


	165. Dark Waters: Faith of the Heart

Chapter 4: Faith of the Heart

Once they were all ready, the Storm Hawks all gave their leader one last sad look before they headed down into the hangar bay. Once there, they swam out of the _Condor_ through the hole the beast had made.

Aerrow stripped of his wet suit—it would only get in his way and was useless without the breather—and put on his armor. Even though it might hinder his swimming, he had no idea what sort of trouble he might run into; he might need it. Once he was ready, he went to the room above the hangar bay, and he had opened up the hatch from which the Storm Hawks use to climb down into the bay. He could see that the water was steadily rising and might soon spill out of the open hatch.

Staring at the dark water a moment, which appeared nearly black in the dim light, he steadied his breathing, preparing himself. This was going to take a lot of quick thinking and a _lot_ of air. He'd have to be under for a few minutes at most.

The _Condor_ creaked again as the filling water brought on more stress, and the water pooled in the hatch gave a slight tremor, rippling outward from the center. The _Condor_ couldn't take much more. It was now or never.

Taking a deep breath, Aerrow dove into the hatch.

The water was ice-cold against his skin. Aerrow had known before, but without the wet suit for protection and his face completely bare, it sent a shock through his system. But he had been expecting that, and he forged on, coming clear of the hatch and leveling out in the hangar bay. It was rather strange; he had never "hovered" in the skimmer bay before. But even then, it was so dark he couldn't enjoy much of it.

The water truly was murky and stung his open eyes a bit. As he swam straight for the next hatch, he passed by the huge hole in the hangar bay wall. So this was the source of this whole ordeal. He wasn't quite sure how the creature had managed it; the hole looked bigger than her jaws could have been.

Swimming on, Aerrow reached the next hatch. Grabbing the ladder, he heaved himself up so he shot right toward the top. Once there, he unscrewed the hatch as quickly as possible and thrust it open, coming up for air. He panted a bit but was happy to see that despite his discomfort at the lack of air, he wasn't pained and didn't need to gasp.

And now he was in the upper section of the engine functions. Down below was the engine room itself, reached by the access duct if such a situation called for that entrance. He was right where he needed to be. Smirking cockily, Aerrow ran to the wheel on the tube to the open duct. Grunting, he cranked it three times to the right, listening as the water stopped flowing down the tube.

Down below, the engine room was already half-flooded, the water pouring from the access duct. But with Aerrow cranking away, the water slowly stopped draining. The engine room was safe.

_See?_ Aerrow thought to himself. _No problem!_ He and the _Condor_ were both getting out of this one alive, just as he had always known! Feeling quite proud of himself, Aerrow jumped back into the icy-cold water of the hangar bay and made to swim to the bridge again.

But as he was swimming by the hole, something caught his eye. He stopped himself by grabbing the edge of the hole and pulling himself back toward it to peer out.

His eyes widened. A maelstrom was headed right for the ship!

Aerrow turned to swim away, to get back to the safety of the bridge where he could ride out the underwater tornado if need be. But the maelstrom was already too close; its swirling waters were already beginning to suck water out of the hole of the bay. Aerrow grit his teeth as he clung to the edge and tried to pull himself back inside, but the waters only pulled harder. Aerrow was wrenched back, his grip on the hole slipping, and next thing he knew he was tumbling head-over-heels in a watery twister.

The _Condor_ was picked up by the maelstrom as well and was sent spinning into its swirling whirlpool. Aerrow lost sight of it in the mass of whirling water.

Aerrow did his best to right himself, trying to stop spinning, to do something. His chest was starting to ache from lack of air, and the torrent of water was pulling his mouth open, forcing air out of him.

So this truly it. He had managed to save the _Condor_'s engines, and he was _still_ going to die. His only comfort was that at least the others were safe.

Feeling weak from lack of oxygen, Aerrow was about to close his eyes and considered letting go when he heard an all-too-familiar whistling song.

The "Domiwick Beast" was on the other side of the maelstrom, tumbling in the whirlpool and looking genuinely distressed. She spun around and around, going faster and faster, and working her way toward the middle of the maelstrom.

That's when Aerrow realized she was going to hit him! He swam for all he was worth, but it was useless against the maelstrom's force. The beast struck him with enough force to nearly knock the breath out of him. He steeled himself so as not to gasp in water and grabbed for the first thing in his reach to keep from being pounded against.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in one of the worst positions he could have imagined; _he was clutching the tusk of the creature!_

Seeming ignorant of his presence, the beast let out a frightened cry as they rose ever higher in the maelstrom's current.

* * *

Up above, the rest of the Storm Hawks had just surfaced under the night sky, pulling themselves up onto the dock. In exhaustion, Stork, Radarr, and Piper collapsed onto the deck, taking off their breathers to breathe in fresh air, while Finn padded toward them. Junko was the last one up the ladder. Just before he got up, he dared to look behind him.

Piper followed his gaze. They could see the bubbling waters of the sinking _Condor_ as it continued to fill up. They all knew it must be nearly full. If Aerrow was going to make it, he would have to bring the _Condor_ up any second now. Soon, everything would be flooded, and if Aerrow was still on the ship then, he would be trapped. "Come on, Aerrow," Piper whispered to herself, desperate to see the _Condor_ come up, or at least see the _Condor_'s shadow and see Aerrow surface above it.

He would come. He had to. She had to believe he would. If anyone could make it out of this, it was Aerrow.

Finn, still on his feet, removed his breather and looked back at the bubbles coming from the lake's depths. They were growing less in number with every passing second. Where was he? Where was Aerrow?

Junko climbed up on the dock, his gaze never leaving the water's surface. They all waited, not daring to move, hardly daring to breathe. In moment they would know if Aerrow made it.

Piper's and Radarr's eyes widened in disbelief as the bubbles disappeared completely. The _Condor_ was full. And Aerrow had still not arrived.

Piper felt a sob rising in her. This was all her fault. If she had done a better job of watching Domiwick, they wouldn't have been short a breather. If she had not taken Aerrow's breather, he would be here now. She had no one to blame but himself.

But before the Storm Hawks' shock from their loss had sunken in, something huge burst from the water straight into the air, making Stork scream and everyone cringe.

The far side creature was shot into the air as if out of the cannon, having been blown out of the water by the force of the maelstrom. She righted herself as she reached the peak of her climb, arching against the moon.

And there, standing upon her back, was Aerrow. More exhausted than he had ever felt before, lungs aching for air, he threw back his head, water flying from his hair and sparkling in the moonlight, gasping in air for all he was worth.

Piper could hardly believe her eyes. She sprang to her feet, her face aglow, her fists clenched. "Aerrow!" she cried. He was _alive!_

Aerrow was still heaving in breath as he stood upon the far side creature when he felt her fall out from underneath him, slowly at first, then accelerating. The beast sang in slight panic as she felt herself start to fall back to the lake, but Aerrow felt he had more of a reason to be scared; a drop like this could be deadly for him, and he _definitely_ did not want to land on top of this creature.

But he remembered: he had put on everything he needed for battle . . . just in case.

Without another thought, he opened up his battle glider. Despite being wet, it still caught wind, and Aerrow glided over to the dock, just avoiding the splash as the other side beast hit the water.

Above the dock, Aerrow pointed his feet to the ground and brought in his glider, dropping down in front of the others. His knees shook under him, and he had to rock back on his heels to keep from falling forward. Everything felt sore and tired, his lungs still screaming for more air. He hoped to never have to hold his breath for that long again.

Everyone's face lit up at seeing him. Radarr screeched in delight, dancing in place. But Piper was the first to go to him. "Yeah!" she yelled running to his side. The others were quick to follow, cheering in delight.

Aerrow had been looking at the dock, simply trying to keep himself up on his feet. Hearing them cheering, he looked up and smiled at them wearily, glad to see everyone was okay. Stork hung back a little, looking awkward but happy, but everyone else crowded close.

Just when Aerrow thought his legs would give under him, Junko put Aerrow's arm over his shoulders, holding him up. The others crowded closer, still cheering. They didn't even bother to ask him questions but just gazed at him as they couldn't get enough of looking at him.

Aerrow sighed in delight, glad he was able to see them all again. For a moment, it had been really close. But was their ever a doubt? After all, he was the Sky Knight of the Storm Hawks!

* * *

It had been an interesting night; after having related their ill-fated story to the Neck Deeps, rooms had been provided for them and clean clothes were given to Aerrow while his were put to dry. Tritonn had insisted Aerrow be kept warm as possible and monitored—hypothermia from the lake was actually a more likely death than drowning in the lake, it turns out—but once he'd had a good, hot drink and some dry clothes, Aerrow had felt fine.

The next morning, the Storm Hawks stood out on the deck as they watched a crane haul the _Condor_ up from the depths. They were all in their uniforms without their armor, except for Stork. He was wearing the latest Bessie t-shirt and was with a group of tourists at the edge of the dock. Radarr joined him out of curiosity, and an all-too-familiar white hen followed Radarr.

Tritonn was with the Storm Hawks, in his uniform and armor. "Since you sealed your engines from harm," he told Aerrow, "the shipwrights say they'll be able to shore up your _Condor_ good as new."

"I guess things worked out okay," Aerrow said lightly, making Piper give him a sidelong don't-be-taking-this-so-lightly glance. "Except there's still one of those beasts in the lake," Aerrow added sheepishly, pointing out toward the lake.

At that, the group of human tourists—a male photographer, a young woman, a bald member of the Sky Knight Council, and Gull's son and the girl who accompanied him—all turned and glared at Aerrow. Stork did, too. He had grabbed a jellyfish from the wooden bucket of fish Radarr was holding up to him and was tying it onto a fishing line on the end of a wooden pole. "Um, excuse me!" he told Aerrow indignantly. "She has a name!"

With that, he turned back to the edge of the dock. The tourists turned back to him with interest. "No crowding, folks!" Stork announced. "Plenty of room!" He turned back to look at them. "See the beastly Bessie with your own two eyes!"

Behind the Storm Hawks stood the one-eyed fisherman, pipe clenched in his teeth, and his one-eyed, wormlike companion. They both frowned at Stork's announcement and looked at each other sadly. The creature scratched her belly and whimpered. See it with their own _two _eyes? They each only had one!

Stork used the pole to hold the blue-and-red fish out over the lake. In about a second, there was bubbling at the top of the lake, and then the far side creature, the new Bessie, sprang from the lake with a ferocious roar, snatching not only the jellyfish in her mouth but also the top of the pole. Stork screamed and jumped backward at seeing her jaws come so close.

Though slightly wary, the tourists seemed delighted, the Council member even exclaiming, "Wow!" while the photographer snapped pictures.

But Stork laughed nervously. Those jaws had been a little too close for comfort. "This may have been a bad idea," he mumbled to himself, loud enough that the other Hawks heard him.

Aerrow put his hands on his hips and smiled in amusement. Any more of that close call and Stork's love of the Bessie legend would be over soon.

But Piper crossed her arms, looking upset. "Speaking of bad ideas," she said quietly, her voice only for Aerrow, "you think Domiwick will make it to the other side?"

Aerrow turned away and peered off thoughtfully in the distance. Would he? And if he did, what then? "I guess we'll never know," he answered at last.

* * *

Meanwhile, Domiwick was pulling himself up onto the first shoreline he had come to since he had swum into one of the many tunnels of the Endless Caverns. He was tired and hungry, but he felt a sense of accomplishment: he had swum the Caverns.

On his knees, he looked up. His jaw dropped as a brilliant light met his eyes, in land unlike anything he had ever seen.

* * *

Author's Notes: That last scene just gives you chills, doesn't it?

And Aerrow fans have to love that moon silhouette scene. When my cousin callmefall saw that scene, she said, "Aerrow in _The Little Mermaid_!"

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The famed monster of Loch Ness, named "Nessie" by fans and monster seekers, is based off long-ago legends from the lake. In Gaelic myths, water creatures have always been a large feature, and these myths were preserved in areas where Gaelic tradition was preserved: Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Stories existed of serpents, water horses, selkies (transforming seal people), and other water monsters who inhabited the many freshwater and saltwater areas of the British Isles. The first stories of monsters in Loch Ness were tales of a huge, malevolent serpent or a men-eating each uisge, a type of water horse not unlike a kelpie. Throughout the Dark and Middle Ages, stories correlated of a serpentine beast with a horse-like head; such sightings were even recorded by written reports by nobles and monarchs. These stories were dying out during the Enlightenment but continued into the 19th century as stories of some mysterious unknown fish being spotted in the lake. July 22, 1933 was the first "modern" sighting of an unknown monster in Loch Ness. Sightings became increasingly popular until the 1970s and are now diminishing. Modern sightings include not only descriptions of a long neck and horse-like head but also of a large body and flippers like a seal, leading to various theories, including a surviving plesiosaurus theory (which could not lift its head, therefore eliminating this theory). Regardless of whether "Nessie" is real, she (for it is commonly referred to as female) is the leading tourist attraction around Loch Ness. Locals make a business out of serving tourists and selling them Nessie merchandise, as well as leading boat tours out to the middle of Loch Ness with many tourists' so far vain hopes of sighting a sign of the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Monster's fame has also been bolstered by various books, movies, and cartoons, such as _Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster_; the animated children's series _Happy Ness: The Secret of the Loch_;episodes of _Wonder Pets_, _Godzilla_, _South Park_, _The Simpsons_, _Bewitched_, _Sherlock Hound_, and others; the horror film _Beneath Loch Ness_; _The Loch_ by Steve Alten; _Destiny Kills_ by Keri Arthur (story of Destiny, a shape changing sea dragon); J. K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_ companion _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ (in which Nessie is called the world's biggest kelpie); and the recent live-actor movie _The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep_, based on the children's novel _The Water Horse _by Dick King-Smith.

Wow, that was a _long_ trivia! There's so much info out there about the Loch Ness Monster! And we don't even know if it exists!

Well, that's a wrap. Until next time . . . with "Number One Fan"! Hmm, now who of us here can relate to that . . .


	166. Number One Fan: The Fan Who Cried Wolf

_**Part 41**_

_**Number One Fan**_

_A cry for help is faked, and a cry for help is made. A fandom is glorified, and a fandom is abandoned. A new friend is made, and an old enemy returns. A plan is revealed, one that will change the world._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Fan Who Cried Wolf

After the _Condor_ was restored to her airship-running, the Storm Hawks left Terra Aquinos in good spirits. And those good spirits remains, on into a week. Then two weeks. There was nothing to interrupt them, no call for help or danger, so they continued enjoying themselves.

On into the third week, Piper decided to pen in her squadron log for the first time in awhile.

_Squadron log,_

_Clear skies, smooth sailing, and not a Cyclonian in sight for weeks._

"In other words," she added aloud, picking up her pencil, "we're bored out of our minds."

Stork, who normally liked quiet, was at the helm in front of Piper, his head resting in his hand, looking listless, as if even _he_ would like some highly dangerous, drastic mission from which a terrible death would be soon to follow.

Finn was sitting on one of the couches at the round table, next to a sleeping Junko. The sharpshooter was playing a solitary card game. Radarr was currently trying to amuse himself by stretching out on the opposite couch and watching Finn lose against . . . well, no one.

Finn, at a lose as to what move he could take next, glanced around a moment to see if anyone was watching. Then, smirking to himself, he switched his Gorge sloth card with a Leviathan card on the board. Then, looking around again to be sure no one had seen, he laughed to himself. "Chica-cha!" he muttered quietly in triumph.

But then he heard an indignant squeak and found Radarr's face right in his. Finn gasped and leaned back in fright.

Glaring at him, Radarr waggled a finger at Finn, growling. He couldn't have been clearer than if he could speak: _No cheating!_

"Ah!" Finn groaned. This was just annoying. It was a sad day when Radarr cared that he had cheated at a _one-person game!_

Turning back to her squadron log, Piper continued writing.

_With the exception of Junko's snoring, things are quiet in Atmos . . . too quiet._

Piper looked up worriedly. Was she the only one thinking that the lack of Cyclonian activity meant bad news to come?

No, she wasn't. Aerrow was thinking the same thing. He was the one person providing a little extra noise in the room besides Junko's snoring; he was throwing berries at Junko's open mouth, scoring every time. Still asleep, Junko would immediately begin chewing with a, "Mmm!" and then go back to snoring, encouraging Aerrow to pick up another berry from the basket in his lap and throw it in Junko's mouth.

Sitting on a crate and leaning against a stack of crates behind him, feet propped up on yet another crate, Aerrow was simply looking for something to do with his hands while he contemplated possible Cyclonian plans. But he was no diabolical mastermind and was inevitably falling flat when it came to playing guessing games with Cyclonis. So what was supposed to be a thoughtful reflection on his part while he ate his berries ended up being a less-than-amusing game of throwing berries into Junko's open mouth in the hope of stopping his snoring, if only briefly.

Radarr soon found that he liked watching this game more than watching Finn when one of the berries missed, bouncing off Junko's forehead. With a churr, Radarr immediately leapt onto Junko's lap and caught the berry in his mouth, chewing away happily.

Just then, alarms started going. Startled out of his wandering reverie, Aerrow gasped and fell off the crate onto the floor on his knees, spilling berries everywhere. Junko snapped awake, knocking Radarr off his lap, and Finn sat up, accidentally shoving Junko to the side.

Stork immediately ran to the periscope and peered out. "Distress signal," he announced, "coming from the terra right below us!"

Finn cocked an eyebrow. "There's a terra below us?"

While the others got to their feet, Piper laid down her squadron log on the round table and got out a map, which she unrolled on the table. "Terra Nibius Firgumentum," she answered. "It barely even shows up on the map." Finn peered over her shoulder at the map, squinting to find the terra.

But whatever terra, big or small, strange or not, Aerrow couldn't help grinning. "Who cares?!" he said excitedly. "We finally got some action!" And with that, he shot off to get his armor and weapons.

Piper and Finn exchanged glances, smiles quickly spreading across their faces. Aerrow was right! This was the action they had been waiting for! They were off in a flash, headed in opposite directions, Finn to grab his armor and both to grab their weapons.

Even Stork was excited! With a grunt of pleasure, he sent the _Condor_ zooming in toward this small terra, Nibius Firgumentum.

Once in full armor, Aerrow drew his blades and lit them, spinning them around. Piper joined her staff together excitedly and spun it around, thrusting it forward with a "Yah!" Finn, in armor, loaded his crossbow and looked around, letting out a small, excited whoop. Junko slammed his Knuckle Busters together, igniting them, smirking confidently.

All ready for battle, the group, minus Stork, headed down to the hangar bay to get to their rides. Once mounted, they zoomed off the landing strip and into the air, zeroing in on the tiny, dusty desert terra below and slightly ahead of them. Aerrow narrowed his eyes as they headed in. "Keep a sharp eye for Cyclonians," Aerrow warned his team. He turned to his copilot with one simple warning: "Radarr, hang on!"

Without another word, Aerrow and Radarr landed on the dusty flats, turning the Vulcan sideways so it slid to a halt. Immediately Aerrow leapt out, blades drawn and blazing. With a squawk, Radarr followed suit, striking a fighter's pose next to him. All the other Storm Hawks landed behind them, leaping off their skyrides and brandishing their ignited weapons with a "Yah!"

But then they all straightened up, saying, "Huh?"

Aerrow looked around. There was nothing here! No Cyclonians, no killer beasts, no people in distress . . . nothing but rusty-colored dirt and rock. This was a desert, not sandy like Saharr, but definitely a hot, dry desert. And like Saharr, it was remote; there didn't seem to be another person for miles. And this terra only was miles across, so . . .

Where was the distress?

At last, among the pillars of rock and small, red plateaus, Aerrow spotted a red and blue trailer that had . . . a Storm Hawks insignia on its front?

The next thing Aerrow knew, he felt a bright flash of light. Grunting in discomfort, he shook his head and looked down toward a rock a few feet in front of him.

A head popped out of a young boy with fair skin; black hair; large, round glasses; a red-and-blue t-shirt with the Storm Hawks emblem on both sleeves; and a pair of ears attached to a headband on his head. Around his neck, he had a strap, and on this strap a camera. Aerrow blinked at the ears on his head. They looked like . . . green Merb ears. And there were two fake rings in the left ear. In fact, they seemed to be look-alikes of Stork's ears!

The boy jumped up in front of Aerrow. "That was _so_ cool!" he exclaimed.

Now that he was standing up, Aerrow could see he wasn't a very athletic kid, but he wasn't too bad that he looked that bad in shorts (which surprisingly didn't clash with his high orange socks). But noting his shorts, Aerrow couldn't help but notice that the boy had a fake blade sheathed on either hip. In fact, they looked kind of like . . . Aerrow's blades.

The boy pointed toward their rides. "Do that part where you land again?" he asked. "Only this time, get _me_ in the picture!" He held out the camera, chuckling excitedly. His laugh sounded strange, as if he were laughing through his nose.

Finn and Junko exchanged glances and raised eyebrows at the kid. Aerrow knew they were probably thinking the same thing he was: who the heck was this, and what in the world was he doing?

Finn took the camera handed to him and then stepped back so the boy could get in among the rest of the Storm Hawks. The boy positioned himself in the middle, between Junko and Piper. The two looked down in discomfort as the boy put an arm around either of them. Short as he was, he ended up hugging their waists. "This _so_ rocks!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe I'm standing here with the real Storm Hawks!" He looked back and forth between Piper and Junko and then smiled for the camera.

Finn looked irritated; whether it was because the kid was annoying or because Finn wanted to be in the picture, Aerrow couldn't tell. Without a word, the sharpshooter snapped the picture and then handed the camera back to the young boy when he approached.

Piper turned to Aerrow questionably. But Aerrow just shrugged and shook his head. He had no idea what was going on.

Piper turned back to the boy. "And you are . . . ?" she asked, sounding a bit disturbed.

The boy turned back to her and then gasped in delight. "It's Piper!" he whispered quietly and excitedly to himself. "Your number one fan!" he answered, saluting them. "Name's Noob. I'm president of the Storm Hawks Fan Club!"

With that, he took a remote out of his pocket, which made Stork cringe away from him fearfully. Then Noob pointed the remote toward his trailer and pressed a red button. A sign folded out of the ceiling of the trailer. It had neon lettering on it, and a silver Storm Hawks insignia with a circular blue background popped up from that.

Finn looked ecstatic. "_Sweet!_" he exclaimed. Knowing Finn, the idea of having a fan club must have just made his day.

Aerrow had to admit the idea wasn't unappealing. The others seemed to agree. Junko raised an eyebrow, smiling. "We have a fan club?" he asked in amazement.

Noob turned to him. "Oh!" he exclaimed to himself. "It's Junko! Knuckle Buster Junko!"

When Junko turned his eyes on him, Noob gestured to the trailer. "It's this terra's leading tourist destination," he explained. "That, and the ancient warp crystal mines." He pointed up to the cliff next to them, which had a cave opening with many neon, multi-colored arrows pointing to its entrance. "But who cares about those, right?" Noob added, chuckling in the weird nasal laugh of his.

Aerrow didn't want to be rude, but they were wasting time while someone might be in trouble. "Eh, this is really flattering," he told Noob, "but we need to find out who sent that distress signal."

At first, Noob was frozen, mouth agape, as if he couldn't believe the Sky Knight had just spoken to him. Based on the young boy's clothing colors and choice of fake weapons, Aerrow guessed that he was probably Noob's favorite. Clenching his fists in excitement, he muttered in a breathless voice, "Fearless leader Aerrow!" He gave him a thumb up. "You rock!"

But then the boy looked around guiltily. "Actually," he admitted, "that would be me. See," he said, looking at a thumbnail, "I was monitoring radio frequencies, and when I heard you were in the area, well, I just couldn't resist!" He looked up at them with his face aglow and his fists clenched.

"So you faked a distress call just to get us down here?" Piper asked. Aerrow sensed a lecture coming.

But Finn interrupted her. Putting his hands on his hips, he said, gesturing to Noob, "And that's just the kind of intuitive we should expect from our number one fan! Besides," he added, straightening proudly, "he hasn't got a picture with the Finnster yet, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows Noob's way.

"Yeah," Noob said dismissively, looking at his fingernails, "not a big Finn fan."

Finn put a hand on his heart and gasped in horror. Aerrow had a feeling the highlight of his day had just been crushed.

"Hey!" Noob exclaimed suddenly, completely ignoring Finn. "You guys got to check out my collection of Storm Hawks memorabilia!" He started heading over to the trailer.

Not knowing what else to do without offending him, the Storm Hawks followed. Besides, it couldn't be that bad just satisfying a crazy fan. It's not like the Storm Hawks get many crazy fans. In fact, Aerrow thought guiltily, he kind of figured that, due to their youth and lack of registration, the Storm Hawks were the least popular squadron in Atmos. Even their brief spin of fame with Carver had died with Carver's reputation. Or so Aerrow had thought.

While they walked toward the door of the trailer, Noob said, "Eh, perhaps you could autograph Junko's teddy bear, which the official Sky Knight Collectables Exchange assures is completely authentic." He reached into the small backpack on his back and pulled out a teddy bear with a scruff of dark grey hair not unlike Junko's and an X for a mouth, squeezing the bear to make it squeak.

Junko let out a, "Huh?" eyes growing wide at the sight of the bear. He ran up to Noob and snatched the bear out of his hands, holding it up in the air in astonishment. "Mr. Bitsy!" he exclaimed happily. He hugged the bear close to him. "I thought I lost you forever!"

Aerrow raised an eyebrow at the scene. Yup, doesn't get more authentic than that.

Once at the door of the trailer, Noob opened the automatic door with his remote. It opened across the middle, the bottom half coming down to form steps.

Aerrow peered inside and could hardly believe his eyes. There were pictures, newspaper, clippings, metal pieces, and even pieces of cloth and leather hanging all over the walls, all somehow Storm Hawks-related. Some shelves had crystals sitting on them, some that Aerrow could have sworn were Piper's.

On one end of the right wall of the trailer were life-sized stickers of Aerrow, Stork, Junko, Piper, and Radarr. Toward the middle of the same wall was a poster of the Storm Hawks in armor and looking up at a sky filled with skyrides, a sunset in the background. The scene made the Storm Hawks look quite honorable and heroic.

Below the poster was a fake shield hanging on the wall, smaller than the real thing. It was round and red with a silver Storm Hawks insignia on it, a dead-ringer for Lightning Strike's shield. (Although Aerrow knew the shield was probably marketed as his own, he could only think of it as Lightning's and no on else's).

Below the shield was a nightstand with drawers. On top of the night stand were action figures of Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, Junko, and Stork, all standing on top of stands that looked like the shield.

As the Storm Hawks stepped inside the trailer after Noob, Noob was beaming at the collection as if it were his pride and joy. "I've managed to amass Atmos' largest collection of your spare parts, torn uniform scraps, used axle grease, and—"

"Can't help noticing your missin' someone here," Finn interrupted, gesturing to the life-sized stickers of the Storm Hawks . . . all but Finn. Finn gestured to Noob, as if trying to keep a positive face. "You must need a _whole_ extra wing to hold all the Finn swag! Am I right?" When Noob didn't answer, Finn put his hands together as if in prayer, almost looking like he was _begging_ Noob to say yes. "Am I right?"

"No," Noob answered, shrugging. "This is pretty much it."

Finn groaned at that, looking irritated. Then he stepped out of the trailer to pout.

Junko picked up his action figure with interest and started pressing down on the figure's head, which made the figure punch up with its fist. "Oh!" he exclaimed excitedly, laughing. "Oh, yeah!"

Piper was still outside, and she put her hands on her hips as she frowned at the action figures. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Why don't I have an action figure?"

"Oh," Noob answered, "that's because the 'brainiacs,'" he rolled his eyes, "in merchandising say that girl figures don't sell." He said it as if he thought it was ridiculous.

Piper clearly agreed. "Hmm," she huffed through her nose, lifting an eyebrow.

Noob flashed her a smile. "Don't worry!" he told her. "I made my own Piper action figure using this!" He held up a Snipe action figure, on which he had placed a crystal necklace like Piper's and hair like Piper's and a really _ugly_ girl makeup job.

Junko and Finn laughed in amusement, Junko pointing a finger at Piper teasingly. "Humph!" Piper huffed, glaring at them.

Aerrow took that as a sign that they should probably be leaving. After all, this whole thing was making him a little uncomfortable . . . and, quite frankly, it was kind of annoying. "Well, um, Noob," Aerrow said as graciously as he could, leaving the trailer and sliding away from it toward Piper, "uh, this has been really . . . interesting"—it was the only honest word he could think of—"but we should probably be getting back to the _Condor_." He finally got close enough to Piper that he could lay a hand on her back, assuring her they were leaving. Piper smiled at her rescuer and then turned with Aerrow to head back to the ship.

"Oh," Noob said, drooping. "Right." He gripped his camera as if to console himself. "You guys must have Cyclonians to battle and other important Sky Knight business."

"Well, actually," Junko corrected, leaning against the doorframe of the trailer, "we got nothing going on at all right now." He raised an eyebrow at Aerrow, as if confused as to why the Sky Knight was trying to head back to the ship so soon.

Noob gasped in shocked delight.

Aerrow looked at Junko in disbelief. Piper laid a hand aside her mouth so Noob wouldn't see and whispered through gritted teeth, "Wait to blow our graceful exit!"

"Oop!" Junko gasped, just now realizing his mistake. He winced and shrugged. "Sorry!"

Noob turned back to Aerrow. "And now that I've met the _real_ Storm Hawks, my life is complete!"

Finn crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, still stung by his earlier rejection.

"Well," Noob added, dropping his head, "almost complete." He looked up at Aerrow with the eyes of a begging puppy. "There's just one tiny thing that would fulfill a lifelong dream."

Lifelong? How long had his life been so far? A decade? And Aerrow couldn't help wincing at the idea and saw Piper doing the same. They _really_ didn't want to know what that dream was.

Noob looked away shyly. "I'm almost too embarrassed to ask, but—"

_Please don't,_ Aerrow prayed silently.

But the next thing he knew, Noob had run up to him and was gripping his tiny breast plate in his right hand and a clump of his shirt in the other, clinging to his chest. "—could I have a ride on the _Condor_?!" he begged frantically, pulling Aerrow down with him. "It'd be the ultimate story for the fan club newsletter." He put his head back, screaming and begging and seeming to be on the urge of sobbing. "_Please?_ Oh, please!" He was shaking Aerrow now.

Aerrow winced. For one thing, this was a very difficult situation in which to say "no" without being mean. Secondly . . . this has _got_ to be one of the most awkward situations he had ever found himself in.

Junko raised an eyebrow at Noob when he heard what he had said. "We have a newsletter?" he asked.

Noob let go of Aerrow (much to Aerrow's relief) and turned to Junko, grinning from ear to ear. "Publisher, photographer, and editor-in-chief!" he explained, pulling a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed the newspaper-like document to Finn. The part Aerrow could see on the back had picture of the Storm Hawks all in battle stances with an article next to it. At the bottom of the article was a picture of Aerrow; whatever the article was, he was the feature. Finn unfolded the paper to look inside, and Aerrow could see the front, if upside down; it included a picture of the Storm Hawks posing for a photograph for an article about one of their adventures. Finn's face lit up when he saw an even bigger picture of the Storm Hawks in battle stances and an even longer article on the inside.

Well, this was a new dilemma. How exactly could Aerrow deny Noob kindly after this? "It's an honor to be asked," he finally managed, only to point a thumb in the direction of the _Condor_, "but we really have to—"

"—give our number one fan the ride of his life!" Finn interrupted, putting down the newsletter and gesturing to Noob.

Noob sighed in delight, his face aglow.

Aerrow and Piper winced but did their best to smile at Noob kindly. Aerrow didn't know what Finn had in mind. Was he trying to make his own fame by being the subject of a newsletter article?

Whatever the case, all Aerrow knew was that this was going to be a long day.

* * *

Author's Notes: The first time I watched this episode, all I thought was, ". . . We're not _that_ bad, are we?"

Okay, here's a trivia that relates to the first part of Noob's home terra's crazy name, Nibius Firgumentum.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The planet Nibiru, sometimes called Nibius, is the name of "Planet X," is an unknown space object, a hypothetical comet or possibly the tenth planet from the sun. Taken from the name given to a space object roughly four times the size of Earth said to soon pass by the Earth and destroy civilization, according to Nancy Lieder, who claims to have learned the information from an abduction she had by aliens when she was a child. She made a connection between Planet X and Nibiru, also called Marduk, a planet said to have come close and allowed its inhabitants to become the first human gods when they met the Babylonians. Whatever story, Nibiru is supposed to be the huge space object that causes the apocalypse. Besides Nibiru, Nibius, Planet X, and Marduk, it is also known as Nemesis, Eris, Tyche, and Comet Elenin. Originally predicted by Lieder to come in 2003, believers now say it will pass by or collide with Earth in 2012. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (a branch of U.S. government dedicated to space exploration and study) claims to have no proof of the object's existence. Despite this fact, belief in doomsday via Nibiru collision has gained a massive following . . . almost like a fan club.

Ah, now I see the connection!

After all that, I don't feel like discussing Noob's home terra's_ entire_ name in this chapter. We'll talk about the word "Firgumentum" next chapter and where that may have come from.

All I got for now! Don't forget to review! Not that it matters much, since Planet Nibiru has us all doomed anyway . . .

Oh, gosh, I sound like Stork!


	167. Number One Fan: Fanfare

Chapter 2: Fanfare

As soon as the doors opened to the bridge in front of Noob, Noob started laughing delight, using a finger to push his glasses further up his nose as if to see better. As he stepped in, he was looking around wildly like some frightened horse, taking in everything.

Finn walked in after him. "Just a quick spin around the terra," he told Aerrow and Piper. "I mean, what possible harm could it be?"

Piper, who walked next to Aerrow, gave the Sky Knight a small smile as if to say, _He has a point._ Aerrow hoped they were right.

In the middle of the bridge, Noob slid to a stop and gasped. "STORK!" he cried as loud as he could.

The unwitting Merb, who was at the helm, let out a frightened gasp and spun around in shock, immediately putting up an arm to protect his eyes from the constant flashing of a camera.

Once he was done taking pictures, Noob lowered the camera, smiling brightly at a very shocked, currently blinded Merb. "I can't believe it's really you!" Noob exclaimed, gesturing to Stork.

Before Stork had recovered, Noob shoved the camera into the wheezing Merb's chest, and the pilot grasped the camera in surprise. "Can you get a shot of me at controls?" the boy asked as he walked by, stepping up to the helm. Looking at it, he asked, "Hey, what's this thing do?" It was up above his head, so like most young boys would do, he reached up and pulled it down to his level.

The next thing Aerrow knew, the _Condor_ lifted off the ground, and then slammed down once more, making Piper scream. The ship was on the edge of a cliff, so when she came down and went shooting forward, she slid down the embankment and onto the desert flats, where she went full speed, bouncing along the ground, and then over the next incline before finally starting to slide. Just before she nearly crashed into a red mesa, the _Condor_ turned sideways and skidded to a halt like an ice skater, putting her full weight on the portside booster before falling back to the ground. All the Storm Hawks yelled as they lost their footing and careened into the portside wall. Once everything was still, they all groaned, trying to recover.

This is _not_ what Aerrow had in mind this morning when he thought he wanted adventure!

Noob, though taking quick, frightened breaths, was the only one who seemed to enjoy the experience. He had kept his footing by clutching to the helm, and once all was still, he looked around with a very excited smile on his face, his hands still grasping the handlebars.

When Stork, who had landed on his back, sat up, the first thing he did, after groaning and rubbing his head, was glare at Noob and growl, his eye twitching. As soon as he got to his feet, he pulled out a spray can and shooed Noob away from the controls with his hand, letting out a sound of disgust. Noob backed up in surprise, letting go of the helm. "Who are _you?_" Stork demanded to know, spraying the handlebars with the spray can. "More importantly," he added, "where've ya been," he turned to him with a reproachful, suspicious squint, "and do you carry any rare chemical diseases?"

But Noob wasn't listening. He was looking around again until he spotted brightly-glowing light blue frost crystal in a clamp on a pole. Gasping in delight, he ran up to it. "A frost crystal that was actually touched by Piper!" he exclaimed. He grabbed the pole, asking, "Can I have it?!"

Piper reached a hand toward him, her eyes growing wide in alarm. "Don't touch it!" she cried. "It's highly—"

Before she finished speaking, the frost crystal, triggered by Noob's handling, sent a pulse right toward Junko. Junko cried out in alarm, but the frosty blast didn't hit him; it struck, Mr. Bitsy, still clasped in his hands, and froze the stuffed bear in a layer of ice.

Piper dropped her head and let out an exasperated sigh. "—unstable!" she finished in a quiet, frustrated growl.

Junko let go of Mr. Bitsy with one hand and looked at his hand, already turning blue with cold. "Ooh," he said, "cold." His other hand was also growing numb, and the next thing he knew, he had dropped the bear.

But as it turned out, Mr. Bitsy was not only frozen on the outside but also inside. As soon as it struck the floor, it shattered like glass.

Junko gasped at the sound and fell to his knees in front of the remains of the bear. "Mr. Bitsy!" he cried in a horrified, squeaky voice. He picked up a piece, his lips quivering and his eyes starting to water.

Noob looked sad, too, but not like Junko. "That's a priceless Storm Hawks collectable," he gasped. "It's irreplaceable!"

Junko looked up at him with huge eyes. "Tell me about it," he said before bursting into tears and holding the piece in his hands close to his face.

Great, Aerrow thought. The kid hadn't been on the ship for more than three minutes and he'd managed to make Junko cry.

Finn, it seemed, was still trying to please their fan. He came up to the black-haired boy and held up a picture of Finn's face, with his infamous cocky smirk. "Here's a set of headshots autographed by yours truly!" he said proudly. He then held up his whole stack . . . at least 18 inches tall. "Go ahead! Take 'em! Sure they're worth a little chaw, huh?"

But Noob didn't look excited at all; in fact, he looked kind of irritated. "Uh, yeah," he answered, looking away indifferently. "Thanks."

Finn frowned, an eyebrow raised. Did the boy just turn down pictures of the _Finnster_ with _his_ autograph?

Aerrow stood next to Finn and crossed his arms. He knew Finn just wouldn't give it up.

Noob turned to Aerrow. "What I'd _really_ like," he said, "is to see some genuine Storm Hawks action up close!" He punched the air, as if fighting some invisible foe. "When do we get to fight some Cyclonians?!"

Funny he should ask. "That's what I'd like to know," Aerrow answered, shaking his head. He gestured to Noob. "We haven't heard a peep from them in weeks."

Noob took this news with a brief look of surprise. Then he seemed to draw a conclusion. "Clearly," he said proudly, shrugging, "the Cyclonians are terrified of the Storm Hawks." He said it as if stating a definite fact. Pointing to them with both pointer fingers, he added, "You guys rule the skies!" He pumped his fists excitedly.

Aerrow wished that theory was true, but he knew the Cyclonians, and there was no way that was the answer. "More like the Cyclonians are up to something," he answered Noob, raising an eyebrow. "But what?"

* * *

Back on Cyclonia, Master Cyclonis was in front of her machine in her throne room, its appendages working away at crystals as usual. Hood splayed open, Master Cyclonis kept her eyes on the machine, her fingers on its keyboard, not bothering to even look at her audience of Ravess, Snipe, and Repton while she addressed them. Red lightning flashed outside, as if underlining this monumental meeting. "We're about to commence Phase One of Operation Exodus," Master Cyclonis told her subordinates and ally. "It is essential to maintain absolute secrecy. Right now, all you need to know," she turned around to face them, "is that I require a large supply of these rare warp crystals." She held up a violet, diamond-shaped crystal that had a swirling shell design in its middle. The crystal didn't actually rest in her hand but hovered just above her palm.

Ravess narrowed her eyes in disgust. "You're sending us on a _scavenger hunt?_" she exclaimed in outrage.

No sooner did she say that when she gasped and ducked behind a metal pillar as a red crystal pulse came hurtling her way . . . shot by a displeased Cyclonis with her crystal staff. Still pointing the staff in Ravess' direction, she add, "And _nothing_ will interfere with that mission. Is that clear, Ravess?"

Snipe turned and smirked at his sister. "Unless she runs into the Storm Hawks!" He laughed loudly, remembering her last failure to them, where they had completely trashed her ship.

Ravess snarled at her brother. Placing a hand on her hip, she pointed out, "I've noticed _you_ haven't managed to defeat them, either, _dear brother!_"

Snipe rolled his eyes and mimicked talking nonsense, making fun of her again without having a comeback. Ravess snarled again. She hated when he did that. It was just childish!

"If the Storm Hawks do manage to interfere," Master Cyclonis said, interrupting the sibling fight, raising her staff to use it as that, a staff, "I'll award untold riches to the Talon who can ground them," she smirked, "_permanently!_"

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Finn had taken Noob down to the hangar bay, in the hopes of getting the interview he had hoped for. While Noob snapped pictures of Aerrow's Skimmer, Finn started telling Noob what he should write in his newsletter, starting with the Storm Hawks answering his distress call, showing them his collection, coming on board the _Condor_, seeing the bridge, and seeing the hangar. "But the true highlight of this number one fan's day with the Storm Hawks was my exclusive one on one interview with the squadron's most valuable member, Finn!" he told Noob to write, gesturing to himself. He looked and saw Noob still had his back to him, still snapping pictures. "Hey, gettin' all this down?" he asked him.

"Oh, yeah! Ah!" Noob sighed in awe. Finn couldn't tell whether he was answering him or whether he was awing over Aerrow's ride.

"Uh, hey," he said at last to Finn, turning around to face him, "get a picture of me standing next to Aerrow's Skimmer." He gestured to the Vulcan.

Finn crossed his arms. _Aerrow's_ Skimmer? "Now," Finn said, "wouldn't you rather have a shot of actually sitting on _my_ sweet ride?" He looked toward his own Skimmer, which seemed to glimmer before his eyes.

Noob drooped, looking disappointed. "Ah, alright," he said, "if I _have_ to." He tossed the camera in the air next to Finn, dragging his feet when approaching the Skimmer.

"Hey!" Finn said. "Don't be a grumpy Gus!" He watched Noob climb up onto the Skimmer and plop himself in the seat. "Pretend you're chasing Murk Raiders into a pit of spiny Gorge sloths."

Noob turned to him and smiled a fake smile. Finn snapped the picture, already imagining this picture being on the cover of the newsletter.

After the first picture, Noob pulled at the handle, turning on the Skimmer, just as Finn snapped another picture. Finn smiled. Great! The kid wanted to try out his awesome ride!

Noob yelled in fright as the Skimmer jerked backward, and Finn snapped a picture of his frightened face. As the Skimmer kept reversing, Noob screamed as Finn snapped yet another picture, then another. Then he snapped one more as the Skimmer began to turn around, still in reverse, Noob still screaming. Then, its stern pointed at Finn, it headed full speed in reverse.

Only then did Finn realize he might be in a bit of trouble. Screaming, Finn leapt out of the way just before the Skimmer's backend nearly ran into him.

The door to the hangar bay was open. Noob went backing full speed down the hallway toward the bridge. Finn looked after him in bewilderment. What was the boy doing? Surely he knew how to drive a Skimmer! So why the heck was he abusing his? He ran down the hallway after Noob.

Radarr was walking upright down the hall, digging a finger into his ear to scratch, when he thought he heard the sound of an approaching Skimmer. He let out a questionable churr, the equivalent of, _Huh?_ and looked ahead. Noob was backing full throttle right for him, screaming his head off. Radarr leapt into the air just in time, grabbing the pipes on the ceiling with all four paws and hanging their upside down, screeching after Noob. Just then, Finn went running underneath Radarr, reaching his hands out in front of him, crying, "Noob! Stop!"

Radarr didn't know what was going on, but he knew it wasn't good. He had to get Aerrow!

Noob kept backing up until he was almost upon the closed doors to the bridge. The doors opened automatically, and Noob went zooming inside, slamming the stern of the Skimmer into the round table. That finally cut off Noob's scream, but as the Skimmer bounced off the round table, it started hurtling forward without slowing down. "Wha!" Noob cried as he headed back down the hallway.

Finn was still running his way when he saw that now the Skimmer was coming to run him over again! He turned and started running the other way, screaming in fright.

Noob yelled as he saw he might hit Finn, but there was nothing he could do . . . or knew how to do, anyway.

The Skimmer came right up behind Finn, and he let out a yell just before he tripped and fell. He expected to feel the Skimmer's tires over him, but instead the ride whisked by his right, barely missing him.

Finn sat up as he watched Noob race toward the skimmer bay again. "Hey," he yelled after the young boy, "come back with my ride!" What was the boy doing? Stealing? Being an idiot?

But the next thing Finn knew, he groaned, the breath knocked out of him, as someone stepped on his back and leapt off him, running full-speed after the Skimmer. It was Aerrow, racing to the rescue after being warned of the disaster by Radarr. Radarr ran past Finn with a chirrup, following in Aerrow's wake.

Noob went speeding right for the hatch of the hangar bay, shouting, "Whoa!" The hatched opened upon his approach, and he drove off the end of the landing strip with a, "Wha!"

Aerrow and Radarr wasted no time. They leapt for their seats on their own Skimmer. The tires squealed into action, turning and speeding off the landing strip and diving after Noob. Below the strip, they deployed their wings and sped toward Noob as fast as they could.

Noob was still screaming as the Skimmer headed in a nosedive for the Wastelands, spiraling and picking up speed. Aerrow couldn't do anything while the Skimmer was falling at breakneck speed! "Noob!" he cried. "Deploy your wings!"

"You know," Noob yelled back as they entered the cloud line, "I've noticed that sometimes your Skimmer's wings deploy automatically and sometimes your copilot deploys them manually." He shook his head. "That seems wildly inconsistent."

Radarr let out a churr of exasperation and face-palmed. Aerrow couldn't believe his ears. The young boy was plummeting to his death and he was pointing out inconsistency in how Aerrow operates his Skimmer?! "We got upgrades, okay?" Aerrow told Noob frantically. "Just deploy them!"

Noob looked down at the controls, eyeing the gauges on the dashboard. How in the world was he supposed to deploy the wings?

He didn't have much time now. He had fallen completely through the cloud line, and the lava surface of the Wastelands was approaching fast.

At last he spotted the red button on top of the right handlebar, and his eyes lit up. That must be it! He pressed the button, and the winds immediately deployed just in time, allowing the Skimmer to right itself and skim over the surface of the lava.

Aerrow was relieved to see Noob was okay. But then Noob pulled the Skimmer up so it flipped around backward to ascend. He turned it right side up again, but by then he was on a collision course with Aerrow and Radarr!

Everyone's eyes widened in fright, and Aerrow eased to his port (Noob's starboard) just in time. Radarr closed his eyes and ducked, wincing as Noob's wing passed right over his head.

Aerrow looked back at Noob. It was good he was flying now, but he been late in starting that. They were already in the Wastelands. No telling what might happen to the kid!

Already trouble was brewing. One of the Wasteland's eel-like monsters, having noticed the Skimmers flying above, raised his head out of the lava, looking for a meal. And Noob was flying right overhead, oblivious to the beast. "Yes!" he shouted in elation. "I'm flying just like a real Storm Hawk!" He laughed in joy and glanced down . . . just in time to see the magma beast's jaws coming at him. "Whoa!"

Aerrow and Radarr turned back instantly, well aware that they couldn't get there in time. But luckily the creature's aim missed. Its jaws snapped together a second too late to catch Noob and Finn's Skimmer.

But while Aerrow and Radarr flew in toward Noob, eyeing the eel-like beast, Noob was in a world of his own. "Wasteland lava surfing," he said, smirking and placing a finger on his lip thoughtfully, not noticing the beast's head coming up behind him, "just like the one the Storm Hawks encountered shortly before the Cyclonian uprising of—"

A roar interrupted him as the magma creature, which was right behind him, opened its jaws and prepared to grab him. But Aerrow and Radarr were flying alongside Noob now, and Aerrow was ready for the attack, his blade drawn and lit. With a grunt, he sent a pulse toward the beast, striking it on the chin. It jerked backward at the sudden pain, stopping its pursuit.

Aerrow didn't think he could take much more of this; the kid was seriously going to get hurt. Enough was enough. Aerrow and Radarr zipped in behind Noob, ready to pick him up. "Noob!" Aerrow shouted. "Time to bail!"

Noob looked over his shoulder at them in distress. Placing a hand on his heart, he said, "But I can't abandon an authentic Storm Hawks Skimmer." He gestured to Aerrow. "What would the fan club say?"

Aerrow covered his face in his hands in exasperation. Was the kid _trying_ to give him a heart attack? He was not going to let him risk his life for a skyride! "Just jump!" he shouted, clenching his fists. "He's got a spare!"

Noob tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So losing this one," he concluded, holding up a pointer finger in each hand, "would actually increase the other's collectable value."

But then his eyes widened when he saw what was ahead of him. "Whoa!"

The Wasteland creature was back, its head reared up right in the Skimmer's path. It roared as Noob hurtled toward it.

Noob did the only thing he could think to do: he screamed.

The next moment, the Wasteland beast's jaws slammed down upon the Skimmer.

Aerrow gasped as he pulled to a stop, his heart jumping into his throat. Did Noob . . . ?

Radarr chirruped with equal horror, but then he screeched and pointed toward the beast's mouth.

The Skimmer was smashed in between rows of teeth, its wings sticking out of either side of the creature's mouth. And hanging off one of the wings by one hand was Noob, completely unscathed . . . so far. But the next moment, he was screaming and falling.

Gritting his teeth in terror, Aerrow dove for him. Just before Noob was about to hit the lava, Aerrow and Radarr's Vulcan flew over upside down, and Aerrow grabbed Noob, pulling him into the seat while the Vulcan was spun right side up.

Once Noob was safely in the seat, he gave Aerrow one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen, full of excitement and fulfillment. Aerrow smiled back . . . out of relief.

* * *

Once they were back in the bridge of the _Condor_, Finn stared down at the handlebars in his hands, attached to an intact dashboard. "_This_ is all that's left of my Skimmer?!" he gasped.

Even as he said it, two gauges sagged a bit.

Noob gestured to him, completely unapologetic. "You have a spare," he said unsympathetically . . . which Aerrow thought was unfair, considering he had been the one who broke his Skimmer.

"But that one smells funny," Finn whined.

Noob took the dashboard from him, asking, "Uh, mind if I keep this as a souvenir?" He looked down at it and frowned. "Not that it's worth that much."

Finn scowled and rolled he eyes. He was so _tired_ of his stuff not being considered valuable!

Piper, who was studying a map laid out on the round table, straightened and put a hand on her hip, saying sweetly, "I think maybe it's time the president got back to his fan club. Don't you, Noob?"

Aerrow was relieved at the thought of Noob finally leaving them. _Good thinking, Piper,_ he thought.

Noob, meanwhile, had grabbed a blue book with a silver Storm Hawks emblem on its front: Piper's squadron log. Opening it up to a random log and reading, he said, "_Hello!_ The ambush sighted on page one hundred thirteen." He laid a finger on his book, scanning as he read. "There were only six Cyclonian Talons lying in wait since Raptors are not technically Talons and therefore do not count."

Aerrow would bet Noob didn't notice, but he could see Piper scowling and one of her eyes twitching . . . just slightly.

But then Noob made it worse by ending with, "Worst log entry ever." With that, he closed the book and tossed it behind him at Piper nonchalantly.

Looking absolutely furious, Piper caught her log in her hands, growled, and then held it over her head, preparing to throw it at _his_ head! But then Junko grabbed her wrist before she could throw, exclaiming, "Wait!"

Piper stalked off, letting Junko handle this.

"Um," Junko said, laying a finger on his chin as he thought of what to say, "don't you need to go home and put out your newsletter?"

"Can't keep the fan club waiting!" Stork chimed in hopefully.

"Oh," Noob said, holding up a finger, "I'm not just the president of the Storm Hawks Fan Club; I'm also the _only_ member!"

"WHAT?!" Piper and Junko exclaimed at once.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow, his jaw hanging open. Seriously?

Noob held up a finger dismissively. "Now if you'll excuse me," he said, "I must take photo references for a life-sized replica of the _Condor_ I intend to construct out of toothpicks."

As if the earlier astonishment wasn't enough . . . _toothpicks?_

While Noob walked toward the helm, Finn turned to Aerrow and raised an eyebrow at him, looking back and forth between him and Noob as if to say, _Are you going to get him out of here or what?_

Aerrow considered the fact that they would not even have Noob on board if not for _Finn_ trying to show off!

Noob started snapping pictures of the helm, muttering to himself happily. Aerrow shook his head. "How do we get rid of him?" he wondered quietly aloud.

Piper stepped forward, smirking. "I think I might have a plan!"

* * *

Author's Notes: You know, I never thought as Piper being one to come up with a plan to trick someone the way the Storm Hawks tricked Noob, but I guess that comment he made about her squadron log was just one comment too many!

And we have the first mention of Operation Exodus! _Finally_ we get the mention of the plot thread that only started last episode (with the whole "Domiwick and the far side" thing).

So for this trivia, we finish talking about the name of Noob's home terra.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Firgumentum" may have come from the word "argumentum," which is Latin for "appeal" or "argument" (depending on the context). It may also come from "frumentum," Latin for "grain."

After a few Google searches, it has come to my attention that _firgumentum_ may be a word in a romantic language, but I can't figure out which one. According to my searches, it does not appear to be from original Latin, although it could be a Latin word whose meaning was forgotten in time.

I'd also like to take this moment to recommend _Relentless_, a _Storm Hawks_ story being posted by Minn-Maigi. She and I have been writing it together, and unfortunately we've both been the discouraged by the lack of reviews. Anyone interested in _Storm Hawks_ and adventure should check it out. And if you have read it but haven't reviewed . . . HEY! Help us out here, will ya? Tell us what you think! Or at least let us know you're reading!

Also, as we draw closer and closer to "Origins" I would like once again to see who would like it to be a flashback and who wants it to be Part 1 of this fic, which shouldn't be too hard for me to arrange. I have put the poll back up on my profile, with the old results still intact. It was a close race before: 9 voters, 5 for a flashback, 4 for Part 1. Go ahead and vote, if you haven't already; the results couldn't be closer to 50-50.

Well, that's all I got. Until next time!


	168. Number One Fan: Archer's Ambush

Chapter 3: Archer's Ambush

Everything was calm on the _Condor_ while Noob snapped pictures . . . until the alarm started blaring and flashing. Noob lowered his camera in shock.

Looking out the periscope, Stork said, "Distress signal, coming from the terra right below us!"

Noob gasped in delight. You mean, he was going to see some _real_ action?

He stared as Aerrow, in full armor, drew his blade and lit them, spinning them around. The sight made Noob squeal in delight, and he smiled from ear to ear at all the others. Piper joined her staff together excitedly and spun it around, thrusting it forward with a "Yah!" Junko, armored, slammed his Knuckle Busters together, igniting them, letting out a Wallop roar as he did.

Finn, in armor, loaded his crossbow and looked around, letting out a small, excited whoop. Noob frowned at that. Finn didn't look cool like all the others; he looked ridiculous.

"Yeah!" Aerrow yelled as he led the charge down the hall toward the hangar bay.

"All right! Wahoo!" Finn yelled after him.

Cheering in excitement, they all ran into the skimmer bay, ready for battle. Noob was close behind. When he reached the bay, he saw all the Storm Hawks, minus Stork and Radarr, in battle stances in front of the hatch.

Noob leapt in the middle of them. He was bouncing all over the place, like a balloon with all its air being let out. It was if he had eaten a pack of pure sugar. "What's goin' on, guys?" he asked. He leapt up on top of Radarr's cockpit on Aerrow's Skimmer. "We finally gettin' some action?!" He leapt down in front of the hatch again in the middle of them, his back to the hatch, his fists clenched. Then he spun around, sidling up to Aerrow. "Oh, this is so cool!" he exclaimed, looking up at Aerrow. "Just like fifth time you took on the Dark Ace!"

Aerrow raised his eyebrow at him. The kid actually keeps count of the number of times Aerrow fights his arch nemesis?

"Or was it the sixth?" Noob corrected. "I always get them mixed up."

Aerrow and Junko exchanged glances. Did he really take it so lightly? Didn't he know that every time Aerrow fought the Dark Ace, he was likely to be _killed?_

And this was exactly why Noob had to go before he got _himself_ killed.

When the hatch opened, Noob's face fell at the sight. He turned back to the Storm Hawks. "But," he said, looking disappointed and confused, "this is my home."

Everyone lowered their weapons, and Junko put out his Knuckle Busters. Piper put her staff upright and gestured to him, smiling. "That's right!" she said, trying to seem like this was normal, hoping he'd take the hint.

"Where the Cyclonians?" Noob asked, shrugging.

Aerrow sighed inwardly. There was no way to put this but to tell the truth. He put out his blades and addressed Noob. "There are no Cyclonians," he admitted. "It . . . it's time for you to go home."

Noob looked so shocked and hurt that Aerrow had to force himself to look away. He turned around and started walking away. _Don't look back,_ he told himself. _Don't say anything._

But then he heard Noob's happy, excited voice say, "Oh, I get it!" Aerrow turned back around to see Noob wagging a finger at them. "This is some kind of Sky Knight loyalty test, right?" He put his hands on his hips. "Well, I won't leave the Storm Hawks _ever!_"

Finn put his palm to his head and gasped, "Ah!" He turned back to Noob, looking irritated, the Storm Hawks newsletter clenched in his hand. "Don't you get it?" he told Noob unsympathetically. "You're drivin' us all crazy!" He held out the newsletter for Noob to take, with the glare and pose that said more than anything else, _Leave!_

Looking shocked, Noob took the newsletter from Finn and looked up at all of them. "You guys don't like me?" he asked in a small voice.

Oh, great, now the little guy was going to break Aerrow's heart. "Eh, w-we like you," he assured him quickly. "It's . . . y-you know . . ." He was really struggling with this. "You're probably just . . . eh, safer here." And Aerrow was not lying in that. They didn't need another episode like the one they had on Finn's Skimmer. And if they did hit some action, he didn't need Noob in the middle of it, getting hurt.

But Noob didn't buy it. He looked at his newsletter, looking like he was close to tears. Then he turned and trudged down the walkway with his head drooping and feet dragging, throwing the newsletter over his shoulder. It landed unfolded on the walkway, showing the large picture of the Storm Hawks in battle stances.

Aerrow looked from the newsletter to Noob as the boy dragged his feet toward his trailer. As much as Aerrow meant what he had said about Noob's safety and as glad as he was to be rid of him, he couldn't help feeling guilty. He was pretty sure they'd just ruined a boy's dream.

With Noob gone, the others went back inside and headed to the bridge. Soon the _Condor_ took off and began to leave Terra Nibius Firgumentum.

Finn rubbed his hands together, sighing satisfaction. "So," he said, dusting off his hands as if ridding himself of some matter of annoyance, "it's good riddance to our number one fan!" He put his fists on his hips proudly.

"I don't know," Junko said, shrugging. "I kinda feel sorry for the little guy."

Aerrow also wasn't feeling so great about it, still remembering the look on Noob's face when he had left. "Think we were too harsh?" he asked the others.

"It was for his own good," Piper argued. But she didn't look too pleased, either.

Just then, the _Condor_'s alarm started flashing and blaring for the third time that day. Stork looked out the periscope. "Another distress signal," he told the others, turning to look at them and sounding unconcerned, "coming directly from Storm Hawks Fan Club Headquarters."

Of course.

Piper put up her hands, smiling in amusement. "Oh, no," she said, crossing her arms. "We're not fallin' for _that_ trick again!"

* * *

Within Noob's trailer, Noob kept pressing the red distress button lying on his desk, connected to his radio, frantically. "Come on," he gasped fearfully. "Answer! Please!"

He looked out his window again and cringed to see eight red biplane skyrides getting ever closer. He knew who they were. _Cyclonians!_

And in the lead was Ravess. She laughed in amusement at how easily she had found this terra. She's show that arrogant little girl Cyclonis! Soon she'd have a whole haul of warp crystals to show for her efforts!

The Talons immediately descended on the terra. Ravess was the first to land, followed by her Bluster Chapter Talons. She immediately turned to one of her subordinates, a large Talon who pulled up beside her. "This tourist trap hasn't yielded warp crystals in centuries!" he told Ravess, seeming confused with Ravess' sense of coming here.

"Then we'll grind the entire terra to dust, if need be!" Ravess insisted. She had to find warp crystals, regardless of the cost!

Perhaps it would be better if they had a bit more information about the mines. She pointed toward Noob's trailer. "Interrogate the locals!" she ordered.

The Talons immediately dismounted and approached the trailer to obey her orders.

But Noob would have none of that. He was ready for them! The door to his trailer opened, and there he stood, wearing an Aerrow wig. "You want my stuff, Talon swine," he yelled, shaking a fist at them, "you're gonna have to go through me first!" His Aerrow blades were no longer on his belt but were placed on sheaths clipped to his back. Letting out a series of fake battle cries, he drew the blades and leapt from the door onto the ground, pulling a bunch of amateur fighting moves. "Face my fury!" he cried. If he was going to die today, he was going down Storm Hawks style!

But he was unprepared for Ravess' arrow to come hurtling his way. "Ow!" he cried as the arrow crashed against his right blade. It had been a relatively harmless shot, but it had been enough to knock his blades out of his hands.

As if on cue, two Talons leapt over the trailer from behind, each taking hold of one of Noob's arms. Noob whimpered fearfully. He had been captured in less than thirty seconds. No telling what they would do with him now.

One of the Talons, the moustache Talon, went to the blades to pick them up, grabbing the one that was _not_ emitting smoke. "Hey," he said, turning the blade back and forth, "these blades are fake." He looked neither amused nor angry, turning to gaze at Noob.

Fake? How indignant! Noob cleared his throat. "I prefer the term 'authorized limited edition reproductions,'" he stated, raising an eyebrow.

Ravess had by now come to stand in front of him and had already strung another arrow in her bow. With this arrow, she shot off the antenna on top of the trailer, silencing the radio . . . and, Noob knew, his distress signal. Fearfully he turned back to Ravess.

"No one will be alerting the Sky Knights today!" Ravess declared. "Now tie him up, and let's see what he's hiding in there."

Noob winced. He didn't really think he had anything Ravess wanted, but would she dispose of him if he was no use to her? And he doubted seeing all his fandom for her enemies was going to put her in a good mood.

Ravess stepped inside and looked around. But instead of being angry, she smiled. "Well," she said sweetly, turning around and smirking at Noob, "looks like we found an even greater treasure than warp crystals!"

Noob winced. Her words could mean only one thing; she was going to use him against the Storm Hawks!

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Stork was looking up at the alarm when it finally cut off. Turning around to the others, he announced, "Distress signal cut out."

Piper put her fists on her hips in satisfaction. "Hmm," she said. "Guess he finally got the message."

"Or maybe he doesn't like us anymore," Junko corrected sadly.

"Uh, newsflash, Junko," Finn reminded him, his arms crossed in irritation. "We don't like _him_, either!"

"I know," Junko said, shrugging, "but he's the only fan we got. Ya can't leave him hating us! That's . . . bad karma . . . or something."

"And," Stork added, sounding fearful, "there's no fury like a super-fan scorned!" He put his hands on his head, looking frantic. "Torches! Pitchforks!" He trembled and groaned. "It gets ugly."

Aerrow doubted the situation was quite as grave as Stork believed it to be, but he agreed with Junko; what they did just wasn't right. Aerrow didn't think he could be happy with himself until they at least made up for how they had treated Noob. And he knew the decision was up to him. He sighed. "Looks like we're going back to apologize."

* * *

Back at Terra Nibius Firgumentum, two Talons stood guard on either side of the open entrance to the trailer while Ravess spoke with Noob inside.

Noob was tied to his own chair, in his own trailer, while a very angry-looking Ravess was towering over him. "Alright, talk!" Ravess demanded, hands on her hips. She leaned over Noob so that he had to lean back to see her face. "Where are the Storm Hawks?"

Jeez, didn't the lady know that Noob wasn't deaf? She was practically shouting at him!

Not wanting to betray his favorite squadron Noob answered, "Never heard of 'em."

Ravess looked over at the stand next to him, where all the Storm Hawks action figures were set up, and then turned back to Noob with a raised eyebrow.

Okay, so maybe she wouldn't buy that story.

"Oh, _those_ Storm Hawks!" Noob said, looking toward the action figures, as if he didn't know before. He turned back to Ravess, smirking. "Would they include Aerrow," he asked, "who single-handedly sliced your entire squadron over Cyclonia? Or Piper, who buried you under your own Mega Masher on Polaris Pointe? Or perhaps Radarr, who took out your flagship with your own exosphere weapon!" Ravess raised an eyebrow, looking angrier with every word. And Noob couldn't have been enjoying it more! He laughed at her fierce expression. She must be so humiliated!

Ravess seemed to finally have enough. "Silence!" she yelled. She tried to strike Noob, but all she did was knock the Aerrow wig off his head, revealing the Stork ears he still wore underneath. All the same, Noob cringed.

Ravess put her hands on her hips. "The Storm Hawks may have been lucky in the past," she informed him, "but they will _never_ stop Cyclonia or Operation Exodus!"

At that, Noob's eyes widened, and he forgot all fear. "Operation Exodus?" he repeated, smirking at Ravess and raising an eyebrow.

Ravess gasped, as if realizing she had just made a mistake. Recovering herself, she crossed her arms and turned away. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she denied.

But Noob kept smirking. He had her now! "Is it some sort of top secret mission you weren't supposed to mention?!" he teased.

Ravess looked away, seeming annoyed, but then she peered at him from the corner of her eye. Noob raised an eyebrow at her as his smirk widened, waiting for an answer. "No!" Ravess finally shouted.

Noob's eyes lit up in triumph. "I'm totally right!" he laughed. "You're the worst Talon ever!"

Ravess growled in rage.

Noob shrugged. "Oh, well," he told her. "At least you have your music to fall back on." He raised an eyebrow at her tauntingly. Despite the danger, this had to be one of the highlights of his life . . . no matter how short it ended up being.

Ravess leaned toward him getting in his face. "You won't be so smug when I use _you_ as bait to lure in and _destroy _your beloved Storm Hawks!"

Oh, _right_. Him as bait. That'll work, he thought sarcastically. "Nice try, lady," he answered back sadly, turning away from her, "but the Storm Hawks wouldn't be caught dead with me."

At that moment, the moustache Talon appeared in the doorway. "Commander Ravess," he called.

Ravess turned around, growling aloud. Noob was making this a very bad day for her.

But although the Talon drew back at her angry expression, he wasn't afraid because he knew he was about to make her day much better. "The _Condor_ has been sighted approaching the terra," he announced.

Noob's eyes widened in surprise. They had actually come back for him?

Ravess turned back to him, smirking. She could already see part Master Cyclonis' reward in her hands. "Caught dead with you?" she repeated. "Hmm, what an excellent plan."

Noob turned away, hoping Ravess didn't see his fear. Because of him, the Storm Hawks were going to walk right into a trap!

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, so when Noob said he was right about Ravess, was he talking about him saying she had revealed a top secret plan she wasn't supposed to mention, or was he talking about him thinking of her as the worst Talon ever? I think it's the first one, but I'm not sure.

And now for a trivia about Noob's name!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: A "noob" is sometimes used as another word for "newbie," or someone new to something and inexperienced. But the word "noob" also indicates that this particular newbie knows little and has no will to learn any more. They expect people to do the work for them and then expect to get praised about it. They have unintelligent questions or even give unintelligent answers. Sometimes they will also be very self-confident as if they were the absolute best at what they are in fact the worst at. These sorts of noobs are quite aggressive, easily angered, and self-centered. Other noobs are friendly enough but are simply considered slow and ditsy.

Aw, poor Noob! Come, Nerd Corps, couldn't you have picked a name little less offensive for the guy?

Although it does match his annoyingness.

Okay, never mind so much about _Relentless_. A new development has come up (two, actually: Minn-Maigi's new project and my traveling) that will be putting _Relentless _in hiatus. However, if you're still interest, please keep your eyes peeled for it. I won't say anything more on the subject until it's underway again.

No one new has voted for the "Origins" episode as Part 1 of this fic or told as a flashback. I'm going to keep reminding people that the poll is up until it's time to publish "Origins", so be aware of that if you want to choose how it's published. As it is, the flashback option is winning . . . by one vote.

Ya'll know the drill. I'll leave you to your reviewing! (hint, hint)


	169. Number One Fan: Fandom to Fandom

Chapter 4: Fandom to Fandom

Not long after, the Storm Hawks landed on the terra within sight of the trailer. As soon as they were down on the ground, the Storm Hawks left the ship; as they usually are when they leave the safety of the _Condor_, they had on their armor and had their weapons handy.

Aerrow was the first to step out. He looked toward the trailer. No one came running out to greet them. Not a good sign.

"Noob," the Sky Knight yelled, "it's me, Aerrow. I got the whole team here." He gestured behind him, where the others, even Stork, were approaching.

Inside the trailer, Noob's eyes were wide with fear, and he wished he could answer . . . but he was still tied to the chair and was now gagged.

"Come on out, buddy," Aerrow called as he and the group kept advancing. "Uh, we just wanna talk!"

Behind a boulder overlooking the scene, Ravess turned to her first mate. Laying a hand aside her mouth, she ordered, "Wait till the Storm Hawks get close enough to the trailer." She pointed to Noob's trailer. "Then open fire!"

The Talon smirked wickedly, eager to get on with the killing of such a notorious Sky Knight squadron.

Meanwhile, Noob was bouncing his chair up and down, getting it closer to the table where he set down the remote to his trailer. At last, he managed to knock his chair against the table and make the remote fall onto the floor.

Outside, Aerrow stopped about halfway from the trailer with the others. He was discouraged by Noob's silence, and it made him all the more anxious to apologize. "I get it," he shouted. "We totally deserve the silent treatment, but just give us a chance to make it up to you, okay?"

After he said that, the Storm Hawks sign with their insignia unfolded from the trailer's top. Junko, who was standing behind Aerrow, smiled. "That's a good sign," he said.

But Aerrow raised an eyebrow. He couldn't help feeling that something was really wrong here. But Noob would never pull a dirty trick on them, would he?

Inside the trailer, Noob was tapping his remote buttons with his foot, trying to tap out his warning.

Outside, the sign's letters flickered off. "And that's a bad sign," Stork said, cringing.

On the far side of the sign, only part of the letter lit up, making a P. Then, on the last three letters, just like the first, only a part lit up, making 1, 1, and 3.

While the others kept walking forward, Piper staid still, staring up at the sign. "P one thirteen?" she read aloud, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm." Why was that familiar to her?

"Alright," Aerrow yelled while he and the others continued walking toward the trailer. "If you won't come out, we're comin' in!"

But Piper couldn't move. There was something about 113 . . .

Then it struck her. "No!" she gasped. "Guys," she yelled, "it's an ambush!"

When he heard her, Aerrow turned to asked how she knew . . . only to see a crystal-tipped arrow hurtling his way. Gasping, he had just enough time to draw his blades and light them before the arrow was upon him. With a grunt, he knocked it away with his blades. His breath caught in his throat. If Piper hadn't warned him, the arrow would have killed him!

Seeing that their trap was detected, immediately the sky was filled with Talon Switchblades firing down at the Storm Hawks. Aerrow put up his blades and led the way to run for safety with Junko, Radarr, and Finn close behind. Piper and Stork made a break for the trailer to rescue Noob.

Ravess came flying in right after Aerrow, and it was all the Sky Knight could do to duck down below a boulder before another shot came hurtling his way. Ravess was forced to pull up and turn away, which gave Aerrow the opportunity to draw his blades again and fire a shot back at her. He had known as soon as he'd seen the arrow that she was behind this, and he was so used to her targeting him by now that he was not the least bit surprised at his close calls.

Aerrow looked up to see Piper and Stork on the run from Talons and nearly at the trailer. He called to the others with weapons out and ready to cover them. Two Talons still pursued Piper and Stork, shooting at their feet, but they managed to reach the trailer in time, shutting the door just as crystal pulses ricocheted off it.

Finn dropped to one knee and fired a bolt at a Talon, but the Talon was quick to respond, and his Switchblade went zooming out of the way in time.

Junko didn't have anything to shoot, but he looked down and spied a huge rock on the ground, perhaps big enough to be called a tiny boulder. He picked it up in one hand and launched it in the air with a roar. It struck the Talon's lower portside wing, and the Switchblade went crashing toward the terra with a tail of smoke, crashing beyond the trailer. The Talon jumped clear, parachuting down to the ground.

Meanwhile, in the trailer, Stork kept watch at the window while Piper freed Noob. As soon as she took off his gag, he smiled at her. "I knew you'd get my warning!" he said.

"That P 113 meant Squadron Log page one hundred thirteen!" Piper answered happily.

"Which sights a Cyclonian ambush," Noob added.

Piper smiled brightly. She loved it when people used their genius!

She then glanced toward the front to see what was going on out the windshield when she noticed three violet crystals with swirl, shell-shaped patterns in their centers set up on stands on the dashboard. Thanks to her love of crystals, she couldn't help being curious. "Hey," she asked Noob, "are those warp crystals?" She'd rarely ever seen such crystals and never seen them used.

Noob looked toward the crystals, indicating she was right. "Old family heirlooms," he answered. "They make excellent paperweights for my extensive collection of Storm Hawks clippings."

But just then, he shouted, "Whoa!" as something shook the entire trailer.

Stork turned around to them from where he was at the window, looking frightened. "Um," he said, holding up a finger, "I hate to break up the geek fest," he pointed toward the door, "but we gotta scram!"

Even as he pointed that out, another pulse shook the trailer.

Yeah, Piper decided, definitely time to go.

They stepped outside and spotted Aerrow, Finn, Junko, and Radarr taking cover behind a boulder, which was doing them little good while their enemies were flying around over their heads. They ducked as another shot headed their way, just clipping the top of the boulder.

Stork turned to Piper. "Remind me never to leave the ship again," he said. "_Ever!_"

Realizing the boulder was doing little good, the boys split up, and Piper and Stork dove in among them, forgetting all about Noob. Junko continued throwing rocks at the Talons, but they had learned their lesson and were looking to dodge.

"Whoa!" Finn cried as he avoided another shot. He turned to Aerrow. "We're toast without our skimmers!"

Finn was right, Aerrow knew. The Sky Knight put up his blades, preparing to run. "Then let's make a break for the _Condor_ and even the odds!" he told the others.

Knowing it was their last chance, the Storm Hawks all put up their weapons and ran after Aerrow, putting every bit of energy into their sprint. Red crystal pulses rained down all around them from the Switchblades above, but luckily the guns mounted on skyrides were difficult to aim. None struck their mark.

The moustache Talon made a brave move on that, though. He dove in until he could practically skim their hair, but something went wrong with his guns. Aerrow smirked up at him. Can't shoot them now!

But then he gasped when saw what had come up in front of him.

Ravess had landed her Switchblade and now stood between them and the _Condor_, laughing. Three more Talons on foot appeared from behind boulders on either side of Ravess, Cyclonian staffs in hand. The two Talons still airborne swung their Switchblades around and hovered above their group.

The Storm Hawks slid to a stop and got in battle positions. Aerrow's mind whirled. With the Talons between them and the _Condor_, they had no way of getting in the air and competing with that sort of fighting. As Finn had said, they were toast.

And much as Aerrow tried to think and looked around for some idea, some escape . . . there seemed to be no way out of this one.

Ravess smirked and turned to her fat Talon. "Play something sad," she commanded, "a nice funeral march for the late, great Storm Hawks!" She turned back to the Storm Hawks and smirked wickedly.

The Talon smirked back at her, pulled out a black violin and matching bow, and began to play his sad song.

The Storm Hawks turned to Aerrow, waiting for some sort of signal. But all Aerrow could do was glare at Ravess. If this was the way they were going down, he was going down fighting.

Ravess cocked an eyebrow at them. "Any last words?"

Before Aerrow could answer, he heard a sound that seemed almost heavenly at the time. He glanced behind him to be sure.

_Yes!_

He turned back to Ravess, smirking, and answered, "Just one: incoming!"

He jumped aside, and the rest of the Storm Hawks followed suit.

Right in front of the Talons was a clear path for a charging trailer, with Noob in the driver's seat. "Storm Hawks forever!" he cried, throwing a fist in the air.

Ravess cringed. But there was no way she or any of the other foot Talons could get away in time.

Noob leapt out the driver's door, but the trailer kept its charge and was nearly upon the Talons. "No!" Ravess cried.

And then, in a flash of violet light, which made the Talons cry out and cover their eyes, the Talons, the Switchblades, and the trailer . . . all disappeared.

* * *

The next thing Ravess knew, she, her Bluster Chapter Talons, and the trailer were all in the middle of Cyclonis' throne room.

Cyclonis, who was standing at her machine as usual with her hood splayed open, spun around irritably. Obviously she didn't summon them; she seemed surprised, too. She stepped toward the edge of her stand, her eyes narrowing at Ravess. "Care to explain yourself?"

Ravess looked down at her feet and then scratched her forehead, trying to think. How could she explain if she didn't know what happened?

Then she realized Cyclonis was glaring menacingly. That . . . couldn't be good.

* * *

Back at Terra Nibius Firgumentum, the Storm Hawks were just as confused. They all gathered at the spot where the Talons and trailer had been and looked around, but there was no sign of any of them. Aerrow didn't understand. How did a trailer, skyrides, and a whole group of people just . . . vanish?

"Whoa!" Junko exclaimed.

Finn let out a sound of absolute bewilderment.

Stork whimpered fearfully, always afraid of the unknown. "Would someone _please_ tell me what just happened?" he asked. He looked like he might have a breakdown if someone didn't explain things.

But for Piper, the answer was obvious. "Warp crystals," she told the others. She smiled. "I've never seen them in action before!"

"Huh," Aerrow grunted, smiling. _Warp crystals._ He would have never thought of that. "Good thinking, Noob!" he exclaimed, turning to face the young boy.

But when he did, he gasped. "Huh?"

Noob was lying a short distance away on his stomach. And he wasn't moving.

"Oh, no!" Piper cried. "Noob!"

"Is he . . . ?" Junko asked. But no one wanted to finish the thought.

They all ran forward to him but stopped just short of him, afraid to have their fears confirmed. Aerrow felt his heart leap in his throat. If anything had happened to Noob because of them . . .

But then they all heard Noob groan and lift his head off the ground. Before Aerrow could ask if he was okay, he looked up at them and smiled. "Best mission ever!" he exclaimed.

"Noob!" the Storm Hawks all sighed in relief. He was definitely alright!

As Noob was getting to his feet, Finn even ran forward and leaned down to hug him. "Ah!" he sighed. "Never thought I'd be happy to see ya, little dweeb!"

Noob gasped as Finn squeezed him tighter. "Yes, well," he said, holding up a finger, "when you're through suffocating me," to which Finn let him go, "you might want to look into something called Operation Exodus!" He turned to Aerrow excitedly.

Junko put his finger to his lip questionably. "What's Operation Exodus?" he asked Noob, gesturing to him.

Noob straightened and smiled haughtily. "Only a little piece of information I managed to extract from Ravess!" he answered.

"Hmm," Piper said thoughtfully, trying to make connections. "Think it's got something to do with the warp crystals?" she asked Aerrow, looking at him.

"Whatever it is," Aerrow answered, "it can't be good." He gestured to their new friend. "Nice work, Noob."

Noob smiled. Aerrow had a feeling that smile had something to do with his favorite Sky Knight praising him. Noob's look of awe was interrupted, however, when his glasses started sliding down his nose and he had to use a finger to push them back up.

Junko smiled at Noob "You gave up your whole entire collection of Storm Hawks stuff to save us," he said, laying a hand on his heart. "You really are our number one fan."

Noob cringed away shyly at that.

"Hmm," Piper said in agreement. "And we're sorry we treated you so badly."

Finn already had out a brown baseball hat with the Storm Hawks insignia on the front and a red pencil in the other hand. "But, hey," he told Noob, pointing to him with the pencil, "we'll make it up to ya," he started autographing the hat with his pencil, "with as many autographed souvenirs as you want!" He held out the hat for Noob to take.

Noob took the hat, saying, "That's very generous of you guys, but," he held up a finger, "I've come to realize something." He shrugged. "I shouldn't waste my time obsessing over every last piece of Storm Hawks minutiae."

Aerrow couldn't help noticing that Finn frowned at this.

"I should do something important with my life," Noob continued, straightening and clenching a fist. He pulled out a remote, much like the one he had for his trailer. "That's why I'm going to concentrate now on my true passion!"

The Storm Hawks watched curiously as he pointed the remote toward the distance and pressed the yellow button. Another trailer, just like the other in shape but blue and orange instead of blue and red, came driving up at full speed from behind a mesa and then slid to a sideways stop in front of them. A sign popped out the top, much like the one on the Storm Hawks trailer, except the insignia was different: it was a circle with three claw marks through it. And then three pop-up pictures of the female members of the squadron of the insignia popped up in front of the sign, the Sky Knight being in the middle.

Finn raised an eyebrow. "The Absolute Zeroes?" he exclaimed.

Noob smirked at them and gestured to the trailer. "Best Sky Knight squadron ever," he defined.

Aerrow and Piper smiled at him, knowing he had played them the fool. But at least now he wouldn't be stalking them or pestering them.

Noob smirked right back. He had never said the Storm Hawks were his _favorite_ Sky Knight squadron, now did he?

* * *

Author's Notes: Utter betrayal right there! Although if you're not going to go with the Storm Hawks, the Absolute Zeroes are a great second choice. Rock on!

Now, for trivia on Operation Exodus!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The word "exodus" is taken from Greek as the title of the second book in the Torah and the Tanakh (the Old Testament of the Bible). The original title of the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew was taken from the first verse, "these are the names of." The English title, _Exodus_, is from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Torah from the first century, and it means "way out." The Book of Exodus tells the story of the Israelites' flight from Egypt. For this reason, the word "exodus" has found its way into English to mean a "departure of a large amount of people," often from a hostile environment, or simply a departure or "going out."

If you ask me, both definitions work for the name of Operation Exodus, but I think the Greek definition is more appropriate. For Master Cyclonis, Operation Exodus was a "way out," a way to conquer, and ultimately a way to escape.

Ah, I forgot to _open _the "Origins" poll! That explains a lot! Okay, it's open now, so if you want "Origins" as Part 1 or a flashback, go vote now!

Next up, "Colonel of Truth," which includes one of my favorite characters . . . the adorable, wild-spirited Mr. Fluffykins! But due to travel plans, that one might be a long time in coming, maybe more than a month. We'll see.


	170. A Colonel of Truth: Terror on the Ship

Author's Notes: Hey, I'm back! Sorry I was gone so long; I was out of town and had little chance to write or even get online. But here I am now, and here's the next episode!

* * *

_**Part 42**_

_**A Colonel of Truth**_

_A friend is lost, and a friend is found. A code is obeyed. A lie is told and a truth revealed. Freedom comes with a price._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Terror on the Ship

At the Colonel's compound, the Colonel was frantic with worry, loss, and anger. He gave each of his four goons the photograph of his new target. "Show no mercy!" he ordered. "Spare no expense!" He waved his hand irritably. "Do not rest until he's found and brought to me!" He shoved the last photograph to his last goon's hand.

The goons all looked down at their respective photographs in disbelief. The one with silver hair even took out a magnifying glass to inspect the photograph to be sure of what he was seeing.

They weren't moving quickly enough for the Colonel. "Go!" he ordered, clapping his hands. "_Now!_" The word came out more of a growl than an articulate word.

Realizing they were pushing the Colonel too far, the goons let out yells of fright and ran out the compound. They dropped the photographs as they went. The Colonel watched sadly as the pictures fluttered to the ground.

Trying to keep in the tears, the Colonel walked up to one of the pictures and picked it up, staring at it with love and pain. "Mr. Fluffykins," he said through suppressed tears, "my beloved little pet!" He caressed the photograph lovingly, running his hand over the toy dog-like little creature with reddish brown fur and big, loving brown eyes.

Feeling a sense of worry and loss, the Colonel went to the window and peered out before turning back to the photograph. "Oh, where?!" he cried. "Oh, where can you be?" Another wave of sorrow caught him, and he couldn't hold it in anymore; he broke down and cried for his lost pet.

* * *

That night, a dog-like creature with wings made of flaps of skin between its forelegs and back legs was flying across the sky, silhouetting against the moon and howling into the night. The creature at last spotted some place to rest: the _Condor_. He flew down upon it and landed upon the landing strip, peering into the open hangar bay and looking back and forth at the skyrides, growling. Then his eyes fell upon the door to the inside of the ship, and he ran toward it, snarling viciously.

* * *

The next morning, Aerrow was in the hallway, mopping the floor with the hose of a machine and listening to music through his headphones while he did. He was enjoying himself; the idea of Operation Exodus had troubled him, but as long as he was focused on something else, he could take a break from thinking about it.

Radarr was up above him, hanging upside down while he scrubbed the pipes. The Sky Knight glanced up at Radarr and the pipes while Radarr climb up on top of them to get the tops. Aerrow pulled down his headphones. "Ooh," he said to Radarr, pointing toward a spot on the pipes, "I think you mighta missed a spot."

Radarr was already irritated. He had been doing practically all the scrubbing around this place while all Aerrow had done was push a mopping contraption around the floor! And now he was telling him he _missed a spot? _He'll show him what spot he missed! Radarr flipped down so his head was hanging upside down in front of Aerrow's and slammed the sponge in his face.

Aerrow blinked through the face full of bubbles and wiped some of them out of his eye. "Eh, got it," he told Radarr, deciding not to push him.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Piper smiled as she ran the squeegee over the window. Behind her, Finn sighed as he dusted the Timepulse receiver's glass sphere, his other hand on his hip. "Why do you get to squeegee?" he whined, stopping his dusting. "How come I don't get to squeegee?" Piper turned around and glared at him, but he kept at it. "When's it my turn to squeegee?"

Piper sighed and shook her head. She had a feeling he was going to be like this all day about the stupid squeegee!

* * *

In the kitchen, Junko used a poker and spatula as drumsticks, playing them on pots and the counter and bopping to his own beat while he cleaned the kitchen. Then he threw the spatula over his shoulder, and it landed right in the open drawer across the room. The poker soon followed.

Eventually everything was cleaned up in this freestyle cleaning until the counters were clear and shining. "Yeah!" Junko shouted in triumph, throwing his hands in the air.

At that moment, Stork walked in. He was holding a toilet scrubbing brush. "Oh, good," he said. "You're done. Just in time to help me. That bathroom's a two man job!"

But Junko wasn't paying attention to what he was saying; he was too busy looking at what Stork was _wearing_. Over his uniform he wore . . . a pink pinafore dress with blue and lighter pink flowers all over it. And it was extremely tight-fitting.

When Stork realized what Junko was staring at, he put a hand on his chest and looked down at his pinafore dress. Then he sent an exasperated look Junko's way. "What?" he asked. "I can't have nice things?"

Junko rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and let out a nervous chuckle. He just decided that he was _not_ going to comment on that.

* * *

By now, Piper had moved down to the hangar bay and was using the squeegee on the skyrides' windshields. She just did the little windshield on her Heliscooter in one swipe when she looked up. She could have sworn she heard some odd noise, like the pattering of feet.

Finn was next to her, sitting on his ride and scrubbing the stainless metal. Piper threw the squeegee in the bucket of water between them and took a few steps forward, looking around. Where had that noise . . . ?

Just then, she heard the sound like something being removed from the bucket. She turned around. "Huh?"

The bucket was rattling, as if it had just been disturbed. And the squeegee was _gone!_

Well, there was only one person who could be the cause of that! Piper walked right up to the Skimmer III. "Alright, Finn!" she snapped, putting a hand on her hip. "What'd ya do with the squeegee?"

Finn stopped scrubbing and looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. Squeegee? "I didn't touch it," he answered. Surely if he had gotten his hands on it, he wouldn't have failed to show Piper his triumph. Thinking that was obvious, he went back to scrubbing.

Until he realized Piper was still glaring at him.

"I didn't!" Finn insisted. Jeez, did she _always_ have to blame him? She probably did something with the squeegee! And shame on her if she did! The squeegee is mega awesome!

But then both of them froze and gasped. This time they _both_ heard the pattering feet.

_They weren't the only ones in the hangar bay!_

* * *

In the hallway, Aerrow looked around at his and Radarr's work proudly, his hands on his hips. The entire hallway appeared to sparkle. "Nice job, buddy," he said, smiling down at Radarr.

Radarr tried to straighten and groaned, putting a front paw on his back. He'd been leaning over for far too long. Why did Aerrow always have to give him the hard jobs? The boy actually acted like this had been fun rather than work!

Next time, Radarr thought, they were switching the jobs.

But then Radarr's eyes swiveled, and he squawked in surprise. There was that sound again! Radarr screeched in alarm and leapt for Aerrow for comfort, wrapping his arms around his neck and hanging off his back to hide from the threat.

Aerrow put his hand on Radarr's paw comfortingly and froze, for he knew when Radarr acted that way there was probably trouble. And as soon as he did, he could hear something moving along the pipes somewhere. "Did you hear that?" he asked Radarr.

Radarr put his head over Aerrow's shoulder in exasperation. _Of course_ he heard that! What did he think set him off?

Just then, something zoomed by behind them, turning on the electronic mopping machine. Aerrow let out a cry as he saw the machine racing down the hall, its nose trailing like a tail and spraying bubbles and water all over the floor. With Radarr still clinging to his back, the Sky Knight ran after it and jumped onto the hose, stopping the machine. Radarr tried to help, leaping onto the other side, but the hose seemed to fight them, wiggling out of control and causing Radarr to fly through the air and Aerrow to topple over on his back.

The two landed in a heap, tangled up in the cord of the mopping machine. But when it was over, the two exchanged tentative smiles. Well, at least they stopped it.

* * *

Time passed, and Junko and Stork finally finished the bathroom. The two entered the kitchen again, Stork in front and still wearing the pinafore dress. Junko was wiping the sweat off his forehead, relieved that all their work was done. "Well, I'm glad spring cleaning only comes twice a year," he said happily, elbowing Stork in the back.

It was only then he noticed Stork had cringed at the sight of the kitchen. Curious, Junko looked past him . . . and screamed in horror.

Dishes, buckets, and water were spilled _everywhere_, all over the counters and the floor! There was even a cauldron of soup out on the counter and drawers pulled out of their cabinets!

And it had all just been _clean!_

Junko put his hands on his head in exasperation. "Is it so hard to pick up after yourselves when you use the kitchen, people?!" he shouted down the hall in utter frustration.

But then Stork put a hand over Junko's mouth and shushed him into silence. "We are not alone," he whispered.

Junko didn't know which was creepier: the fact that someone else might be here or that creepy tone of voice Stork was using.

* * *

Later Finn, Piper, Stork, and Junko were all on the bridge, quietly listening to every creak and groan of the ship. But some creaks and taps sounded mysterious and out of place. Stork, who knew every sound his precious _Condor_ made, said, "Something is on board the ship, I tell you!"

Just as he said it, Finn heard a sound like a howl, and he and Junko exchanged frightened glances. What could that thing be?

Stork looked around for anything odd. When he looked down at his feet, he screamed.

The thing he screamed at screamed, too. It was Radarr, covered in suds from the mopping machine.

Stork let out a breath in relief while Radarr growled indignantly. He didn't seem to appreciate being mistaken for a monster.

Stork coughed and smiled sheepishly.

Aerrow walked in among them, which wasn't surprising to Finn; if Radarr was there, Aerrow had to be nearby. "So you've been hearing the strange noises, too," he said to the rest of them, gesturing to them.

Finn rolled his eyes. Who _couldn't_ have heard the noises?

Piper put a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation for this," she said.

They all tried to think of one. Finn was going with ghosts.

Stork was resting his head on his knuckle and thinking when some sort of gooey, clear, foul-smelling liquid landed on his shoulder. Stork touched the stuff, and it stuck to his hand like slobber. "Ew," he said without emotion. They all glanced up to see what it was.

Finn felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. There, perched on one of the pipes above them, was a small, furry creature unlike anything he'd ever seen! The beast was smaller than Radarr and was even comparable; its hand-like paws were bare, and it had a rabbit-like face and ears. His tail was long and fluffy like a fox's. He even had a fox's red coat with a white face and white rings on its tail.

But despite being cute and fluffy, the creature looked plain _mean!_ It roared at them savagely, revealing its mouth full of sharp, shark-like teeth, like a row of needles!

Radarr ran and hid behind Aerrow, hugging his leg. Stork and Piper screamed, and everyone cringed. Some would say Finn screamed, too, but the Finnster does _not_ scream!

After scaring the living daylights out of them, the creature then stuck his tongue out at them, teasing them.

That creature was the cause of all the messes. It couldn't be loose. Something had to stop it! Finn turned to the person he thought most capable: Junko. "Get it!" he cried.

Junko looked at him incredulously and bumped him with his elbow. "_You_ get it!" he challenged. No way was the Wallop going after that thing!

Stork, always needing a weapon, pulled out the only thing he had. Before anyone could blink, Stork sprayed the animal with his spray can, making the creature turn away in disgust.

Radarr raised his nose after Stork sprayed and sent it twitching, scenting the air. Finn sniffed, too. Did Stork just spray the invading animal with . . . lemon air freshener?

Piper waved her hand in front of her face, trying to keep the sudden overwhelming smell back. "Well," she said, "whatever that thing is, at least now its lemony fresh."

Stork sprayed the animal again, but apparently it didn't like that. It leapt down on top of Stork's face, making the Merb squeal and fall over backward, his spray can falling on the floor beside him. The creature then charged toward the round table, leapt up on top of it, jumped down at the other end, and ran at the door to the hallway, which opened automatically.

Once in the hallway, the creature stopped just inside the door and snarled as if something had filled it with rage. It then ran down the hallway and leapt up on a bucket of water, knocking it over and spilling water all over the floor. A feather duster had been leaned against it, and it, too, fell over, the dust in it mingling with the water. When the bucket was falling, the strange beast leapt for the ladder Aerrow and Radarr had used to get to the pipes to clean them, knocking it across the floor. With another leaped, the creature ended up on the wall, where it clung and growled menacingly at the Storm Hawks.

Aerrow was the first one in the doorway to peer in and see the damage. "Oh, I just cleaned in here!" he exclaimed as Piper ran up beside him.

It seemed the strange creature couldn't have cared less. As the others joined Aerrow and Piper and peered in, the animal let go of the wall and landed on the floor, and for the first time, Finn thought he could see flaps of skin stretched between the front and back legs, like the sort that's found on flying squirrels. The beast growled at them, standing its ground. Finn felt his heart pound nervously, thinking about those flaps again. This little terror couldn't fly, too, could it?

Radarr was the first one to react to its growling. Finn wasn't sure whether Radarr understood what the new creature was saying or whether he was angry about having the hallway he just cleaned become messed up again, but either way the furry copilot seemed to have decided that this invader needed to be taught a less. Growling furiously, Radarr charged the creature on all fours, bearing down on him like some angry predator twice his size. Seeing him, the new animal crouched, squared its shoulders, and growled softly, preparing to meet his attack.

It was a fairly one-sided battle. Finn cringed in sympathy as Radarr got beat like a punching bag and then was sent sailing into the opposite door with a loud CLANG! The little guy slid to the ground, eyes rolling senselessly.

Okay, maybe he should do something.

Doing the best he knew how, Finn grabbed a pot and ran at the creature, preparing to slam it down on its head. The little beast leapt out of the way just in time. Finn tried to hit it again, and the same result. On the plus side, the animal now looked scared instead of ferocious. It scurried behind the potted plant in the hallway, screeching in fright.

There Piper was able to go at it. She had a stack of nine white plates and sent one sailing at the creature's head like a Frisbee. The animal ducked in time and then started jumping forward out of the way of the others while Piper went through rapid fire.

Much to Finn's disappointment, none of the plates hit their mark.

The creature was now at Stork's feet. The Merb screamed and tried to force the creature back by waving the handle end of a plunger at it. Junko moved in to help. The animal backed away from the two until its tail brushed against a crate behind it. Then with a terrible snarl, it dashed away from them and headed toward Finn again . . . something Finn was not the least bit happy about.

"Herd him over in this direction!" he heard Aerrow yell. The Sky Knight was gesturing in front of him.

_How do expect us to _herd _him?_ Finn thought incredulously.

Somehow Stork, Junko, and Piper had managed to corner the animal in, well, a corner. The creature was growling at them viciously and let out a ferocious snarl before it sprang forward and started running. Piper, Stork, and Junko all leapt for it to pin it to the ground, but they all simply ended up flat on their stomachs on the floor while the little beast kept on running.

Aerrow groaned, a hand over his face.

_Well, if you think you can do better, go ahead!_ Finn thought irritably.

The animal was charging right for Aerrow. Without missing a beat, the Sky knight picked up the now-empty bucket next to him. Seeing his intent, the animal screeched in alarm and dropped its rear to the floor, trying to stop, but it ended up sliding right on. Once in front of Aerrow, it turned around and tried to scramble away, but Aerrow was quicker; he slammed the bucket down on top of the animal without any further fuss. "Got him!" he announced to the others triumphantly.

_Well . . . _Finn thought. _Okay, then._ So the Sky Knight _had_ done better. Figures.

Finn and the others walked up to the bucket cautiously, which Aerrow was using all his strength to hold down. The creature kept slamming into the bucket, always jolting it up before Aerrow could force it back down. The critter even managed to get one foreleg out, its clawed paw scraping the floor.

Finn raised an eyebrow. "What'd we do with him?" he asked.

"Lock him in the bathroom!" Piper suggested.

Without further delay, the group escorted the turned over bucket with all its contents to the bathroom. And "group" really meant Aerrow, who was pushing the bucket along and keeping it forced down while the others walked with him.

Once Aerrow and the moving bucket were in front of the bathroom, the door opened automatically. Piper walked up to Aerrow and put her hand to the door's buttons next to the doorway, ready to shut it when Aerrow was ready. Aerrow was still using all his weight to keep the bucket down, practically leaning over it. The creature still managed to make the bucket jump like a jumping bean.

Radarr edged forward and sniffed at the bucket as he heard growling coming from it. Just as he put his twitching nose toward the bottom, the creature's paw came out and narrowly missed clawing him across the nose. Radarr squawked in fright and scurried away, not daring to come close again.

Stork came up behind the bathroom and stared into it sadly. "I just put potpourri in there and everything!" he whined.

Finn put a hand on his shoulder. "Let it go, man," he advised. After all, that was all they could do now.

Stork sighed and drooped.

Aerrow looked up at Piper, still forcing all his weight down on the bucket. "Ready?" he asked. Piper nodded.

Without another word, Aerrow shoved the bucket into the middle of the bathroom. Without Aerrow holding it down anymore, the creature threw off the bucket, stood up on its hind legs, and snarled at Aerrow, looking ready to rip out his throat. But Piper was quicker, and no sooner was the beast on its feet when she had shut the door.

Aerrow stood up, smiling in triumph. Everyone else seemed to relax, too.

But Finn would _not_ relax! That thing was dangerous and just plain creepy, and there was no _way_ he was giving it a chance to escape! Once the door was shut, he had five boards of wood, nails, and a wooden hammer ready and was barring the door. Only once he was done did he allow himself to relax; he leaned his back against the barred door and sighed, his heartbeat slowing at last. "That oughta hold him," he said.

But no sooner had he said it when something slammed against the other side of the door, jarring it. Finn cringed and pressed his back against the door. The creature was _still_ fighting?

Apparently so. It snarled viciously and banged against the door again with so much force that Finn fell forward with a scream.

Radarr's, Junko's, and Stork's ears stood straight up in the air, and everyone's eyes widened as they backed away from the door. "What _is_ that thing?!" Piper gasped in fright.

The creature beat against the door again, and Finn gasped. It could _not_ get out! He slammed himself against the door to hold it. At the same time, Aerrow and Stork did the same. "And what's it doing here?!" Stork asked aloud, adding on to what Piper had said.

Another bang against the door made all three of them gasp at the effort of holding the door.

"And more importantly," Aerrow added, "how're we gonna get it off our ship?"

"Yeah, yeah," Junko added, sounding frantic. He was holding himself by his privates and tapping his feet. "And there's one other slight problem, too, guys." He crossed his eyes, whimpering.

The others blinked at him dubiously. What problem?

"That's the only bathroom on the ship!"

Oh.

Finn could not blame Junko when he gasped in desperation for a bathroom.

* * *

Author's Notes: I liked Mr. Fluffykins, but I never much liked this episode compared to others. I think watching it to write this is only the second time I've ever watched it. I fear my bias may be reflected in my writing. I hope it isn't, but if so, bear with me.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Spring cleaning is no new concept. Some believe it may start with Iranian or Jewish tradition. However, we know for certain that spring cleaning was done back in the Middle Ages in Europe. In times past, people used to board up their houses in the winter to stay warm and heated them with such dingy things as coal, oil, wood, and candles. By the end of winter, the house would be full of suit and whatever else the burning items had left behind, as well full of bugs that had taken refuge in human dwellings to escape the winter and full of stale air because little fresh air was allowed in to keep out the cold. When the weather turned warm, it was time to clean up the mess of winter and freshen up the house a bit with the sweet spring air. Every stick of furniture and cloth was stuck outside to air and then washed, the floors swept, moped, and sponged, the place dusted over, the fireplace and cleaned, and the bugs cleared out.

Me? I never liked cleaning. I think I'm allergic to it. (No really, I think I have a bad dust allergy.)

Hope my next trivia is better. This one didn't interest me at all.

Ya'll know what to do. Until next chapter!


	171. A Colonel of Truth: Code Conduct

Chapter 2: Code Conduct

The Colonel was flying around on his skyride, a motorcycle-like helicopter not unlike a Talon Heli-Blade. It had a coat of red and gold over its hood and over the rear tire, with decorative spider-like appendages on both and on the seat, two coming off the one on the stern, one on each side; two looming over the seat, one on each side; and six coming off the hood, three on each side.

The Colonel's face was creased with worry. He hadn't been able to just sit in his mansion and do nothing while his goons searched for his pet; he had to help search! So here he was, combing the skies on a seemingly vain quest. "Mr. Fluffykins!" he called. "Here, boy!" He made kissing noises, ones that Mr. Fluffykins always came to on call. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Still nothing. Perhaps the Colonel wasn't being loud enough. He stopped his ride and pulled out his loud horn. The blast from it, not unlike the horn he'd once put on the _Condor_, although a different tune, rang throughout the skies.

The Colonel stopped and listened. Surely Mr. Fluffykins heard that, didn't he?

There! He heard it: a far-off howl! "Mr. Fluffykins?" the Colonel gasped excitedly. He spun his ride around and headed toward the sound at once.

* * *

On the _Condor_, all the Storm Hawks stared at the door as the creature behind it howled again. Finn, Aerrow, and Stork were still pressed against it.

As if tearing up their ship wasn't enough, now it was howling! "What's it doin' that for!" Finn asked as the creature howled again.

"Guys?" Piper said. They all looked at her. She pointed down the hall fearfully. "We should run."

Run? The boys blinked at her dubiously. Why would they . . . ?

Before Finn had even completed the thought, the door burst apart, sending him, Aerrow, and Stork sprawling on the floor among the wreckage. Piper put her hands up to protect her face.

Finn groaned as he sat up. That _hurt!_ But when he peered in the bathroom, his pain was quickly drowned out by fright.

The bathroom was a sight; items and water were scattered all over the floor, including an inflatable ducky lifesaver, a magazine, and a blue hand towel with the Storm Hawks insignia.

And there, standing in the now open entrance to the bathroom, stood the little beast on all fours, growling at them viciously. With a snarl, it jumped out and ran toward them, making Finn scream in fright. Piper cried as the beast swerved and started heading toward her, but instead of attacking, it swung left and scampered down the hallway.

Finn had no idea how Piper knew that was going to happen. She'd probably say something stupid-sounding like "female intuition."

Everyone stared after the beast in disbelief. Except Junko. He was looking at the open bathroom, still holding himself and his legs still pressed against each other. "Well," he said, starting to hop toward the bathroom on one foot, "gotta go!"

Without the door, the others were not going to stay to watch. They all began to search for that little beast again.

Although Finn did _not_ want to be the one to find it, he _did _want it found. That thing was just plain creepy! So he took the lead. He followed along the hallway until he got to where he thought the creature had gone and peered around a doorway to another hallway. There were two knocked-over plants and clothes and who-knows-what-else scattered all over the floor.

"It went this way!" Finn announced.

Stork came behind Finn and looked at the mess. "Uh, ya think?" he asked.

Finn raised an eyebrow. He didn't appreciate the sarcasm.

They all traveled down the hallway until they got to the room above the hangar bay. Piper went to the open hatchway that leads to the hangar, a shovel in hand in case she needed to defend herself. She peered down the hallway, which had a very scary sound coming from its depths . . . like something growling. "It's heading for the hangar bay," Piper told Aerrow as the Sky Knight walked up to the hatch and peered down with her.

"Good," Aerrow answered. "Maybe this is our chance to get it off the ship."

Junko joined them, and Aerrow got a crystal-powered flashlight. Aerrow and Piper sent Finn and Stork around to the outside of the bay while Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Junko would try to get to it from inside.

Once in the hangar bay, Aerrow's group opened the hatch so that the creature could fly out . . . hopefully. Finn and Stork peered around the open hatch, waiting to ambush their prey. Stork had a mop to bat the creature should it attack him. Finn had the bucket that Aerrow had used. If his trick had worked the first time, why couldn't it work for Finn?

The Storm Hawks all froze when they heard a rattling sound from within the skimmer bay. Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Junko tiptoed toward the crates stacked haphazardly against the wall, and Aerrow shined the flashlight there, searching for the little beast. Junko turned to Finn and Stork. Laying a finger in front of his mouth, he shushed them and then motioned for them to come closer.

Finn, who was standing over the crouched Merb and laying a hand on his shoulder, didn't really _want_ to come closer to a psychotic animal with sharp teeth. Stork didn't seem to want to, either.

They both hesitated just long enough for them to hear the sound of an approaching helicopter-like skyride.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and raised eyebrows as a familiar figure landed on their landing strip and stepped off this ride. "The Colonel?" Aerrow gasped aloud.

Just then, they all heard a sharp, greeting-bark, followed by a delighted whimper. "Huh?" Aerrow gasped as the strange animal that had been tormenting them all morning ran past his feet with a rod clenched in its teeth.

The Storm Hawks looked on in astonishment as the little creature leapt up into the Colonel's hands. "Yes!" the Colonel gasped in delight as he gazed at the creature with such adoration that Finn almost felt sick.

But that's when Finn realized what that rod was clenched between the animal's teeth. "The squeegee!" he exclaimed. He glanced pointedly at Piper. See? He never stole it!

As the animal sat down in his hands, the Colonel lowered his hands and looked around at the Storm Hawks. Finn couldn't believe it, but he was giving the entire team a genuine smile ear to ear. "Storm Hawks," he exclaimed, "you found him!"

The Storm Hawks started walking toward him, all raising eyebrows in confusion. "Huh?" Stork wheezed, sounding frightened.

"What?" Aerrow gasped.

"Who?" Piper asked, catching on faster than the others, as always.

Faster than everyone except for the awesome Finnster, who raised his eyebrow and asked, "We did?" The Colonel honestly thought the Storm Hawks "found" this creature? More like _it_ found _them_ and proceeded to attack them and mess up their cleaning jobs!

"Um, uh," the Colonel said, looking slightly uncomfortable as he took a step toward them and gestured to them, balancing the animal Finn assumed was his pet in one hand, "according to the unbreakable rule of the Gangster Code," he clenched his fist, "until the sun sets on this day, I am humbly at your service." He closed his eyes and bowed his head as humbly as he described.

The Storm Hawks raised eyebrows at him, completely bewildered. Junko rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort.

But when Finn thought about it . . . the Colonel was at their service for a whole day!

_He immediately imagined himself back at the Colonel's compound, out back reclining in a lawn chair by the pool, his shades on his face. He snapped his fingers, and the Colonel appeared. Snarling, the gangster leader clapped his hands. Immediately three beautiful girls—he pictured them looking like and dressing like the girls who had swarmed him at Terra Vapos—came to service him, all smiling their beautiful smiles. One fanned him; another held a bowl of fruit for him, offering him an apple with her free hand; and the third held a bowl of candy up to him._

_Finn sighed in contentment. "Life doesn't get much better than this!" he said. But then he thought about it. "Unless . . ."_

_He snapped his fingers again._

_Immediately the scene in his mind changed to driving a super-hot, super-souped up ride. It would be a lot like his Skimmer, with blue and gray as the main colors and orange flames waving up the front. The bulky ride had three headlights and six exhaust pipes and was extremely shiny. It was, in a word, _awesome!

"_Sweet!" Finn exclaimed as he drove, still wearing the same aviator goggles. "Yeah, baby! That's what I'm talkin' about!"_

_But then another thought came to his mind. He imagined lifting his goggles. "Or there's always . . ."_

_The scene in his mind changed again, this time to being on the terra of the Colonel's compound and whispering his idea in the Colonel's ear while the Colonel leaned down to hear him. Finn couldn't help chuckling a little as he said his plan._

"_Huh?" the Colonel gasped upon hearing it, his eyes widening in disgust. He stood up to his full height again, turning away. "No!" he exclaimed. "You ask too much!" He shut his eyes, clenched a fist, and cringed. "I won't do it!"_

"_Ah, ah, ah!" Finn scolded him playfully, coming up from behind him and wagging a finger at him over his shoulder. "Gangster Code!"_

_The Colonel growled at that, but he raised his head and opened his eyes, looking resigned. "You right," he said. "Fine. You win."_

_Finn smiled in delight and clenched his fists excitedly._

_The scene in his head then went to the Colonel and his four main goons dancing on stage at Terra Neon. The Colonel was out in front. They were doing a version of flamenco dancing, tapping their feet with their arms held in an arch above their heads to the beat of Spanish-style music. Their hands then moved to their hips, their elbows still out and their feet still tapping._

_The crowd was laughing at the scene and clapping along with the beat. Finn was particularly enjoying himself; his eyes were closed, and he was clapping, too, completely delighted with himself for thinking of this._

Finn didn't realize he was dancing and clapping to the beat for real until Piper grabbed his arm and shouted, "Finn, snap out of it!"

Finn blinked, coming back to reality, and looked at her innocently.

"Whatever you're thinking, forget it!" she growled at him.

Finn cringed at her tone. He just wanted some fun! "But," he protested, pointing toward the Colonel, who was currently looking down at his pet, "the Colonel has to do whatever we say!"

The Colonel looked up at that. "Do you think I _want_ to reward you?" he snapped, clenching a fist. "No! But because you rescued my poor, lost darling, Mr. Fluffykins—"

He looked down at his pet, whom Finn guessed was Mr. Fluffykins. Mr. Fluffykins growled and snarled at them, lunging forward at them threateningly. Stork gasped in terror and cringe away. Junko laughed nervously. Even Aerrow looked frightened by the creature.

Finn couldn't understand why anyone would want _that_ as a pet.

"—I must do whatever you wish," the Colonel finished, "for an entire day."

Well, this was much more than the Storm Hawks had thought they would get on a bright, sunny morning dedicated to spring cleaning. This called for a group conference. The Storm Hawks all got together in a huddle, putting their arms around each other. Radarr just stood in the center of the circle, since he couldn't reach the others.

Finn couldn't believe their luck. "Score!" he whispered excitedly to the others.

"Okay," Piper told everyone. "What we need to do is come up with a day's worth of things to keep the Colonel so busy that he won't have time for his normal evil stuff!"

What? Goody-two-shoes route? "Well, yeah," Finn agreed, as whatever they chose would do just that, "but—"

"Great idea, Piper," Aerrow interrupted him, making Piper smile. "That would be the right thing to do." He glanced meaningful in Finn's direction.

Finn raised an eyebrow at him. Sometimes Aerrow was just a noble git.

Seeing as the Colonel was there to do their bidding, the Storm Hawks invited him in. The lead gangster took a cage-like crate with hexagon ends with him as he carried Mr. Fluffykins inside. Once on the bridge, he placed the crate on the round table. "There you go, Mr. Fluffykins," he said, placing Mr. Fluffykins on his back on the table. Aerrow and Piper walked up behind him, Piper with a hand on her hip and Aerrow with his hands on both hips. They both still seemed bewildered that a man like the Colonel could have a pet at all. "Nice and safe and sound!" the Colonel sang to Mr. Fluffykins, placing a red collar on the dog-like creature's neck. "This restraining collar will keep you from flying off again," the Colonel told his pet, picking him up in his hand. He then plopped the animal in the crate.

Mr. Fluffykins sat up and looked around, his little nose twitching, looking somewhat distressed. He growled, not in anger but in dismay, his little, sharp canines poking out like vampire teeth.

Then his twitching nose seemed to catch Radarr's scent. Aerrow's copilot was at the edge of the round table, his paws on top of it as he peered curiously into Mr. Fluffykins' cage.

Finn will never know whether Mr. Fluffykins was taking out his frustration, whether he was playing, whether he didn't like Radarr, or whether he was just plain mean, but for whatever the reason, Mr. Fluffykins reached his little, clawed paw through the bar of his cage and snagged Radarr's ear, making Radarr screech in shock.

"Oh, look!" the Colonel cooed in delight at seeing Mr. Fluffykins viciously pull on Radarr's ear. "He likes you!"

Radarr pulled back with all his might, placing all four paws on the edge of the table and pushing off it. He had so much force that when Mr. Fluffykins finally let go, Radarr was sent flying into the wall. He landed sitting against it, and seeing Mr. Fluffykins still growling at him, he whimpered and pushed himself ever closer against the wall, or tried to, anyway.

Whether or not Mr. Fluffykins liked Radarr, as the Colonel presumed, Finn doubted Radarr liked Mr. Fluffykins.

The Colonel turned to Junko, Aerrow, and Piper, his eyes settling on Aerrow. "Alright," he said. "Let's get this over as quickly as possible."

The Storm Hawks all stared at him in surprise. Boy, was the Colonel in for a shock when he found out that they planned to keep him busy _all day!_

The Colonel smirked. "What is it you want from me?"

"Uh," Junko said, putting a finger to his chin thoughtfully. Aerrow crossed his arms as he and Piper eyed Junko, ready to veto his plan if they didn't like it. "I guess you could start by, I don't know," Junko shrugged, "helping out in the soup kitchen on Terra Sloppa."

Aerrow and Piper let that one stand. That was actually a good idea!

The Colonel, however, didn't seem to agree. He grunted in disgust. But he had to do it.

* * *

There were quite a bit of people the Storm Hawks might have even recognized in the soup kitchen: people who were from Terra Saharr, ones they've met in Skyside Shanty, even a few Murk Raiders. They were all in line with their plates, waiting to come to the table.

The Colonel couldn't _believe_ he was actually doing this! It was downright humiliating! Not only was he bumped down to handing out spoonfuls of gunk—"gunk" was all he knew to call this soup, since it was green and chunky and looked completely inedible—but he was also forced to where a mesh cap over his head to keep it from getting in the soup, like some sort of school lunch lady.

He stirred the soup in the cauldron in front of him as the next person stepped up. He lifted the spoon full of soup, bringing close to his nose. The soup smelled horrid, like something out of a dumpster! The Colonel couldn't help but sneeze . . . all over the spoon, spraying soup in the man's direction.

Without a second thought, the Colonel dumped the spoonful of gunk he had sneezed all over on the old man's plate. The old man looked down at his plate in disgust and then raised an eyebrow at the Colonel. He didn't expect him to _eat_ that, did he?

The Colonel's glare said yes, he did.

* * *

Once the Colonel was back on the bridge of the _Condor_ after hours of that torment, the Storm Hawks said they would allow him a rest. "And then," Piper said, gesturing to him, "you can go pick up trash from the shipping lanes above Terra Zooma."

_What?_

* * *

For no one who's ever been to Terra Zooma, the place might be a bit of a shock. It's a desert terra, much like Saharr in appearance. And like Saharr, racing is a big deal there. In fact, racing is all it _does!_ The Third Degree Burners even come here for practice on a regular basis.

The problem is the shipping lanes above. Terra Zooma is right under the garbage shipper's route. Trash is a regular part of the racing scene there. And the racers didn't exactly feel as if they had the time to pick up after themselves, either. Volunteers were always welcome to pick up the trash.

So there was the Colonel, out in the middle of the desert with a bag strapped around his neck and poker to pick up all the trash littered on the ground, mostly bottles and food packages but also including things such as a lone banana peel. The Colonel grumbled to himself as he worked, stabbing a crushed paper cup and then putting it in his bag.

Just then he heard, "Yeehaw!"

He turned and looked over his shoulder, saying, "Huh?"

Two Third Degree Burners were out for their daily racing practice, laughing as they drove past. The one nearest to the Colonel nonchalantly threw his plastic cup of yogurt to the side.

The Colonel gasped when he felt something cold on his head. He looked up to see that the yogurt and cup had landed and spilled all over his head! He sighed in exasperation.

This really sucked.

* * *

When he got back to the _Condor_, it was Stork who addressed him this time. "How 'bout exterminating the bugs that are overrunning Terra Flora?" he suggested, holding up a finger.

The Colonel just stared at him thinking, _You have got to be kidding me._

* * *

Terra Flora was a lot like Terra Gruesomous in that it was swampy. And full of bugs.

The Colonel was there with a spray can. He at last spotted a fly on a leaf and smirked as he held up the spray can, just about to finish it off. But he stopped when he heard buzzing behind him. It wasn't just a little buzzing; it was _a lot_ of buzzing! Slowly the Colonel turned around.

There before him was an entire _horde_ of flies! The Colonel let out a cry, but he could do nothing to stop the plague of insects that swept down upon him.

* * *

When he came back to the bridge of the _Condor_, he looked horrified. And his face was covered with red, swollen bug bites. "I am through with this foolishness!" he cried. He didn't even look angry, just desperate. "No more!"

"Well, okay," Finn told him, arms crossed and tapping his foot. "If you say so." He pointed to him. "But what about the—"

"—Gangster Code," the Colonel finished with a sigh. He slumped in defeat. He had an obligation to uphold, and Finn was not about to let him forget it.

The Colonel crossed his arms, looking resigned. "Very well, then," he said, "what else?"

* * *

His next orders were so painful that the Colonel almost couldn't bare it.

He brought a sack full of his own riches to the main square in Atmosia and then reached in, pulled out a handful of the golden coins, and then tossed them on the ground. "Here you go!" he called to everyone, tossing more and more handfuls out. "Have some of my money! No, there's no catch! Take it! Take two!"

Naturally, people flocked him, taking away whole handfuls of the coins.

When at last the Colonel was down to his last coin, he reached in, pulled it out, and held it in his fingers sadly, gazing at it. All that money that he had gotten by ripping people off and stealing from them, years and years of hard work . . . just gone! This was all that was left!

Just then, Gull's son snatched the coin out of his hand and walked away with it.

The Colonel stared at his empty hand in shock and raised an eyebrow at the smiling boy as he walked away. "Little . . . !" he snarled, raising his fist to pound the kid into giving back his money.

But he couldn't. All he could do was sigh and lower his fist. _Gangster Code, _he reminded himself.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks _related trivia: There is a real gangster code. It is known as the G Code, and it can mean either "Gangster Code" or "Ghetto Code." The Gangster Code is a code of conduct and honor expected of a gangster. The entirety of the code depends on the location of the gang and the gang itself, but there is one part of the G Code that is universal to all gangs: Don't snitch (talk about criminal acts of a gang to someone who will bring the law). And if someone does snitch, kill the bastard.

And _no one_ needs to ask where I got that information. But, to put your minds at ease, I assure you I am a simple country girl who lives in a place where there is only about one person for every three acres of land.

_But_ you guys might want to remember to review . . . because I did have a source for this gangster information!


	172. A Colonel of Truth: White Liar

Author's Notes: Okay, okay, I was just messing with you guys! I have no gangster "source." I learned everything from a Google search. But hey, it made a nice review threat!

* * *

Chapter 3: White Liar

When the Colonel came back to the _Condor_'s hangar bay with an empty sack, the Storm Hawks could hardly believe their eyes. "I can't believe he actually did it!" Piper exclaimed.

Aerrow had a thoughtful look on his face, his arms crossed. "This Gangster Code is serious," he said. Then he smiled at Piper. "I've got an even bigger idea!" He walked up to the Colonel, and the Colonel lowered his head so Aerrow could whisper in his ear.

As soon as Aerrow was done explaining, the Colonel stood straight up with a look of rage and absolute disdain. "Absolutely _not!_" he cried, waving his hand across himself. "No way!"

They had been getting away with so much that Finn couldn't bear to watch it die now. So he spoke up without really thinking. "But we saved Mr. Fluffykins' life!" he exclaimed, waving a finger at the Colonel.

"We did?" Junko asked him quietly. The Wallop was pretty sure that they all wanted to smash the little creature's head in when they first caught it.

"Close enough," Finn whispered back. He then stepped forward toward the Colonel, putting his hands on his chest. "We could have died ourselves saving him from getting hit by that garbage scow. But fine," he added, crossing his arms. "That's how little you care about your own pet!"

The Colonel snarled angrily to himself and then looked at the Storm Hawks pleadingly. "But I put half those people in there!" he whined.

But he was doing it. Was Finn good or what?!

* * *

Hours later, with sunset getting ever closer, the Colonel was at Terra Zartacla. Having successfully gotten past the guards, he bound up Mr. Moss and Hamish each in some of his spider-like web fibers, stuck the two together, and hung them from the ceiling. He hated doing it—he had actually been on friendly terms with Mr. Moss prior to this. All he could do was turn around and remind himself with a sigh, "The Gangster Code."

The Colonel unlocked the cages and found out what was probably the motivating drive for Aerrow to ask this of him: the Rebel Ducks were here. They walked out of their cells and joined the rest of the freed prisoners, cheering and hugging.

The Colonel put his face in his hand. This was just humiliating!

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, the Storm Hawks eyed Mr. Fluffykins as he pulled at his collar with his paws. He let out a frustrated, dog-like bark and then started scratching at it with his hind paw, whimpering. He had a red bowl of food next to the cage (which, to Finn's disgust, looked like a mixture of the sort of stuff the Colonel ate), but he left it untouched. It was obvious that he wanted out of that collar and out of that cage.

Piper went up to the round table and looked inside, looking concerned. "He's been in that cage this whole time! Poor thing!"

Leave it to Piper to be sentimental to the cute, little, furry, evil animal.

"Hmm," Stork said as he came and rested his arms on the cage, looking inside. "I've seen this kind of thing before," he said, pointing at Piper. "Maybe Mr. Fluffykins wasn't lost. Maybe he was running away."

But Finn's attention had already turned to something else. While Stork was talking, the Colonel walked into the bridge and sat down on one of the couches, looking tired and miserable.

Aerrow seized the opportunity immediately. "Oh, good!" he exclaimed, coming up behind the couch and resting his hands on it. "You're back! Just in time to go and—"

The Colonel turned to him angrily, interrupting him with, "_Enough!_"

Oh, no, Finn wasn't letting him get away with anything. He sidled up to the Colonel on the couch, his lollipop in one hand while he put the other arm around the Colonel's shoulders. "But," he reminded him, "the You-Know-What Code!"

The Colonel snarled at him. But before he could answer, Piper approached them. "Colonel," she said, "we think something might be wrong with Mr. Fluffykins."

Even as she said it, Mr. Fluffykins was sniffing his food. Instead of eating it, he snarled furiously and butted the bowl, sending food flying all over the place, including a few bits flying at his concerned owner.

The Colonel looked at the animal anxiously as Mr. Fluffykins continued to snarl and then howled his discontent. The Colonel turned around to Finn, who was looking at his lollipop again. "He was perfectly fine until you Storm Hawks came along!" he told Finn angrily.

Finn put his lollipop behind his back. The Colonel was blaming _them_, huh? How unfair! "Well," Finn retorted, holding up a finger, "he wouldn't have been fine if we hadn't saved him from that sewer!"

"Sewer?" the Colonel repeated, looking suspicious.

Piper cringed and gasped. Stork coughed twice purposefully.

Oh, right. That hadn't been Finn's last story. He quickly tried to correct himself. "I mean giant, uh, pet-eating plant . . ."

He saw Aerrow face-palm. Nope, that wasn't the original story, either.

The Colonel was looking full on Finn now, anything but believing.

"Or . . .," Finn gasped, trying to think of something. But then the Colonel started advancing toward him, looking _very_ angry. Finn backed away, holding up a finger. "Wait a second," he told the Colonel, frantically trying to think of something.

But the look on the Colonel's face told him anything he said was just going to make it worse. "I'm shuttin' up now," he said.

"You've been making this up!" the Colonel cried, grabbing Finn by his collar and pulling the whimpering sharpshooter toward him. "You didn't rescue my Fluffykins at all, did you?!"

Finn knew he was in trouble as soon as the Colonel hoisted him into the air. The other Storm Hawks froze, circling them, preparing to jump in if Finn needed them.

"Alright, alright!" Finn admitted, hoping honesty would placate the Colonel. "I made it up! Please don't eat me!" he begged.

"That," the Colonel growled, clenching a fist, "would be letting you off too easily!"

"But," Piper interrupted, hoping it would help, "just think of all the good you did."

The Colonel chuckled without humor. "Good," he repeated, turning back to look at Piper. "The Colonel does not do 'the good.'" His face turned angry again. "I have a reputation to uphold! And now, you will all pay dearly," he turned back to Finn, "for _humiliating me!_"

Finn was not ashamed to say he screamed in fright at that. After all, who wouldn't have? Maybe not Aerrow, but he's . . . Aerrow.

Mr. Fluffykins seemed to sense his master's anger. He stared out at the Storm Hawks with his menacing eyes, snarling viciously at them, froth flying from his mouth. He started rattling his cage, trying desperately to get out.

Finn knew _now_ was the time to get out of here. He checked his wrist. "Wow! Would ya look at the time!" he said, even though he wasn't wearing a watch. "Gotta go!" But he wasn't going anywhere with the Colonel holding him in the air. "Guys!" he called desperately.

Radarr was there to help! He got the vacuum, which looked much like the electric moping machine Aerrow had been using, and stuck the hose on the back of the Colonel. The Colonel cried out in surprise when he felt his shirt being sucked back and turned around to try to get it off, snarling, dropping Finn in the process.

Finn landed on his back, only to be helped to his feet by Aerrow. Piper, Junko, and Stork were staring at them, frozen in fear, Stork cringing and trembling.

"Go!" Aerrow ordered, shoving Finn toward the door.

Junko and Piper were quick to follow them. But Stork was so scared that he was left standing and staring at the Colonel still trembling. Junko came back and grabbed the frightened Merb. Stork cried out in fright as he was pulled out the door.

Furiously the Colonel pulled the hose off his back and spun around, yelling after them angrily. Mr. Fluffykins snarled after them for extra measure. "Prepare to feel the Colonel's wrath!" the Colonel yelled after the Storm Hawks.

Radarr was the last to leave the room. He just couldn't resist stopping by Mr. Fluffykins cage and sticking him tongue out at him, daring him to chase. Then he ran after the rest of the Storm Hawks.

The Colonel pursued them into the hallway. He fired flashes of spider web from his wrists thrice, all missing their mark as the Storm Hawks made it to the end of the hallway just in time.

But the Colonel wasn't disturbed. "Ooh," he said to himself, smirking, "but how I love the thrill of the hunt!"

The Storm Hawks made it to the hangar bay and mounted their rides without hesitation. Aerrow led the flight out. Since Stork would have had to pull the _Stork-Mobile_ out of hiding, he simply hitched a ride with Piper, making them the last off the landing strip.

They had hardly been flying for a few second before Aerrow let out a cry as a red crystal pulse came close to his head. He and Radarr both ducked to avoid it.

Finn glanced back in shock. Not only had the Colonel already followed them on his ride, he even had Mr. Fluffykins' cage mounted on the starboard side toward the back. The four spider-like appendages on the front of his ride revealed themselves to be blasters, shooting at them with astounding accuracy. One shot whizzed by Piper and Stork, another coming dangerously close to Aerrow and Radarr once again.

The fourth time the Colonel hit his mark, snapping the helicopter blades off Piper's Heliscooter. "Piper!" Finn heard Aerrow cry in dismay as she and Stork started plummeting to the terra right below them. Both Piper and Stork screamed.

But before any of the boys could act, more shots from the Colonel took off all of Junko's wings. "Uh, guys?" the Wallop began. But he couldn't say more before he was plummeting after Piper and Stork, screaming.

"Junko!" Finn yelled. His best friend was falling to his death!

And all the Colonel did was _laugh_ about it!

But it wasn't total doom yet. They were coming down right-side up on their rides, which still had wheels, on a terra with relatively little vegetation. In fact, Piper couldn't believe their luck; it seemed to her that they were coming down on a sunken area that was probably a stream gone dry.

They both had a bumpy landing right on their tires, coming in at breakneck speed. Unfortunately, the stream that carved this little ravine apparently had not been a straight one. Unable to break quickly enough, Piper had trouble controlling her ride, and the Heliscooter's front wheel struck the side of the ravine, sending both Piper and Stork flying forward as the Heliscooter flipped. Behind them, Junko's Skimmer did the same thing on the other side of the ravine, sending Junko clear.

It was certainly not an ideal landing, but they were alive! It was more than Piper could have asked for. She groaned as she pushed herself up, having landed on her stomach. Junko had also landed so, and Stork sat with his back against the side of the ravine, rubbing his head.

Piper looked around, trying to recognize the terra. If it had a name, she didn't know it. The most distinguishing features were its mild temperature, dry climate, sparse vegetation, . . . and those weird pillars of rock. They were like mini mountains with nearly vertical sides. Some plants grew on their tops. Behind her, she even saw a small volcano with smoke billowing from it. The terra itself seemed strangely prehistoric.

But the main thing was, there didn't seem to be anything immediately dangerous. She turned to the others. "Everyone alright?" she asked.

Stork groaned, still rubbing his head. "Ow!" he gasped.

Junko huffed as he pushed himself up from where he lay. But before he could answer, he pricked his ears toward a sound coming from above them. "Huh?" he gasped, turning to the sound.

The Colonel and Mr. Fluffykins were flying their direction. "Not for long!" the Colonel teased, having heard Piper's question. He gave a wicked laugh and then turned to his pet. "Lunch time, Mr. Fluffykins!" He reached down and pulled the lock off, Mr. Fluffykins' cage, opening the door. That was just what Mr. Fluffykins was waiting for. He stuck his head out the door, screeching at them like an angry bat. "And he's very hungry!" the Colonel added, that wicked smirk of his widening.

Without further hesitation, Mr. Fluffykins leapt off the Colonel's low-flying skyride, snarling viciously, froth flying from his mouth.

There was only one thing to do. "Run!" Piper cried.

Mr. Fluffykins landed on all fours and snarled after the fleeing figures before taking off after them.

But the Colonel wasn't going to stay and watch. His attention was on the three Storm Hawks still flying.

Seeing that Piper, Stork, and Junko had made it through their crashes safely, at least for now, Aerrow and Radarr and Finn decided the best course of action was to flee.

They flew around a few pillars of rocks, hoping to lose the Colonel. After that, Radarr dared to glance over his shoulder . . . only to squawk in fright.

The Colonel was right behind him, his evil laugh making his round belly jiggle. He immediately started firing rapid shots from every blaster. Aerrow and Radarr and Finn broke apart, the pulses flying by between their Skimmers.

But Finn never would have guessed that the four pillars of rock in front of them would do them in.

Aerrow and Radarr were going to fly through one set, and Finn was going to fly between the other two. So the Colonel fired his spider thread right in that space in between each pillar making instant, giant spider webs.

Aerrow gasped right before his Vulcan and Finn's Skimmer struck the spider webs. Both Skimmers stuck to the webs, pressing it forward, only to bounce back off, tossing their occupants clear.

Finn screamed as he fell headfirst toward the terra. This was it! He was done for! All for a little lie!

But before he was smashed to a pulp on the ground below, someone grabbed his feet. He looked up in astonishment. Aerrow, the ever-perfect hero-of-the-last-minute, was flying with the use of his battle glider, holding onto Finn's feet in each hand. Radarr was on top of Aerrow's back, clinging to the glider for dear life.

Finn was gasping, trying to catch his death. He wasn't going to die . . . yet.

But the Colonel was right behind them, still laughing at them. And as long as they were being supported by Aerrow's glider, they didn't stand a chance, against someone with an engine. They had to get to the ground and find cover!

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr. Fluffykins pursued his three Storm Hawks, of which two (Piper and Stork) were screaming, until he cornered the three of them against a large boulder. A small rock got in his way, but he didn't break stride; instead he leapt on top and then jumped off it, leaping toward the Storm Hawks in a ferocious charge.

But just before he was about to reach them and tear them to shreds, he happened to look up . . . and then slid to a stop.

The Storm Hawks were all cringing, waiting for him to attack. Stork had even shut his eyes and put up his arms to protect his face. But when no attack came, they all stared down at Mr. Fluffykins in confusion as he whimpered. "Huh?" Piper said. She and the boys followed his gaze.

Piper could hardly believe her eyes. There, up above them, were creatures of Mr. Fluffykins' kind! They were flying above them on their wings made of skin, barking happily as they went. The lead one was dark blue, two of them green, two of them pink, and three others were the same color as Mr. Fluffykins.

Mr. Fluffykins completely ignored the Storm Hawks, looking up at his own kind longingly. Without paying his prey any mind, he leapt up on top of a boulder, then a higher one, then still another one, peering up at the other creatures. His tail started twitching nervously as he whimpered.

Junko's ears drooped sympathetically as he pointed at him. "Mr. Fluffykins really _has_ been trying to run away from the Colonel!" he said. "He just wants to be with his own kind."

Even as he said it, Mr. Fluffykins stood up on his hind legs and reached his front paws toward the pack of flying critters as they glided away.

Stork smiled. "I called it!"

Mr. Fluffykins barked in dismay at seeing the rest of his kind flying out of sight and then started pulling at the collar that the Colonel had put around his neck, which prevented him from opening his gliders and flying off.

As Piper watched him, it was all starting to make sense. "No wonder he came aboard," she said. "We were moored right over his home terra!"

But unfortunately, with his kind having gone, Mr. Fluffykins seemed upset and angry. And he knew just who to take out his emotions on. He turned around and snarled at the Storm Hawks once again.

Piper only had time to gasp before Mr. Fluffykins charged.

She and Stork let out sounds of dismay and prepared for the worst . . . only to have someone pull them clear at the last minute.

Junko, who had gotten up on top of the boulder, reached down and grabbed their collars, pulling them up and setting them down on top of the boulder next to him. Down below, Mr. Fluffykins snarled and circled below, upset at having lost his query momentarily. He placed his paws on the boulder and growled up at them.

That's when the Storm Hawks decided it was best to go.

Piper led the way as they began climbing up the tower of boulders they were on just before a foot appeared above and in front of her. Piper gasped, swallowing a scream, afraid it might be the Colonel.

The person up above screamed in shock and fright at seeing them. Apparently he wasn't expecting them, either.

"Finn!" she squeaked in relief once she realized who it was. She glanced past him to see Aerrow and Radarr were with him. "Did you lose the Colonel?"

"No!" Finn answered as he reached down and pulled her up next to him. He pointed. "He's right behind us!"

Just as he said it, he screamed as he was suddenly bound by huge spider thread.

Aerrow was next, falling to the ground on impact. Then Junko was caught.

The Colonel kept approaching, yelling as he fired two more threads from his wrists at Piper and Stork. Both they and Radarr ducked, avoiding the webbing.

Piper and Stork immediately ran. Radarr, however, went the other direction, running to where Aerrow fell. Finn couldn't believe the little guy was that stupid; he was bound to get caught like they were. But telling Radarr to abandon Aerrow was like telling the Atmos to stop spinning. It just didn't happen.

But the Colonel didn't go for Radarr, who seemed to be trying to figure out how to break the tough, rope-sized spider thread. Instead, he aimed for Piper and Stork, catching them on only his second try. The two fell just short of the snarling Mr. Fluffykins' teeth.

The Colonel saluted his pet. "Good work, Mr. Fluffykins!" he praised him, clenching a fist.

Junko, Aerrow, and Piper were all struggling to break free. Finn just sat where he was, thinking that Aerrow and Piper were being pretty stupid and stubborn; surely if Junko couldn't break it, there was little hope they could get free. And they're "brilliant" mission specialist had managed to get himself caught in Aerrow's sticky thread.

Mr. Fluffykins was growling right in Piper's face when he suddenly stopped and looked at the sky, letting out a little yelp. "What's wrong, boy?" the Colonel asked.

Mr. Fluffykins stood up on his hind legs and looked at the sky sadly again. Once more, the pack of his kind was flying overhead. Mr. Fluffykins leapt toward them and let out a lonely howl.

"Hmm?" the Colonel grunted nervously. "Stay!" he told Mr. Fluffykins, motioning with his hands. "Stay!"

Mr. Fluffykins ignored him, continuing to howl. But he didn't move.

"Good boy!" the Colonel praised him. He pointed toward the ground. "Now sit!"

Mr. Fluffykins screeched defiantly, eyeing the Colonel with anger. It was the first time Finn had seen Mr. Fluffykins display any contempt toward his master. That was when Finn figured out what Piper, Junko, and Stork had learned moments before; Mr. Fluffykins wanted to run away and be free.

Without another look back, Mr. Fluffykins leapt into the air after his kin. "Come back!" the Colonel cried in fright.

Mr. Fluffykins flapped his arms in the air, trying to fly. But his gliders didn't come out, suppressed by the collar. Instead of flying, he plummeted toward the ground.

"Oh, no!" the Colonel gasped, his eyes wide with horror. Without another thought toward the Storm Hawks, he ran toward his falling pet.

It just so happened that right below Mr. Fluffykins was a chasm that he fell into, whimpering as he bounced on the rocks, hitting ledge after ledge.

The Colonel reached the chasm, staring down at his beloved pet, afraid of what he might find. "Are you alright?" he called down.

He heard a little yap in answer, followed by an uneasy whimper. Down below he could clearly see Mr. Fluffykins holding onto a ledge with his little front paws, hanging precariously above a glowing, red stream.

Oh, this was not good! "Hang on, boy!" the Colonel yelled. "Papi is coming!" He leaned down and reached his arm in as far as it could go. It wasn't even halfway toward Mr. Fluffykins. "Just a moment," he grunted, "while I negotiate this."

Down below, the stream sizzled, making Mr. Fluffykins cry and whine in fright.

The Colonel reeled back. He hadn't thought about the stream before, but now he knew it was lava. "Volcanic crater!" he gasped.

A ripple of fear went through the Storm Hawks. Even though none of them liked Mr. Fluffykins, they still didn't want the little guy burned alive in lava. "Let us help you!" Piper cried to the Colonel.

Despite how he'd feel in normal circumstances, Finn thought that was a great idea. Not only would they save Mr. Fluffykins, the Colonel would have to set them free.

But the Colonel seemed to realize that. "After what you people made me do before?!" he yelled back angrily. He pointed to them. "Not on your life!"

Oh, Finn thought. Never mind.

"What about Mr. Fluffykins' life?" Piper challenged. "There's no time to argue!"

Oh, dear. When Piper used that tone of voice, it was time to listen.

The Colonel was about to retort when they all heard Mr. Fluffykins whimper again.

The Colonel snarled, clenching his fists in frustration. He obviously didn't like making this decision. Next thing they knew, he approached Piper with his clawed hand raised to slash.

Everyone cringed. Piper screamed as the claws came down toward her. But they didn't touch her. Instead they cut her free. Stork, Finn, Aerrow and Radarr, and Junko were next.

Once they were all free, Stork looked right at Piper as if in disbelief. "We're doing _what?_" he asked.

Now that they were free, Finn agreed with him. Had he had a chance to speak, he would have voted on making a run for it.

But as always, Aerrow had to be the noble git who always sided with the know-it-all. "Good thinking, Piper," he said, putting his hands on his hips. He turned to his copilot. "Radarr, I have a feeling we're gonna need a favor."

Radarr looked up at the Colonel and widened an eye as if to raise an eyebrow (of which he had none). The Colonel frowned at him, making Radarr cringe away and whimper.

Finn had a feeling Radarr wasn't going to like this idea.

* * *

Author's Notes: _Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Mr. Fluffykins' flying abilities are based off of that of a real creature's gliding talents. The northern flying squirrel is found throughout North American taiga and temperate forests, and its cousin, the southern flying squirrel, has occupied New England to areas as far south as Central America. These animals have flaps of skin coming off their sides that attach their front legs and back legs. These flaps of skin make a set of gliders. Often a flying squirrel jumps down from wherever it is to glide to its destination; it can, however, jump up at takeoff if it needs to land somewhere level or slightly higher than its current location. Flying squirrels have been recorded to glide up to 295 feet; however, they cannot actually fly.

And that is part of the reason why Mr. Fluffykins is so awesome; he _can_ fly!

Now, I've got a flying squirrel here that I caught just outside my house. He's mad as a hatter, and if you don't review, I'll open the cage on you like so. *opens cage and squirrel jumps out, glaring at Wolf* Whoops . . . I didn't mean to actually open the cage . . . Um, I'll just be . . . Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

*Wolf runs away being chased by mad flying squirrel*


	173. A Colonel of Truth: Wild at Heart

Chapter 4: Wild at Heart

The Colonel had made a harness for Radarr out of his spider thread. Now he was slowly letting down the line for Radarr as he lowered him into the hole while the rest of the Storm Hawks watched. Piper was directing. "Easy," she told the Colonel, motioning for him to keep lowering Radarr. "Easy."

Radarr got caught in the harness for a moment and couldn't breathe. He squeaked and struggled against it, snarling up at the Colonel.

But his snarl was nothing compared to Mr. Fluffykins when Radarr got close to him. Mr. Fluffykins didn't seem to realize that Radarr was trying to help . . . probably because he wasn't that bright, Finn guessed. At least, that's the way _he_ saw it. All Mr. Fluffykins seemed to know was that Radarr was way too close, and he didn't like that. He growled ferociously.

Radarr pulled on the thread and pointed toward Mr. Fluffykins to tell them to stop, that Mr. Fluffykins was in reach. Then he turned around and made to try to pick up the little animal. But as soon as Radarr reached a paw toward him, Mr. Fluffykins snapped at him, trying to bite. Radarr squeaked, backing off at once.

But that snap loosened Mr. Fluffykins. With one little whimper of warning, Mr. Fluffykins lost his grip and fell to the lava below.

Finn gasped and held his breath. But Mr. Fluffykins was lucky. He squeaked as he fell on his back on a rock floating in the magma. Finn couldn't help but feel both worried and sympathetic. He bet it was hot down there. He had been in the Wastelands before, more times than he would have liked, not to mention that terrible adventure on the new Terra Blizzaris, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that even being _near_ lava was dangerous because it was so hot.

Even worse, the rock started to tip. Mr. Fluffykins whimpered and scrambled along the rock, keeping above the lava.

Radarr squeaked in dismay as Mr. Fluffykins started floating down the river of lava. Even worse, the rock was melting, disappearing below Mr. Fluffykins. Soon it would be gone, and Mr. Fluffykins with it.

Just before the rock completely melted away, Mr. Fluffykins leapt into the air and flapped his limbs, trying to fly. Thanks to the collar, he still couldn't open his gliders; instead he started to fall.

But Radarr seized his chance. With a screech, he swung toward Mr. Fluffykins and caught him in midair. "He's got him!" Piper announced happily.

She turned back to the Colonel. "Okay, bring them up easy!"

The Colonel started reeling up the rope-like thread slowly. But Mr. Fluffykins wasn't making it easy on Radarr. He started snarling and then turned on Radarr, trying to bite him.

Both Piper and the Colonel cringed at the sight. "Forget easy!" Piper exclaimed. "Get them up here quick!"

Mr. Fluffykins screeched again while the Colonel pulled as fast as he could without putting too much sway on the thread. Soon Radarr's exhausted face appeared over the side of the chasm, then Mr. Fluffykins'. Radarr whimpered in exasperation; Mr. Fluffykins was still snarling at Radarr, still looking to bite him.

The Colonel laughed in delight. "Mr. Fluffykins!"

At hearing his beloved master say his name, Mr. Fluffykins pulled out of Radarr's grasp, jumped off his head, and landed in the Colonel's hands. The Colonel caught him, gazing at him adoringly. "You're safe!" he said, holding his pet close.

The Storm Hawks smiled. Aerrow and Junko even cheered, "Yes!" throwing their fists in the air.

"Good work!" the Colonel praised them warmly.

"No problem!" Finn answered happily, high-fiving the person closest to him. That person was Stork, and surprisingly, the Merb happily returned it.

Radarr growled softly and plopped his head down on the ground. He just got lowered into a volcanic crater and grabbed a dangerous little animal that tried to bite his head off. No problem? He begged to differ.

The Colonel showed no desire to capture the Storm Hawks again. He simply freed Radarr from his sticky harness and then looked at all of them, Mr. Fluffykins still held in his hands. "Thank you, Storm Hawks," he said gratefully. He walked toward them. "And now, the Gangster Code dictates that I am, once again, in your debt." He bowed before them honorably, placing Mr. Fluffykins in one hand to do so.

In their debt? Until sunset? Finn looked at the sky. It was already sunset! What were they supposed to make him do?

Again, Piper had the right idea. "Let's just call it even," she suggested, holding up one finger, "except for one last little thing."

Mr. Fluffykins started growling, looked around at all the Storm Hawks tensely. Finn thought that was probably because, in Mr. Fluffykins' eyes, the Storm Hawks had him and the Colonel surrounded. However, the little animal still seemed to have good timing.

The Colonel didn't look happy or really mad, just irritated. "What?" he asked. "Are there some more friends somewhere you want me to adopt?"

"Probably," Piper admitted, "but no. What I want you to do is release Mr. Fluffykins."

Both the Colonel and Mr. Fluffykins stared at Piper with eyes wide with surprise. But as soon as she said it, Finn knew she was right. Again.

"He deserves to roam free in the wild with his own kind," Aerrow agreed, trying to convince the Colonel.

"That's why he's been running away from you," Junko added.

The Colonel turned back to his pet, looking close to tears. "Is this true, Mr. Fluffykins?"

Mr. Fluffykins whimpered and yapped in response.

Was the Colonel going to do it? Finn couldn't tell. He glanced at Aerrow and Piper to see if either of them knew, but those two were exchanging questioning glances with each other.

The Colonel looked even sadder as he said, "I'll take that as a yes."

Mr. Fluffykins brightened immediately.

Silently the Colonel removed the collar and then set Mr. Fluffykins on the ground. Mr. Fluffykins took a leap forward but then stopped and looked back, whimpering sadly.

But the Colonel wasn't taking back his decision. "I didn't want you anyway," he said, motioning his pet away. "Go! Just get out of here!"

Mr. Fluffykins looked at his former master with wide, sad eyes. It was clear he would miss him. But when the Colonel did not call him back, Mr. Fluffykins turned around and ran away.

"Fly!" the Colonel called after him. "Be free! Don't look back, boy. It'll be easier that way."

Mr. Fluffykins ran toward the volcanic crater again, above which the pack of his kind were flying. Once at the edge, he opened his gliders and took to the sky, barking at the others happily.

The Colonel couldn't seem to help it. Much to Finn's embarrassment, he burst into tears.

But it was so wonderful to see Mr. Fluffykins so happy, even if they didn't like him. "Aw!" Finn, Aerrow, Piper, and Junko all said together.

Just then, they all heard someone sniffling besides the Colonel. They turned around to see Stork crying and wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. Knowing Stork hated being sentimental, Junko smirked at him.

Stork caught their gaze and straightened at once. "What?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion. "I have allergies!"

Yeah, right. Aerrow and Finn smirked at each other. Piper giggled. They weren't going to let Stork forget this!

* * *

Later that day, with the sun sinking lower and lower in the sky, the Storm Hawks spent the rest of their time cleaning up the mess Mr. Fluffykins had made on their ship. Except for Finn. The way he saw it, they had been cleaning all day when the Colonel wasn't here, and he was done. Instead, he read his book on the couch, having been attracted to it because of all the pictures in it and the golden Asian dragon on the cover.

Aerrow and Radarr were in charge of sweeping. Aerrow swept while Radarr held the dustpan, getting items like paper and banana peels. Stork was wearing his pinafore dress and was up on a ladder dusting. Junko was vacuuming. Finn wasn't sure what Piper was doing, but she was Piper; she was _always_ working on something.

Just as Radarr was dumping the last of the dust and trash into the wooden bucket they were using as a wastebasket, Aerrow wiped the sweat off his brow and sighed in relief. "Finished!" he announced proudly as Piper walked up to him. Sometimes Finn wasn't sure who was in charge of who when it came to Piper and Aerrow. Aerrow sometimes tried to please her as if _she_ were in charge.

Junko and Stork were finished, too. "There's only one thing left to do," Junko said, holding up a finger. "The bathroom's still a total disaster from Mr. Fluffykins."

They all looked at the mess. There were papers, magazines, towels, banana peels, and water all over the floor, along with a fork, a toy sky shark, and underwear. A rubber duck floated in the toilet, the sink was overturned, and the beach ball and Finn's surfboard were in the tub, which was filled with dirty water.

Everyone except for Finn, who didn't look up from his book, looked over at Stork. Stork blinked in surprise before holding up his hand and shaking his head. "Don't look at me!" he said, pointing a thumb at himself. "I did it last time."

Piper glanced over at Finn reading his book. "I volunteer Finn," she said.

Finn snorted at that. "Dream on!" he told her, lowering his book to look at her. "No _way_ I'm touchin' that bathroom!" He turned back to his book, adding defiantly, "And nothing you say can make me!"

Piper came up behind the couch and held a tool over the back of it to Finn. "Squeegee?" she offered.

Finn could hardly believe his ears. He immediately set down his book and laughed, snatching the squeegee out of Piper's hands. "Squeegee!" he exclaimed excitedly. Oh, how long he had wanted that squeegee! "You got yourself a deal!"

* * *

Outside the _Condor_, Mr. Fluffykins was flying around, side by side with a pink female who kept batting her pretty eyes at him. He churred in delight and looped before following after her. Now this was the life!

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, that freedom scene was just so sweet! It makes me want to cry!

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: Exotic pets are quite popular in the illegal pet trades. Let's face it, who would not want a cute little Tamarin monkey? However, an exotic animal that was not domesticated in its genetic history is unsuited for lives with humans. If kept as an actual "pet," exotic animals tend to become a nuisance and pest and sometimes even a danger. For example, a tiger cub might make a great pet, right? But what happens when that cub grows up? How will it know that its claws are too sharp to extend when it's standing on your nice carpet? How can it know that you are too breakable to play with? How will it know that you are too fragile to bite when you do something that disrespects it in its tiger language? It is not a good situation for either the human or the animal when an exotic animal is taken from its natural habit and left to an amateur looking to make it a pet. Often these animals are abandoned by their human caretakers because the humans realize they don't know what to do with it and don't want to get in trouble with the law. These abandoned and neglected animals are left to horrible fates if not rescued by professionals. Nearly every zoo in the United States alone contains about a dozen of such rescued animals or more. Also, animals in captivity kept in conditions not adjusted to their physical and mental needs are prone to depression. Furthermore, the pet trade of animals such as South American parrots is adding pressure on threatened and endangered species. Species that are already losing their habitats are then being taken into the pet trade, further decreasing their low numbers and increasing the possibility for extinction in the wild.

So exotic pets are big no-no's. Stick with domestic animals and common pet critters, 'kay?

Hey, speaking of wild animals needing to be free, anyone heard that they're remaking the _Free Willy_ movie? Why the heck would anyone remake that? The first one is a classic that just can't be touched!

Well, that's our environmental lesson for today. Hope you enjoyed the episode. Next up, "Shipwrecked." I get to do weird little island men!

For some reason, that sounded very politically incorrect.


	174. Shipwrecked: Surf, Sand, Tsunami

Author's Notes: Don't look so surprised that this is finished already. I was sick; what else was there to do?

* * *

_**Part 43**_

_**Shipwrecked**_

_Friends stay together, and friends get separated. One wild adventure leads to another. A mystery is uncovered. A tale is told true, and a story is disbelieved._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Surf, Sand, Tsunami

After their little trouble with the Colonel and Mr. Fluffykins, the Storm Hawks continued with their ever-present mission. Their luck in finding out anything was distressing. All of them were discouraged, but the biggest change seemed to be in Aerrow; the more time they came up with nothing, the more the Sky Knight seemed to worry.

After a few weeks of reconnaissance, Piper at last made another entry in her squadron log.

_Squadron log,_

_We've been looking for weeks. No sign of the Cyclonian Operation Exodus anywhere. While discussing, we've come to a decision. It's time for a break!_

Their "discussing," as Piper called it, (Stork preferred to think of it as a conversation between Aerrow and Piper with Finn's whiny interjections) took place while they all sat at the round table, Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr on one couch and Stork, Finn, and Junko on the other. With the horrid suggestion out for a vacation spot, Stork crossed his arms and pouted, refusing to look happy. Sure, Finn's suggestion was a nice place, and Stork had been excited about going there for a break once or twice. But when their was some sort of top-secret Cyclonian mission going on, any vacation, especially one with no allies around, was bound to end in disaster and cause inevitable doom.

However, upon hearing Finn's suggestion, they started to vote for it immediately. Piper, Radarr, and Aerrow all put up their hands to vote yes. Piper and Radarr were grinning ear to ear, and slowly a smile spread even across Aerrow's face . . . a change from the concerned frown he'd been wearing too recently, even a moment before. Finn and Junko, too, put up their hands when they saw their leaders agreed.

Then everyone turned to Stork, who kept his arms crossed and avoided eye contact. _No way_ was he agreeing to this.

But at last, Finn elbowed him enthusiastically. Stork looked around again and knew his argument was useless. These irritating kids were going to take them to this possibly most horrid place to be whether he liked it or not. Rolling his eyes, he finally raised his hand in agreement.

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed, clenching his fists excitedly.

"We're taking a vacation to Terra Tropica!" Piper announced.

_We're doomed,_ Stork thought.

* * *

Terra Tropica was a humongous terra mostly covered by a salty sea that was hemmed in by the towering, jagged walls on the terra's rim. In the middle of this sea was an island where tourists came every now and then for the best surfing around.

As the _Condor_ approached Tropica, the boys were cheering. "Wahoo!" Finn cried.

"Yeah!" Junko yelled.

"_Tropica!_" they exclaimed together.

It was the most irritating thing the two ever did, in Stork's opinion. Yell for no reason.

Once the _Condor_ landed, nearly everyone was out in their bathing suits enjoying themselves. Finn's were blue and white, the color of the ocean. Which made since, that was where he was determined to be spending most of his time: surfing the waves! He had his surfboard out in moments and was out in the water, catching a big one. "Surf!" he yelled excitedly.

"Sand!" Piper cheered back happily. She had a lawn chair out on the beach with her sunglasses on and was sunbathing. Her little one-piece suit didn't seem all that great for tanning, but Piper's skin was already so dark she didn't need a tan, anyway. The headband she wore was not her usual orange one but one that matched her swimsuit. As if that was important, here where there was currently no one but the Storm Hawks.

Beside her she dropped her magazine, which landed open next to her towel. On the other side of her chair was Radarr with shovel in hand, happily building a sandcastle. He was the only one not in a bathing suit . . . yet. That was probably the next thing on his mind.

The ever-hungry Junko, with his _huge _gray and white swimsuit, couldn't seem to be able to wait for lunch. He had gone straight to their little wooden basket full of sandwiches. "Mmm!" he said as he stuffed on in his mouth. "Sandwiches for everyone!"

If there were any sandwiches left when Junko was done.

Stork, however, did not want to go out without first putting on as much sunscreen as possible and then wearing a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off. And he _refused_ to come down to the sand. The younger Hawks obliviously didn't know about all the terrible things that lived in sand. Stork did, and for that reason, he was just going to watch from on top of the _Condor_'s boosters, where he set up his lawn chair. Besides, if he came down, the boys would probably tease him about his flowery, pink, purple, and blue swimsuit.

He really did enjoy Tropica sometimes; it was sunny and pleasant and usually peaceful if the boys left him alone. But he knew the last thing you should do when you're trying to uncover a secret plot by the enemies you were at war with is go on a tropical vacation. It was bad luck, plain and simple.

As if to confirm this, when he climbed up to the top, he saw something over the horizon that might not be too unusual for a Merb from Merbia to think of but something that would completely frighten anyone else. He whipped off his sunglasses just to be sure. "Tsunami," he said in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Uh, technically, Stork," Piper said, lowering her sunglasses to look up at him, "tsunami starts with a T."

She thought this was part of the kids' little game where they say all the good stuff about Tropica, like surf and sand? Figures. "No, Piper," he said as patiently as possible, dropping his sunglasses. "A real _tsunami!_" He pointed, shouting as loud as he could.

Piper immediately sat up, taking her glasses off at once. Sure enough, a wall of water was heading their way.

Frightened, all the Storm Hawks on the beach ran back toward Piper, even Radarr, who had just come back from putting his little blue and white swimsuit on. Piper jumped to her feet. Finn held his surfboard in front of him as if that would protect him. There was no point in running. It would be upon them before they could get anywhere.

Finn, Junko, and Piper screamed as the wave's shadow fell over them, and Radarr screeched in fright. Habitual response to oncoming danger, Stork figured.

The next moment, just as they all took a breath and held it, water engulfed them.

There were fish everywhere, it seemed. Finn clutched his surfboard, watching the fish go by. Aerrow immediately swam for the surface with Radarr swimming in his wake. Junko was so scared that, for a moment, he forgot how to do anything but hold his breath. Piper started trying to surface only to stop in wide-eyed surprise when she saw Wren's hen swim by nonchalantly.

But for Stork, the engulfment of water lasted for only a few second. The _Condor_ was swept up on top of the wave and was carried upon its furious travel inland. Stork clutched his lawn chair as tight as possible, screaming his head off. After all, screaming was the only sensible thing left to do when you were doomed.

A sudden jolt of the _Condor_ sent Stork and his lawn chair flying into the air, Stork's hat snatched off his head by the wind. Next thing Stork knew, he was thrust into the water, holding his breath as much as he could, his hands and feet still glued to his lawn chair.

He was too shocked to think about the fact that he was doomed.

* * *

When Aerrow awoke from his ordeal, he felt short of breath, as if he had swallowed a whole pond. The pain in his lungs was not unlike that which he'd experienced when he had nearly died in Terra Aquinos' lake. But waking up here was a bit different. For one thing, he felt somewhat dry and very sandy. His mouth felt salty and extremely parched. He blinked awake to see nothing but the bright sunlight, which blinded him for a moment. His thoughts were sluggish. What happened? Where was he?

Tropica. Tsunami. Right.

But the others. Did they . . . ?

Groaning, Aerrow sat up and rubbed his aching head, looking around. He had been lying in the sand on the beach, making an impression in it that looked a bit like a snow angel. Leaves were scattered all around, along with one of their lawn chairs . . . debris from the tsunami.

Much to his relief, the others were lying only a short distance away, all in their own sand angel impression.

But he couldn't be comforted on their condition yet. "Everyone okay?" he asked.

At the sound of his voice, Radarr sat up with a groan, titled his head to the side, and started tapping his head, trying to get water out of his long ear. It didn't work.

Piper must have recovered before Aerrow did. She was already getting to her feet and dusting herself off. She coughed and groaned, not giving an answer just yet.

Finn seemed to be the best of them right now, probably thanks to his surfboard. He was already on his feet and looking at the board the probably saved him quite a bit of trouble, maybe even his life. But unfortunately that board broke in half. Finn yelled when he heard the crack, but as the other half fell on the sand, he simply groaned. He knew there was no fixing it.

Aerrow had gotten to his feet in all this and was watching them until he heard a groan on the other side of him. Junko was buried up to his chest in sand, arms and all. His face was all screwed up as if he smelled something bad. Then he turned to the others. "Can someone scratch my nose?" he asked. Then he stuck his tongue out, trying to reach his nose with it.

Piper was smiling in amusement at the scene when suddenly she spotted something on the ground. Her smile fell to a worried frown as she picked it up. "Aerrow!" she gasped.

Aerrow turned back to her and then spied Stork's hat in her hands. Oh, no.

"Stork, the _Condor_," Piper gasped. "They're gone!"

All the other Storm Hawks looked up and down the beach, but Stork and the _Condor_ were not to be found. There was nothing but beach, ocean, and behind them a forest of palms.

Where were they?

In the distance, Aerrow heard the far-off howl of some unknown animal. It was probably only coincidental, but it seemed like a taunting cry.

* * *

Stork groaned as he woke at last from that terrible nightmare. He had the sinking feeling that the nightmare had really happened. After all, that would just be his luck.

Like Aerrow, he also woke up thirsty and disoriented. But he was quicker to remember everything and quicker to start taking in everything. He was staring up at sky, and he was lying on something slimy. With a gasp, he sat up and moaned when his head started to ach. He put a hand on his temple to stave off the headache and then coughed. His lungs felt heavy and short of breath. He wasn't sure how much seawater he had swallowed, but he knew it must have been a lot.

He was on some sort of slimy rock in the middle of the ocean. Because, Stork reminded himself, he just _couldn't_ have the luck to end up on land. Even though he had survived the tsunami, he was still doomed.

Just then, Stork let out an, "Eep!" as his "rock" began to move. He turned around as the head of a huge eel, extremely similar to the Snapping Eel from the Black Gorge, rose out of the water in front of him.

Stork whimpered. He was sitting on the back of a giant eel!

Stork got to his feet and ran away from the head as soon as the eel roared.

The eel chased him with its head, snapping its jaws shut just inches behind him. Then it snapped again, again, and again. Each time Stork could feel its horrid breath on his back, sure to give him some sort of terrible bacterial disease.

Stork ran until he ran out of eel tail to run on. A good few yards away he could see land. The eel was coming on again, ready to snap him up in its jaws. Just before it did, Stork took a chance and jumped. The eel's jaws snapped the air harmlessly behind him.

Stork face planted on the sandy beach, the breath knocked out of him. By the time he opened his eyes, the eel's head was looming over him.

This was it. This was his end. And he was going to be sure to haunt the other Storm Hawks (if they were still alive) for taking this stupid "break."

But then the eel looked past Stork and let out a cry of fright. Without another look at Stork, it turned around and dove back into the ocean.

Oh, man. Anything big enough to scare a giant eel can't be good.

Stork turned and looked up, hardly believe what he saw.

Five dark-skinned, pygmy people stood before him, all with wild hair that was pulled back and looked windblown and all bearing spears and sporting wooden tiki masks with exaggerated eyes and mouths outlined in bright colors. "_Ooga booga!_" one said as he and one of his companions shoved their stone spear points in Stork's face. "_Booga booga! Feechee!_"

Stork's luck couldn't get worse today, could it? Escape a tsunami and a giant eel only to be speared to death by island natives. Knowing there was no escape, Stork simply rested his head on his knuckles. "I hate vacations," he grumbled.

The native with blue hair stayed in front of him, staring down at him harshly, while the other four, who all had brown hair, circled and pointed their spears at Stork. Each time the blue-haired one tapped the butt of his spear on the ground, the others jabbed their spears toward Stork threateningly. "_Ooga booga!_" they all said. "_Ooga booga!_"

_I don't think that means "welcome," _Stork thought.

* * *

Back on the beach with the other Storm Hawks, everyone had helped dig Junko out of the sand. Now that all of them were safe and mobile, Aerrow was addressing the others. "Okay," he said, trying to assess their situation, "we have no food, no shelter, no weapons, and this beach is ringed with razor coral on one side and impenetrable jungle on the other."

"Tell me again why we picked a vacation spot in the middle of nowhere?" Piper asked.

Finn started balancing on a slab of tree bark he found, pretending he was surfing. "Because the biggest waves are here!" he answered enthusiastically.

"Clearly," Piper agreed. That's how they were in this mess.

"Well," Aerrow interrupted, "vacation is officially over." If they were to survive on their own, they would have to start their work now. "Finn," he said, "you're in charge of finding food."

Finn stopped pretending to surf and sighed in exasperation. He never was very enthusiastic for anything that involved work.

"Piper," Aerrow continued, "try to light a signal fire."

Rather than looking miserable, as Finn had, Piper simply smiled back and saluted in answer.

Aerrow turned to their strongman. "Junko, I need you to build us a shelter."

Junko smiled, giving him two thumbs up.

"Radarr and I are gonna find Stork," Aerrow finished, looking out into the forest. He just hoped that wherever the Merb was, he was okay.

* * *

Stork had by now gotten to his feet, but he still had spears threatening him from all sides by the natives, who were chanting, "_Ooga booga! Ooga booga! Ooga booga! Ooga booga! Ooga booga!_"

Much as Stork hated having those spears in his face, he'd heard enough castaway stories to know how this would go. It would start out bad, like this, but then things would turn around. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he told the natives dismissively, knocking their spears aside and walking through them. "I know how this goes. You think I'm some god who dropped from the sky, and you're gonna fall on your knees and worship me, yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda." And with that, he turned away, closed his eyes, and held his hands as if in prayer. A beam of light fell on him, and he waited for the worshiping.

When he turned and looked at the native Tropicans, he was not disappointed. They had all fallen to their knees and were bowing in his direction, saying, "_Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga!_"

But then Stork realized they weren't bowing to _him_ specifically. And there really was an odd beam of light on him. Curious and a little scared now, he turned and looked in the direction of their "worshipping."

Stork could hardly believe his eyes. There, on the top of hill, stood the _Condor_! She had landed on her stern so her nose was pointed toward the heavens. From where he stood, Stork could see her landing strip. She was so shiny after her sea bath that her landing strip sparkled, sending a beam of light down on Stork.

Oh. So the natives thought the _Condor_ was the god. Figures.

Just then, he heard the natives chanting, "_Ooga booga! Ooga booga! Ooga booga! Ooga booga!_" again.

"Oh, yeah," Stork sighed and glanced behind him. Sure enough, the natives were brandishing their spears at him again.

Stork had the feeling that "_ooga booga_" was not a good thing.

And, if he wasn't sure about that at that moment, he was sure about it later on.

The natives led him (or rather, urged with their spears) to their village with small, canoe-like shelters with colored paints on the doorframes like those on their tiki masks. There they placed Stork in a wooden bird cage and kept pointing their spears at the cage. "_Tagga!_ _Tagga!_" they chanted. "_Tagga! Tagga! Tagga!_"

And while those few men brandished their spears, another poured plant items into a large black cauldron boiling over a fire with a stick in it to stir. "_Ooga ooga!_" the men chanted when more ingredients were added. "_Ooga booga! Fee chee chee!_"

Stork stared at the cauldron in fear and shook his head. "I got a feeling that's not a hot tub," he muttered.

* * *

Author's Notes: Why is it always pygmy island people with carved tiki faces? And why are they always dimwitted, spear-waving, and thinking every new thing they see is a god? That seems a bit prejudice to me. They should give pygmy island people some credit. They're people like everyone else, for crying out loud!

I'm not a big fan of this episode either, for that reason. But I can't say it's not fun to watch.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The word _tsunami_ is originally Japanese and literally translates as "harbor wave." A tsunami is a tidal wave. It is made up of a series of waves caused by a large disturbance in water. Tsunamis usually occur in an ocean but can also be present in large lakes. The disturbance that causes them usually include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, meteorite impacts, glacier calvings, and underwater explosions. Tsunamis devastate coastal areas due to their massive size and volume of water; the tsunami does not move the water, but when the wave breaks, all the water falls back with ferocious force that bombards the shore, crushing anything that happens to be right under it when it falls and drowning most who get caught in its rush inland. The most devastating part of tsunamis, however, is the fact that a tsunami is made up of a series of these gigantic waves that fall and pound and hammer and flow inland again and again.

I'd say the Storm Hawks are dang lucky to survive the tsunami, but I know anything's possible in cartoons, no matter how unlikely and improbable.

So, I'll wait for your reviews while you wait for the Tropicans' epic chase after Stork!


	175. Shipwrecked: Bridge of Doom

Author's Notes: Huh, I've been getting very few reviews for the last few chapters. Disheartening. Well, I've been at this for nearly two years now, so if people aren't reading, I'd be glad to finally take a break (it would be the first break I ever took writing this on my fanfiction time). It's so close to done that I might as well finish, but if no one's interested, then I'll gladly slow the pace and work on something else. What I'm saying is, I'm taking the hint, so if I'm getting the wrong message, let me know. Otherwise I'm going to rest awhile from this fic once I'm done posting this episode.

* * *

Chapter 2: Bridge if Doom

Back on the beach, Junko was busy at his task of building a shelter. He had already found quite a few bamboo sticks that he could line up together and then tie the ends to one another. He whistled as he worked, tying together his first few posts and then standing up to stick this post into the ground.

But then he stopped whistling as sudden pain shot through his toe. "Ow!" he gasped. He looked down.

Instead of driving the post into the sand, he had slammed the post into one of his toes! It started throbbing and turning red.

Junko howled and grabbed his toe, trying to stop the throbbing. He went hopping off, screaming in pain.

Next time, he would look at where he put down his post.

A little ways off, Piper was busy with a pile of huge leaves and sticks that she was using for the signal fire. She had two flint stones that she was rubbing together to try to light it. The stones kept sparking, but much to Piper's frustration, the pile of browse wasn't doing anything except letting off smoke.

Rather than doing his job, Finn was leaning over Piper and watching her, waiting for it to burst into flames for his own amusement. So far, he was sourly disappointed.

Hoping that the smoke meant a flame was down there somewhere, Piper cupped her hands around her mouth and blew on the pile of sticks and leaves. Nothing. "Come on," she muttered before she blew again. Still nothing. "Come on!"

At that point, Finn gave up and walked away, shaking his head. He might have teased her about, but he really wasn't supposed to be shadowing her anyway, and he didn't want to get yelled at.

Piper tried one more time, desperately blowing on the smoking pile. The next thing she knew, a searing blast of air and smoke flew up in her face as the flame burst and blew out. Piper sat up in bewilderment, her face and hair covered in suit. Her eye twitched in pain; that had been _hot!_ Not to mention she was pretty sure she heard some animal in the forest chattering at her as if in laughter.

Finn, meanwhile, had finally decided to start doing his job, since Piper was no longer interesting. He scouted the beach looking for food until he spotted something. Sure enough, he soon saw a little orange crab with a blue spiral shell crawling by a fallen long. It looked small enough to hold but big enough to make a meal.

Proud of himself for doing better than Piper, Finn started following behind the crab, ready to snatch it up when he could. "Here, crabby, crabby, crabby, crabby, crabby, crabby-looking thing!" he called to it. "You'll be so happy swimming in melted butter!"

The crab turned around and briefly stared up at him with its snail-like eyes, which widened in surprised. Letting out a small hiccup-sound, it turned and then tried to scurry away faster.

This was it! Finn dove for the crab.

Too bad he didn't count on those pinchers.

"Ow!" he cried, jumping to his feet in surprise. He crossed his eyes and saw the crab clinging to his nose with its pincher! And it didn't look inclined to let go, either.

Finn let out a high-pitched squeal, waving his hands and head desperately to try to get it off. Finally the creature let go. Finn let out a sigh of relief and grabbed his nose. Stupid crab!

But when the crab landed on the ground, it turned around and narrowed his eyes up at him, waving and snapping its pinchers threateningly. Finn was inclined to squish it with his foot out of spit now, but he did a double take as he realized the angry crab was not alone. Look-alike crabs came crawling up behind it, all looking very angry. It was a whole crabby army.

Finn did the only thing you would do when you were facing a whole crab army: he screamed and ran. And like any angry mob, the crabs chased after him just as fast.

"I think I'm allergic to shellfish," Finn decided as he ran.

As Finn ran, he went right past the newly-built shelter Junko had made. It was circular and made almost entirely of bamboo sticks with a thatch roof. Inside, Junko dusted off his hands, smiling. "Alright!" he said to himself proudly, putting his hands on his hips. He just knew the others would love it! He couldn't wait to go out and tell them . . .

He glanced back and forth for the entrance. "Hmm," he said to himself. That's when he noticed he might have a slight problem. "Uh oh."

"Everything okay in there, Junko?" Piper called from outside.

"I think I forgot to build a door," Junko answered honestly, laughing sheepishly.

Right after he said it, he felt something crawling up his leg. He looked down. What the . . . ?

"Oh!" he gasped in horror. "And I also built this thing in a hive of bee spiders! Get 'em off me!"

Next thing Piper knew, the whole shelter was lifted from the sand so she could see Junko's running feet. Many black spiders fled from under the shelter as well as Junko screamed and ran around in circles with the shelter over his head. He finally ran straight into a tree, stunning himself and shattering the shelter.

* * *

Off in the forest, Aerrow froze when he heard Junko's distant cry. He wasn't sure what it was, and he scanned the woods, looking for wild animals, having flashbacks to the hunted feeling he'd had in the Tearthorne Forest on Terra Zartacla. "Did you hear something?" he asked Radarr, who was perched on his shoulder.

Radarr let out a questioning churr. He didn't know what the sound was, either.

Nothing came of the sound, so the two went back to their task.

They didn't see Stork anywhere, but the two did spot a wooden sign on a post. The sign had an X on it. Aerrow and Radarr exchanged glances. Radarr chirruped, wanting to know what the sign meant. Aerrow shrugged; he didn't have an answer. Either way, it meant that there were people here who had marked this trail. Perhaps if they followed it, they could find these people. Aerrow proceeded on.

The trail wasn't laid out very well. In fact, there wasn't really a trail so much as a direction. Aerrow was forced to duck under foliage and ended up hitting trees quite a bit. "Ow! Oh! Ow!" He knew he wasn't being very quiet, but each tree trunk just seemed to be coming out of nowhere.

When they finally cleared the trees, ducking under a folded trunk, Aerrow and Radarr stared out with wide eyes. They had come to the edge of a huge cliff with sharp rocks at the bottom. Somewhere down below, a huge, furry, growling, ape-like creature moved into the shadows. It was most likely carnivorous. So in other words, even if they _could_ get down the cliff without killing themselves, they would be dead meat.

"I'm thinking that sign said, 'Don't go this way,'" Aerrow told Radarr.

There was nothing to do but give up the search for Stork and turn back.

* * *

When Aerrow and Radarr came back to the beach, they saw Junko and Finn sitting a on a log. Junko's head was resting in his hand, and Finn was making designs in the sand with a stick. Both looked tired, weary, and exasperated. Aerrow guessed they had not had good luck with their jobs. And they were not going to be happy with the news Aerrow had for them, the Sky Knight knew.

"It looks like there's no way off his beach. I saw a sign post with some weird carving, so maybe somebody will wander by and find us."

He shrugged at Junko's and Finn's blank looks. They seemed to think the possibility was unlikely.

Suddenly all four looked up when they heard Piper shout, "Yes!"

There stood Piper, holding a stick with a small flame on its end. She had made fire at last!

No sooner did she show off her triumph when the skies darkened, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled as one, and the skies opened up on top of them in a sudden downpour. The fire on the stick died almost at once, and Piper sighed with exasperation and weariness as she stared at its blackened end.

* * *

Back on the other side of the island, the storm had not yet reached Stork and the natives. The Tropicans had by now taken Stork out of his cage and were brandishing spears at him, obviously wanting him to get into the boiling cauldron.

If there was one thing that Stork knew, it's that this was not good. Sure, the boiling water would probably be the cleanest and most sterile thing he ever touched, but he really didn't want his skin to peel off and his insides to be cooked.

"You know what?" Stork said to the Tropicans, looking at the cauldron. "That's really nice of you guys, but I'm really not that hungry." He backed away nervously.

"_Roomba roomba. Roomba roomba,_" the natives chanted. Much to Stork's dismay, they urged him forward toward the cauldron again with their spears.

That's when Stork finally got an idea: he had to _impress_ these natives.

He spun around and held up his hand for them to stop. "Hold on!" he told them. "You think you got me, but I," he snatched the long wooden nose off the tiki mask of the Tropican in front of him, "got your nose!" He took the wooden nose in his hands and spun his hands around until he had slipped the nose away and then held up his hands for the natives to see. There was no nose there.

The natives gasped in amazement, thinking he had performed strange magic. Then they all ran away in fear, shouting.

Stork cackled to himself as they ran away. The fools! "There should be a law against me," he said to himself, taking out the nose and tossing it up and down in his hand.

He turned to the woods and the hill where the _Condor_ was perched. There was his beloved, his escape. "Sweet, sweet _Condor_, here I come!" he yelled, nonchalantly tossing the nose behind him.

But unbeknownst to him, the Tropican with the missing nose on his mask was behind him and saw the nose. He stepped forward and picked it up, looking it over. It was _his_ nose piece, alright, which meant the stranger _hadn't_ really performed magic; he had _tricked_ them! "_Fee chee chee!"_ the native yelled angrily.

* * *

Stork was running as fast as he could toward his precious _Condor_ and, halfway there, had only stopped to rest a moment when he noticed something in front of him that made him squeak in terror. The natives had found him out and followed him; or rather, they had somehow cut him off. "Uh oh," Stork said to himself.

Four of them stood in front of him with spears, glaring at him angrily. The one in front was the one with the missing wooden nose. Angrily he stuck his nose back on (lopsided) and gave Stork a piercing glower while putting both hands pointedly on his spear. "Oh," Stork said, backing away. He doubted that was a friendly greeting.

Then, yelling loudly, the Tropicans charged.

"Fine!" Stork yelled at no one in particular as he turned and ran away from them. "Into the deadly jungle I go!"

Stork screamed as he ran away, and the warriors started chanting, "_Hoopa wagga! Hoopa wagga!_" as they chased.

Stork turned and fled the opposite direction, taking a wide arch, but the warriors followed him easily.

Okay, so changing direction wasn't working. Time for a new tactic.

Stork disappeared into the jungle, dodging enough trees that the natives lost sight of him for a moment. When they cleared the thickest trees again, they stopped in surprise. Stork was nowhere in sight.

Well, no matter. He had to be around here somewhere. They resumed their charge, yelling once more.

But Stork wasn't ahead of them. He had been hiding in the shrubs _beside_ them! He stood up while they ran away, smirking and chuckling to himself. These small, likely disease-infested humans weren't that bright, were they? He started tiptoeing away.

He had hardly taken two steps before he heard a loud snap and looked down to see that he had stepped on a twig. He cringed. Surely they hadn't heard that, right? He looked over his shoulder.

All the natives had turned around and were staring right at him.

"Oh," Stork said, chuckling nervously. That can't be good.

The natives resumed yelling and charging in Stork's direction. So Stork resumed running.

For a good part of it, he was looking over his shoulder, watching his enemy and seeing them disappear in the dense forest. He was so absorbed in watching for sharp projectiles coming his way that he screamed when he found nothing in front of his feet.

There in front of him was a small, rickety rope bridge with a rotten wooden floor stretched across a huge chasm. In the middle, it was supported by two wooden beams.

Stork stared. That bridge looked anything _but_ safe. Most of the boards were missing, many of them broken. The rope was really jungle vine, and it looked easy to snap. The bridge creaked in the wind. It had three parts, from one side of the canyon to the first beam, beam to beam, and then the second beam to the other side of the canyon, all hanging precariously above a ten-hundred-foot drop (or so it seemed to Stork).

But after Stork had just decided there was no _way_ he was getting on that bridge, he heard a sound behind him that made his ears stand straight up. It was yells and footfalls of the Tropicans getting closer. They would be on him any second now.

Sucking in a breath, Stork turned back in to the bridge before looking at the forest again where the noises were coming from. "_Ooga booga! Fee chee chee!_" he heard someone shout excitedly.

Those were phrases that Stork had come to associate with himself. Not an encouraging thing to hear.

Stork turned back to the bridge once more. It was the only way to escape. He whimpered and trembled at the idea.

Still trembling, he slowly reached a foot out and placed it on the first board before snatching it back. Nothing happened. Swallowing over and over again, he stepped onto the board with one foot, then the other. Okay, he was on the bridge. He was probably going to get a splinter from one of these rotten boards that would get infected and doom him anyway, but perhaps he could get across and be spared from doom by spears.

But suddenly he heard a snap. Stork squeaked and jumped nearly three feet in the air, landing on a board four boards ahead of the one he was on when he felt the one he had been standing on start to fall. It had broken in half under Stork's weight, and the pieces fell into the chasm below.

Or, Stork added to his earlier thought, he might just fall to his death due to rotten boards.

Stork grabbed the right vine railing with both hands and edged his way along sideways gingerly, gazing down into the canyon and trembling. "No big deal," he muttered to himself. "No big deal. Just a terrifying plunge to a hideous, bone-shattering death!"

Okay, this talking to himself wasn't helping.

He edged along another yard before another board broke under him, making him squeal and jump onto another three feet ahead. That one broke, too. He stepped on the next one, and it broke.

That was it. They were almost all going to break under him. He just had to run fast enough not to fall.

Squealing in terror, Stork started running for his life. Every board under him seemed to break, but he was staying ahead. But it wasn't fast enough for Stork. "Come on!" he whispered urgently to himself when he reached the dip in the first section of the bridge. He started up toward the first wooden beam, whimpering in fright.

The sections on wooden beams were the safest and the sturdiest, and Stork knew it. When he reached the top of the first beam in full sprint, he yelled as he leaped off it and landed on the second beam. He hardly touched the wooden beam's top before he jump again, hoping to leap across the last section of the bridge.

He slammed face-first into the cliff.

It might have taken him longer to recover his senses had he not started to slip off the rock. Desperately he clung to the cliff, trying to keep from falling into the chasm.

And behind him were voices.

The Tropicans had found him. They yelled as they started across the bridge. Stork thought they'd never attempt it, but they did, in the strangest fashion. They didn't use the boards; they ran on top of the vine railings! And there were six of them now!

But currently Stork had an even bigger problem on his hands, literally. His hands were starting to slip. He squealed in fright and scrambled to hang on but end up falling.

Stork did the only sensible thing you can do when you fall to your death: he screamed. And he didn't stop screaming until he realized he wasn't falling.

He opened one eye and looked around. He had hardly fallen a foot to the ground from where he'd hit the cliff, landing on his rear. Stork laughed in delight, feeling himself all over to be sure everything was intact. He was alive!

But his celebration was short-lived. The Tropicans were yelling again, and Stork turned around to see that they were still running across the bridge. Squeaking in fright, Stork got up and ran into the forest in front of him.

After so many obstacles and such a bad day, you would think that any god up there would have pity on Stork and leave all other obstacles out of the equation. But no. Stork was forced to slide to a stop mid-run for a _new_ obstacle: a cave. But it wasn't just any cave. This was a manmade stone structure; the top of it was flat, the front rectangular. The entrance was also rectangular, without a door, and decorated with wooden carvings all around it. Two pillar-like stone carvings rose out of the stone in a relief above the door, all with strange markings. Four spears were set up at the entrance, their tips jutting up, two on each side, each bearing a tiki mask just under the point.

Stork stared at the entrance. But due to the situation, he wasn't taking in the fact that this might be some sort of temple or something. The front had many vines starting to thread their way around it; he assumed that this was completely abandoned, whatever it was. But either way, it looked too forbidding to enter. So Stork considered his options. "Creepy cave in front of me," he said, looking over his shoulder, rolling his eyes, "spear-waving tiki guys behind me."

Just then, a spear flew past him and burrowed its point into the forehead of one of the tiki masks on one of the spears set up on Stork's left. It had obviously been meant for Stork's forehead, or whatever else would cause instant death.

"Right," Stork said, his decision made, "creepy cave it is."

Without another thought, he ran inside.

Not a second later, the natives ran up to the cave, shouting angrily. But they all slid to a stop, saying, "Huh?" in front of the cave. They did not dare enter the temple. Instead they fell down on their knees and started prostrating themselves over and over before its entrance, chanting, "_Rabba! Rabba!_"

Inside the cave, Stork kept running until he realized he couldn't hear any feet behind him. He glanced behind him and then stopped, staring at the lighted entrance. "They're not following," he said aloud. His ears lay against his head in fear, and he drummed his fingers together as he analyzed the situation. "That's either a good sign," he said, holding up a finger, "or a bad sign."

Seeing as he couldn't go back, he decided to proceed forward as if it were a good sign; however, he had the sinking feeling it was a bad sign.

* * *

Author's Notes: Eh, this is boring for me. I want to do Operation Exodus material! But that's next chapter . . .

_Storm Hawks _related trivia: The word _tiki_ comes from Māori language. The Māori are a people found on various islands in Oceania, including New Zealand. Being isolated from the rest of the world, these island people developed a distinct culture rich in tradition, religion, and art. Their word _tiki_, in their religion (or mythology, as some would call it), refers to the first man in the world. It also refers to a carved image (figurine, amulet, or mask) of a god or ancestor. Often these are worn around the neck of Māori warriors for protection and guidance.

I bet y'all will have a lot more respect for the tiki faces now, won't you? I know I will!


	176. Shipwrecked: The Door to Nowhere

Author's Notes: Well, my comments on taking a break sure had an effect. Reviews started coming out of the woodwork! I guess if there's still so many people interested, I'll keep on. After all, I've gotten this far without stopping.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Door to Nowhere

Since he expected there was a good reason the Tropicans did not follow him inside the cave, Stork went forward on tiptoe. There was no need to rush now, so long as the Tropicans didn't follow. He also took precious care to peer around the wall, teeth clenched in fright, when the passageway took an abrupt turn. He didn't see anything but a random shrub . . . which was odd, since it shouldn't be there if there was no sunlight in the cave. But Stork did notice the cave was awfully bright, all things considered.

He kept tiptoeing forward, looking around every which way, his heart pounding in his ears. He just knew a sloth might jump out, or a vampire, or a flesh-eating bat, or a giant venomous insect . . .

He suddenly heard a loud crack and squeaked in surprise. Once more he had stepped on a stick in his tiptoeing. Not surprising.

But when he looked down, he realized it wasn't a stick; _it was a human leg bone!_

Stork choked. For a moment his vision went black, and he thought he fainted.

The bone was one of many human bones littered on the floor. And among the pile were at least six intact human skulls. The intact skulls seemed small, as if they belonged to the island tiki natives. But not all the bones were small; some of them were large enough to belong to visitors to the islands. All of them were bleached white with age and decay. No one had been here in a long time, it seemed . . . and many had never left.

"That doesn't look promising," Stork muttered aloud.

Suddenly he heard a squeak, and it didn't come from him.

Stork gasped and jumped back toward the wall. A skull was _moving! _It was walking along the ground and squeaking. _The ghost of the lost soul was still here!_

Then the skull rose up off the ground, making Stork squeal.

But it was only large gray rat that had been inside the skull. It glanced back at Stork as it held the skull over its head.

Stork chuckled nervously at his mistake and started forward. A rat was a good sign. A rat wouldn't want to go near a killer beast. Still, those bones . . .

He tiptoed forward again, noticing another shrub . . . how odd. There was another skull that squeaked. Unbeknownst to him, two eyes peered out from the skull's eyeholes. But he had heard the squeaks, and this time he was not fooled. Just a rat.

Before Stork knew it, he had found himself in a huge chamber. It seemed circular, or oval, or maybe even octagonal; it was too big to tell. A hole in the ceiling was letting in sunlight, which is how the jungle shrubs, used to low light, were surviving in the cave.

And there, right in the middle of the sunlight, was a sight that made Stork gasp.

A huge staircase with spikes on either side of the steps rose up in front of him. And at the top of the mysterious, spooky staircase was a mysterious, spooky door with a mysterious, spooky design on its front. The design was made up of simple lines, yet it gave the impression of a bird. The lines glowed yellow-gold, as if powered by a crystal. The door itself was just a door; there was nothing behind it to suggest that it led to anywhere or anything.

Stork raised an eyebrow at the door and looked around, hoping to find something that would give him some sort of clue about it. But there was nothing to suggest anything.

There was something about the door that was . . . enticing. Stork started walking toward it to investigate.

But each step he took seemed to echo on the ground with a huge thump. "Huh?" Stork said, looking down at his feet. He wasn't _that_ heavy, was he? He started forward again, only to hear the sound once more. After about three steps he stopped. Each time he heard it: someone else masking their steps by walking with him.

Stork knew how to find this person out. Smirking to himself, he lifted his foot as if to take a step but didn't.

He heard the footfall again behind him.

"Ah ha!" Stork exclaimed, whirling around and holding up a finger. And this person thought they could fool him!

But it wasn't a person.

The creature that jumped in front of Stork was like nothing he had ever seen before. It somehow reminded him of a huge, winged gargoyle. But this gargoyle had green patterns, glowing designs all over it, especially on its wings, knees, elbows, and toes. Its eyes glowed with the same light, and hundreds of little needle-like teeth (little compared to the creature, but in truth as long as Stork's fingers) protruding out of its beak. Not to mention it was about fifty times taller than Stork.

The sight of it made Stork suck in such a large breath that he nearly collapsed. When the beast landed in front of him, the two carved stone pillars behind him _did_ collapse.

The beast glared down at Stork and then roared right in his face.

In an instant, Stork was screaming his head off and running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. But the beast's huge hand blocked his escape. Stork screamed and turned to run the other way just before the hand nearly closed on him.

Stork ran and hid behind a natural rock pillar. He knew he wasn't getting much safety, but it was worth a shot.

The beast roared and headed in Stork's direction. Stork, who had been peering out from behind the rock, squeaked and flattened himself against the rock, hoping against hope that the beast wouldn't detect him, even though he knew it would.

The creature stepped forward, its head coming next to the stone, sniffing the air. Then it backed away.

Stork sighed in relief and decided to sneak out using the other side of the stone. He backed away from where he had just seen the creature until he felt sure he was far enough away.

But suddenly his hand came in contact with something behind him, and a low grumble sounded in his ears. He felt the strange object with its hand, afraid to look at it. It was leathery, warm, came to a point . . .

Willing himself to look, Stork at last turned around.

There was the beast! _He had been touching its beak!_

Smiling sheepishly up at the beast, Stork waved at it timidly. But the creature obviously was not in a friendly mood. Stork screamed and ran just before the beast's fist smashed the stone pillar Stork had hid behind. Then, growling it ran after him.

Stork headed to the only escape he could find: the mysterious door.

Without another thought, he was running up the staircase for all he was worth. Once he reached the door, he stared at the gold handle. There was a keyhole above it, large enough to put a fist in. Did that mean the door was locked?

Only one way to find out. Stork reached out and grasped the handle.

Instantly he screamed as volts of gold crystal energy went coursing through his body. He let go and fell over backward, dazed, and tumbled down the stairs, where he lay trying to regain his senses.

Yup, definitely locked.

Just then, a shadow fell over Stork where he lay. The creature's face was right above his, roaring at him, ready to finish him.

This was it for him, Stork knew. His groped for something, anything that he could use against the beast.

The one thing his hand rested on was a human leg bone. Without another thought, Stork took it and thrust it toward the beast.

The creature's eyes widened in surprise. Stork had thrust the bone _in its nostril!_ It reared back, roaring in pain.

Stork didn't waste a second. He got to his feet and fled toward the cave entrance.

The creature put one finger over its open nostril before blowing as hard as he could, blasting the bone out of his nose. Then it roared after Stork.

Outside the cave, the island natives were still prostrating themselves before the temple, still chanting, "_Rabba! Rabba! Rabba! Rabba!_" But they stopped when they heard someone screaming from within the tunnel. The next instant, a still-screaming Stork came sprinting out of the cave and right through them. The Tropicans watched him go in curiosity before they heard a roar from deep within the cave. Then they, too, got up and fled.

* * *

Back on the other side of the island, the storm had not yet let up. And Junko had been unsuccessful in building a shelter earlier. So Aerrow, Radarr, Piper, and Finn sat in the cold and wet while Junko went to look around. Well, the teens sat; Radarr stood up on his feet and hugged himself, wrapping his tail around himself to keep warm. He looked particularly cold, miserable, and irritated.

They were all pretty put down. Even Finn didn't offer a joke.

"I don't know what's worse," Piper complained, "starving to death," she hugged herself, "freezing to death," she gestured to the weeping skies, "or soaking to death!"

Aerrow wasn't sure the last one was even possible . . . was it?

Just then, Junko walked up, and Aerrow was relieved to see the Wallop was wearing a smile on his face, which meant something good had happened. "Hey!" Junko called to the others. "Found something to eat!"

He held out three berries to them in one of his huge hands. At least, Aerrow thought they were berries. They were about the size of one's fist and were oval shaped with huge bumps all over them, as if they had some kind of disease. Even grosser, little hairs were growing all over the berries.

Finn wrinkled his nose and stuck his tongue out at the sight of the berries. "It looks like something Radarr would hack up!" he scoffed.

While an animal in the jungle chirruped, Radarr turned away from Finn with a wide smile on his face in sarcastic laughter. Then he turned and glared at Finn, growling, letting him know he didn't appreciate the comment.

"Well," Aerrow said, getting to his feet, "I don't see anything else on the menu." They needed food, or they'd starve. And, being their leader, it was best that Aerrow tried it first, in case it was poisonous. He took a berry from Junko's hand and took a bite.

The taste was bitter and gross. "It's not so . . ." Aerrow began, trying not to gag, ". . . bad." That was a dead lie. It not only looked like something Radarr would hack up; it tasted like it.

Junko stuck one whole fruit in his mouth, chewing contentedly. "Mmm!" he said, a smile on his face. Apparently he liked it.

Piper took one berry and twined one of the hairs on it suspiciously. "Bleck!" she said in disgust, sticking out her tongue. All the same, Aerrow was right; there was nothing else to eat. She took a bite and had to swallow sharply to keep from gagging.

Finn had just taken a bite himself and had turned a slight green color, moaning pitifully, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

Radarr, however, took the bad taste with grace. He simply turned his head to the side and kept chewing with determination. Still, he raised an eyebrow-like patch of fur above his eye at the fruit after his first bite, thinking he didn't want another one.

Junko was enjoying himself as he stuffed more down his throat. "Hair-i-licious!" he exclaimed. "I can eat these all day! Yeah!"

The rest looked up at him, not willing to believe that he actually _liked_ this stuff. But when they saw what was happening to him, his lack of good taste seemed much more believable than what they were seeing. Their jaws dropped.

"Uh, what're ya guys starin' at?" Junko asked innocently.

Aerrow could hardly believe his eyes. Junko had grown a huge gray beard that matched his hair and also a moustache that was also far from small. Junko must have finally felt the beard or at least realized they were staring at his face because he looked down toward his nose and then gasped in alarm at seeing his new look.

Piper couldn't help giggling, putting her hand over her mouth to try to control herself. But suddenly she froze and took her hand away. She had just grown a small beard/moustache that almost completely encircled her mouth with a small goatee hanging off it—an old-time mariner's haircut. She screamed in horror. Aerrow had to agree, it was not a good look for her.

But Aerrow was too busy studying a new feature of his own. He had grown a red moustache and a red beard larger than Junko's, like some sort of red Santa Claus beard. He brushed it curiously. He had always thought that, when he grew old enough to grow a beard, he would continue to be clean-shaven. Guess he was going to have to change that idea for today. This new beard was growing as long and unkempt as his mope of hair.

He looked around. Everyone had grown these beards and moustaches. Apparently it was an affect from the berries.

Finn had grown an almost perfectly tapered goatee and a long, thin moustache that curled on both sides, such as Aerrow usually thought of on a stereotypical chef. Finn was smiling, obviously the only one pleased with his new look. "Ah, I think it makes me look dignified," he said. Indeed, it wasn't a bad look for him. It looked downright suave.

Radarr whimpered when he saw his new look, and Junko burst out laughing. Radarr had grown a huge goatee (well, huge for him anyway), a long, thin, sloping moustache, and a curly afro, with his ears sticking out the top. The new hair was all a blue that was a couple shades darker than his fur. It looked like Radarr was ready for a disco.

Radarr glared at Junko for laughing. It was _not_ funny!

Aerrow decided they wouldn't have any more berries.

* * *

On the other side of the island, Stork had quit running awhile ago when he realized neither the strange beast from the cave with the door nor the little men with tiki masks were following. So instead he wandered the jungle nervously, cringing at every bird call in the trees. He _had_ to find the _Condor_ and get out of here. He wasn't sure how much more he could take of this madness before he got the Madness of the Marooned.

So carefully was he scanning in front of him that he didn't notice the wild Blood-Hyde Trackbeast in the tree above him. The Trackbeast watched him, growling softly, but didn't attack.

At last, Stork saw something inorganic sticking up above the trees. He gasped in delight, a smile spreading across his face. It was the _Condor_! Yes! He laughed in delight, a loud, "Ha HA!"

But as soon as he did, he covered his mouth and cringed. His laugh had rung throughout the jungle, giving anyone within about a mile a general idea of his location. And the last thing Stork needed was for dangerous beast or those natives to find him again.

But though he froze and listened, he heard nothing. No one seemed to be coming. Good. Smirking, he started his run to the _Condor_.

Once he reached the edge of the clearing that the ship was in, he hid behind a tree, peering out at her. He could hardly believe his luck. She was beautiful, perfect! There seemed to be little damage to her, and though the seawater had left a bit of salt on her sides, it had also stripped a great amount of dirt off her so she nearly sparkled.

But before Stork could get too excited, he saw yet another problem: two native warriors stood guard in front of the ship, spears in hand.

Stork sighed. Nothing could be easy, could it? "I've _got_ to get out of this place!" he muttered to himself, drawing back into the trees to think.

Suddenly his back hit something. Gasping in fright, Stork whirled around. There, in front of him, was the face of a native!

Stork squealed and cringed. But then he blinked and took a second look. It was only a tree that he had backed into with a tiki mask, like the ones the natives wore, hanging on it.

Stork grabbed the mask off the tree. Possibly he could . . . But no . . . "I wonder," he said aloud, a smirk crossing his face. "If you can't beat 'em . . ." He put the mask on his face.

* * *

A few minutes later, as the storm clouds on the other side of the island started to loom over this side as well, the native guards stared in surprise as a green-skinned humanoid wearing one of their masks walked up to them.

Stork wasn't sure how he was going to pull this off, but he had to try. "Uh, eh, uh," he said nervously, cringing a little, "_ooga!_" He swept his hand in front of him, stuttering a little in his nervousness. "_Oo-ooga b-booga._"

"_Ooga!_" the native in front of him said. Then all four natives screamed as they charged Stork.

Stork squealed in alarm. Oh, no! His plan failed! He was done for!

But then the natives fell down on their knees and prostrated themselves before him. Stork couldn't believe it. His plan had worked. They were _worshiping _him!

Then one of the natives stood up suddenly and pointed to the sky. "_Fee tee chee!_" he cried.

The others stood up, too, and followed his pointing finger. The storm clouds were right overhead now. Lightning flashed across the sky as thunder sounded all at once. Then again and again. The natives all let out concerned, excited phrases from one another.

The next thing Stork knew, he looked around and all the natives have left him. They went to small, vertical wooden huts, hardly big enough to be outhouses, and shut the doors tight.

"This is probably not a _good thing_," Stork thought aloud.

* * *

On the other side of the island, the rain had stopped falling, but still lightning flashed above the Storm Hawks with thunder accompaniment. Aerrow was miserable as he slowly watched his teams' fried nerves wear down to their last.

Finn was sitting with his back against a palm tree, looking listless and forlorn. "Okay," he said, "we officially _stink_ as survivors."

Piper was glaring angrily at Junko. "I wouldn't have this itchy beard if it weren't for your goofy fruit!"

"Well," Junko answered back testily, getting in her face, "I wouldn't be wet and freezing if _you_ knew how to light a fire!"

No, Aerrrow thought, it wasn't her fault or Junko's fault. "I-it's my fault, guys," he told them. "If I'd been able to find Stork and the _Condor_, we'd be outta here by now."

Just as he said it, all the Storm Hawks cringed in shock as a lightning bolt struck the sand only a few yards from where they were. Great. Lightning might strike them before they died of starvation or dehydration.

They looked up. Despite the fact that the rain was gone, the lightning storm seemed to be getting worse. Two streaks of lightning flashed above them one after the other, each have the thunder sound with them. The storm was stirring up the waves, indicating an incoming hurricane. Any minute the beach could be underwater.

"We have to find some high ground!" Piper shouted to Aerrow over the wind.

"We're stuck on a beach!" Aerrow reminded her. "There _isn't_ any high ground! Unless we can find Stork and the _Condor_—"

"—ah, we're sunk!" Finn finished for him. He was standing up and hugging the tree with fright.

That wasn't quite the pessimistic way Aerrow planned on finishing his sentence, but he couldn't think of a way to try to fix what Finn had said with something more hopeful without lying.

Lightning flashed again with more thunder, making Finn cringe and close his eyes. He dared to open one eye.

In his mind, they were _so dead!_

* * *

Author's Notes: I was tempted to call this chapter "Mustached Maroons", but then I figured that this episode is more about Stork so the title should somehow refer to him, and the door is _extremely _important, so I made the chapter title about that.

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: The term "pygmy" in reference to people is often considered rude and offensive; however, there is not a single word in the English language to replace it. Rather, since the pygmy people in the world are various island and mainland rainforest nations, those people prefer to be called by their ethnic names. However, since there are many of these, we must refer to them as pygmies here for clarity's sake. Scientists are still puzzled as to why some people are so small in stature. There are some island pygmy groups that may simply have resulted from the small size of the island and its other inhabitants, the same way all island animals tend to be dwarfed when separated from the mainland. But due to boat technology, island people are never completely isolated, and pygmy people are also found in the rainforests of Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some believe this adaptation for smaller stature may be due to a lack of Vitamin D for skin growth due to the lack of sunlight in the rainforest. Others believe it is an adaptation to low levels of calcium, which is needed for bone growth. Still there are other theories such as adapting to a shortage of food, being able to move through dense jungle, or adaptation to heat and humidity. For whatever the reason, the growth hormone in pygmies was at some point stunted in their genetic history compared to others of the human species.

But before we get any wrong ideas, guys, a pygmy person has the same brain-to-body ratio as any other human, so no small brain jokes, guys. I don't care how insensitive you are or how you little you care, don't be cruel enough to make jokes like, especially when you're wrong.

Glad we got that cleared up. Now I'm tempted to threaten you by saying I know a rainforest Aborigine who is small in stature but good at throwing a spear if you don't review . . . but saying such a thing would be insensitive and politically incorrect. So instead, I'm just going to ask this Australian friend of mine to give me the spear so I can use it myself!

*wields spear* Face my fury! *throws spear but spear turns around and heads back towards Wolf* Aaaagggghhhhhhh! *Wolf jumps out of the way of spear just in time*

Darn Australian spears! This one's also a boomerang!


	177. Shipwrecked: The Unbelievable Story

Chapter 4: The Unbelievable Story

Stork watched as lightning forked across the sky, thunder sounding with it. The little canoe-huts of the natives were starting to shake as if the natives inside them were trembling. "This looks bad," Stork said to himself.

Another flash of lightning, another peel of thunder.

"Real bad," Stork added.

He was just about to run to the now-unguarded _Condor _for safety when he felt two hands on either wrist. Five of the natives had left their huts of safety to come back for Stork, and two of them had grabbed his wrists. One of them gave a few grunting words to him and then said, "_Gooba gooba gooba goo._" He pointed behind him at a small hut that two of the three other natives held open, their spears in their free hands.

They wanted to protect Stork. How inconvenient.

Stork pulled his hands out of their grasp and tried to think up a story, hoping they might understand at least a _little_ of what he spoke. "Um," he said, thinking a moment, "sorry, b-but I've got to fly my big sky-sled up to the heavens," he gestured to the sky, "and commune with my fellow deities!" He made to run off, then stopped a moment to assure them. "It's . . . it's been fun!" he managed, pointing to them. Then he took off running.

Unfortunately he wasn't looking where he was going. He smacked face-first into a palm tree, squeaking in pain. Luckily his tiki mask took most of the impact, but when he fell over on his back, the tiki mask fell off.

Knowing he'd been discovered, Stork muttered to himself, "And now it's not fun."

The natives walked over and picked up the mask, looking shocked and perplexed. Any moment they would turn into an angry horde and brandish their pointy spears again. So Stork did the only sensible thing. He jumped to his feet and ran toward the _Condor_, screaming his head off. "Later!" he shouted after him.

Seeing that the imposter was heading toward the _Condor_, the five natives broke out into angry yells and chased him.

But before they reached him, Stork jumped into the open top hatch, and the engines sprang to life. The Tropicans slid to a stop and let out sounds of awed amazement.

"Ha HA!" Stork laughed at them as he shut the top hatch. There was no way they could get him now!

Once he was inside, he made the _Condor_ lift off, heading nose-first toward the stormy sky.

The men in tiki masks covered their faces from the wind and then watched the _Condor_ level out and fly away, letting out noises of astonishment as they waved.

Stork quickly got the _Condor_ up in the clouds . . . and it was not good there. The darkness blacked out most of the visibility, and lightning kept threatening to strike the ship, forking across the sky so close that Stork could feel the thunder in his bones. The fierce wind kept throwing the ship to and fro, making Stork fight with all his strength to keep her on course.

Then the ship _was_ struck by lightning. Stork was paralyzed by the sudden pain as the whole ship, including the wheel which he held, was lit by bolts of electricity. So was he, since he was holding the wheel. He screamed and fell limp once the shock was over, afraid he might pass out. No doubt about it, that shock meant permanent damage that would mean doom in the near future . . . or not-so-near future . . . whatever, either way it doomed him, he was sure.

Doomed or not, Stork knew he had to find the others. He hadn't seen them in all his crazy adventures, so maybe, he reasoned, they were still on the beach on the other side of the island . . . if they didn't meet their doom in the tsunami, and as much as he believed in doomed, Stork didn't like to let that thought cross his mind twice. He steered the _Condor_ toward the beach, battling the storm with all his might.

* * *

Back on that very beach, the other Storm Hawks watched as the water level suddenly dropped, exposing a crab, who scuttled away as if in terror. "Um, what's happening to the water?" asked Junko.

Piper's fears were being realized. "It's getting sucked into a tidal wave!" she gasped.

Sure enough, as lightning flashed above them and thunder rumbled, the waters off shore began to rise into a huge swell. This wasn't a tsunami, but it was an extremely similar tidal wave: a storm surge. And soon the entire beach would be underwater, and . . . well, the Storm Hawks couldn't expect the luck of surviving two tidal waves in a row.

Radarr had gotten up on Aerrow's back, hanging off his shoulder. Aerrow was too busy looking around for some sort of escape to notice him. There had to be something.

Right as his feet he found the answer: a slab of wood. He picked it up and exchanged a glance at Radarr, who read his thoughts at once and smiled. Yes, _this_ was the answer!

Aerrow started walking past the others. "Come on!" he called to them, Radarr echoing him with an encouraging churr. "Follow me!" He started heading toward the water.

Junko looked after them in bewilderment. "Are you crazy?" he cried.

But Piper knew what they were thinking. "He's right," she said, picking up two slabs of wood, one for either of them. "We gotta ride out past where the wave's gonna break!" She handed one of the slabs of wood to Junko, took hers in her own hands, and ran after Aerrow and Radarr.

Finn ran up to Junko, looking after the other three excitedly. He, too, was holding a slab of wood and smiling broadly. Surfing, in the middle of a storm! He laughed. "Oh, this is gonna be _awesome!_" he exclaimed, running into the water.

Junko looked at his own board uncertainly, still not seeing the logic in this, but he finally followed. He was the last one to get into the water, get on his board, and paddle out.

Unfortunately, they didn't make it over the wave before it began to break. Instead they road right up into it. "Whoa!" they all yelled as they started an almost vertical climb up the wave.

"Just keep it together, guys!" Aerrow yelled once he realized the flaw in his plan. They were still better out here than they were on the shore, where they would have been buried by water and hit with debris.

They all yelled as the topped foamed above them and began to bend over them. They had no choice but to turn away from it. And once they did, that was when the _real_ fun began!

"Yeah!" Junko yelled as they started down the wave, standing up to surf.

Finn, the experienced surfer, was the first one to his feet. "Wahoo!" he yelled, whipping along the wave.

Piper was having trouble standing. She had always been good at surfing, but she didn't pursue it the way the boys did and so was a little less experienced and a little unsteady getting up on the board. "Whoa . . ." she gasped as she wobbled. But once she had her stance, she laughed in delight. "Yes!"

She looked to the right of her board just in time to see Aerrow, with Radarr still hanging off his shoulder, sliding in beside her. "Ha ha!" he cheered, whipping through the waves. Radarr chirped in excitement, holding up a "rock on" sign with one paw.

When it came to surfing, Aerrow was the real natural. Then again, Piper thought to herself, nearly everything seemed natural and easy to Aerrow.

But Finn was the one who really enjoyed it. "Chica-cha-ha-ha!" he cheered as he weaved from side to side on his board. This was the life!

But unfortunately he was having so much fun that he wasn't watching where he was going . . . until it was too late.

Finn screamed as his board struck a log floating in front of him, sending him sailing through the air. Junko let out a little scream just before Finn landed on his shoulders. Finn immediately grabbed Junko's head to keep from falling in the water; to do so now would be to risk drowning. But when he grabbed Junko's head, he put his hands over the Wallop's eyes. Junko screamed in fright, flailing his arms in the air as Finn's weight nearly made him lose his balance, on top of not being able to see where he was going.

And it was because of this that they ran right into Aerrow and Radarr and Piper, sweeping them off their boards.

When Aerrow opened his eyes, he found himself hanging on to one side of Junko and Piper hanging off the other, with Finn still on the Wallop's shoulders. Radarr had fallen off Aerrow's back, but apparently Junko had caught him by his tail, and the little copilot was hanging in the air. Thankfully Finn had taken his hands off Junko's eyes. Instead he had them clenched in fists and a smile on his face as the group somehow managed to keep surfing. It was the coolest surfing stunt Atmos had ever seen, and Finn had the best seat. "THIS IS THE BEST VACATION EVER!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Well, Aerrow thought, at least Finn was still having fun.

Suddenly Piper looked ahead of them and pointed, he eyes wide with fear. "We're gonna wipe out!" she shouted.

Aerrow's gaze followed her finger. There, on the shore off to the side where the wave was going to toss them, was the jagged, razor coral up the beach they had noticed a few hours ago. "Whoa!" the Storm Hawks all yelled as the wave tossed them even higher, threatening to spear them on the coral.

There was little hope of them surviving _that_. And Aerrow was out of ideas.

Apparently Junko had a few last words. "I'm glad my pants are already wet!" he shouted.

Even though it wouldn't matter in a few seconds, Aerrow wished he could have gone the last minute of his life without knowing that.

The wave suddenly broke on them, tipping the board over and tossing them toward the coral in the wake of the wall of water that was soon to descend on them. Everyone screamed, even Aerrow.

This was it. Winning countless battles against Cyclonians, ferocious beasts, and dangerous lands, and yet the Storm Hawks will finally be taken out by a simple vacation.

Aerrow closed his eyes just before they were to hit the coral. He only hoped it would be as painless as possible . . .

OOF!

That wasn't coral.

Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Radarr had landed on top of Junko, who looked winded, having landed flat on his stomach on a level floor of metal. A familiar whistle blared in their ears.

Aerrow looked around in astonishment. They were on the _Condor_'s landing strip! And in the frontal window was a face he was never happier to see. "Stork! Alright!" Their pilot had caught them just in time!

Stork saluted Aerrow happily and drove them up toward the skies before the giant wave could crash over them.

Up above the clouds, the sky was clear and the sun was shining. Stork set the _Condor_ to circling the terra while he got the rest of the bedraggled squadron inside. By that time, the tropical storm had cleared away, leaving the island completely covered by the water from the tidal wave.

And down below were the little huts of the natives, floating on top of the water. The natives opened their doors to the outside world, completely unharmed, and stared up at the ship flying above them, letting out gasps of amazement. The _Condor_ spun around and flew over them as it continued to circle. "_Ooga booga booga,_" they all gasped slowly, exchanging glances. "_Fee chee chee!_"

* * *

On the bridge of the _Condor_, Stork looked over his teammates. "Wow," he said, "you guys are a mess. I've only been gone, what, two hours?"

Indeed, the other Storm Hawks all looked worse for the wear. They were covered in dirt, grime, sand, and salt and had straggles in their hair and their new beards and moustaches. Finn looked utterly exhausted, a little listless, and half drowned. Junko was still shivering with cold. Radarr looked irritated, a comb stuck in his new hair; apparently he had tried to tame his afro and had failed. Aerrow was playing with his beard curiously, which was the longest of them all, and Piper was trying vainly to pull hers off, looking extremely frustrated. She finally growled and glared at Stork, as if her beard were _his_ fault.

"Oh," said Stork, noting her agitation with her beard, "I see you found some beard berries. Don't worry, they'll fall off in a few days."

Piper and Junko both touched their beards, Piper in irritation and Junko in disappointment; they wanted their beards off _now!_

But Aerrow was watching Stork curiously. "What happened to you after the storm?" he asked.

Stork assumed he was talking about the tsunami. "You'll never believe it," he said, smirking a little.

So all but Aerrow sat down at the round table and listened as Stork, still standing by the helm, told them his story, every last detail, from the giant eel, the little men with tiki masks, almost being eaten, the chase, the bridge, the temple, the mysterious door, the monster, being worshiped as a god, and everything else. Even though he knew doom came with adventure, he just couldn't help feeling proud he'd had such a strange adventure all his own without any of the others.

Once he was done, there was a short silence. Then Finn rolled his eyes and shook his head, blowing through his lips disbelievingly. "Right!"

Everyone else looked just as skeptical. "Tiki-headed natives? Doors to nowhere? Monsters?" Piper repeated in disbelief.

Aerrow turned looked at his pilot with concern. "Are you sure you didn't bump your head, Stork?"

Stork turned away from them back to his helm, sighing and shaking his head. Fine, if they didn't want to believe him, that was their problem. Besides, the sooner they left this stupid vacation spot, the better. He stopped the _Condor_ from its circling and drove her away from the terra.

* * *

Down below, the water had receded to reveal the jungle island once more. And the Storm Hawks had been so preoccupied with Stork's story that they hadn't noticed that Tropica had other visitors.

As the _Condor_ flew overhead and headed out toward open sky, a group of Talons was scouting the jungle. One of them had a pair of binoculars to help. Another, the moustache Talon, had a handheld tracking device, which beeped steadily, a red light on the antenna flashing with each beep. The moustache Talon wandered in whatever direction made the beeping speed up.

At last he caught something that made the beeping so rapid that it sounded like almost one sound emission. Curious, the Talon took a step forward in the direction the device indicated and bent back some of the bamboo sticks to see.

There in the clearing before him stood the very same ancient temple Stork had come across.

The Talon walked up toward the entrance, a smile on his face. But he didn't go inside; instead he reached for his radio and held it to his mouth. "Patrol to Cyclonia," he radioed. "Tell Master Cyclonis we've found the temple!"

The rest of the Talons, seeing that their query had been located, gathered around him and peered at the entrance. All of them seemed to be wondering what was inside.

And deep within, the mysterious door was glowing brilliantly as ever, waiting for another to enter and find it.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ooh, creepy doorway thingy!

I like how this is going to lead us right into the next episode. _Storm Hawks_ isn't known for having many connecting threads between episodes, and rarely does it have connecting threads with episodes back to back.

In fact, I've looked over the episodes, and I've counted 20 episodes that could be eliminated without completely ruining the main plotline. However, nearly all of these episodes _enhance_ the plot by giving us cool villain returns that make sense (like "Second Chances") or tell us a little more about a character(s) (like "The Black Gorge", Stork's first time in leadership, and "Siren's Song", which tells us a lot about the characters by showing us their deepest desires).

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: What Piper called a tidal wave was a particular type of tidal wave called a storm surge. A tidal wave is defined as a wave that moves up to 200 miles per hour and is up to 1,000 feet high. We've already discussed one tidal wave: the tsunami. This other type, the storm surge, is caused by hurricanes due to hurricane waves building up and combining. They are less devastating than an out-and-out tsunami because tsunamis are a series of waves. The devastation of a storm surge is the same as a single tsunami wave rather than dozens. However, storm surges are more common than tsunamis and kill more people than any other aspect of a hurricane put together. They cause 9 out of 10 hurricane fatalities.

Everyone remember the devastation that Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans? The destruction of much of New Orleans was due to a storm surge. Yup, they ain't pretty.

Alright, that's all for now! Don't forget to vote on my profile on whether you guys want the "Origins" episode as Part 1 of this fic or as a flashback. We are swiftly approaching that 46th episode!


	178. Power Grab: Master Ravess

_**Part 44**_

_**Power Grab**_

_A leadership changes hands. Betrayal leads to betrayal. A loyal servant is ignored, and a loyal servant is banished. A way of conquest is discovered._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Master Ravess

Figuring they had enough adventure for awhile, the Storm Hawks decided to have some more downtime, this time without going anywhere.

But perhaps they should have started their reconnaissance instead.

In one of Cyclonia's hangar bays, Talons were loading crate after crate of supplies onto Talon Switchblades. It had been like this ever since the report had come back from the patrol team on Terra Tropica that the temple had been located.

One of the Talons was transporting a prisoner rather than cargo; he held Wren's hen upside-down by her legs. Apparently the chicken had accidentally ended up in the hands of Cyclonia in all her strange travels.

The Talon that was holding the checklist of all the items snarled at the sight of the familiar chicken. He was one of Ravess' current lieutenants, a man who is only a Talon commander every now and then. He had currently been trying very hard to lose the title "Commander Chicken Feather" and had succeeded pretty well, but he was back to being a nobody without a name. Which, he reasoned, was better than being known as the only Talon taken down by the Storm Hawks' pet and his chicken sidekicks.

He glanced around him. The great Master Cyclonis and the head of the fleet, the Dark Ace, were looking over a map that they had stretched out on top of a crate. But even though Master Cyclonis was only a few feet away, the lieutenant wasn't worried about her. More troublesome right now were the siblings Ravess and Snipe.

Both commanders stood off to the side, supervising everything. Ravess was quiet, her arms crossed in front of her in a sign of irritation, but Snipe was more openly stern. "Come on, slow pokes!" he yelled at the Talons. "Get a move on!" He pointed toward the rides being loaded. "Let's go, go, go, go, _go!_"

Then the inevitable happened: Ravess got irritated with her brother. "Snipe!" she snapped at him. "Quiet down. You're driving me crazy!"

Snipe didn't take kindly to that. "Back off, Sis," he growled, pointing at her. "You're not the boss of me!" He pointed at himself.

_Brilliant,_ the lieutenant thought. _He referred to himself in third person!_

The two siblings leaned toward each other until their noses were inches away, growling at each other. The lieutenant was just waiting for one of them to bite off the nose of the other, like a nervous dog would when you get too close to its face.

Just then everyone froze when they heard a Switchblade engine starting. Everyone knew which Switchblade it was. Ravess immediately broke away from Snipe and ran up to Master Cyclonis, who was mounted and ready to go. The commander put on her most pleasant face and said, "Master Cyclonis, I'm proud to report that all preparations have been performed to your exact specifications."

The lieutenant beamed at how good his current commander was at laying on the oil. If only he could be that charming, he might finally get that permanent commander position he wanted so badly.

"Good," Master Cyclonis answered curtly, not seeming to care how pleasant Ravess was. "Then we're leaving."

Smiling proudly, Ravess turned to address the lieutenant. "Lieutenant," she said, "prepare my ride."

The lieutenant saluted eagerly. He had been working hard for Ravess ever since he was put under her for the sole sake of hoping she might finally notice him.

Ravess turned back to Master Cyclonis, clenching a fist in excitement. "Such exhilarating times!" she said eagerly. "The doorway, our epic journey!"

"You're not coming," Master Cyclonis told her coldly.

At that, Ravess froze, as did the lieutenant, for he was about to move off to prepare her ride. Off to the side, they heard Snipe snicker and then burst out in full laughter. Ravess cast her brother her most wicked glare for that.

Ravess turned back to Cyclonis, now seeming both pleasant and disappointed. "But, Master Cyclonis," she asked, clasping her hands together is if she were begging, "why?"

"Because I'm leaving you in charge of Cyclonia while I'm gone," Master Cyclonis answered in the same cold, curt fashion.

It didn't matter how she said it, it still was music to Ravess' ears. She turned and smirked at Snipe, whose jaw had dropped in disbelief. "Who's laughing now, brother?" she hissed at him, just loud enough for him to hear.

Master Cyclonis snapped at Ravess abruptly. "Just make sure our regular operations continue as planned. Think you can handle that?" It sounded more like a dare than an order.

But Ravess didn't seem the least bit intimidated. "Don't worry, Master Cyclonis," Ravess answered, looking all too excited. "I promise!" She saluted her master. "Everything will be under control."

Without another word, Cyclonis drove off the landing strip in her purple-painted Switchblade, the Dark Ace following behind her. In their wake was a whole army of Talons on Switchblades.

Ravess smirked. So that filthy little brat had left _her_ in charge of Cyclonia! Ravess narrowed her eyes. She'd show that little, fourteen-year-old monster how an empire should be run!

* * *

Master Cyclonis and her group of Talons arrived at Terra Tropica soon after. They landed and dismounted among the ruins of the native village. The huts were smashed, some smoldering in scorched ruins. Tiki masks littered the suit-stained ground. It was pure carnage.

Cyclonis picked up a mask and held it up to study it. "One thing about Night Crawlers:" her said, "they're thorough." She let the mask fall from her hands.

The Dark Ace's eyes swept over the ruins. He was a bit impressed. It seemed that the Night Crawlers had wiped out an entire tribe of people. There must not be a live native soul to be found on this island.

But when Cyclonis dropped the mask, she and the Dark Ace heard more than one soft thud on the ground. The Dark Ace immediately raised his sword and lit it. He was ready to defend his master with his life.

But that wasn't necessary. Out of the shrubs leaped three Night Crawlers, one of them the red-eyed leader. The Dark Ace put his sword out and lowered it slightly, but he didn't put it away. He doubted the Night Crawlers would ever hurt Master Cyclonis, but he could never fully trust them; there was something about them that was too dark and sinister for even him to understand, as if they were living fear, living night.

"Master," the red-eyed Night Crawler greeted Cyclonis, bowing respectfully.

With the greetings done, the lead Night Crawler led Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace into the jungle, the rest of the Night Crawlers following behind. The Dark Ace didn't like being surrounded by the evil creatures, but he didn't want to appear hostile, so he put away his sword.

Soon they came upon the temple. The Dark Ace was reminded briefly of Mount Vulture's entrance on his mission to obtain the Suit of Untold Vengeance. He thought of it with shame and regret, remembering the way he had lost his mind; however, he surprised himself by not feeling guilty about not saying anything about it to Master Cyclonis, even though the Master herself was walking within arms' reach of him.

The Dark Ace always served her loyally because she was the source of his power and a wise leader. But recently she had become a dark void too deep for even him to penetrate. She was colder, sharper, more prone to temper, and sometimes seemed on the verge of madness. He wasn't sure the cause of the change, but he didn't like it. He had become almost as unsettled with her character as he was with the Night Crawlers.

When they stopped in front of the temple that had been discovered earlier, the Dark Ace noticed that Master Cyclonis had pulled out her crystal staff, which had her usual violet crystal on one end and a yellow Solar Crystal on the other. He tensed, wondering why she thought she would need her staff at all. _Relax_, he told himself. She probably had it out so the Solar Crystal could give them light in the temple. But then why was she holding the violet end out in front?

The red-eyed Night Crawler turned to Cyclonis. "The doorway is inside, Master," he said.

Master Cyclonis smirked and walked past him, leading the way inside. The Dark Ace followed close behind, again unsettled by the Night Crawlers following him. But he guessed that if the cave was dangerous, having the Night Crawlers around was worth it; though they're hearts were cold as a north wind, or perhaps because of it, they were useful to have in a fight . . . if they were on your side.

Master Cyclonis led them down the corridor, which was surprisingly well lit. She only stopped when she reached the entrance of a large chamber. "Impressive," she said with a satisfied smile.

The Dark Ace blinked in surprise. He saw nothing but an ancient staircase leading up to a very ordinary, if not well-decorated, item. He chuckled. "A door?" he said aloud to Cyclonis. All this trouble for a door?

"Not just any door, Dark Ace," Master Cyclonis answered. "This one leads us to the future of Cyclonia."

To the Dark Ace, the door didn't look like it led to anything at all. But as strange as Master Cyclonis had been acting lately, she was still no less brilliant than she had ever been, and the Dark Ace had much reason to think she knew what she was doing . . . that when it came to this door, she just might know things that were beyond him.

Suddenly Cyclonis gasped at the sound of heavy, running footsteps of some huge beast. The Dark Ace whirled around at once and was faced with one of the strangest monsters he had ever seen! The monster stopped and roared, showing them its dozens of needle-sharp teeth. Even the Night Crawlers drew back, getting down into stances that were ready for fight or flight. The Dark Ace couldn't for the life him recognize the species of this gargoyle-like guardian of the door, but he knew one thing; it was not about to get his Master.

The Dark Ace drew his sword, lit it, and charged the beast. The creature saw his attack and turned to face him. The Dark Ace leapt into the air and flipped, preparing to bring his sword down on the beast.

But the monster was quicker. It batted the Dark Ace away with one swat of its hand. The Dark Ace cried out as he was hit, sailing backwards through the air, the sword falling out of his hand. Master Cyclonis cringed sympathetically as the Talon landed on his stomach. Immediately the Dark Ace tried to push himself off the ground, but he only fell down again in the attempt. He was aching and winded from his fall and simply couldn't breathe.

The monster roared and then stepped toward Master Cyclonis. The Dark Ace wished to go to her and protect her. Why were all those Night Crawlers just standing there? Why didn't they do something?

The beast leaned down toward Cyclonis, its mouth open as it growled deep in its throat. But before the creature could strike, Cyclonis held up the violet crystal-tipped point of her staff. "_Appello Cyclonis!_" she said, clearly saying something like a spell. The violet crystal glowed in the creature's face. The beast stopped and with a low moan, got down on all fours and bowed before her.

The Dark Ace couldn't believe it. He got to his feet, rubbing his aching head. His mind ran in circles, wondering how the little witch could possibly have that much control over such a monster. Still rubbing his head, he walked up to her, asking, "But . . . how?"

"Let's just say this is something of a family pet," Master Cyclonis answered, "a watchdog."

The Dark Ace blinked in surprise. If he wasn't used to Master Cyclonis' surprises now, he never would be. But although he knew there were a few secrets about Cyclonia's royal family that he did not know, he was starting to realize how _little_ he knew about the family at all.

He noticed Cyclonis looking at the door again. "Well," he said, "do we open it?"

"No," Cyclonis answered, "not yet." Her smirk was devoid of happiness, joy, giddiness, sorrow, anger . . . everything but malice.

* * *

Back in Cyclonia, Ravess was in the throne room. She had called for the top five commanders under her to report, but only four stood before her now. One of them was her current lieutenant. He kept glancing to his right, where Snipe should have stood. Where was he?

Finally they all heard loud, harsh humming. Snipe came strolling in, a silly grin on his face. He stepped in line beside the lieutenant and didn't stop humming until Ravess spoke to him angrily. "You are late, Commander Snipe." She held up a finger. "Consider this your first and last warning," she growled through gritted teeth.

Her tone would have frightened the lieutenant had it been directed at him, but Snipe just chuckled into his fist. "Whatever," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

Perhaps it was a sibling thing, the lieutenant reasoned.

"In fact," Ravess said to them all, "you're all on notice. You might fool Cyclonis with your lazy in competence," she laid a hand on her chest, "but you won't fool _me!_" She started pacing on the platform in front of them. "There will be no more slacking, no more disorganization. Everyone will pull their weight and do exactly as they're told, or receive a one-way trip to the dungeon!" She pointed down at the ground, where the dungeon lay floors below. "Am I clear?"

He tone was so harsh that they all cringed and nodded hastily. All except Snipe. The lieutenant gasped in disgust when he saw the Snipe was picking his nose, glancing around the room.

"One more thing," Ravess added loudly and harshly. "As long as I'm running things, you'll address me as 'Master Ravess'!" She said it with a twitch in her eye, clenching her fist. It frightened the lieutenant a little.

But Snipe wasn't frightened at all. Rather, he burst out laughing. "Master Ravess?" he yelled in disbelief. He pointed at her a laughed so hard that the lieutenant thought he was going to fall over.

That didn't make Master Ravess very happy at all. In fact, she looked downright pissed. "So you think that's funny?" she yelled at her brother, her eyes wide and twitching with rage.

Snipe gave her thumbs up and gave her an amused smirk.

He was definitely not being a Cyclonian commander right now. He was being a brat little brother.

* * *

But unfortunately for him, Ravess _was_ being master. Or perhaps she was being the vengeful older sister. Either way, Snipe later found himself in the mailroom standing by the conveyer belt. Behind him were the stacks of finished letters. On the conveyer belt in front of him were letter after letter, already written and addressed, just needing a stamp.

This was Ravess' punishment. Snipe was stuck in the mailroom with stamps all over his hand, licking each one to stick it on the letter as it went by.

He licked on stamp and slammed it down on the letter angrily. "Stupid," he grumbled, licking another stamp and slamming it on the next letter, "lousy," lick, slam, "dumb," lick slam, "sister!"

But the one he licked after he said sister was particularly disgusting. He gasped and stuck his tongue out. "Yuck!"

For hours this went on, until Snipe's tongue was dry as sand paper, and his throat felt hoarse. He got stamps all over his hands and his hair. Eventually he was so exhausted that he let his exhausted tongue hang out of his mouth, resting on the conveyer belt. He ran another stamp over it and stuck it on the final letter as it passed by. Pulling his tongue back in his mouth and standing up again, he sighed in relief. "Last one!"

But then suddenly he heard a bell ring. Curiously he looked up, only to see a whole flock of letters that needed stamps come shooting out of the conveyer.

As Snipe saw the pile of letters start toward him, he was filled with disbelief. All that work and exhaustion . . . Quickly his shock mounted to anger, which quickly drowned out his fatigue. "Na uh!" he said, shaking his head. "No way!" He wasn't going to take anymore of this nonsense. He was out of here!

He turned and ran toward the door, desperate to get out. It wasn't opening fast enough for him, and rather than waiting, he gave a yell and punched the door down, taking all his anger out on it.

Unfortunately, he had not counted on Ravess and five of her Talons waiting for him to try to leave. And one of the Talons was the lieutenant.

The lieutenant smirked as Snipe raised an eyebrow and said, "Huh?" Next to the lieutenant, Ravess seemed downright vengeful. This was going to be good. Already the lieutenant had gotten to see the great Snipe reduced to a stamp licker. He couldn't wait to see what was next.

"I thought I gave you a job to do!" Ravess yelled at her brother, her hands on her hips.

"I will not lick another stamp!" Snipe yelled back. "I'm done!"

"Oh, you will lick stamps, brother," Ravess answered, "or trust me, it gets worse!" She smirked as she spoke.

"Hah!" Snipe huffed in disbelief, crossing his arms. "Says you!" He didn't think it could get much worse than this.

* * *

Apparently he was wrong.

Ravess, the lieutenant, and three other Talons brought Snipe to the laundry room. Snipe looked around the room at the white items with green trim and a red Cyclonian insignia on each lying all over the floor and tossed in full laundry baskets. All of them smelled horrible.

At Ravess' direction, Snipe picked up a basket. "Dirty _underwear?_" he gasped in disbelief.

"From the entire royal fleet," Ravess answered with a smirk. She pointed at him and said in a light voice, "I'll expect them daisy-fresh!" And with that, she marched out, Snipe growling after her.

As her Talons followed, the lieutenant smirked to himself. It was so much fun to see a higher ranking Talon put to such a miserable, demeaning task.

And Snipe was miserable. He spent hours upon hours doing laundry, cleaning, ironing, and then stacking the underwear until there were entire towers surrounding him. He sighed in exhaustion as he finished ironing the last one. "Done!" he gasped, sighing in relief. "Finally time for some shuteye!" He stretched, already dreaming about his neglected bed.

But then he heard a buzzing and saw the light on the laundry chute light up. "Huh?" he gasped, looking up.

Next thing he knew, a whole pile of dirty socks and underwear shot out of the chute and completely buried him.

Snipe couldn't believe how _bad_ it smelled in there! He came up for air, his mouth full of socks, the horrible taste making bile rise up in his throat. He shook his head, spitting the socks out, his face green. "Eh!" he exclaimed, sticking his tongue out. "Gross!"

This new load _had_ to smell worse than the first one. So much so, in fact, that Snipe decided to give it another sniff just to be sure, more out of curiosity than anything.

The smell was enough to knock him out of his senses, and he fell over in a heap among the underwear, his unconsciousness soon succumbing to true sleep.

And he was still asleep Ravess came marching in the room and saw him lying there. "What?" she exclaimed, her anger boiling. "Asleep on the job?"

This was unacceptable. "SNIPE!"

"Ah!" Snipe exclaimed, waking with a jolt and flailing his arms fearfully as he sat up. He looked around, not remembering where he was or how he got there. He placed a hand on his head. "How . . . ?"

But he stopped short when he saw Ravess glaring at him murderously. "Uh oh," he said. No matter what the situation was, that look was never good.

Ravess immediately called her lieutenant, who came with his staff, and, much to his amusement and Snipe's dismay, she told him to help her escort Snipe to the dungeon. Once there, they put him in the nearest cell. Ravess laughed as they shut the door.

But as amusing as it was for Master Ravess, she had important matters to attend to and didn't tarry long. She turned to go, only to bump into the lieutenant. Rather than apologizing, as the lieutenant felt she should have done, she glared at him and shouted, "Fool! Watch where you're going!" As if it were _his_ fault.

The lieutenant cringed away from her. Even though it was her fault, he wasn't about to make an angry Ravess even more angry, especially while she was acting-master. "My apologies, Master Ravess," he said respectfully.

Rather than giving any indication he was forgiven, she merely dusted off her shoulder contemptuously. Then she eyed him. "You look familiar," she said, and by the way she said it, the lieutenant knew she meant _before_ he was made her current lieutenant.

The lieutenant smiled. A high-ranking Talon actually seemed to almost _recognize_ him! "Yes," he said, hoping to catch her attention even more with his words, "well, I am one of the top commanders in the fleet, Master." He straightened proudly, fist clenched in excitement, thinking now was his chance to make his impression.

"Oh, yes," Ravess said, placing a hand on her chin thoughtfully, "you're . . . you're that guy." She immediately got an image of a man covered in white chicken feathers. "What's his name?"

"Uh . . . uh . . . um," the lieutenant stuttered, trying to think. He hadn't actually come up with a good Talon name for himself yet, but he wasn't about to lose his opportunity with Ravess. He held up a finger. "I-i-it's—"

"Doesn't matter," Ravess suddenly interrupted. "Just shape up!" She stalked past him.

The lieutenant's face fell, and he let his hand drop. "Right," he muttered to himself grumpily. After all the demands Ravess had been putting on him lately, why was she treating him so callously? Of course, she wasn't the first one to do so. The lieutenant sighed. "I work my tail off for this place," he said to himself, "and they still don't even know my name!"

"I can change that!" a cold voice said to him.

The lieutenant turned at once. It was Snipe who had been talking. He was smirking at the lieutenant through the bars of his cage.

The lieutenant couldn't believe it. Snipe had never spoken to him before. Just to be sure, he pointed to himself. "Are you talkin' to me?" he asked.

"_Yes!_" Snipe answered almost in a hiss. He reached an arm through the cage and gestured for the lieutenant to come closer. "Get over here!"

And so the lieutenant walked over to Snipe's cell and leaned toward the bars. Snipe cupped his hands around the Talon's ear and started whispering his plan, cackling to himself as he did. As the lieutenant listened, a cold smile spread across his face.

What an _excellent_ idea!

* * *

Author's Notes: Ugh, I am already not liking this. I wasn't sure how to portray this episode; even in third person, I'm a "primary point of view" writer. Or at least, that's my forte. The person who was in the most scenes was Chicken Feather, so I decided to do him. I thought it would be fun to do an episode his point of view. But he's frustrating because he doesn't really have a name for himself, so I have to call him whatever is most convenient. And there are still many scenes were he does not feature! Which means I end up scrounging around looking for someone's mind to latch onto. Wait . . . that sounded kind of creepy. Whatever, you know what I mean!

I enjoyed any time I did the Dark Ace's point of view, I have to say. But he'll disappear for most of the episode after this chapter. He gets, what, half a page in the end?

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: A _coup __d'état_is a French term that means "a sudden overthrow of the government, usually by a military group."

And that's pretty much what happens in this episode. Twice. Sort of.


	179. Power Grab: Master Snipe

Chapter 2: Master Snipe

Within Master Cyclonis' throne room, Master Ravess was establishing herself as the superiority above Master Cyclonis' crystal-blending machine that had replaced the Storm Engine on the stand. She was humming to herself, having lots of fun hitting the keys and making the mechanical arms pick up the many-colored crystals and throw them into its various pipes. She had seen Master Cyclonis doing this many times, but now that she was gone, Ravess could do it herself!

The thought of Master Cyclonis dampened Ravess' mood immediately. The little snot-nosed child was always cruel, never appreciative of all that Ravess does, always thinking she knew best. And she was only fourteen!

Ravess stopped pressing the keys on the keyboard and looked up at the machine in disgust. "Cyclonis," she grumbled, "you think you're so special, with your strange machines and silly crystal magic? Hah!" She went back to playing with the machine. "Nonsense."

She started pressing so many buttons at once that the crystal adding and grabbing sped up to the point where it was nearly a blur of motion. Ravess cackled as she went, dumping more and more crystals into the machine, one right after the other, power building up in the machine so bolts of crystal energy sizzled around it. Ravess' heart raced at the thrill! Look at her! Look at her in control! Look at her with the power, more power than anyone . . .

The machine overloaded at last. The keyboard sparked, making Ravess reel back as she was covered with black smoke. The machine came to halt, all lights going out on it.

So maybe Ravess couldn't control that machine, that powerful machine that was above her. But a little girl was hardly like this machine! "You're just a childish witch who knows nothing about running an empire!" Ravess yelled, shaking her fist at Cyclonis' invention.

Suddenly she heard cold laughter and spun around, her heart still racing with fury.

Snipe was walking toward her, his mace in his hand, which he was tapping against his open palm. "I'm sure she'd love to hear that!" he told Ravess.

Ravess could hardly believe her eyes. "I locked you away!" she yelled, pointing at Snipe.

"And I'm kinda angry about that!" Snipe growled back. With a yell, he swung his mace in her direction, shooting a crystal pulse that sent Master Ravess flying backward to land flat on her back.

Ravess had hardly regained her senses when Snipe shouted, "And I'm done listening to you, big sister!"

Ravess sat up and snarled at him. How _dare_ he!

But Snipe wasn't done. He marched toward her. "Hah!" he teased. "You're not so big now!"

He raised his mace and was about to slam it down on top of her. But Ravess was quicker. She rolled out of the way, leaping to her feet. "Huh?" Snipe gasped as he saw Ravess jumped toward him. He didn't have time to dodge before she kicked him clear across the room and through the next wall.

"Ooh! Ow!" Snipe exclaimed as he slid out into the hallway, stars dancing around his head.

But rather than knocking sense into him, as Ravess had intended to do, Snipe seemed even angrier. He roared like an enraged bull and leapt to his feet, charging Ravess head-on, his mace forgotten.

But Ravess wasn't afraid of her bumbling oaf of a brother. "Big is not always better, _little brother!_" she told him, preparing himself for his charge.

Just as Snipe was nearing her, she leapt into the air and did a somersault, coming down on her feet facing Snipe. Snipe ran on until he ran straight into the opposite wall with a loud, "Ow!"

Ravess smirked at him. "I rest my case," she said.

Still furious as ever, Snipe peeled himself off the wall, where he had made an indention, and spun around to snarl at his sister.

Ravess wasn't going to wait for any more folly. "Now, _brother_," she said, reaching for her bow, stringing three arrows at once, and pointing them at Snipe, "it's time you got back to your cage!"

But before she could shoot, someone else shot instead . . . at her. She screamed as the pulse knocked her to the ground, scattering her bow and arrows. She groaned, and everything faded to black.

Snipe laughed as he walked up to his unconscious sister. "Or maybe _not!_" he said triumphantly. He looked over at the one who fired, putting his hands on his hips and cackling.

Ravess' former lieutenant stepped out from behind a pillar, his staff in his hand, a smirk on his face.

* * *

When Ravess awoke, she found herself in a terrible state. She was filthy and covered in black suit from Cyclonis' machine, her hair and clothes were disheveled from her fight, and she was being led into the dungeons and shoved into the very cell Snipe had been locked up in . . . shoved in so roughly that she nearly fell. Betrayed and locked up by her own brother.

Snipe laughed in her face as he shut the door on her, the violet crystal key dangling from the key ring clutched in his fingers. "Now," he said, pointing a thumb to himself, "it's _my_ turn to be master!" He cackled again and spun around, walking away proudly, twirling the key ring on his finger.

Ravess growled after him and gripped the bars of her door, mostly in rage but also in fear. She didn't know how she'd lost her battle to Snipe, but she knew one thing: Cyclonis was _not_ going to like this.

* * *

Snipe soon had Cyclonis' machine moved out of the throne room, which he replaced with a real throne (the former Master Cyclonis') and then put in a few more . . . _decorations_. Once it was all done, he looked around with satisfaction, plopping himself down in the throne and looking up at the metal raven on the top of the throne, whose wings were curved over the Cyclonian ruler as if to embrace him or her.

Snipe took another look around at the decorations. "Not bad," he told the two Talons who were standing in front of his throne, waiting for more orders. He spread out his arms, saying, "But make it bigger! And, uh, _more murals!_"

Three lights came on all around the room, showing Master Snipe's new wall decoration. All around him were portraits and photographs of himself looking tough and important.

Snipe laughed in delight at all this. This "master" stuff was _awesome!_

At that moment, Ravess' former lieutenant, the man who had helped Snipe take the throne, came up to him and saluted. "Commander Snipe," he greeted him hopefully.

But rather than greeting him in a friendly manner, Snipe turned to him and then pointed a fat finger at him. "Hey!" he yelled. "You're blocking my view!"

The Talon cringed away at the sudden hostility. "Forgive me, Commander Snipe," he said at once.

"That's _Master_ Snipe!" Snipe corrected, pointing a finger at him again. He slammed his fist against the arm of his throne irritably, making the scar-faced Talon cringe. "And what'd ya want?"

"Well, I, uh," the scar-faced Talon reminded Snipe, clearing his throat—this was not the way he envisioned this going when he performed his mutiny against Ravess—"said we could talk about my, uh . . . promotion, and—"

"Ah, buzz off!" Snipe yelled at him in annoyance. "Can't ya see I'm busy here?"

The scar-faced Talon felt his heart drop. He'd never felt more hurt by another Talon. "So sorry, Master Snipe," he said respectfully, saluting him, trying to hold back his tears of disappointment. "I'll come back when it's more . . ." he sniffled, ". . . convenient." And with that he slunk away, looking as pitiful as a dog with its tail between its legs.

Snipe grunted in disgust at the weak-looking Talon and turned back to his mace, which he held in his hand. He didn't have time to listen to crybabies; he was too busy ruling Cyclonia! He held up his mace high and started humming a heroic tune to himself, one that he thought suited the Master of Cyclonia.

The two Talons standing in front of him, including the mustached Talon, exchanged perplexed glances.

But soon the song got dull. Snipe suddenly stopped humming and sat back in his chair. "Hmm," he said, looking around, "this ruling thing his boring." He beat the tip of his mace on the arm of his throne and looked to the two Talons to provide entertainment.

The two Talons exchanged glances again and shrugged. They didn't know what they were supposed to do to keep happy. It was his job to tell them.

Suddenly Snipe's face lit up. He had just gotten a brilliant idea. "What we need is moto-jousting!" he exclaimed.

* * *

Jousting is a rather ancient sport, and moto-jousting is simply jousting on a motorized vehicle, usually a skyride. Each member holds a lance that is crystal-tipped, and both charge each other, trying to knock their opponent off their skyride with their lance. If both miss, they need to rematch.

Master Snipe decided to hold his jousts down in the hangar bay. He grabbed a jousting lance and mounted his Heli-Blade, directing five other Talons to grab lances and mount their rides as well. Then they all lined up in front of Snipe, the mustached Talon in the middle.

Snipe sneered at them, his lance pointed toward them. All the Talons were trembling with fright. "Ready?" Snipe shouted.

"Um, no!" the mustached Talon answered honestly for all of them.

But Snipe didn't pay attention to his answer. He wanted to joust, which meant they would joust!

A horn sounded over the speaker. That was the signal. "Go!" Snipe shouted, charging toward them.

The mustached Talon gasped as he started his own charge, knowing he was the first one Snipe would knock off his ride. The other Talons followed behind in a V.

The mustached Talon screamed just before Snipe's lance collided with him and sent him flying clear across the hangar bay. As he swept by the others, Snipe knocked them off their rides, too, even throwing a brown chicken into the air.

Done with his work, Snipe spun around and brought his Heli-Blade to a stop where he had started, laughing in delight. "Yes!" he shouted, clenching fist. "I totally rule! Who's next?"

The Talons stared at him in disbelief. They had landed among the many supply crates stacked in the hangar bay, some draped over them, others hanging off. The chicken clucked pitifully, having landed in a heap on the floor.

After getting no response, Snipe got impatient. "I said, 'Who's next?'" he shouted angrily, beating the butt of his lance against the ground. He was master now. They were supposed to be jumping to their feet, ready to serve him.

"Uh, Master Snipe?" a tentative voice said.

Everyone turned to see the scar-faced Talon commander walking up to Snipe, looking both timid but hopeful. "Would this be a good time?" he asked. He simply couldn't wait to ask about his promotion.

Snipe's face lit up into a smile. "Actually, you're timing is perfect!" he said, giving him a thumb up.

The scar-faced Talon couldn't believe his luck. They were going to talk.

However, his hopes fell to apprehension when he heard Snipe give a sinister laugh.

Moments later, the scar-faced Talon was mounted on a skyride on the opposite side of the hangar bay as Snipe and holding a jousting lance. The Talon commander felt uncomfortable; he wasn't used to using skyrides and usually tried to avoid them out of embarrassment. The idea of driving one one-handed while holding a heavy lance was frightening, to say the least. Especially when all he expected to accomplish was to get a beating from Snipe. He looked up as his current master pleadingly. "Is this really necessary?" he asked. "I mean, I'm . . . I'm not even half your size!" He gestured toward Snipe with the lance.

Snipe remembered this Talon now; he was the one who had been sulking earlier. "Oh, stop being a crybaby and joust me!" he yelled.

"And then we can discuss my promotion?" the scar-faced Talon asked hopefully.

"Yeah, whatever," Snipe answered dismissively.

A horn blared over the speaker, just as before. "Go!" Snipe yelled, charging.

The nameless scar-faced Talon tried to charge, too, but he didn't have a firm enough grip on the gas; the Switchblade jumped forward only to halt and jump again. He finally got it going smoothly, but he couldn't hold it straight with only one hand; he gasped as the Switchblade started to weave uncontrollably as it neared Snipe, who had just realized what was going on and was staring with wide eyes.

Finally the scar-faced Talon's arm gave out with the weight of the lance, and he let the lance's point fall. The crystal tip caught on a floor grate and flipped up, pulling the scar-faced Talon right out of his seat. The Talon held to the lance, which bent completely in the opposite direction with the Talon dangling from it. When it grew still for a just a moment, the Talon could still here it stretching. "Oh, boy," he muttered. He knew what was coming next.

Suddenly snapping straight again, the lance slung the Talon right toward Snipe like a slingshot. He landed in the Heli-Blade, accidentally knocking Snipe out of the ride and sending the master careening into the wall, where he landed upside-down so hard that he left an imprint in the metal. He groaned, eyes rolling, as he fell, hitting his head first on the floor. He groaned again, stars dancing around his head, as his legs fell forward to face-plant him on the floor.

The scar-faced Talon was able to escape the Heli-Blade and saw Snipe fall to the floor. That wasn't good at all. But surely Snipe realized that nothing harmful toward him had been intentional. And the scar-faced Talon had attempted to joust, just as Snipe asked him to. But after what just happened, would he talk to him at all? The scar-faced Talon walked up to Snipe, rubbing the back of his gloved hand nervously.

Snipe sat up, holding his head, stars still dancing in his eyes. "Ow," he groaned.

The scar-faced Talon took a deep breath; it was now or never. "_Now_ may we discuss my advancement?"

Snipe got painfully to his feet. "We're not discussing _anything!_" he yelled back angrily, clenching his fists. "And you cheated!"

"But—" the scar-faced Talon squeaked, preparing to tell Snipe that it was an accident, but Snipe wouldn't hear it.

"But nothing!" he yelled with such ferocity that the Talon cringed and trembled. "Scram before I really give you something to complain about!" He held up his fist threateningly.

The scar-faced Talon turned and walked away, rejected once again. His shoulders were slouched in defeat, but he was feeling far from complacent this time. _Twice _Snipe had thrown him off like a useless nobody. "So that's how it goes," he grumbled, angrily eyeing Snipe behind him. "Well, _two_ can play this little game!"

* * *

Later, Master Snipe was taking a bubble bath and playing with his toys in the tub. One of them was a rubber sky shark and the other was a rubber ducky. He made the sky shark growl at the ducky. The ducky quacked back.

"You're no match for my big, pointy teeth!" Snipe made the sky shark say in a wheezy voice.

"Oh, yeah?" he had the ducky answer in a deep voice. "Well, how 'bout I give you a big duck-o smash?" Then he had the two fight each other by making growl and quack noises and slamming the two together.

Just then, a Talon functionary with slick blond hair walked in holding a clipboard, completely ignoring the fact that a bath was supposed to be a _private_ affair.

Master Snipe stopped his play at once, looking back and forth between his two toys in embarrassment. Then, deciding it didn't matter, he shoved the toys, one in either hand, down in the water and growled at the Talon. "What'd you want?"

"Uh," the Talon said in a nasally voice, "these papers demand your immediate attention, sir." The Talon held out the clipboard to him, raising an eyebrow at seeing his new master naked in a bubbly bathtub.

Papers? This dude was interrupting his bath for _papers?_ "I'm busy," Snipe answered coldly, turning back to his toys to keep playing.

"Sir," the functionary pressed, "at the very least, we need approval for departures and arrivals."

Snipe raised an eyebrow. "Do I _look_ like I care?"

"But what if someone enters our airspace?" the functionary asked.

What a stupid question! What else do you do when someone comes near you? Snipe dropped his hands back into the water with loud splashes and yelled, "Blast 'em! You heard me!" he added when the functionary looked astonished.

Little did he know that the Talon's shock came from seeing a green gas bubble rise up out of water behind Snipe and pop in the air.

"Now scram!" Snipe shouted.

The functionary left so quickly that he dropped his clipboard and didn't both running back for it. There was no way he was going back to the awful smell!

* * *

After awhile, the Raptors flew over the borders of Cyclonian airspace. Repton narrowed his eyes in curiosity as he was a whole fleet of Switchblades ready to meet them. What was going on? Were they assembling for a battle?

Lugey put his spyglass to his eye and zoomed in on one of the Talons. It was the mustached Talon, and he was snarling angrily.

"Uh, they don't look so friendly this time, Repton," Lugey told his brother uncertainly, lowering the spyglass.

* * *

Moments later, Snipe was in his throne room in his seat, having gotten some pants on but remaining shoeless and shirtless. One Talon was carving his long, disgusting toenails with a grating surface meant for sharpening metals. Snipe's toenails were so hard and long that they set up sparks when grated on, and the Talon had to wear a drilling mask. Meanwhile, poor Snivelle was being used as Snipe's footrest.

Snipe was relaxing peacefully, his hands folded behind his head, when heard the door open. Wondering what it could be, he turned with a raised eyebrow.

It was the scaly, cold-blooded Repton and his three bumbling idiot brothers. The two were being escorted by a group of Talons led by the nameless scar-faced Talon. All of the Raptors were covered with marks that appeared to be like suit, smoke rising off them, as if they had been in an attack. Repton was snarling in pure fury.

As they stopped in front of the throne, Snipe got to his feet. He had never liked Repton, and he did not like the look on the toothy reptile's face.

"Where is Cyclonis?" Repton shouted, his voice almost shaking with anger. He clenched a fist. "I demand to speak to her!"

"She's off on some secret mission," Snipe told Repton, smiling proudly, "so I'm in charge!" (He thought it best to omit the dispute with Ravess.) "Now what'd ya want?" he asked Repton.

"You to explain why I was shot out of the sky!" Repton snarled back.

Snipe thought back to his order earlier in the bathtub. That order had gotten Repton shot down? That must have been a riot! Snipe pointed at Repton and chuckled in amusement. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."

"_Sorry?_" Repton shouted in furious disbelief. "You shoot us down, and _sorry_ is all you've got?"

Well, Snipe wasn't about to take that from this peanut-brained lizard. "I've _got_ a knuckle sandwich!" he retorted with a smirk, holding up a fist threateningly. "How'd you like that, huh? Now beat it, lizard boy, before I blast ya again!"

Repton snarled, his fists clenched so white that his scales crinkled, his snake-like eyes narrowing on Snipe. He crouched as if to spring, but as soon as he did, Talons on either side of him, including the scar-faced Talon, lowered their staffs to point at him. Much as he didn't like Snipe, the scar-faced Talon couldn't let Repton attack his "master"; he had to look like he was still loyal, at least for now.

Repton slouched in defeat and looked up at Snipe with pure hatred. Master Snipe only laughed sadistically before the Raptors were escorted out by the four Talon guards.

Being the leader of the guard, the scar-faced Talon walked next to Repton on the way out and could clearly hear Repton snarling to himself. "Lousy, dimwitted, idiot Snipe!" the Raptor growled, his fist clenched. "Why, if I had my way, the likes of Snipe would bow to _me!_"

Bow to him, huh? The very thought through an idea at the scar-faced Talon's head like a sledgehammer. Here was his chance to get revenge on Snipe for his treatment. He turned to Repton. "Perhaps, uh, _I_," he laid a hand on himself, "could arrange that!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Hey, I have a trivia! I thought I'd have to skip trivia for this chapter. But then Strawberry Kaydee came around and pointed something out. It has to do with "agro spores," the spores that infected Finn in the episode, "What Got into Finn?"

_Storm Hawks_ related trivia: "Agro" is slang for aggressive or aggravated.

Doesn't that fit the spores so well? Much better than whatever meaning I had found. What was it . . . something about the Greek meaning of the word . . . "field" or "tilled land" or something?

Anyway, that's all for now . . . still starting to switch points of view a lot more . . . meh. Last chapter for this episode up next!


	180. Power Grab: The Doorway to the End

Chapter 3: The Doorway to the End

In the throne room, Snipe was having quite a good time. He was stripped down to all but a white towel on his lower end and was lying on his stomach on a massage bed, his face stuck through the hole in the bed's head. The mustached Talon was his massager, and though he seemed uncomfortable, Snipe was not in the least. He groaned in pleasure. "Now _this_ is the life," he sighed.

But unbeknownst to him, shadows were falling over him. The frightened mustached Talon gasped and ran from the room.

Snipe noted the lack of hands on him for a moment, but he merely waited for the hands to come back. And sure enough, they did. But this time, it was different. "Ow, ow!" Snipe yelled in pain. For some reason, now the hands were much rougher. "What are those gloves made out of? Sandpaper?" Snipe snarled. The hands on his back changed, which must have meant the Talon had taken his sandpaper gloves off. "Ow! You're hands are worse!"

Snipe sat up to yell at the Talon for not doing his massage right. As soon as he did, he gasped.

His Talon was no longer in front of him. Instead he was met with the face of Repton laughing at him, his brothers smirking behind him.

Snipe didn't have time to run away before the Raptors leapt upon him.

* * *

A short time later, the captured Snipe was properly dressed and taken down to the dungeon, where he was locked in the cell next to Ravess'. He growled and grabbed at the door as it slammed shut on him.

The sight made Ravess laugh. At last, someone had put Snipe in his place! "Well done, Repton," she told Cyclonia's liberator. She smiled warmly, making a welcoming gesture. "Now let me out!"

To her embarrassment, the Raptors only laughed at her. But she kept the smile on her face, though it twitched a little.

But the next thing Repton said sent horror down her spin. "Remember this, boys!" he told his brothers. "That's the last order you'll ever hear her give us now that _I'm _in charge of Cyclonia!" He clenched his fists in triumph, and the Raptors cackled in triumph.

Ravess' smile fell to a look of utter shock. She and Snipe exchanged nervous glances. They had just inadvertently handed Cyclonia over to someone who was no more than a "convenient" friend of Cyclonis. This wasn't liberation; this was a _coup d'état_.

Most of all, this was not good.

* * *

Hours later, the Cyclonian armada was ready, along with thousands of Switchblades circling the ships. In the lead ship, Repton sat on the commander's chair, his brothers in the room waiting for orders.

The scar-faced Talon was there as well. Having been the reason the Raptors had been allowed in the throne room to battle Snipe, he had now become Master Repton's head man and had been quick to follow Repton's orders to assemble the fleet. "We have the armada at our disposal, Master Repton," he assured his new leader, saluting him.

"Exxxxcellent!" Repton hissed. He clenched a fist and slammed it against the arm of his chair in excitement. "The surprise attack will be all too easy!" He looked out the window of his ship, gazing at the other Destroyers and the many Switchblades. "When Cyclonis returns, she won't know what hit her!" He cackled in triumph.

To the scar-faced Talon, this was excellent news. Cyclonis had never given him much credit. But would Repton be any better? He clasped his hands and smiled timidly up at Repton. "Then you'll make me head of the fleet?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Repton grunted, turning back to the Talon as if pull out of thought. "Uh, sure, whatever. What was your name again?"

Oh, yeah, name. "Well," the scar-faced Talon admitted, "I'm still workin' on that, actually. So, what'd ya like better? Steel Claw or Raven Fang?"

Repton raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head. "I could care less," he admitted.

The Talon's face fell at that. He could care _less?_ How could he not care?

"Now, everyone," Repton yelled, pointing at his brothers, "get to your posts!"

The three other Raptors were currently fighting over the helm. Lugey stood back a little as Hoerk tried to take the wheel from Spitz's hands. Spitz waved him off. "I got here first!" he snarled.

"I wanted to drive!" Lugey yelled angrily. Then, without further warning, he leapt on his brothers.

As the three got in a tussle, they kept striking the wheel, making the ship throw itself first one way, then the other. Finally the ship tipped onto its nose, listing to starboard. All the Raptors yelled in fright as they went sliding into the wall and the ship began to fall into a dive.

Realizing what was happening, the scar-faced Talon slid along the floor, managing to keep his footing. With great effort, he worked his way toward the helm and pulled the ship level again.

As soon as everything was set, the scar-faced Talon expected Repton's praise. But again, he was ignored; the only thing he heard from Repton was his angry yell. The Raptor leader stomped off the captain's chair and stood in front of his brothers. "Would you bumbling imbeciles _get off the bridge?_" he growled through gritted teeth.

His brothers trembled before him, too terrified to move.

"NOW!" Repton shouted.

Nothing could have been better at breaking their paralysis. They fled the bridge as quickly as possible.

Once in the safety of the hallway, the three slowed to a walk. Feeling it was best to stay away from Repton for awhile, they started patrolling the corridors.

But as they walked, Spitz kept replaying the scene on the bridge in his head, and he was getting angrier and angrier. No matter what they did, Repton always called them idiots, always telling them they were worthless. He yelled at them and ordered them around like he owned them. Spitz shook his head. Repton would never have treated the so terribly with Mother around. She would give him a piece of his own medicine . . .

Wait a minute . . . that was it! Spitz smirked to himself. Who was he to take orders from Repton?

He glanced over at his brothers. "I don't know about you guys," he said, his tail whipping from side to side in irritation, "but I've had it with Repton! He treats us like dogs!"

"Yeah!" Lugey agreed immediately. Then he held up a finger questionably. "Is that good?"

Spitz was used to Lugey being stupid, so he didn't bother to explain the obvious implication. Instead, he continued with his rant. "Why should he be in charge? We should be calling the shots!" He pointed his thumb behind him, gesturing back toward the bridge. "Are you with me?" he asked his brothers. For without them, he knew he wouldn't have the brawn to challenge Repton.

"Uh . . . will there be candy?" Lugey asked excitedly.

Spitz smiled broadly and came around on the other side of Lugey, putting an arm around his shoulder. "More candy than you can eat, Lugey!" he assured him.

Lugey sighed in pleasure. That was it. He was in! And one look at Hoerk told Spitz he agreed, too.

* * *

Not long after, the automatic doors to the bridge opened to reveal Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz yelling and charging at a surprised Repton, Spitz leading the charge. Once the group collided, there was an epic struggle, one that hit the helm so many times that the Destroyer was sent off-course. Without the scar-faced Talon there to correct it, the ship was sent charging toward the Cyclonian terra's lower level, where the lowest docks and dungeons were.

* * *

In the dungeons, Snipe was sound asleep . . . until something shook the terra with a loud crash. "Wha?" Snipe grunted, sitting up at once. "Ooh!" he put his hand to his head, which he had just hit on the pipe above his bunk. "Ow!" he groaned.

Ravess had also been startled by the noise and had run to the front of her cell, clutching the bars. "What was that?" she gasped. Whatever it was, it came from above them; the ceiling dipped, slightly, little pebbles breaking off and sprinkling onto the floor.

* * *

The Destroyer had crashed right into the hangar bay above the dungeons. Only a small part of the hull and the rudder could be seen sticking out of the mountain. The bow was completely smashed. But the bridge was unharmed . . . which meant so were the Raptors. At least, they were unharmed by the _crash_.

They were still fighting it out. Overcome with anger at his brothers' betrayal, Repton easily overcame them. He grabbed Lugey first and thrust him toward the windshield. It shattered, and the yelling Raptor went flying into the hangar bay. Spitz was thrown out through the hole he had made, then Hoerk.

Once on the ground, the three brothers cringed on the floor, crowding together. Spitz, who had been so mutinous just minutes before, how held up a hand to beg for mercy. "We didn't mean it, boss!" he shouted, sounding more frightened then anything.

But Repton wasn't buying that nonsense. You didn't just barge in on you leader and attack him and _not mean it!_ Repton was about to show them the price for betrayal. He leapt from the ship's window, landing on his feet in front of them, roaring in fury.

In front of him, Hoerk, Spitz, and Lugey got up. While the other two fled, Lugey held up a finger. "Uh, that was an accident!" he said, before turning to run.

Repton growled with even greater ferocity. Accident his tail! That was _mutiny!_ He charged after them, determined to get revenge.

* * *

Down in the dungeons, Ravess and Snipe were both at the front of their cells, clutching the bars and listening to what was happening up above. Repton's voice rang throughout the passageways: "COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARDS!"

Snipe glanced at Ravess, is if wondering if she knew what was going on. Raves couldn't guess; all she could tell was that Repton was really, _really_ angry with someone.

The sounds of people running and shouting seemed to be getting closer. Then, to Ravess' surprise, Lugey, Spitz, and Hoerk came fleeing into the dungeon through the automatic doors. Once they saw there was nowhere else to go, they spun around and trembled, watching Repton charge at them. But before he reached them, they closed the doors on him.

There was a thud on the other side of the door as Repton tried to force his way through. Spitz let out a little "Eep!" and ran forward, pushing against the door to hold it steady. "Hurry!" he yelled to his brothers. "Block the door!"

Without hesitation, Lugey and Hoerk threw themselves upon it, trying to help Spitz hold Repton back.

Repton roared and punched the door again. "When I get my hands on you three . . . !" he bellowed, not bothering to finish the threat.

Ravess didn't need this to be explained to her anymore. Deadly sibling rivalry was something she was quite familiar with.

A desperate Lugey turned around and spotted Snipe. "Oh, oh, oh, you gotta help us!" he gasped. There was another bag as Repton punched the door once more. Lugey turned all the way around and clasped his hands to beg. "Oh, _please!_"

Snipe smirked. "Sure," he said smoothly. "I'd love to. Uh," he pointed, "just hand me those keys."

Lugey followed his pointing finger and went running to the key ring with the Cyclonian emblem and the violet crystal key hanging from it. It had been hanging on a nail on the opposite wall. "Deh . . . okay," Lugey said to Snipe, preparing to take the key to him.

Ravess couldn't believe it. He would actually _give_ the keys to Snipe? Oh, for once Snipe was being crafty! Well, two could play that game! "Wait!" she said to Lugey. "Why don't you give the keys to me instead?" She held out her hand for them.

"Dah . . ." Lugey said, looking back and forth between them. Finally he smiled at Ravess. "Okay!"

"No!" Snipe roared. He forced a smile. "Give the keys to me!"

Ravess saw Lugey waver. Oh, that stupid, annoying brother of hers! He ruined everything! Ravess clenched a fist at the Raptor. "Come on, Lugey," she growled. "Keys, now!"

Looked utterly befuddled now, Lugey put his hands no his head, looking back and forth between them. "Ooh, ooh!" he gasped. "I can't decide!"

The brown hen, who had also ended up in her own cell in the dungeon in all this craziness, squawked demandingly and held out a wing for Lugey to give _her_ the keys!

But before Lugey could make up his mind, there was a loud growl. Lugey looked up just in time to see the door flying off the wall, soaring toward him, Spitz and Hoerk being carried with it.

BOOM! The door crushed all three Raptors underneath it. "Owy!" Lugey complained.

But when the door landed on him, it had done more than hurt him; it had knocked the key out of his hand. Ravess watched it fly through the air as if in slow motion. It wasn't coming near her. Instead it was headed toward . . .

Snipe's fingers closed around the key. "Yes!" he said with a smirk.

The next moment, Repton growled as he leapt into the room, landing on top of the door that was squashing his brothers.

He was met with a laughing Snipe, who had just freed himself from his cell. Repton stared in bewilderment until he spotted the key in Snipe's hand. Then, growling in rage, he leapt off the door and landed in front of Snipe, getting into a battle stance.

Snipe did the same. "Time for some payback, scaly!" he said, smirking.

"Except we've got _you_ outnumbered!" Repton growled back with his own leer. "Isn't that right, boys?"

"Huh?" the three other Raptors gasped, looking up at Repton. Then, realizing this was one of those rare moments where Repton might forgive them if they helped, they immediately all leapt to their feet, all saying, "Yeah!" and saluting him.

Snipe's smirk fell, and he began to look worried. He hadn't counted on that and was in slight disbelief. Just moments before, Lugey had been begging him to help him and his brothers escape Repton. Now all three of the other Raptors were back to being on Repton's side.

Repton laughed at Snipe's worried expression, and then all four Raptors leapt on him. Ravess winced at the scene, knowing it was not going to be pretty for her brother. All of them were in such a tussle that they rolled along the floor like a giant ball of bodies. Men! And Ravess was forced to sit there and watch their idiocy . . .

But then she smiled. The "ball" was going to roll right past her. She waited until just the right moment and then reached into the tussle, snatching the key away from them.

Yes! She was free! Immediately she ran to her lock, stuck the key in, and twisted. The cell door rose up in front of her, and she stepped out, proud of herself for having handled this situation so well.

But she had hardly taken a step when she gasped in horror. The men's tussling was heading right toward her!

The next moment, all of them knocked into her, sending them sprawling onto the floor into the cell. The impact with so many against the wall made the door jolt and drop shut again.

Ravess sat up and held her head. Stars were dancing in front of her eyes, and it took a moment for her to get her bearings. She looked around. Snipe, Repton, Hoerk, and Spitz were all sprawled on the floor around her, groaning. Wren's hen, who had apparently got swept up in the scuffle somehow, squawked dizzily and fell to the floor with the rest.

Then Ravess groaned and shook her head, at last shaking away her dizziness, and glanced toward the door. "No!" she gasped.

The door was shut. All of them were locked in the cell. And Ravess was no longer holding the key.

Ravess stood up at once. "We can't all be in here!" she said. "Who will be in charge?"

Then she heard a voice, someone letting out a sound of confusion. She turned and gasped. There, standing outside the locked cell, was Lugey. He was scratching his head as if trying to think, the dungeon key in his hand. Then, as if just realizing what he had, he held the key up, gazing at it with a smile. "_Oh,_" he said to himself, as if coming upon a revelation. He laughed in delight.

Now _he_ could be in charge!

* * *

Once the scar-faced Talon had figured out what had happened, he had been quick to convince the rest of the Talons to follow "Master Lugey." So Lugey was led into the throne room, where the throne still sat. The pictures of Snipe were taken down, and the scar-faced Talon made sure Master Lugey got the one and only thing he requested: candy.

The chef Talon bowed humbly before Lugey as he offered his new master his first huge, silver bowl of candy. Lugey laughed in delight, snatching the bowl out of the chef's hand and stuffing his face into it.

But all too soon he was drawing away from it and frowning. He turned it over and shook it. Nothing came out. "Uh, I want more candy!" he complained.

The scar-faced Talon, who had been standing a short way off, clapped his hands twice at the chef. "Snap to it!" he ordered. "You heard the master!"

The black-bearded chef cringed at the scar-faced Talon's curtness and timidly took another bowl of candy to Lugey. Lugey took the bowl and once more stuffed his face in it, eating like a dog.

The scar-faced Talon shielded himself from tiny bits of candy flying everywhere as he approached his new master. "Master Lugey," he said, "about my promotion . . ."

Lugey froze from his eating and looked up at the Talon in confusion. "Uh, sorry," he said. "Do I know you?"

The scar-faced Talon blinked in surprise. He had thought the one person he could convince to promote him was this bumbling idiot. But even _Lugey_ didn't recognize him.

Lugey didn't bother to wait for answer before stuffing his face in the bowl again.

The scar-faced Talon snarled, his eye twitching with rage. This was just plain infuriating. All this work . . . for nothing! Just like always!

Lugey looked up from his eating again, his mouth full. "Ruling Cyclonia is fun!" he said, crumbs flying from his mouth.

Before the scar-faced Talon could draw in his rage to answer, someone shoved him out of the way. As the Talon fell to the ground, he heard a familiar cold voice speak. "Oh, really? I had no idea."

Lugey dropped his bowl, so frightened that he gasped and choked on candy. Master Cyclonis had come back and was now standing before the throne, where the scar-faced Talon had been shoved aside. And in the doorway stood her trusted lieutenant, the Dark Ace.

Lugey immediately fell facedown in front of Master Cyclonis, landing so hard that he groaned, "Owy!" He covered his head with his hands, trembling. He couldn't have found a more pathetic way to prostrate himself.

Her face twisted in cold fury, Master Cyclonis snarled, "Where is Ravess?"

* * *

Moments later, Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace were down in the dungeon to examine the damage.

Ravess smiled sheepishly when she saw her furious master standing in front of their cell, scrutinizing the situation with her ice-cold eyes, taking in the frightened expressions of Hoerk and Spitz and the sheepish looks of Repton and Snipe.

"I can explain," Ravess said desperately.

"I'm sure," Cyclonis answered back. "It's the one thing you're good at."

That comment hurt like nothing else. Ravess had never hated or feared Cyclonis as much as she did in that moment.

But Snipe was even worse. He snickered at Cyclonis' words, smirking at his sister.

Ravess narrowed her eyes at him. How dare he! After all that had happened because of him, how _dare_ he! She pointed at him. "It's all his fault!" she said.

Snipe gasped in horror at such an accusation in front of the master. He turned to his sister. "_My_ fault?" he snarled. "You started it!"

Trying to make himself heard, Repton pointed at Snipe. "He shot me down!"

The whole group of them fell to arguing with one another, pointing and accusing, forgetting all about Master Cyclonis and the Dark Ace.

Master Cyclonis growled in frustration, her eye twitching. But she didn't interrupt the buffoons. That would have been a worthless endeavor. Instead she merely turned and walked out.

The Dark Ace followed after her, glancing back to smirk at the prisoners. Fools! They would be in so much trouble! And the Dark Ace was going to enjoy every second of it!

Out in the hallway, Master Cyclonis still didn't speak. The Dark Ace watched her closely. She wasn't one to explode in anger, but usually she showed a _little_ emotion or at least voiced her thoughts. But this time she did neither.

More to know her state of mind than anything, the Dark Ace asked, "What would you have me do with them, Master?"

"I'd leave them to rot," Master Cyclonis said, stopping and turning to the Ace, "but we still need them around. There's much work to be done. As for Ravess . . . banish her!"

Though her voice was soft and quiet, the ferocity behind her words frightened even the Dark Ace. Although Master Cyclonis had certainly punished Talon leaders before, she had never banished them . . . especially not a distant cousin to the royal family.

The Dark Ace's slight shock went unnoticed by Master Cyclonis. She looked away dreamily. "The Doorway will open a world of dark promise. We must prepare for what will be the end of Atmos."

* * *

Down below, a cargo ship had just landed on the landing strip of one of the lower hangar bays. Red lightning flashed across the sky as a crane was driven out next to the ship. The crane's neck was swung over to lift something large and heavy out from the cargo hold. A minute later, the crane's neck spun back around, the stone staircase with the sealed doorway hanging from its cable. The crane placed the doorway on a large conveyer belt, which carried the doorway inside. Once there, the conveyer stopped, and another crane picked it up and set it on the floor of the hangar bay among the many donut shipments. The door's crystalline designs gleamed with a terrible light as it waited to be opened.

* * *

Author's Notes: I like the ending, but the rest . . . meh. I'm just going to keep saying that. Not good but satisfactory.

The next episode will be even _worse!_ "Home Movie Night"! I am basically forced to just write about what happens in a bunch of videos! No real action, no chance to explore characters, not much for the characters' thoughts to comment on . . . ugh.

Anyway, I have no trivia for this one. I've run out of things to comment on. I just got to know, though . . . who the heck is that brown chicken? Is she loyal to Cyclonia? I would also like to know how the white stalker hen got captured, but knowing the answer would take away from the stalker hen's magic of appearing _everywhere!_

That's all for now. Now, who believes I'll have the other episode out before Halloween? *dead silence* What? I can be reliable! Sort of . . .


	181. Home Movie Night: Remember to UPCHUC

Author's Notes: I am _so_ sorry for taking so long. We've had a bit of tornado trouble where I'm at, so that put me out of writing work for awhile. Not to mention we just had a Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., which means all the family comes over (which is great, but not much fan fiction gets done when that happens). And finally, I wrote this episode _three times!_ No, not computer trouble this time; I just didn't know how to right it. The first time I wrote it objectively, and it was just plain boring with hardly any point of view. I used a lot of descriptive material from that version but threw out the concept. The second idea was to try to switch points of view and have lots of reflections on adventures. This made the fic cumbersome and chaotic and a bit disjointed, so I trashed that idea, too. Eventually I went back to writing from a single point of view with thoughts on the events, and after much debate with myself, I decided that point of view would be Piper. And here it is, the final product that I _refuse _to trash again despite its many flaws.

This is still the most boring episode I've ever written. At least it was only three chapters.

* * *

_**Part 45**_

_**Home Movie Night**_

_Friends gather together. Past experiences are lived again, and lessons are learned._

_A legend is reviewed._

Chapter 1: Remember to UPCHUC

Unaware of everything that was going on in Cyclonia, the Storm Hawks were relaxing, still recovering from their "vacation" on Terra Tropica. They had decided to stay on Terra Amazonia, where they came to the same overhang they had last time and anchored the _Condor_ with her six clamp anchors so she hung from the overhang.

This particular night, the Storm Hawks decided to enjoy themselves by doing something they rarely do.

Piper and Radarr were the first ones in the projector room. But they weren't there to watch the news this time. "Come on, guys!" Piper called to the rest. "It's Home Movie Night!"

"Wahoo!" they heard Finn cheer.

"Yeah!" Junko yelled.

"Huh?" Piper said, turning toward the open door.

A very excited Finn and Junko came running toward the door with their hands up in the air, shouting at the top of their lungs in excitement. Junko was going so fast that he missed the door, unable turn sharply enough. Instead he skidded sideways into the wall on the other end of the hall. But soon he had run back, tripping and falling on his chin in the doorway before getting back up and running in after Finn. "I love movies!" he exclaimed.

Finn yelled as he jumped over the back of the couch and landed on one end. "Yeah! Alright!" Junko yelled as he leapt over the back of the couch and landed on the other end, making the entire couch and Finn jump.

Radarr rolled his eyes and shook his head at their behavior. Piper put her hand on hip and sighed in exasperation. "Finn, Junko, there's enough room for—"

"Dibs on the sofa!" Finn cried, clearly not listening. He and Junko were now facing each other on each end of the sofa, kicking at each other to try to get the other off.

"I got here first!" Junko said.

"Did not!" Finn cried.

Piper sighed. Clearly there was no way she was getting a seat with these two acting the way they were. "I guess I'll just take the floor," she mumbled.

"Um, I wouldn't if I were you," she heard Stork say. She turned to see the Merb kneeling on the floor off to the side of the projection screen. He spread his hands over the floor. "_Deck fleas!_" he told her dramatically.

Radarr, who was fiddling with the projector, turned and gave Stork a weird look, letting out a questionable churr that sounded like, _Huh?_

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Uh, thanks for the tip, Stork." At this point, she had learned it was better just to go along with the things Stork said.

But Piper had a better idea than the floor. The boys were now sitting quietly on the couch, which meant now she could get her seat. She walked up next to the couch, eyeing a lever next to it. Then, with a smirk, she pushed the lever.

The top of the couch fell back, and the seat cushions flipped upward immediately, tossing Finn and Junko onto the floor behind the couch.

Once the couch was back in its normal position, Piper jumped onto the middle cushion, smiling. _That_ was one way that always worked.

Finn and Junko stood up and peered over the couch at her. Finn groaned in disappointment at seeing the sofa taken.

There was just one more member they needed here before they could begin. "Aerrow!" Piper called. "We're starting!"

No sooner had she yelled when a round hatch opened up over the couch. Aerrow dropped through the hole right above Piper. Piper didn't have time to blink before Aerrow plopped down on the couch next to her, making the cushion bounce so high that Piper was sent flying into the air with a cry, landing in Junko's arms. Junko smiled at her. "Hello," he greeted her, as if catching someone falling out of thin air was perfectly normal.

Aerrow turned around and looked back at them. "Sorry, Piper," he said earnestly. But he didn't wait for a response from her before smiling and asking, "Well, Storm Hawks, do we have everything?"

Finn picked up a large, cardboard red-and-white bucket of buttered flame corn. "Flame corn, check!" he said enthusiastically.

Piper let out a small cry as Junko completely dropped her on the floor and pulled out a bent, nasty-looking bottle with green goo oozing out of it. "Yorca juice, check!" he said.

Used to being dropped on the ground by now, Piper was up a moment later, wearing her 3-D goggles. "3-D glasses, check!" she told Aerrow, giving him a thumb up.

Stork, still standing in front of the room, held up a white spray can and said, "Brain slug repellent, check!"

Everyone stared at him blankly. Brain slug repellent?

"Uh, um . . ." Stork cleared his throat awkwardly. "You never know."

Shaking his head at his ridiculousness, Radarr turned back to the projector and pressed the button that he believed would get it started. But instead, a role went flying off on of the wheels and struck Aerrow in the head!

The others burst out laughing while Aerrow gingerly rubbed the back of his head, turning around to look at the projector. "Are ya sure you know how to work that thing, Radarr?" he asked with a teasing smile.

Radarr gave Aerrow an indignant look at the very suggestion that he didn't know what he was doing, but when he turned back to the projector, he whimpered. He really _didn't_ know what he was doing. With a trembling finger, he finally pressed the button that he thought would get it going. Sure enough, the projector began rolling. Radarr let out a delighted churr and turned to look at the screen.

While Stork dimmed the lights, Finn jumped over the back of the couch again to sit next to Aerrow. Piper was about to do the same when Stork quickly slid over and seated himself next to Aerrow, his slug repellent in hand.

Piper, still in her 3-D glasses, groaned and looked at Junko, noticing that they had nowhere to sit. Junko smiled and shrugged as if it didn't really matter, and Piper supposed he was right. After all, they couldn't _all_ fit on the sofa. But Junko was tall enough that he was able to take a seat on the crates behind the couch and still see over it, which is what he did. Piper was forced to remain standing the whole time. Figures.

"Oh, I love this part!" Finn said with delight as the first video started.

That, Piper knew, meant that this first video had to be Finn's.

The video opened with a scene of a sunny sky with plenty of clouds. "_Atmos: skies of danger!_" Finn's voice said over the sound projector. "_And when trouble brews, there is one person you can count on._"

Piper immediately glanced at Aerrow—with that description, that was the first thing she thought of—but then she reminded herself that this was _Finn_, which meant there was only one person the video could be about.

Sure enough, on screen Finn came, flying into view on his Skimmer. "_How's it goin'?_" the Finn on the screen said, pointing to the camera. He cocked his eyebrows in what Finn must have thought was a "cool" look. Piper thought he looked constipated.

The scene turned back to open sky, the clouds parting to allow sunlight in. Words flashed across the scene, accompanied by Finn's voice reading them off. "_Sharpshooter! *The Ballad of Finn*._"

The scene then went to Finn flying his Skimmer again, his retractable crossbow coming out of the bow. As Finn took aim, the camera view was changed so it was looking through the scope on the top of the crossbow. "_Presented in Finn-vision,_" Finn's voice said while the words _IN FINN-VISION _appeared in the middle of the view through the scope.

The next scene was Finn shooting at Ravess and then peeling off, a moment accompanied by Finn's voice shouting, "_Sharpshooter!_" as if he were in a rock concert. In fact, the background music _was_ hard rock instrumental.

The next was a scene of Finn at the _Condor_'s canon, firing a series of blasts in all directions. "_Yah! Yah! Yah!_" the Finn on screen yelled as he shot.

The real Finn was so excited by all of this that he jumped out of his seat and started playing air guitar with the guitar in the video. "Sharpshoote-e-e-e-r-r-r-r! Yeah!" he yelled, or "sang," with the voice on the movie.

Piper had to cover her mouth to keep from bursting out into laughter; Finn just looked so ridiculous! Apparently Stork had to do the same. Junko didn't try to stop it; he chuckled aloud. Aerrow, having been sitting next to Finn when the sharpshooter had suddenly jumped up, first looked shocked, then amused. Radarr just shook his head disapprovingly, not taking his paws off the projector.

The next scene on screen had Finn suddenly draw the crossbow hanging from his back and fire. The next, he was facing Ravess in the Timepulse Tower. Both he and Ravess took aim at each other, but Finn fired first.

Between that in the next scene, the word, "_Sharpshoote-e-e-r-r!_" rang out again. Then the scene flashed to Finn on the ground on Terra Saharr shooting at a Talon flying overhead.

As the real Finn took his seat, the screen showed Finn kissing a bolt before sticking it into his crossbow. Then he shot at a Talon while flying over him and hit him square. The Switchblade exploded, and the Talon jumped overboard, deploying his parachute. "_Yeah!_" the Finn on the screen cheered, throwing his fist in the air. Then it flicked to another scene with him shooting three shots from the crossbow mounted on his Skimmer

During the scene, Finn's voice said, "_That's right. The sharpshooter rocks! Always there to help get the Sky Knight out of a jam!_"

Piper turned to Finn with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, Finn?" she asked. She had rarely _ever_ seen Finn getting Aerrow out of a jam. In fact, if her memory served her right, usually it was Aerrow or one of the others getting _Finn_ out of a jam.

Finn looked like he wanted to retort to that, but he couldn't seem to think up a good response. So instead he just frowned and turned back to the screen.

Unfortunately for him, and much to Piper's amusement, the movie seemed to be agreeing with Piper. It included a shot of Aerrow and Finn flying over Terra Gale for the first time. A pulse struck the back of Finn's Skimmer while he cried, "_I'm hit! I'm hit!_" Not one of his finer moments. Then, as if to further the point, the next scene was the infamous scene of Finn's Skimmer getting cut in half and him saying, "Aw, man!" as the front half of his Skimmer fell away just before he and the rear half fell with it, screaming.

The next scene was of him on his day of being team leader, when the ship was crashing and Finn was hanging on for dear life, screaming like a girl. In the one after, he was in his first battle, his Skimmer too laden with weapons to fly well, and was spinning, screaming like a girl at the top of his lungs. Still the one after that had him in the Black Gorge, shooting a bolt from his crossbow. Since they were in the Black Gorge, they had no crystal power, and the bolt plopped to the ground harmlessly, making Finn look like a fool.

But the last scenes were the worst. First there was Finn landing crouch-first on the hood of Piper's Heliscooter while Dove was riding with her. Then he fell crouch-first on Junko's hood, wheezing, "_Going my way._"

By the end of the video, Finn was frowning deeply in an embarrassed sort of way while everyone else was laughing at him. Aerrow smiled that wide grin he always had when he was trying to cheer someone up as he leaned toward his friend. "Don't worry, Finn. I'm still lucky to have you as my wingman."

"Sharpshooter," Finn said curtly.

Piper rolled her eyes. Finn was obviously trying to hold onto _some_ shred of dignity. He probably saw the term "wingman" equivalent with "sidekick," and Finn always wanted to be the hero.

"My sharpshooter," Aerrow corrected. He shrugged. "Even if you, uh, do get blown up a lot." He gave Finn a tentative smile.

That was one thing about Aerrow that Piper found slightly annoying. He always was kind and tried his best to cheer people up when they were down, but his tendency toward bluntness sometimes ruined an otherwise perfect speech.

But Finn had known Aerrow long enough to know he meant well. "Thanks, Aerrow," he said, smiling. He pointed at him. "I'm there for ya. Even when, you know," he shrugged, "I'm not _actually_ there for ya."

Junko laughed at that and clapped Finn happily on the shoulder, making Finn exclaimed in pain. Aerrow couldn't help a chuckle at the cross-eyed look on Finn's face.

Radarr put a new role on the projector, and immediately the first scene showed up, one of a blank blackboard. Piper squealed in delight. "Here it is!" she told the others excitedly. "This one's mine!" She rested her head on her hands, staring at the screen with gleaming pride and giddiness.

Piper's voice came over the video. "_Storm Hawks present _Crystals and You." As the title was spoken, the words _Crystals and You_ were scribbled across the blackboard.

"More like _Crystals and Snooze_!" Finn said in annoyance, propping his elbow up on the arm of the couch and resting his head on his fist. Junko laughed at Finn's words.

Piper thought that was unfair. He hadn't even seen the video yet, and he was already calling it boring! "Finn, just watch!" she told him. "Maybe you'll learn something." But then she caught her herself smiling bemusedly. The very idea of Finn learning _anything_ was enough to make her want to giggle in disbelief.

"I doubt it," Finn grumbled back.

Apparently Finn agreed with her thoughts.

The next scene showed a brightly-glowing violet crystal spinning in front of the screen, its light obscuring everything else. Then the scene faded to show a smiling Piper standing in front of her blackboard. "_Crystals are an essential part of life on Atmos,_" the Piper on the screen said, holding up a finger. "_They provide us energy and lots of other things._"

While she was speaking, the scene switched to Aerrow putting a velocity crystal in his crystal converter, which sent him and Radarr shooting toward Terra Atmosia with a loud "_Wahoo!_"

The next scene was of Wren using his Windstone in battle. "_Windstone: power of a tempest,_" the video Piper said.

The next scene was of Ravess taking the glass lid off a tray holding a leech crystal. The crystal had been surrounded by Firebolt crystal-tipped staffs. The leech crystal immediately sucked the energy from them upon exposure. "_Leech crystals: they'll drain power before exploding,_" the movie Piper explained. The scene showed Ravess picking up the crystal and tossing it to one of her blond Talons waiting by the door. The leech crystal had turned white and piping hot, and the Talon juggled it, gasping in fright, before managing to toss it out a window just before its explosion.

The scene after that was of Piper in the Black Gorge standing on the edge of the cliff right in the only part of the Gorge that gets sunlight. "_Sol crystasl: powered by the energy of the sun,_" Piper's narration explained. The Piper on screen then put her Solaris Crystal in the sunlight, where it began to grow very brightly as it captured the charge.

The scene changed to that of Aerrow holding a phoenix crystal in his hand. Waves of light were coming from the crystal, forming into the head of a bird: the call of the phoenix. "_Phoenix crystals: guarded by their namesake and just as dangerous._" The scene continued, showing Piper cringing when she, Aerrow, Radarr, and the Dark Ace (all present in the scene) heard a phoenix's cry. It came soaring through the roof of the cave they were in, landing in front of them, screeching at them. It was a moment Piper didn't like to remember, but it made a great illustration of the dangers of the phoenix crystal.

The scene after showed the Dark Ace flying his Switchblade before pulling out a red crystal, smirking at it. "_The Firebolt: one crystal you definitely don't want falling into the wrong hands._" The scene showed the Dark Ace standing up and putting the crystal in his sword, which he then lit. As the sword went ablaze, a bolt of red lightning danced across the sky, produced by the power of the Firebolt. The Dark Ace then shot a pulse from his charged sword, striking at Terra Gale and forcing Wren to leap aside and land flat in order to avoid the shot.

"_But handled improperly,_" the narration continued, "_they can be extremely dangerous._" The scene that accompanied this statement was one Piper had really thought illustrated her point. It showed her experimenting on one of the leech crystals they snitched from Ravess just before Aerrow, Finn, Junko, and Radarr came sliding in down the chute in a wrestling match, knocking the crystal about and forcing Piper to scramble to catch it. It was because of their fiasco that day that Piper hadn't been able to figure out that the crystals were dangerous, a discovery that would have prevented a lot of trouble later.

The scene returned to Piper standing next to her blackboard. There were new words written across it now, all on top of one another in a column. "_That's why,_" the movie Piper said, pointing at her board, "_it's always important to use_"—she pointed to the word _Use_ on the board, the U lighting up on screen—"_plenty_"—she pointed to the word _Plenty_ under _Use_, and it's P lit up—"_of caution_"—she pointed to the word _Caution_ under _Plenty_, and the C lit up—"_handling_"—she pointed to the word _Handling_ under _Caution_, and the H lit up—"_unstable_"—she pointed to the word _Unstable _under _Handling_, and the U lit up—"crystals"—here she pointed to the word _Crystals_ under _Unstable_, and the C lit up. "_Or UPCHUC for short,_" said the movie Piper. Indeed, the highlighted letters, read from top to bottom, spelled _UPCHUC_.

The scene then moved to a Talon juggling a crystal but missing it, and it accidentally landed in his crystal converter. "_He didn't UPCHUC,_" the narration said.

The Talon looked up with a scared face after the crystal landed in his converter. "_Oh, no,_" he said. The next moment, his skyride was reduced to a blue swarm of insects.

"_Or him,_" Piper's narration continued as they moved to the next scene. This one showed a pleased Lugey throwing a whole crate of fiery-colored crystals into the lava depths of the volcano on Terra Blizzaris.

Once the crate landed and the magma started to boil, Lugey took a step back. "_Uh, oh,_" he muttered around. He turned around and ran out of the cave, shouting, "_Owie, owie, owie!_" as the lava burst into the air in the chamber behind him, hitting him with a heat blast.

"_And neither did they._" The scene now being described was that of a group of mud-covered Talons on Terra Amazonia guarding some crates. A crystal bounced out among them and flashed, spraying them all with feathers. Off to the side, Junko stood up from behind a log, laughing and pointing at the Talons, before Finn suddenly jumped up and clamped his hand over Junko's mouth, pulling him back down behind the log and knocking over their slingshot in the process.

Finn raised an eyebrow at the scene. Piper had the feeling he was trying to decide whether Piper was saying the Talons didn't UPCHUC or he and Junko didn't UPCHUC.

The scene then changed back to Piper's face. "_I always UPCHUC,_" she said. "_Do you?_"

At that, the real Finn and Junko started grinning madly. Finn giggled. "I upchuck," he said earnestly, pointing a thumb behind him at Junko, "whenever Junko cooks!"

Junko giggled at that. "I upchuck sometimes after flying upside down!"

At this, both Junko and Finn and even Aerrow burst out laughing. Piper glared at them all. It was unbelievable how immature boys could be!

The narration for the movie continued: "_Used wisely, a crystal can change the course of a battle, but in the wrong hands: seriously bad news!_"

The scene now showed the thousands of Sky Knights joined together in an army against Cyclonia to get back the Aurora Stone. It also showed the Dark Ace all alone, standing on a balcony and facing them. He placed the Aurora Stone on the pommel of his sword, lit it, and performed his signature move. The force of the pulse sent him flying backward and knocked out every skyride headed in Cyclonia's direction. No battle that Piper knew of had ever been so one-sided . . . and all thanks to a crystal.

The last scene was back on Piper's face. "_So remember,_" the movie Piper said, pointing at the audience, "_UPCHUC, or you're outta luck!_"

No sooner had the movie ended and the lights brighten in the room did the boys burst out into laughter again, unable to contain themselves. The last mention of UPCHUC had completely undone any composure they had left. Even Aerrow; he was laughing so hard he looked like he had a stitch in his side. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, Piper thought she heard weird churring laughter behind her. She looked back over her shoulder at Radarr, who blinked at her innocently. But she could tell he had been laughing; he had a strained, amused smile on his face like he was holding in suppressed giggles.

Turning back around, Piper rolled her eyes. "Ha, ha, very funny," she told the guys irritably. She was starting to wish she'd never made that video; this was just embarrassing!

Aerrow sighed as he finally caught his breath after laughing so hard. "Sorry, Piper," he said. He did that stupid, award-winning smile that could melt any hard feelings. Piper hated it when he did that; no one could stay mad at him then, especially not her. She let out a small giggle and shrugged, trying to look as if their fun at her expense hadn't hurt her at all. Aerrow was as shallow as the rest of the boys sometimes, but he had a deep guilt complex, and the last thing she wanted to do was trigger it in any way over something trivial.

Wanting to thank the one person she _hadn't_ heard laughing, Piper looked down to where Stork sat . . . only to find he wasn't there. "Hey, where's Stork?" she asked the others, gesturing to where he had been sitting.

The boys turned to look; apparently this was the first time they'd even realized he was gone.

Lightning flashed outside as a tropical storm moved in over Atmosia, its rain pelting the _Condor_ on the outside. That, coupled with Stork's disappearance, was not a good sign. A sudden brightness came into Aerrow's eyes, one he got when he was on high alert for danger. Piper looked around, trying to figure out where Stork was and why things suddenly seemed so eerie. Radarr churred uneasily, also looking around. Junko cringed.

Finn, on the other hand, was happily munching on his flame corn until he realized that the rest had frozen, straining to hear something. "What?" he asked with a full mouth, having been completely oblivious of any tension.

More lightning flashed, making the lights in the room flicker, and thunder rumbled outside. Then suddenly, the lights went completely out, and the Storm Hawks were left in blackness.

* * *

Author's Notes: On the intro part, I couldn't very well say my usual, "_A legend continues_," because it _doesn't_. Nothing _happens_ in the episode! They just watch a bunch of home videos that they could never have created in real life (since it uses clips that they obviously weren't filming when they happened) and make lame commentary. Seriously their commentary is lame! It seems fake, like dialogue in a cheap Disney Channel movie. Not that _Storm Hawks_ is always realistic, but usually the character interactions are better than this. The characters are what attracted me to this show in the first place!

This episode was originally made as a special, not an actual part of the series, which is probably why it seems a little out of place to me. None of the clips in the videos are from the second season, and the having a discussion on the way Atmos is, including who the main Talons are, seems wrong after having watched, "Power Grab," in which alliances and political situations truly change for the first time since the first episode. I don't know. If it were up to me, I'd put this episode right after "Dude, Where's My _Condor_?" Actually, I might just leave it out if I had my way; there's not much character interaction here and no real plot. However, it provides a lot of insight about the show, characters, rides, weapons, and places that the fans don't usually get, so leaving it out altogether is probably a bit blasphemous against _Storm Hawks_. Still, it's frustrating to write. I'm bored!

No trivia. I'm not even going to bother unless any of you think of anything while you review.


	182. Home Movie Night: Dangers and Softies

Chapter 2: Dangers and Softies

The first thing the Storm Hawks heard when the lights went out was Finn's scream. To his credit, for once it wasn't "girly."

Piper lit the blue crystal on the end of her energy staff to give them some light. The situation seemed a lot less forbidding with the soft glow in the room. "Uh, what happened?" she asked, looking around. Had their power gone out? If so, that wasn't good; the _Condor_'s anchors could only hold them so long without the engines' support.

But the only answer Piper got was the starting of the projector. Radarr flinched, looking at the projector curiously; it was obvious that he had not started this video.

The completely capitalized, white-lettered title that appeared on scene looked like the sort of font used for horror films. Stork's recorded voice read the name aloud: "Tales from the Atmos!" Down in the lower right-hand corner of the screen was a dash followed by the word _Stork_.

So this was Stork's video. That explained the creepy circumstances. _Way to set the mood, Stork,_ Piper thought.

Without warning, Stork suddenly appeared on the screen, poking out from the side of the camera view and startling the boys enough to make them look unsettled and exchange glances among themselves.

"_Listen carefully,_" the Stork on screen said, "_'cause what I'm about to tell you could be the difference between life and a horrible, agonizing—_" The Stork on screen gasped at a sudden flash of lightning in his dark room, which, it seemed to Piper, coincided with a lightning flash and thunder rumble outside. The combination of the two made her flinch uneasily.

In the movie, Stork obviously had decided the end of his sentence was obvious and hadn't bothered to finish it. He held up a finger and grabbed a role of paper. "_I've compiled a list of everything that should be avoided on Atmos._" At that, he unrolled the paper, and the list fell out of view of the screen, obviously trailing on the floor. "_But,_" the narrator Stork went on, "_in the interest of time, I'll just give ya the top ten._"

Lightning flashed again just before the scene changed.

The next scene was one a bit too familiar for Piper's liking. It was a cold, pouring, swirling vortex of a storm. "_Miles and miles of pure destructive power,_" Stork's narration said, "_Number Ten: Mega-storms!_"

_10_ flashed up on the left of the screen. The scene was showing the boys—Aerrow and Radarr, Finn, and Junko—flying through the storm, unaware of the presence of the vortex, until it started to suck them in. "_Huh?_" the Aerrow on screen gasped, looking over his shoulder at the storm.

The next scene was one that hit a little more home for Piper. It was her and her heliscooter being swept into the middle of the storm, Piper screaming as she was torn away from her heliscooter. The real Piper shivered involuntarily at the memory.

The next scene was another familiar sight. It was the _Condor_ on a ledge in the Black Gorge. Out of the shadows in a cave across the chasm, dozens of pairs of glowing red eyes peered down at the ship. Inside the _Condor_, the Piper on screen heard the noise the creatures made and said, "_Guessing that would be the Vulca bats._" The Stork on screen ducked behind some crates at these words.

On the right of the screened flashed _9_, and the narration said, "_Number Nine: Metal-eating Vulca bats!_"

The scene showed the bats swarming the _Condor_, landing on her and chomping away at her hull. "_They're eating the _Condor_!_" they heard the TV Junko yell! The scene flipped to Piper and Aerrow trying to fight them off. The next showed a bat actually eating a hole through the hull to stick its head in. Finally, the last scene was of the bat-covered _Condor_ rising up out of the gorge.

Afterward, the scene was showing Junko in front of the frontal windows on the bridge of the _Condor_. "_Just sky sharks,_" he was saying as a sky shark flew by the window behind him.

"_And Number 8,_" the narration said as an _8_ appeared in the right-hand upper corner.

Apparently Stork let Junko's words help narrate this one. The Wallop's eyes nearly popped out of his head in realization and terror as he shouted, "_SKY SHARKS!_"

Sure enough, an entire horde of sky sharks were circling above the _Condor_.

The next scene seemed to drop into a dark pit filled with pairs of slanted yellow eyes. Stork's narration began here. "_The vile creatures that live beneath the hidden Terra Vapos: Verrocs!_" The next scene clearly showed the Verrocs flying over Terra Vapos' city and ransacking it, people screaming and running to get out of the way. "_They would be Number Seven,_" the narration continued as the number _7_ appeared in the upper left-hand corner.

The next scene was that of Junko looking out the window of the _Condor_ at a wrecked ship run aground on spiked peaks in an extremely dark, cloudy sky. The scene after was that of Aerrow, Radarr, Finn, and Junko in the wreck with the beam of light from the _Blood Crow _falling over them. Next were shots of Captain Scabulous' cruel smile, of the _Blood Crow_'s cannons being run out, and of Captain Scabulous locking blades with Aerrow in battle. Then it showed Stork taking the _Condor _into such a steep turn to starboard that it sent all the other Storm Hawks careening into the wall. He was taking the _Condor _down into the swirling clouds that held all the horrors seen before it. During all this, the number _6 _flashed in the upper right-hand corner, and the narration said, "_From the steel-crushing clouds to the villainous Murk Raiders that call it home, whatever you do, avoid Number Six: Terra Deep!_"

As if in response, the following scene showed a slightly allergy-affected Junko holding his stomach and saying, "_I don't feel so good._"

Piper smiled at the memory of their time on Terra Deep. Despite how terrible the experience had been, she couldn't help remembering Aerrow's bravery and brilliance that guided them through the whole ordeal. He had really shown what he was capable of that day. Some would say he had taken too many risks, but Piper thought that if he hadn't, they wouldn't be here to tell about it. The way she saw it; Aerrow's "risky" decisions that day had shown his tenacity, calculative ability, and his ability to keep his head under pressure. Needless to say, she had been quite impressed. Though he had been her best friend and leader long beforehand, he had gained new respect from her that day. She had never questioned any of his outright orders since. No matter how stupid or outlandish they seemed, they always made sense in the end.

The narration continued over a scene showing Terra Blizzaris' volcano erupting and the boys of the Storm Hawks and Absolute Zeroes racing down the mountain, screaming, trying to outrun the flow of lava headed their way, while a _5 _appeared in the left-hand upper corner. "_Number Five should be pretty obvious. Do your best to avoid scorching hot lava!_"

The next scene showed all the boys stranded on a rock in the middle of the lava flow and Billy Rex roasting a hot dog over the lava on the end of a stick. "_Might be the end for us, eh,_" he said, "_but you's gotta make the best of her._" He turned around and held out his hot dog toward Finn. "_Hot dog?_"

Finn looked down at Billy Rex in disbelief, his arms crossed. "_I'm good,_" he answered.

The next scene was one Piper hadn't thought about in awhile. It showed the Storm Hawks in a castle throne room under a disco ball with disco music playing. "_Number Four: Beware the power-mad Finn!_" Stork's narration said.

They all could see Finn, in his Domo attire, dancing under the disco ball until the disco music stopped and the ball quit spinning. Finn slumped in annoyance and called. "_Uh, could we get somebody to fix that please?_"

The scene quickly switched to more power-mad Finn moments. He was on the bridge of the _Condor_ with Junko, Stork, and Piper, declaring, "_Banished!_" Next he was sitting in the driver's chair with his feet propped up, saying, "_Hey, do you think you could . . ._" and he wiggled his feet, indicating he wanted his feet rubbed. Next he was shown standing and saying, "_All music selections must be approved by me!_"

The last scene was back in the throne room on Terra Vapos with his throne and traditional Vaposian outfit, pointing at Stork and saying, "_Minstrel, how 'bout a song?_"

The Stork on screen, dressed in a joker's hat with bells and having a guitar that he strummed anxiously, looked around in fright as the narration said, "_Seriously, beware._"

Piper couldn't help smiling in amusement at this Number Four. She hadn't thought to put a power-mad Finn as one of the dangers on Atmos, but it was just so true!

The next scene showed Stork opening up a metal cupboard, saying, "_Th-there's gotta be heat in here somewhere!_" He was shivering. He smiled when he spotted his hand-held heat detector and grabbed it.

As the shivering Stork on screen was walking down the plank of the _Condor_ onto the snow-covered Blizzaris and a _3 _appeared in the upper right-hand corner of the screen, the narration said, "_Even worse than hot lava: thermal paralysis caused by Number Three: unyielding, oppressing cold!_"

The next scene showed Stork on Blizzaris holding his limp right arm with his left hand. "_Oh, yeah,_" he said. "_Already numb. Only a matter of time before I loose the whole arm._" No sooner had he said that when he was hit by a snowball. Gasping at the sudden cold, he turned and gave a death glare at the thrower.

"_Eh, sorry!_" Junko called to him. He had been aiming for Finn.

Piper had to admit that Stork had a point with the cold. It wasn't really that bad, but it was a lot more dangerous for Stork than the rest of them; Stork was cold-blooded.

The scene after that showed the Storm Hawks in the Black Gorge, all wearing Stork's specially-designed goggles to see in the dark. Piper was holding the Black Gorge map, and Stork was telling her, "_Just follow the dotted line and avoid anything with a skull and crossbones._"

Piper unrolled the map for him and showed him that there was a skull and crossbones marked nearly _everywhere!_

"_You'll find plenty of nasty beasts in the depths of the perilous Black Gorge,_" Stork's narration said as the various scenes popped up of a Vulca bat, a meat-eating plant, giant eels, and a living tar monster, "_but nothing comes close to Number Two._"

"_Sloths!_" the Finn on screen was shouting in terror. The scene showed Mr. Cheepers, in sloth form, and two other sloths standing in front of the Storm Hawks and pounding their fists. A _2_ was in the upper left-hand corner.

The Stork on screen giggled nervously. "_What do ya know?_" he said. "_I was right after all._"

The scene changed to show the sloths chasing the Storm Hawks. The narration was giving the full name: "_Giant, poison-toothed, spiny Gorge sloth!_"

The scene finally went back to Stork's face. "_And, finally,_" he was saying, "_Number One. Of all the horrors this world knows, nothing compares to merciless, unyielding, and forsaken place known as,_" he dramatically drew a breath, "_Wasteland!_"

The scene changed to show the _Condor_ flying through the Wastelands, only to switch to one of Aerrow and Radarr flying within it while a _1 _appeared in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. "_Far beneath the clouds is where the sky ends and terra begins!_" the narration said. The scene showed Radarr wincing as Aerrow flew them toward two spouting volcanoes and dodged two of the eel-like Wasteland monsters, which leaped out of the lava rivers at them. The narration continued through it: "_Infernal fire, wicked creatures, and absolutely, positively nowhere to go, no place to hide._" While he said the last part, one Wasteland monster clipped Aerrow's and Radarr's Skimmer. Radarr moved out of the way just in time, but the monster bit off part of Radarr's cockpit. Radarr was shown glaring at Aerrow for bringing them down there in the first place. But his glare quickly turned into a terrified squeak as they headed toward even _more_ monsters!

The scene flipped back to its last and final scene of Stork saying, "_So take heed all who listen. Or not._" Lightning flashed outside, blinding the Storm Hawks, making it seem to them like the real Stork had materialized in front of the screen before them, a sinister smirk on his face. "We're all doomed anyway," he concluded.

The Storm Hawks cheered as the video ended. That was so suspenseful and well done that it was just plain great! Junko even threw his fists in the air and shouted, "Awesome!"

It was time for the next video. Finn was getting to his feet and talking to Stork when Junko put a finger to his lip thoughtfully. "I know!" he said, holding up a finger. "Let's watch my experimental film." Everyone but Radarr turned to look at him in horror, and Finn shook his flame corn-free hand in a "no" gesture. "You know," the Wallop continued obtusely, "the one where I'm asleep for, like, 6 hours!"

Thinking fast, Piper said, "Um, sorry, Junko. Radarr's already threaded another." She gestured to Radarr, who was too busy leaning against the projector and picking grit out of his nails to notice their conversation. "Haven't you, Radarr?" Piper said pointedly, placing her hands on her hips.

Radarr gave her a questionable chirp, as if to say, _Huh?_ Then her words, combined with her glare, finally sank in. Letting out a chirp, he looked down upon the videos to find one of Junko's reels and quickly threaded it on the projector.

Piper smiled at Junko apologetically and gestured to Radarr tinkering with the projector. Junko shrugged good-naturedly, ready to settle for whatever video came next.

Radarr pressed the projector button, and film began to roll. Immediately Junko's face popped up on screen. "Cool!" the real Junko exclaimed once he recognized the video, excited about seeing it.

Piper immediately recognized the room in the scene as the Junko on screen smiled and said, "_Welcome to my favorite place on the ship: the hangar bay!_" He gestured around to the room. "_This is where I do all my work as chief mechanic and weapons engineer._"

The next scene showed the _Condor_ flying through a beautiful night sky. "_This is the _Condor_,_" Junko's narration explained, "_our home in the sky as well as our long range transportation and the launching pad for the skyrides._"

Toward the end of what he was saying, the scene changed to that of the boys on their rides speeding out of the hangar bay, off the landing strip, and changing to flight-mode in the air. "_Wahoo!_" the Aerrow on screen shouted as he led the charge. Junko echoed him. But Finn, whose ride was overburdened with missiles, screamed as his ride wobbled off the end of the landing strip and took a moment to catch air once the wings were open.

The scene after that was in the hangar bay, the camera panning over the skimmers. "_These are our skyrides,_" Junko narrated again. The camera stopped in front of the Ultra Skimmer. "_Aerrow rides this one, a Mark-5 Vulcan!_" Junko said, using the Ultra's alternative name. The screen changed back to Junko's face. "_I made a few modifications, though: fuel-ford crystal thrusters, a copilot sidecar; three built-in cup holders; and an on-the-fly, clutch-driven transformation toggle._" During the speech, the scenes changed between the back of the Vulcan, zooming in at the thrusters as the throttle was turned; Radarr's sidecar; the cup holders just in front of the driver's seat; and the right toggle, which was pulled up, causing the ride to transform to flight-mode. "_Pretty cool,_" Junko's narration said.

Next was a picture of Piper's ride. "_This is Piper's Heliscooter,_" Junko said. He showed it transforming, with helicopter-blades coming out of a pole that shot out the back, and the back wheel jutting backward and bearing a sideways propeller. "_Cute, huh?_"

Piper nodded to herself. It _was _cute. But it was also tough.

The next scene was a close-up of Piper's Heliscooter, lifting the back hood to reveal a collection of red, yellow, and blue crystals. "_Plenty of extra storage for crystals and stuff,_" Junko said.

Next up was the standard Air Skimmer III. "_This is my buddy Finn's Skimmer,_" Junko said. He showed the Skimmer transforming. "_It's equipped with a long-rang, multi-optic, crystal-projectile crossbow!_" The camera zoomed up to the front hood of Finn's Skimmer, where the hood opened and revealed the retractable crossbow.

Next up was the _Stork-Mobile_, which Junko again called by one of its alternative names, combining its name with the name of its type, Safety Buggy. "_This is the _Stork Buggy_,_" he said. No sooner had he said it when a red, outlined stamp reading _CLASSIFIED _appeared on top of the Buggy. "_Just kiddin', Stork!_" the narrating Junko said. "_He doesn't like me messin' with it._"

And last but not least was Junko's Skimmer, the Air Skimmer III EL. "_This is my baby,_" Junko said, "_my pride and joy._" He showed the transformation, which showed off the Little Birdie Missiles mounted on the Skimmer's wings, but Junko didn't give any further detail on the ride.

The next scene showed Junko sitting on his Skimmer. Smiling at the camera, he said, "_Hey, like the Buster Bombs?_" He picked up a Turkey Burp and held it up to the camera. "_Made 'em myself!_"

The next scene showed Junko tossing Turkey Burp bombs off the open turret of the _Condor_'s cannon while Piper's voice sounded from off-screen: "_Junko, keep those Turkey Burps of yours dropping!_" Junko dropped another Turkey Burp overboard, which clucked as it fell and exploded upon three blasters below.

The scene after that was a close up of one of the round Buster Bombs that had wide eyes and a small yellow beak painted on it, Wallop style. Its top was blue, and it had a wing on each side. "_That's a Turkey Burp,_" Junko's narration explained. Then the Turkey Burp was replaced with another type of Buster Bomb that had slanted eyes and a red top painted on it. It, too, had little wings. "_And that's a Kicky Kitten,_" Junko explained.

The next scenes showed Junko shooting one of his homemade Little Birdie Missiles out of the _Condor_'s cannon by hand. "_Smile now!_" he said. Then the scene showed the missile up close. It had a blue stripe painted over its top and angry, slanted eyes. "_Blue Tickler,_" Junko explained. The next one that appeared in the Blue Tickler's place had the same evil expression, but it had a puke green stripe painted down it and a tongue sticking out of a mouth that was painted on it. "_Hopscotcher,_" Junko said.

Suddenly the video took a turn when the camera was put back on Junko. "_You know,_" he said, "_most people think I'm just the guy who takes care of the skyrides and weapons or, you know, the one you call on to—_" here he lit his Knuckle Busters "_—break stuff, right?_"

The scenes after that were all about breaking stuff. First it showed Junko tearing a door out of an entrance in the Timepulse Tower. Next was in the prison on Terra Gale, where he roared and lunged at two Talon guards after being bumped in the head by a metal weight. The others in the scene cringed. "_Uh, sorry you had to see that,_" Junko said in embarrassment, holding up a finger. The next scene was, in Piper's opinion, the best display of his strength; it showed the time Junko stopped an entire ship from hitting a mountain by standing on the mountain and catching the ship in his hands with the help of his Knuckle Busters. Still there was more. There was a scene with Junko lighting his Knuckle Busters in mid-flight and then holding his arms out as two Talons swept upon him. Each ended up hitting their faces on his fists.

But the next scene was of a different style. It showed Junko running up to Aerrow and Piper and shouting, "_I love you guys!_" before crushing them with a hug. After that, Junko was shown driving his Skimmer, which was struck by a crystal pulse, making the whole thing light up with painful bolts. When the shock was over, Junko just said, "_Whoa, tingly!_"

"_Oh, sure,_" Junko's narration said through those last three scenes,"_I do most of the smashin' and blastin', but deep down, I'm just an old softie!_"

The Storm Hawks cheered after that video because it couldn't have been truer. Aerrow applauded, and Finn gave his best friend a thumbs up.

While they were cheering, Radarr put in the new reel and pressed the rolling button. It was time for the next movie. Piper smiled to herself. This one was another one of hers!

* * *

Author's Notes: *snoring very loudly before jumping awake* Uh, what? Is it over? Didn't notice.

Gosh, this is dull!

Hey, anyone else notice that Aerrow's Skimmer III Ultra is also called a Mark 5 Vulcan? I had no idea until I wrote this episode. I guess that was one benefit to this.

I guess I'll go back and mention that little fact in some previous chapters.

We already had a trivia for the word "Vulcan" (because of Vulca bats) so I once again do not have trivia. Sorry.


	183. Home Movie Night: Traveling and Family

Chapter 3: Traveling and Family

"Ooh, it's my travel log!" Piper exclaimed when she recognized the video.

"Cool!" Junko exclaimed. "I like this one!" Piper smiled at him in appreciation.

"Ah!" said Finn in disgust. He drooped. "I knew I should have found another hiding place."

Piper decided it best to ignore that comment.

The first scene, which Piper knew well, opened with a map of the known Atmos. "_This is Atmos,_" Piper's narration said. "_Well, part of it, at least. They say Atmos is the world of a thousand terras._"

At that, a bunch of scenes flashed across the screen in fast pace, so fast it was hard not be overwhelmed by the different terras appearing (special effects that Piper took great pride in). The first terra was Terra Glockenchime, then Terra Gale, Terra Bogaton, Terra Blizzaris, Wayside, Terra Amazonia, Cyclonia, Terra Rex, and many others. While the scene was playing, Piper's narration was saying, "_Every terra is different, and everyone is a new adventure!_"

It ended with a scene of Aerrow and Radarr soaring toward Terra Atmosia. "_Terra Atmosia,_" the narration said. "_It all starts here._"

"_Atmosia is the center of Atmos,_" the narration stated as it showed scenes of the streets and the outside of the Sky Knight Council Hall, "_and the beacon tower is its most famous symbol._" Here she showed the beacon tower.

Piper wasn't sure why, but when the next scene came up, she glanced down at Aerrow, who visibly winced. It was showing Carver and the Red Eagles driving into the main square on their rides. "_Almost every terra has a Sky Knight,_" the narration said, "_and that Sky Knight has a squadron. On Atmosia, it was Carver and the Red Eagles._" The scene then showed Carver betraying and attacking his teammates. "_That is before he went all evil and tried to steal the Aurora Stone._"

The next scene was of Carver removing the Aurora Stone and the beacon tower going dark. The camera focused on the Storm Hawks on their rides a distance away. Junko was pointing at the tower. "_The beacon tower!_" he exclaimed. "_It stopped . . . beaconing!_"

Then the camera focused on Aerrow. "_Storm Hawks,_" he commanded, "_let's fly._" And with that, the Storm Hawks drove toward the beacon tower.

Piper smiled at the memory. That was Aerrow's first true duel, his battle against Carver for the Aurora Stone. It had been terrible to see and wonderful to behold. It had assured them all, including Aerrow, that this descendent of Lightning Strike was a force to be reckoned with and worthy of his new title as Sky Knight.

The next scene was that of Terra Glockenchime, focusing in on its Timepulse tower. "_Terra Glockenchime doesn't have a Sky Knight,_" Piper's narration stated.

The next scene was inside the tower, where Steward was speaking to the rest of his Timekeepers. "_Good, good, good!_" he exclaimed. "_Timekeepers, we are to the very second!_"

At that moment, they all heard a loud bang. The Timekeepers whirled around to see a hole busted in the wall, through which Ravess walked. "_Stop the clock!_" she ordered.

Sighing, Steward did as she said, pulling the lever. The Timepulse stopped.

"_That's why,_" Piper's narration continued on her last comment, "_it was up to us to save the Timepulse and every ship in Atmos from disaster._"

The next scene was what happened on the _Condor_ after that. Stork tapped the glass of their Timepulse receiver when it stopped turning. Nothing happened. "_Don't be alarmed,_" he said to the others, shaking his head, "_but we've completely lost the Timepulse._"

"_Without the Timepulse, all navigation instruments are worthless!_" the Piper on screen exclaimed to the others in mild panic.

They all heard a horn and looked outside the frontal window just in time to see two cruisers colliding. Another horn blared, and they turned to see another cruiser heading on a collision course with them.

The Finn on screen pointed at the approaching ship. "_Now that could be a problem,_" he said.

Oh, yeah, the real Piper remembered, it had been a scary situation. But it had also been an excellent example of Stork's wonderful driving and Junko's great strength. In fact, the entire mission was a success because of Junko; he not only beat up Snipe for them, but he also got the Timepulse going again. She glanced over at Junko. Sometimes it was hard to believe that someone so gentle was so powerful. And he continued to think of himself as weak! That was even more unbelievable.

The next terra on screen was Terra Blizzaris . . . the newer one, that is, before the eruption of its volcano. "_Blizzaris started off as a desert,_" Piper's narration started, "_until the Absolute Zeroes got there._"

The scene currently on screen was that of Piper and the two female Absolute Zeroes watching Suzy Lu wielding the Blizzard Crystal in her staff. "_Let's freeze it, girls!_" she exclaimed. And with that, she created an ice house with the Blizzard Crystal's power.

The scene after that was of Suzy Lu introducing herself to Piper. "_Suzy Lu,_" she said, "_Sky Knight of Blizzaris._" The two shook hands while Suzy Lu blew a bubble.

Suzy Lu. Now there was a character! Piper thought fondly of her, thinking that she hadn't talked to her in awhile. All this worrying over the mysterious Operation Exodus had knocked any girl-talk off the priority list. Piper thought she ought to see how the fun-loving Sky Knight and her people were getting along on Terra Nord.

"_And they can get a little crazy,_" the narration continued, this time showing the boys out for their cross-country outing.

They were in an ice tunnel where Billy Rex was whooping, holding a fist in the air, and charging up the curved wall. He made it to the top and lost his Ice Grinder, which fell to the cave floor. Billy Rex leapt free and grabbed onto a huge icicle hanging from the ceiling, still whooping with glee. Down below, Bobby Bones and Davey Digger held up "rock on" signs as they shouted, "_Rock on!_"

Billy Rex, with his arms and legs wrapped around the icicle to keep from falling, cheered in response to their enthusiasm and held out his arms, giving the "rock on" sign, which meant he was no longer holding on to the icicle. He slid off and fell to the ground, still cheering, "_Woo!_" Aerrow's and Radarr's heads followed him as he fell. Once on the ground, he lifted up his arm and gave the "rock on" sign . . . still hollering with glee.

"_Give her!_" Bobby Bones and Davey Digger yelled. Davey Digger played a little air guitar while he was at it.

The Aerrow on screen gave a weak, "_Uh huh,_" as if even he was feeling uncomfortable with these crazy stunts.

The real Piper thought that was a little hypocritical of him, considering all the things _he_ has done.

The next terra was on screen now. "_We found the legendary Terra Vapos by accident,_" said the narration. Then the actual accident was shown: the _Condor_ hit a mountain and glanced off it to come in for a crash landing. "_And it's a good thing we did,_" the narration continued, too. "_They needed help._" The scene that accompanied were that of the main street of Vapos with a large crack in it and Aerrow coming outside to stand next to King Agar as the two leaders stared into the darkness of night at oncoming Verrocs. People were running and screaming in terror. "_And Finn actually saved the day!_" Piper's narration said.

The real Finn snorted as if he found the surprise in Piper's voice insulting.

The scenes now showed Finn avoiding and battling the large leader Verroc within their lair. He finally struck it with a frost crystal-tipped bolt that froze part of it. The scenes then skipped a few events to show Finn saying, "_Chica-cha!_" and pointing a trigger finger as he and Aerrow drove away from the Verroc's lair victorious.

For the next terra, Piper hadn't bothered with narration at first. She figured the scene explained itself pretty well. It showed Piper and Aerrow at the round table. Piper was flipping through a book, showing something to Aerrow. "_The very first Sky Knight was a Rex Guardian,_" she read, following along the text with her fingers, "_and the Code is their ancient set of rules and rituals._"

Stork, who was at the helm, turned around and cringed. "_And, uh, they seem a little,_" his eye twitched, "up tight."

The next scenes were of the Rex Guardians flying in a V formation with Harrier at the head, sitting up tall with his chin up and his sword held vertically. They banked a turn toward Terra Rex and flew perfectly in single file. Then were they shown standing at their seats at the table for dinner before the Storm Hawks had arrived. "_Terra Rex is a little old-fashioned,_" the narration admitted. "_Some of us had a little trouble with that._"

The scene then showed Finn's and Junko's informality at dinner and Radarr burping loudly at the head of the table after downing a glass of wine. Then, as if to point out that Aerrow, in his own way, had the most trouble with the formality of the Rex Guardians, the scene showed Aerrow saying to Piper, "_Besides all that, uh, what do these guys have that we don't?_"

The Finn on screen happened to be looking out the window when he said that. "_How 'bout a landing strip full of screaming fans?_" he answered.

The projector then showed the Rex Guardians landing perfectly on their gold landing strip in the middle of their stadium. Then it showed Harrier surrounded by fans and signing autographs while the Storm Hawks looked on from beside their landed _Condor_. Even Aerrow had to be impressed then. "_Wow!_" he exclaimed.

The Finn on screen stared as Harrier autographing an action figure of himself. "_They've got action figures,_" Finn said in awe. He then looked irritated. "_Why don't we have action figures?_"

The next terra was one that they had less than wonderful adventures on, but it was still a top place to go. "_Terra Saharr. They're protected by the Third Degree Burners._"

The tone was not approving of the Third Degree Burners, and nor was the scene. (Piper wasn't too fond of the Burners and their betting ways.) The scene showed the Sky Knights glaring down at Aerrow and Radarr after their failed practice run for the Great Atmos Race. Blister, the Sky Knight of the Third Degree Burners, walked up to Aerrow and towered over him. "_If you wanna win the race tomorrow,_" he said, "_get a better ride!_"

The scene then cut to the Great Atmos Race, with Aerrow and Radarr racing and the other boys cheering on the sidelines. "_The boys like it for the race they have every year,_" Piper's narration explained. And of course, she had to include the scene of Aerrow getting to the Velocity Crystal Amulet first this past year.

"_Not all terras are good,_" the narration said as the scene changed to that of Aerrow and Radarr and Starling flying toward an arid but shrub-covered terra with rough terrain. The screen then showed a very different squadron driving along the ground of this terra. "_Raptors,_" the narration explained. "_They make their home on Terra Bogaton._" Images of Repton's base and the Terradons' laboratory flashed across the screen. "_It was known for the wicked air cannons defending it,_" the narration said as the scene showed the air cannons popping up above the trees and shooting at a fly. The fly was zapped right on target and buzzed feebly afterward before dropping like a rock.

"_But of all the terras on Atmos,_" Piper's narration said, as it showed the next dreaded terra, "_there's one that everyone knows about: Cyclonia._" The scene then showed the Dark Ace entering Master Cyclonis' throne room while the narration said, "_These guys are seriously bad news. If their leader, Master Cyclonis, had her way, the entire Atmos would be Cyclonia!_" In the scene, the Dark Ace handed Master Cyclonis the Aurora Stone, who took it in her hands, turned around, held it up while he hood splayed open, and then had it placed in the Storm Engine.

But then the scene showed the Storm Hawks standing back while Aerrow leapt in front of them as lithe and agile as a cat, Radarr clinging to his shoulder. "_The Storm Hawks won't let that happen!_" the narration assured.

That should have been the end of it . . . should have. Much to Piper's astonishment, the next scene was of Finn playing air guitar to one of those awful songs he listens to. The real Finn was rocking out on the couch, his tongue sticking out of his mouth. Piper fumed with anger.

As soon as the screen went blank, Piper gestured toward the screen, glaring at Finn. "Finn, what did you do to my movie?" she cried.

"Just helpin' it rock out a little!" Finn answered with a smile, crossing his arms.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. Now she knew why Finn had complained about needing a new hiding place when the video began. She was definitely going to make him pay for that. But . . . later.

Totally missing her sarcasm, Finn held up a "rock on" sign to her and said, "No prob!"

Looking down at Finn made Piper automatically glance at Aerrow sitting next to him, and then she realized something. "Hey, Aerrow," she asked with a pleasant smile, "how come we haven't seen your movie yet?"

Aerrow gave her his cocky grin. "Because we're saving the best for last," he answered easily. "Roll it, Radarr!"

Radarr happily put the role on and pressed the start button to begin rolling.

Piper rolled her eyes as she turned to face the screen one last time. The _best?_ Someone was full of themselves. Sometimes Aerrow was so cocky he seemed downright arrogant, but other times she wondered whether he was only teasing when he made comments about how perfect he was. Certainly if questioned, he tended to be a little more honest about his shortcomings and where others exceed him. Still . . . he'd been sounding more arrogant with every victory, and it was mildly irritating.

The first scene was of Aerrow and Radarr and Finn racing through the canyon circled by stone arches on the barren terra where Widow's Canyon was located. As the camera zoomed to a close-up of Aerrow and Radarr exchanging smirks, Aerrow's narration began. "_I know you're wondering: What exactly is a Sky Knight?_"

No, Piper thought, she didn't wonder that. She knew. She could certainly give a proper definition. Why? Was this video another way of Aerrow showing his recent bigheadedness?

"_Is it the sky-fu?_" the narration continued, showing Aerrow jumping upward off a Talon Switchblade to land on his Vulcan as it flew underneath him. "_Cool transforming skyrides?_" Here Aerrow and Radarr, Piper, Finn, and Junko were shown taking off the _Condor_ into a storm, transforming once they ran off the landing strip. "_Maybe the crystal-infused weapons?_" That comment was accompanied by a scene of Aerrow and Harrier on Harrier's ride, dueling with their blades.

"_Sure,_" Aerrow's narration agreed, "_it takes all that . . . but it also takes honor, courage, and a little bit of luck._"

A _little?_ Piper glanced down at the Sky Knight in annoyance. Well, at least _some_ part of the lesson they learned on Terra Amazonia stuck with them, but apparently it didn't make too big of an impression. But she wasn't annoyed with the other stuff. It may be bragging for Aerrow to imply that he is honorable and courageous, but that didn't make it any less true. And _technically_ he wasn't saying anything about himself.

The current scene was showing Aerrow and Radarr driving off the edge of the terra. They didn't transform, and the Skimmer began a nosedive toward the Wastelands. At last, the Aerrow on screen looked back at the Radarr on screen, who was covering his goggled eyes. "_Radarr?_" he yelled. Radarr uncovered his eyes and looked at him. "_Wings?_"

Radarr squawked loudly as he realized his mistake and quickly pulled the lever next to him to open the Skimmer's wings. Aerrow immediately put on the gas, whooping and hollering as the Vulcan turned and headed up into the skies once more.

Piper smiled in amusement. That scene must have been before Junko's upgrades.

On screen, Aerrow and Radarr shot out of the clouds, barrel rolled, and then leveled out to cruise smoothly over the clouds. Radarr, who had leapt from his cockpit behind Aerrow to hold on to him, let out a sigh of relief. Aerrow just smiled back as if to say, _See? No big deal._

"_It also helps to have a great copilot,_" the narration added.

Piper couldn't help noticing that Radarr smiled at this. He didn't seem at all surprised, though. He probably helped Aerrow make the movie in the first place. He and Aerrow did nearly everything together.

"_They say I was the youngest to ever register as a Sky Knight,_" Aerrow's narration continued. Piper smiled at that. Yes, Aerrow was the youngest . . . and greatest.

His narration accompanied a scene that showed the Storm Hawks gathered in the Sky Knight Council Hall while the registrar looked over their papers. The registrar then said, "_Sign here,_" leaning down to give the feather pen to Aerrow. But when Aerrow reached for it, he said, "_Wait,_" snatching the pen back and adjusting his glasses. "_How old are you?_" The Aerrow on scene cringed.

"_I guess that was a problem for some people,_" Aerrow's narration said as the scene changed to that of the door of the Hall closing upon the unofficial Storm Hawks. "_But it wasn't a problem for me!_" Here the scene changed to all of the Storm Hawks, minus Aerrow, standing in Terra Rex's stadium, followed by a scene of Finn, Junko, and Stork at the round table, Finn pointing his trigger fingers at the camera. "_I have the best squadron in the Atmos!_"

Piper smiled widely at that. Aerrow had said such things before, but it still made her feel warm inside every time to know that's how he felt about them.

"_And it takes the best when you have Talons and rogues causing trouble,_" the narration went on, showing scenes of the Talons with the Dark Ace in the lead, a close-up of Snipe putting his mace in his palm, a close-up of Repton slashing his boomerang through the air, a close-up of Ravess notching three arrows in her bow and aiming, and a close-up of the Dark Ace standing on his Switchblade, his sword drawn.

The next scene was of the four Raptors driving down one of the major pipes under Cyclonia. "_Repton and his cronies_"—here the scene showed Hoerk, Lugey, and Spitz saluting and saying, "_Yes, sir!_"—"_Lugey, Spitz, and Hoerk—are the Raptors._" For each face, Aerrow had a picture. He showed Lugey with ice stuck to his tongue, Spitz smirking and driving, and Hoerk holding his spear and looking around.

He showed all four Raptors driving down the pipe once more and taking off a broken end, transforming midair to flight mode and swerving to port. "_As rogues,_" Aerrow's narration continued, "_they usually do Cyclonis' bidding._"

But then the next scene had Repton snarling at Cyclonis in her throne room, hissing, "_What's in it for the Raptorsss?_" which caused Cyclonis to use a red crystal that shot a giant pulse-made hand toward Repton and pinned him against the wall before dropping him to the floor.

"_But Repton always has a mind of his own,_" Aerrow's narration added.

"_Elite Cyclonian pilots called themselves Talons,_" the narration continued. It had changed to a scene of the Cyclonian skies, in which two Talons on Talon Heli-Blades had Aerrow and Radarr cornered. One was chasing them, and the other was charging them from the front. Both looked confident. The one in front fired at Aerrow and Radarr's Skimmer. Aerrow, his blade drawn, was able to swerve out of the way one-handed, and the pulse struck the Heli-Blade behind him. With a yell, the Talon on it was sent parachuting as his ride fell, smoking, to the Wastelands. Aerrow then drove in toward the remaining Talon, spiraling as he went by with his blade held out. The blade snapped the helicopter blades off the Heli-Blade, making the other Talon jump from his falling ride and deploy his parachute.

Aerrow's narration followed the whole scene up with, "_I'm not exactly sure what's so 'elite' about them, though._"

Piper had to stifle giggles at that. It was so like Aerrow . . . but he did have a point.

The next guy who flashed across the scene was first shown on a Talon Heli-Blade Elite ready to swing a crystal-studded mace. Then he was shown approaching with a smirk on his face, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "_Snipe,_" the narration explained. "_He isn't very bright,_"—here it showed Snipe slamming his mace into his fist and saying, "_We could just smush 'em!_"—"_but he makes up for it in brute strength._" Here he showed Snipe throwing something large and heavy. Then he was shown swinging his mace and letting the ball go out on a retractable chain. He was yelling when he did. "_When Cyclonis needs muscle, Cyclonis sends this guy._"

_But Junko makes him look like a twig,_ Piper thought smugly, glancing over at Junko.

The next scene showed Ravess playing a piece on the deck of her flagship and then a scene where Ravess is stringing on arrow on her bow, cackling. "_When she needs perfection, Cyclonis sends Ravess, Snipe's uptight sister._" The scene after that showed Ravess and Snipe standing next to each other. "_She's the worst of the two and wicked with the bow-and-arrow._" Here she was shown shooting an arrow. "_When her music plays, you're in for trouble_." For this, the screen showed Ravess shooting an arrow while her violin-playing Talon played her theme music. Then it showed Ravess stringing three arrows at once on her bow.

"_But these guys,_" Aerrow's narration continued, showing both Ravess' and Snipe's faces, "_are nothing compared to the Dark Ace, Master Cyclonis' right-hand man!_" Here a series of scenes of the Dark Ace flashed across the screen: the Dark Ace jumping to the front of his Switchblade with his sword drawn, the Dark Ace shooting a Firebolt pulse from his sword, the Dark Ace landing on a terra without slowing his ride, and the Dark Ace bowing before Master Cyclonis.

"_Some say he's the best pilot that's ever flown._" With this, the Dark Ace was shown performing his signature move, aiming the pulse at Aerrow. But Aerrow simply pressed a button on his handle to release Lightning Strike's shield from the wing of his ride and held it up, deflecting the blow. Aerrow ended the scene by saying. "_I say he's a complete loser._"

Piper was a bit amused by that, but Aerrow's attitude also worried her. Each time he got away from the Dark Ace, he got cockier, more sure of himself. He acted like he was invincible. But the Dark Ace hadn't earned his reputation for nothing, and Piper hoped Aerrow remembered that. Otherwise . . . she didn't want to think about it. He'd had too many close calls already.

The next scene showed Aerrow and the Dark Ace on the Dark Ace's skimmer, fighting hand-to-hand. Then they were shown on their own rides, sword fighting in the air. "_The Dark Ace has it out for me,_" Aerrow's narration explained. "_Big time. And for good reason._" The scene next was that of Aerrow performing his Lightning Claw, which struck down the Dark Ace's ride. The Dark Ace was shown gliding away in his battle gilder, shouting in frustration. "_I'm the only one who's ever beaten him._"

Again . . . _way_ too cocky. Piper meant to give Aerrow a scolding, watch-yourself look, but his eyes were on the screen. All she could look at was the back of his head . . . or rather, that bushy, sloppy mope of red hair that covers the back of his head.

"_So what makes a Sky Knight?_" the narration continued. The screen was now showing Aerrow and Radarr on their Skimmer popping up out of a cloud and barrel rolling before leveling off. Then it showed them in battle, with the _Condor_ following in their wake, surrounded by a Cyclonian Destroyer and many Talon Switchblades. The next scene was of their Skimmer shooting straight for the sky and Aerrow flipped out of it with his blades drawn and his arms outstretched, taking down Switchblades with his blades as he fell. Next, he was shown sliding down railing; then he was throwing a punch toward the camera. "_A lot of things,_" the narration went on. But here, the scene turned to that of Aerrow and Radarr flying in formation with Piper in front, Finn on port, and Junko in back. "_But the most important is the squadron they fly with._" Scenes of faces flashed across the screen: Aerrow's, Finn's, Piper's, Junko's, Stork's, and Radarr's.

The very last scene was of the Storm Hawks all surrounding Aerrow and Radarr jumping into his arms. Aerrow's narration had one final word on his squadron. "_And there's another word for it, too: family._"

With that, _The End_ flashed across the screen.

Piper felt so warmed by the end scene that she cheered. The other Storm Hawks must have felt it, too, because they joined in. "Best movie night _ever!_" Finn exclaimed, which made Aerrow grin like mad.

Piper giggled. "I agree with Finn!" she said at once, pointing her thumb at herself. When Aerrow blinked at her in pleasant surprise, she thought about what she just said. "Whoa," she said to herself, putting a finger to her lip. She shrugged. "That's never happened before. But you're right, Aerrow," she added, gesturing to him. "You did save the best for last."

Aerrow's mad grin spread across his face again, and he nodded just slightly as if to say, _I told you so! _Piper would have been annoyed to see such a smug expression on anyone else, but with Aerrow it was just . . . Aerrow. Besides, it this confident, plucky personality that kept the team morale up. And his idea of family is what kept them together . . . the glue that would allow them to face anything that came their way.

With all that in mind, Piper was glad they had decided to take this break from searching for Operation Exodus clues. At times like this, they needed to be reminded that they were here, together. And as long as they had that, they could take whatever the future may through at them.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Junko said, breaking into her thoughts. He placed a hand on his chest. "We never watched my experimental film!"

All the others exchanged terrified glances. No way were they staying to watch that dreaded video. They all made a silent agreement, and in a flash, they were gone.

Junko had only blinked. Now he looked around quizzically. "Uh, guys?" He flicked his ears toward the door, where he heard their feet headed down the hall. "Hey? Hey, guys? Hey, guys!"

Oh, well. It looked like they were going to miss the movie. But Junko sure wasn't! He put it on the projector and settled himself to watch, amusing himself for hours and hours watching himself sleep with his teddy bear. Finally the reel got stuck and the film got burned through. "Ah," Junko moaned. "That's my favorite part!"

* * *

Author's Notes: So ends my torment. And now, onto the deal with "Origins"! It was really close, but 45% have voted for a flashback, and 55% voted for it to be Part 1. So I guess Part 1 it shall be.

So here's how it will work. I am going to post the "Origins" episode nearly all at once and then quickly move them to the first chapter. There will be for chapters, and they are already written; they just need to be edited. So keep your eye open for that real soon!


	184. The Ultra Dudes: Sharpshooter Showdown

_**Part 46**_

_**The Ultra Dudes**_

_A new leader rises, and new heroes take their stand. A new enemy with familiar allies is confronted. A mystery is solved, and a mystery deepens._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: Sharpshooter Showdown

After their home movie night, playtime was over for the Storm Hawks. Once more they set to work on this Operation Exodus. Then the others gave Finn the surprise of his life.

He could hardly contain his glee as he flew in his Skimmer toward a relatively flat, dusty desert terra with towers of rock on it. Radarr's cockpit had been unattached from the Vulcan and reattached onto Finn's Skimmer so Radarr could comfortably assist him.

Finn had a recording device in his hand as he flew. "Finn's Log," he said, "Entry Number One!" He paused there. "Man!" he said to himself and Radarr with delight. "I've waited a long time to say that! But it finally happened!" He held his recorder toward his mouth again. "I'm leading my first mission!" He chuckled at the idea. "Yup! I'm top dog, and cheese on this one!"

Radarr let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a growl, rolling his eyes in annoyance. Finn only had _one_ being under his command, and he was already getting a big head! Radarr didn't like this one bit. He didn't trust Finn's "leadership skills"—if you could call them that. And it was not uncommon for Finn to find some way to annoy the heck out of him, though to a much less extent than the sharpshooter annoyed Piper and Stork. But still, Radarr was not happy. He was only doing this as a favor to Aerrow. Otherwise he'd rather be with his boy now, doing the _real_ mission . . .

Finn had continued with his log, completely missing Radarr's annoyed expression. "Radarr and I are here to collect some crystals from this mining terra. Must be important. Even Aerrow said I was the only man for the job!"

* * *

Miles away, the _Condor_ was in autopilot, hovering over the pinnacle cliff of Terra Tropica. Down in the jungle below the cliff, the rest of the Storm Hawks were on a much more important mission.

Aerrow, Piper, Stork, and Junko had all painted their clothes and skin in jungle camouflage colors. Aerrow had his blades out but kept them unlit. Piper was wielding her staff at full length, and Junko had secured his Knuckle Busters on his wrists.

They were here to find the door Stork had told them about after their vacation disaster at Tropica. After noting that there was a lot of Cyclonian activity around Tropica, Stork had reminded them of it, and Piper had suggested, and Aerrow had agreed, it was imperative that they figure out what it is because it was likely to be extremely important. Since they had no leads on Operation Exodus, why not take a look?

Aerrow knew this mission was important. He knew it was extremely dangerous. He knew they couldn't afford anything messing it up. But as he tiptoed through the underbrush, a guilty feeling loaded his stomach like lead. "I still feel bad sending Finn on that little errand run to pick up those spare crystals," he admitted Piper, gesturing a blade toward her.

"Don't!" Piper said in a disdainful voice, rolling her eyes. "The last thing we need on _this_ stealth infiltration is a loudmouth like Finn!" She pointed off in the general direction of Finn at the moment.

"Yeah," Stork agreed. "The jungles of Tropica are teeming with enough _doom_ as it is: hostile natives," he held up his hands, "giant energy beasts!"

Junko grunted in annoyance, swatting at the swarm of bugs buzzing around his head. "Tiny, little, biting things!" he added to Stork's list. He slapped himself in the back of the neck, trying to swash one unsuccessfully.

Stork stopped with a sharp intake of breath. "We should be back on the _Condor_," he pointed in the _Condor_'s direction, "where it's," he gulped, "safe!"

Stork had been like this since they got off the _Condor_, trying to slip off or suggest they go back. Apparently Stork's previous experience here had left him terrified of this place . . . perhaps Number Eleven on his list of dangerous places on Atmos, Aerrow thought with amusement. Not that he could blame him. Getting chased by a horde of spear-wielding pigmies didn't give you a very warm and welcoming feeling.

"Sorry, Stork," Piper said, stopping beside him and gesturing to him, "but whatever you found in that cave is important." She put both her hands on her staff, tightening her grip. "The fact that Cyclonians have been reported snooping around here proves it." She looked around, as if expecting to see Cyclonians appear out of the foliage that very second . . . a paranoia usually left to Aerrow (Stork usually feared something far stranger).

Knowing Piper was right, Aerrow led them on at a slightly quicker pace. The last thing they needed were Cyclonians to find them. The quicker they got to the cave, the better.

Stork followed along behind him, twitching nervously. Piper walked calmly after them, and Junko took up there rear, waving his hands around his head as he tried to get rid of that stupid swarm.

* * *

Finn and Radarr had just flown over the town of the desert terra. It had no stone roads, only a single dusty lane down the center. On either side were side-by-side wooden buildings with porches on every step. Each building had two yellow crystal-powered lamps hanging from each side of the front deck. A sign at the head of the road welcomed all land travelers. The town looked like something out of a cowboy movie.

Finn brought them in for a landing, sliding to a stop in the middle of the dusty road and sending up a cloud of dust. He smiled to himself as he looked around, and Radarr pricked his ears forward in interest.

The town was a quiet place. Only the wind stirred, sending a tumbleweed rolling across the road. Beyond the sign, there was nothing to see but barren desert.

The sight of the barren place made Finn a little less enthusiastic . . . but not much. "Hmm," he said, turning to Radarr, "seems like a quiet town."

Radarr nodded and let out a short churr of agreement.

"This shouldn't be too hard," Finn added, looking around.

Inside the building right next to them, they could hear the loud keys of a badly out-of-tune piano. The windows were curtained, so Finn couldn't see what was going on inside.

Suddenly a young man with shaggy blue hair was thrown out the two swinging wooden doors, screaming. Finn let out a shriek of terror but had no time to get out of the way before the man collided with him.

The collision tipped the Skimmer over, sending Finn over backward out of the seat. Radarr was sent soaring from his cockpit a good two yards. The stranger merely bounced off the Skimmer, groaning.

Finn groaned as he opened his eyes again, black dots clouding his vision. He heard Radarr churr and glanced over to see that the little guy had landed flat on his stomach, his limbs splayed out and his tail curled over him.

Looking up, Finn could see the hot desert sun beating down on them and three vultures already circling. Finn could hardly believe it. They had fallen down, what, two seconds ago, and the birds were already looking for a meal? The nerve!

The man sat up, trembling, his eyes shifting nervously around. Finn had only just sat up, rubbing his now-aching head, when he saw the man jump to his feet and start running down the road away from them and the building. "Hey!" Finn called after him. "You okay?"

"Aaaaaggggghhhhh!" the man screamed, waving his arms as he ran in terror.

Finn stood up and watched him run. "Guess so," he answered himself. The man was moving way too fast to be hurt.

Just when he was about to turn away, he spun around and called after the man. "Oh, hey, wait!" he yelled, putting his hands on either side of his mouth to project his voice. "I'm lookin' for some crystals!"

The man had almost reached the sign. He was still in full sprint and did not turn around to answer Finn. But he did shout, "In there!" pointing back at the building he was just thrown out of.

"Ah," Finn said to himself, turning to the building. It appeared to be a saloon of some kind. Piano music came from it once more.

As Radarr stood up on his hind legs and peered at the building, too, Finn hitched up his pants. "Looks like that's where we're goin'!" he said, striding toward the saloon and strutting a bow-legged cowboy gait with Radarr following behind on two legs. Finn was confident he could handle whatever was inside. After all, he was the Finnster! He stepped up onto the porch, pointing to himself. "Get ready to see some leadership in action!" he told Radarr as he pushed the swinging doors in.

"Nice place!" Finn exclaimed as soon as he stepped in. He didn't really think so; the place was a mess. The yellow crystal-studded chandelier was still swinging from whatever fight had gone on in the saloon. Tables, chairs, and lamps were knocked over and strewn across the floor. The only place that wasn't destroyed was the booth, where a lone man sat. He was wearing a red bandana around his neck, a dull red Mexican poncho, and a wide-brimmed sombrero that hid the rest of him from view.

Finn strode up beside the man. "So," he asked cockily, "where's the guy who did this?" He pointed his thumb off to the side. "Did he slip out the back or something, huh?"

The man next to him didn't respond other than a low growl. Finn could see his face at last. He was scaly with dark circles under his eyes, appearing to be the same species as many of the Murk Raiders. His shaggy hair was dark, and he had a tiny goatee. There was a ring through his nose, like a bull.

Despite his lack of response to his question, Finn just laughed. "Good thing for him," he told the stranger, pointing to himself, "or I mighta had to teach him some manners!"

At that moment, Radarr came up on the other side of the stranger. As soon as the furry copilot saw the man's face, his ears drooped fearfully, and he disappeared under the counter with a whimper.

Finn put his hand on the table, still waiting for a response, but again all he got was a growl. "You're quiet," he said at last, pointing at the man. "I like that. I'm quiet, too!"

He turned away for a moment, ready to prove how quiet he was, when suddenly something caught his eye. On the counter was an overflowing bagful of violet crystals next to a full box of popcorn. "Hey, those are the crystals I'm lookin' for!" Finn exclaimed, fingering them. He leaned toward the man. "You know how I could get some?" Now pretty much hovering over the man's plate, he got a good whiff of the pie on his plate. "Ah, that smells good!" Finn sighed, rolling his eyes. "And maybe some of that pie, too?"

He was just putting a finger toward the pie when suddenly the man's hand slapped his face and held. A deep, gravelly voice issued from that steely mouth. "You don't have any idea who you're talkin' to, do you?" the man drawled in a deep Texan accent.

Oh, this guy thought he was a big shot, huh? "Ah, no," Finn answered honestly, moving the man's finger out of his eye to stare at him. "Do you have any idea who _you're_ talkin' to?"

Next thing Finn knew, he was flying out the swinging doors just like the first man he'd seen. He landed on his back out on the street, his breath knocked out of him for a moment.

When he looked up, he saw the scaly man standing in the doorway. "Hey, what's the big deal, buddy?" he called angrily, getting to his feet. "I just came here for some crystals!"

"Well," the man said, lifting the brim of his sombrero, "you're not leavin' with any! 'Cause you're not leavin' at all!"

Finn's jaw dropped as the scaly man walked down the street. Not leave _at all?_ What was this psycho man pulling on him?

The man stopped. "We's gonna have us a draw!" he said as he spun around and faced Finn. Behind him, another tumbleweed blew across the street.

Suddenly the whole "leavin' at all" thing seemed more like an invitation. "What?" Finn asked excitedly. "You mean, like, a duel?" Now _duels_ he could do! "Aw, man!" he said, clenching his fists in excitement. "I haven't done one of these in forever!" He held up a finger to the man. "Just give me a second to warm up," he asked. And with that, he grabbed his foot and started stretching before doing the other leg.

Radarr watched him stretch, mouth open in disbelief. Then he put a paw on his head, closed his eyes, and shook his head, whimpering. Sometimes he couldn't believe how dumb Finn was. A guy challenges him to the death, and he acts _excited_ about it?

But Finn felt he had good reason to be cocky. "Now," he told the scaly man as he started stretching his arms, "you may be good at tossing people through doors," he stretched out his leg and grabbed his toes, "but you should know I've got something of a reputation as a sharpshooter."

His opponent grinned wickedly. "Me, too," he answered. As if on cue, some creature howled in the distance.

"Then I guess this'll be a fair fight," Finn said as he stood up and started twisting his back to finish his stretches.

His opponent's grin got wider, as if Finn had said an inside joke. "Ya think?" he said. Then he threw off his poncho, laughing wickedly.

Finn gulped. "Uh oh," he said.

The man had _four_ arms and _four_ crystal guns!

So much for a fair fight.

Well, there was no getting out of this now. Finn put his hand up, ready to draw his crossbow when the time came. The four-armed man had each hand poised over a gun. Each was still, waiting for the right moment.

During this calm-before-the-storm, Wren's hen, the constant stowaway, wandered out into the middle of the street, looking for Radarr. Looking around, she suddenly seemed to realize she had stepped between two duelers. With startled clucking, she scampered out of the road frantically.

Finn's eyes narrowed at the four-armed guy. His fingers twitched. So did the other guy's. And then . . . he reached for a gun.

But Finn was quicker. His eyes, as sharp as a fighter pilot's, saw the four-armed man's move and had already drawn his crossbow and fired a bolt before the man had aimed. The man let out a cry as the bolt hit his gun, sending it flying from his hand.

Finn laughed to himself. Beat _that!_

But he was so full of himself for the nice shot that he totally forgot about the other three guns. In the time it took for him to laugh, the four-armed guy had drawn them and was aiming at him.

As the first three red crystal pulses headed his way, Finn let out a cry of fright and dived behind a wagon that was conveniently parked next to him. The man continued shooting at the wagon. Finn's heart was beating a mile a minute. He wasn't quite sure how he got into this. All he wanted were some crystals, and the guy challenges him to a duel and cheats! How can he beat a guy who won't play fair?

Heart pounding, he tried once more to reason with the guy. "Uh, can we talk about this? Whoa!" Three more shots whizzed by his head. "Guess not."

The next shot hit the front left wheel of the wagon, cutting it and making part of the wagon collapse. Finn knew he had to get out of there; Mr. Four Arms out there, being unable to shoot at Finn, apparently was trying to shoot down the wagon until he _could_ shoot at Finn.

But amazingly, after that one shot, the blasts paused. Finn peered around the wagon, trying to see if he could take advantage of the moment to make a run for it.

What he saw burned his eyes!

In trying to save Finn, Radarr had used the only tactic he could think of for distraction; he had jumped up on the four-armed man's chest and kissed him on the lips.

The man's eyes lit up when he was kissed, but once he realized it was a little furry animal and _not_ a random girl, his face contorted in rage. "What the . . . ?"

Radarr stuck his tongue out at him, a "Catch me if you can!" expression on his face. And with that, he jumped down and ran to hide behind a stack of crates, narrowly avoiding the blasts coming his way.

Of course, the whole distraction would have been a great time to find some better cover, but Finn had been too shocked by the sight to move a muscle. Now Four Arms rounded on him and started firing again. One of the shots struck off the wheel that Finn was hiding behind. Now the man had a clear shot.

Finn dove into the middle of the street just in time. Glancing up, he tried desperately to think of what to do. Then he noticed where the four-armed guy was standing. Maybe . . . Finn raised his crossbow and fired in the man's direction.

The bolt didn't strike the man; it struck the latch on the side of a wagon full of barrels that was parked next to the man. The four-armed guy cackled. He had retrieved his first gun, and now all four were pointing at Finn. "You missed!" he said, gesturing his first gun toward Finn.

Finn smirked. "Nope!"

On the wagon, the side that was no longer latched suddenly gave away, and before the four-armed man knew what Finn meant, he was knocked to the ground by a cascade of barrels. One struck him right in the chest, knocking the guns out of his hand and sending one soaring high into the air. Once on the ground, another barrel pinned his legs. The man sat up, ready to do something, _anything_, when the last gun came down and landed right on the man's head, knocking him out cold.

From where he stood by the crates, Radarr squawked loudly, clenching a fist in triumph.

Finn smirked back at his friend and then walked up to his defeated opponent, staring down at him, daring him to try that again.

Everywhere along the street, people stepped out of the front doors and peered down at the scene. Murmuring rose from every corner of the little town. The murmuring turned to excited talking as everyone stepped out into the street and headed toward Finn, gathering around him and smiling at the four-armed nose ring guy on the ground as if they had just witnessed a great show.

The nose ring guy looked up at Finn and growled. "You just made the biggest mistake of yer life!" he warned, getting to his feet.

"Oh, yeah!" Finn answered back, pointing at him, trying to talk big. "Well, that's what I told Snipe after he totally clobbered me!" He punched a fist through the air to demonstrate.

When everyone turned to Finn and gave him weird looks, Finn winced. That . . . hadn't come out right. "Uh, when I say 'totally clobbered,' I mean—"

He was saved from having to explain by the sound of a skyride starting up. The four-armed guy had gotten in his ride, spun it around, headed out of town driving under the sign, opened his biplane wings, and goes gone quick as flash.

One young kid with a mope of red hair (kind of like Aerrow's, in fact, only darker) looked up at Finn excitedly. His eyes were dark and reddish brown, almost matching the shade of his hair. He wore a dark red shirt—does this kid color-code or something? Finn wondered—and a green bandana. He couldn't have been more than twelve years old; Finn was betting more on ten. "You must be the best Sky Knight of them all!" he exclaimed to Finn in a Texan accent.

Finn sheathed his crossbow and turned to the boy. "Well," he admitted with a shrug, "I'm not actually a Sky Knight."

"Oh," the boy said. He suddenly looked disappointed.

Well, Finn couldn't lose new fans _that_ quickly. "But, uh, I am a Domo on Terra Vapos! That's pretty much just as good." He pointed at the kid and smiled hopefully.

Just like he had hoped, the boy was suddenly enthralled with him again. "Really?" he said. "Wow!"

Suddenly another kid addressed Finn. He was a large boy about Finn's age. He was a rather fat, fair-skinned kid with a round baby face and short black hair. He wore a red shirt, a half-sleeve blue leather jacket the color of denim, and had on a red bandana. In a way, he reminded Finn of Junko. Next to him was a tall, skinny guy, as thin has his buddy was fat. His dull, purplish blue hair was spiky. He wore a red short-sleeve shirt and had a blue bandana. (Finn was starting to wonder what was with these bandanas.)

The fat kid pointed down the street where the four-armed guy disappeared. "Well, that there Roughneck's been a-comin' around here every week and trashin' the place and cleanin' out our crop o' crystals!" Finn was starting to see everyone here spoke with that somewhat annoying, stupid-sounding Texan accent.

The skinny dude raised his hand tentatively. "Uh, w-w-what if he comes back?" he asked. His accent was even worse to listen to because the dude talked like he spoke through his nose, high-pitched and nasally. His nervousness and skinniness made him seem a lot like Stork.

"Then he'll kick his butt again!" the redhead answered the skinny dude, pointing at Finn with a brown gloved hand. "He's our hero!"

_Hero?_ The kid was acting like he was their patron champion or something! "Whoa, whoa!" Finn said, putting up his hands. He couldn't have them getting the wrong impression here. He gestured to his current partner. "Radarr and I are just here to pick up some crystals."

Radarr nodded and chirped, glad Finn wasn't doing anything stupid for once.

At that, all the people moaned, and sad mutterings started echoing among the crowd.

Well, Finn couldn't just leave the poor group hanging like that! "But," he said slowly, holding up a finger, "we do have some time before we have to meet back up with the _Condor_, so until then . . . sure, I'll be your hero."

At that, the people perked up and cheered. The redhead kid threw his fist in the air, and the fat boy clapped his hands happily.

Radarr was the only one not impressed. He whimpered, shook his head, closed his eyes, and slapped his paw on his head again for the second time that day. You think Finn's going to do the smart thing and then . . . BAM! There goes that idea.

The skinny dude seemed so impressed that he came up and personally shook hands with Finn. A redhead girl with pig tails, a maroon and gold jacket, and a pink bandana came up and put a hand on Finn's shoulder. Finn couldn't help noticing she kind of looked like Piper when Piper put her hair in pigtails for her infiltration of Talon Academy. "Ya said ya need crystals?" the pigtail girl said. She gestured around them. "Anything we have is yours!"

Anything . . . Oh, this was too good to be true! He was going to be the hero, save the day, play the Sky Knight, have the girls . . . every perk Aerrow ever gets (even though he never takes full advantage of them). He was a Sky Knight, a hero, protecting his terra. But one thing that every Sky Knight hero needs was missing, and Finn had a feeling the townsfolk could fix that. "Well, he said, "if I'm gonna protect this terra, there is one thing I'm gonna need."

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry about the long wait. First I was doing _The Condor Express _and I have been co-authoring _Relentless _with Minn-Maigi (although she does the actual writing part). Around and after Christmas, my life has been taking some interesting turns and has gotten a little hectic, and when I'm short on time, well . . . Fanfiction is just not a priority. But anyway, I'm back now. Hopefully I'll be back for awhile, but we'll see.

No trivia. I mean, gun draws are pretty much the only trivia I could think of, and those are pretty obvious. Duels took place between warriors in every culture for the sake of honor, over a huge disagreement, or revenge (in the form of legal murder). They have been seen throughout history from the time when they were done with stone tools to the present day. Duels are always adjusted for the weaponry; usually warriors use the same or similar weapons. A draw is just a gun duel with rules adjusted for firearm weaponry. It's just part of a historical pattern. That simple. It's what men do when they got too hot a temper and too much testosterone. (That's a joke, men, just a joke! . . . But you can't tell me you don't see some truth in it . . .)

Guess I sort of just did a trivia for you guys. Well, anyway, I have no trivia for this episode at all, so if anyone can think of any, not just for this episode but any _Storm Hawks _related trivia I haven't covered yet, let me know in your review. (Hint, hint.)


	185. The Ultra Dudes: Finn Fighters

Chapter 2: Finn Fighters

On Terra Tropica, Junko was now the one leading the way through the jungle. He swept a huge leaf aside and then started swatting at the stupid cloud of insects that were still swarming around him. Stork came up beside him just as the Wallop managed to squash one by slapping his hand on his forehead, where the fly had landed. Junko looked down at the squashed fly on his hand for a moment before (much to Stork's horror) licking it off. "Mmm, delicious!" the Wallop commented as he walked off.

Stork, meanwhile, was trying not to be sick. "Ew!" the Merb exclaimed, taking out a spray can and spraying something green at the cloud of insects. "Do you know how many _bugs_ those bugs carry?" He whimpered and sprayed the air again before following after Junko.

"You keep that up and you're gonna run out," Piper told Stork sharply yet quietly. She and Aerrow were taking up the rear.

"Don't remind me," Stork answered back. "I'm down to my last fifty-seven cans." He looked at the can with trepidation.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow, wondering where in the world Stork was keeping fifty-seven cans of bug spray where he wouldn't know about it. The Sky Knight thought it best not to ask.

One of the flies actually flew into one of Junko's ears. Junko stopped dead, feeling something like a little tiny thing walking through his head. He winced as he heard something like flushing, more tiny footsteps, and then the fly flew out his other ear.

As they continued, Aerrow noticed Stork was getting visibly more irritated, and the Sky Knight thought it was time he took the lead again. As he did so, Stork said, "We're getting close to the village. Watch it! Those guys can be nasty!"

So that explained the Merb's growing unease. Based on Stork's narrative of last time, Aerrow doubted he was in any real hurry to see the pygmy jungle natives again.

As they reached the outskirts, Aerrow stopped, lifting his blades slightly, ready for a fight. Junko went forward ahead of the others to take a peek. As soon as he had moved the broad leaves aside to see the village, he gasped and pointed. "Look!"

The others stepped forward.

Aerrow's eyes widened a moment. The scene spoke of carnage. The village's canoe-like houses were broken, burned, and destroyed. Tiki masks littered the ground, some scorched, most just smashed and splintered. A bit of smoke from dying fires could still be seen. The carnage was complete . . . and recent.

The Storm Hawks walked out into the middle of village, looking around. Aerrow saw no sign of any humanoids, pygmy or otherwise, which led him to believe that the natives were taken prisoner by their attackers or fled . . . or destroyed as well. There was not a living soul in sight.

"This," Stork said, looking down at the ruins, "is never a good sign."

* * *

Finn, however, was having no such concerns about attackers and carnage. He was having the time of his life.

He had just recently gotten himself a brown bandana to wear around his neck; might as well look like the locals, right? In addition, he was wearing a badge shaped like a sheriff-like golden star with a horseshoe on it. He was standing in the middle of the street, gazing in front of him. "Yup," he said, chuckling to himself, "this is exactly what I need."

Standing in front of him was the skinny dude kind of like Stork, the pigtail girl kind of like Piper, the fat boy kind of like Junko, and the little redhead boy whose name, Finn had learned, was Chuckie. They were all looking at the new badges on their own shirts, badges that matched Finn's.

"Yeah!" the skinny dude cheered.

"Uh huh!" the pigtail girl said.

"Wow!" the fat boy said, fingering his badge.

"Um hmm," Chuckie nodded, as if he knew it would come to this all along.

Finn smiled at all of them and then spun around to stand in front of them. "My own squad!"

Radarr stared up at all of them and slapped his face with his paws, whimpering. Why, oh _why_ did Finn do stuff like this? This was going to be a disaster. Radarr just knew it!

* * *

After being the bar for a moment, it was time to go back outside to train the new recruits. Radarr had been giving Finn the cold shoulder the entire time they were inside, and now he stalked toward the door on two legs, pushing a swinging door open in front of him.

Finn couldn't believe Radarr could be so sour about something so wonderful. "Oh, come on!" he called at Radarr, gesturing to him. Radarr froze in the doorway and glared over his shoulder at him. "Just think of it as a side project," Finn encouraged.

Radarr churred back irritably with a hint of worry, retorting to Finn in a question, as if to say, _But aren't we Storm Hawks?_

"Well, of course we're still Storm Hawks!" Finn answered. "But for now, we're also Ultra Dudes!" He stood up proudly and put his hands on his hips, striking a proud pose.

Radarr growled in response, as if to say, _Ultra Dudes?_

Apparently Finn didn't catch the condescending tone to Radarr's growl. "I know!" Finn answered him. "Awesome name, huh?" He chuckled. "Sometimes I impress even myself!"

Radarr was so irritated he wanted to bite him. Instead he settled for walking out the door and making sure it swung back to hit Finn in the face.

When Finn finally got outside and surveyed the new Ultra Dudes again, he focused his eyes on one of them, who he noticed had a red notebook. "Okay, skinny dude who's sorta like Stork."

"Uh, a-actually," the skinny dude said, "it's Steve."

"Uh, right," Finn said. Like he cared. He gave Steve a look like the look Steve was giving him—one eye looking asleep, the other one near squinting, both eyes slightly crossed. He probably had lazy eye or something.

"Now, the Sky Knights have Sky Fu," Finn told all of them. Then he tapped his own chest. "I'm gonna teach you something that's way better!" He pointed at them reassuringly and then pulled a few martial arts poises. "Finn Fu!"

Steve raised an eyebrow at that. Finn Fu?

"It's a lot less sweaty," Finn said. "You know, not so much jumpin' and runnin' around."

Steve quickly made a note of that in his notebook, his tongue sticking of his mouth in concentration as he squinted at the paper.

* * *

Later, Finn was flying with his new recruits, who all had biplane skyrides. He flew up next to one of them for a little extra instruction. "Okay," he said, "big guy who's kinda like Junko, here's something I discovered." He leaned back in his seat and kept steering somehow. The big guy looked over to see rope wrapped around each of Finn's feet, attaching each to a handle. In his hands, Finn had a full box of flame corn. "If you tie the control stick to your leg, it totally leaves your hands free! You know, to eat a snack or whatever." He picked up a piece of flame corn and popped it in his mouth.

And with that, he drove off with his feet, eating flame corn and cheering, "Ha, ha! Yeah!"

The big Ultra Dude studied him closely as he drove off and then made note in his notebook about it.

Afterward, Finn brought all the recruits back on the ground, putting their rides in bike mode. As they drove along the dusty road, Finn was proud to see his very own squadron getting in a formation around him.

"Okay," he said to them, "when you're in bike mode, what's the most important thing to remember?"

The pigtail girl, who pulled up on his left, thought a moment and then said, "Safety?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "No, stick-in-the-mud girl who reminds me of Piper."

The girl raised her eyes at that. Stick-in-the-mud? She thought she was being smart!

Finn had so much to teach these people. He straightened in his seat. "The most important thing is to look good! And that means one thing!" He revved his engine, pulled out slightly ahead of the others, and then yanked it back on its rear wheel. "Wheelies!" He shot off in a cloud of dust, shouting, "Yeah!"

The girl stopped her skyride, coughing on the cloud of red dust. Then she pulled out her own red notebook and wrote down Finn's advice.

* * *

Finn had one more thing to teach them. He gave them all small, wooden crossbows with bolts that had sucker ends so that they could practice.

Finn stood in front of them. Thinking that the best way to teach was to demonstrate, he did a quick-draw with his crossbow, whirled around, and shot out three lamps down the street, never missing a shot. Then he turned back to them. "It's not enough to be a good shot," he explained.

In the middle of his explanation, a hunched old man with hair grayed to white ran out of one of the buildings on the street and shook his fist at Finn. "Hey!" he shouted. "My lamps!"

Whoops. Finn took the best strategy on dealing with that sort of problem . . . he ignored it.

Striking a pose in which he was pointing his crossbow, he told the Ultra Dudes, "You gotta have a signature move. My Sky Knight Aerrow's got his Eagle Claw," he used as an example . . . which left Radarr, who was standing off to the side, dying to correct him and tell him it's the _Lightning Claw_. Finn smiled at his squadron. "I've got one no one's ever done. I call it the Finnito! Because when I pull out that move," he drew a breath dramatically, "it's all over."

"Whoa!" the Ultra Dudes all said together. Chuckie's eyes lit up, and Finn could tell with a hint of pride that the little dude was already his number one fan.

Finn thought hard, picturing what he was going to do. He had a general idea . . . but seeing as he had thought up the Finnito on the spot, he wasn't so sure. Still, he was awesome enough to pull off!

And so, he said, "Chica-cha!" and swirled his crossbow around in his hand. However, instead of it landing neatly in his hand, it smacked him in the face. The pain made him drop the crossbow, and the bottom of the handle landed right on his toe. _More _pain! So there he was gasping and holding his toe and hopping up and down on one foot.

Radarr shook his head. Finn was hopeless.

But, just like with everything else, the brainwashed Ultra Dudes followed his example. Chuckie went first. "Chica-cha!" he yelled, throwing his crossbow up in the air and letting it smack him in the face.

"Chica-cha!" yelled Steve as he twirled his correctly and then smacked his face with it.

"Chica-cha!" the big Ultra Dude said. He failed at twirling his crossbow, but he was able to at least toss it at his face. "Ooh!" he groaned when it hit his nose.

"Chica-cha!" the girl said smoothly as she threw her crossbow up over her head in a spin and let it smash against her face.

Then all four were going, "Ooh, ooh, ooh!" just like Finn as they hopped around on one foot, holding the other in one of their hands.

"Aw," Finn groaned, rubbing his sore nose. Not only had he looked ridiculous, but the entire squadron was actually copying him.

Radarr couldn't help himself anymore; he burst out in squeals of laughter. He had to hold his side, he was laughing so hard.

Finn scowled at him. "Oh, yeah?" he said. Radarr could laugh all he wanted, but that didn't change the way things were now. "You're just jealous because I'm the boss! And I don't blame you," he added as an afterthought, smiling to himself. "I never knew how good Aerrow had it!"

* * *

If anyone had asked Aerrow how good he had it at the moment, he would not have told them it was that great.

He and his team were still trudging through grungy jungle while being covered in mud and paint for camouflage. It was so hot and muggy that Aerrow could feel the layer of sticky sweat gathering underneath the camouflage layer. And no matter what he did, the insects never left, and there was always more foliage in the way.

But they were almost there, he reminded himself. Just a little further.

Aerrow hacked another leaf out of his way and stopped just short of blundering into a huge mistake. His team halted behind him.

They had reached the clearing at the entrance of the cave Stork had told them about. Piper's gaze seemed to take in the artistic structure of the temple pillars, but Aerrow only had eyes for what stood in front of them. "Cyclonians," he hissed under his breath. There were two in front of the entrance, each with a staff.

Of course there were Cyclonians. Because nothing could ever be too easy for them.

For Aerrow, however, the answer was obvious. He looked over his shoulder Junko, nodded to him, and then pointed off to the side. Junko nodded back, indicating he understood, and slunk around to the side.

Moments later, Junko had snuck around behind the Talons. He put an arm around the shoulders of each. One turned to him, saying, "Huh?" Junko put his finger to his lips and shushed him before smashing the two Talons' heads together to knock them out. Once he was sure they were down, he motioned for the rest of the Storm Hawks to join him.

The Storm Hawks ran up to the entrance, still not making a sound for fear of alerting any other Talons in the vicinity. The others hesitated outside the entrance, but Aerrow started in and motioned for them to follow. This was what they came; it was too late to think twice.

"Just so you know," Stork told them once they entered the cave, "the monster up ahead is worse than anything you have ever seen."

Although Aerrow knew Stork exaggerated pretty much everything, he wasn't about to discount his dire warnings when he was seeing human bones littered all over the floor of the cave.

They tiptoed their way over the scattered skeletons until they reached the entrance to the cavern at the end. Aerrow peaked around first, wanting to get a good idea of how they should proceed around this monster Stork kept talking about.

But . . . where was the monster?

Stork peered around from behind him, squeaking in shock. "It . . . it was right here!"

They all stepped out into the cavern. Yup, definitely no monster.

"And the door," Stork continued, gesturing to the middle of the cavern. "It was right there!"

But there was no door in sight.

"Maybe I am going crazy," Stork murmured, rubbing his hands together uneasily. Junko put an arm around him consolingly.

"You're not going crazy." A cold, yet musical voice rang out over the cavern. "You're too late."

The Storm Hawks looked up, and who should it be but an old "friend." She stood on a ledge on the chamber wall, overlooking them from a clear vantage point. "Ravess!" Aerrow growled, lighting his blades. Behind him, Junko and Piper got into battle stances while Stork cringed away. "Should've known you'd be behind this!"

"Once again, Storm Hawks," Ravess said, smirking, her hand resting on her hip, "you are mistake. And if you lower your weapons, I might even tell you what you're looking for."

The Storm Hawks' faces all fell in bewilderment. "Huh?" Junko said, looking to Aerrow for an explanation. But Aerrow didn't know what to think. Was this a trap?

Ravess seemed to note their confusion. "Let's just say that little brat Cyclonis," she growled the name with distaste, "no longer has the honor of my allegiance."

Aerrow didn't know why Ravess, a top Talon commander and a rumored relative of the Cyclonian throne, would choose to turn away from Cyclonis or how this parting of allegiances came about. He thought it best not to ask. The fact of the matter was, although he couldn't explain why, he thought she just _might_ be telling the truth. Her apparent bitterness toward Cyclonis was rather convincing.

Just in case they made a mistake, Aerrow was not yet ready to put his blades away, but he did put them out and then nodded to his team, telling them to lower their weapons. The others did so, relaxing a little, but they followed their Sky Knight's example in keeping their weapons handy.

Aerrow turned back to Ravess. "Alright, Ravess," he said. "We're listening."

"Good," Ravess answered. She raised an eyebrow. "What do you know of the far side of Atmos?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Don't you just love how the creators cut that scene off there? Talk about a cliffie!

Not much to say to this one. Just remember to review!


	186. The Ultra Dudes: A Hero to Save Us

Chapter 3: A Hero to Save Us

Finn had the Ultra Dudes all gathered at a table in the local saloon, mugs filled and placed in front of them. "Now you guys know how to walk the walk," he told them, gesturing across the table to them, "but even more important is knowin' how to talk the talk." He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the table cockily, proud of himself for thinking up this great piece of wisdom.

"Well, whadda ya mean?" Chuckie asked.

"Well," Finn said, "for example, whenever you're talkin' to someone," he clenched a fist, "try to slip in stories about the _awesome_ things you've done. Like when I faced Repton on Terra Blizzaris," he made his awesome, Finn fighting noise, "and told him how I tackled the Dark Ace on Terra Saharr! Chica!" he added, giving them his pistol fingers.

The Ultra Dudes all exchanged excited glances that made Finn swell with pride. "Wow!" Chuckie exclaimed, leaning over the table toward him excitedly. "You did that?"

Finn nodded. After all, even if he didn't do it, he knew he was so awesome he might as well have.

Off to the side, Radarr stood glaring at him with his arms crossed, shaking his head. Finn had to be the greatest fibber Radarr had ever met! Not only was he making stuff up about himself, but he was taking his friends' accomplishments and making them his own!

But Finn was on a roll now, remembering something Aerrow always did while facing the Dark Ace. "And when danger calls," he added, pointing toward them, "just say something cocky. That shows them you're not afraid of anything!"

No sooner had he finished speaking when he froze. He blinked slowly, trying to make sure he was hearing correctly. Yup, those were definitely terrified screams he heard outside. He should probably hide or something . . .

No, wait, he was the leader! Aerrow always plunged headfirst into danger whenever another was in trouble. Now Finn was in charge, and it was his turn!

A man with purple hair came bursting through the swinging doors. "It's the Roughneck!" he cried in this town's characteristic Western accent, pointing out toward the street. "He's back!"

Oh. Mr. Nose-Ringed Four Arms. Well, if that's all it was, there was no need to panic. Finn got to his feet. "He won't be staying long," he promised, punching his fist into his palm.

* * *

Outside on the road, no one and nothing moved. Only a tumbleweed dared to roll across the dusty street. Everyone was slamming doors shuts and closing the shutters to their houses, terrified of what might come.

The only ones who dared to stay outside were the Ultra Dudes. They came and assembled in the street around Finn, ready for battle.

Finn narrowed his eyes as he stared out pass the street sign toward the horizon. Sure enough, the Roughneck was headed their way on his ride, cackling with evil glee. It made Finn grin to see a guy so stupid to come back here after such a humiliating defeat. "There's nothing this guy could throw at us that the Ultra Dudes can't handle!" he assured his team, pointing thumbs at himself.

No sooner had he said it when more skyrides in bike mode pulled up alongside the Roughneck's. They were faces that looked _way_ too familiar. The men right up front were way, _way_ too familiar: a certain pirate captain and his fat first mate. Captain Scabulous, Eyeball, and the rest of his crew had come, waving their guns in the air and cackling loudly along with the Roughneck.

"Except that!" Finn amended, pointing at the Murk Raiders as they entered the town.

The Murk Raiders made their presence known immediately. One pirate shot through a barrel of gloopy fruit as he drove by. The rest of them shot at doors and railings and windows, any parts of buildings that might cause damage to the people inside.

Finn stared at the Murk Raiders in alarm. This wasn't what he was expecting at all. He was expecting another easy win.

This was nothing short of a nightmare!

As the Murk Raiders drove down the street, they trained their eyes on the only ones standing in their way: the Ultra Dudes.

"Move!" Finn cried to his team, gesturing to the saloon. No one needed to be told twice. They all high-tailed it into the saloon. Finn held his ground until the last minute, allowing the others a chance to get inside. He didn't run until the Murk Raiders were almost upon him; then he ran up the steps into the saloon after the others.

Wren's hen had also been standing with the Ultra Dudes in the hopes of getting close to Radarr. Now, as the Murk Raiders' rides zoomed past her, she squawked in alarm and covered her head with her wings. Feathers flew off once the skyrides rushed past, but to her amazement, the Murk Raiders left her alone.

They didn't leave the rest of town alone, though. They continued to shoot at the buildings, blasting lights, windows, doors, fences, decks, and balconies.

Finn, meanwhile, had no sooner burst through the saloon swinging doors when he tripped and fell on a heap in front of him. That heap happened to be his squadron, all having tripped over each other during their mad dash inside. Radarr was struggling to crawl out from the middle of the heap to get some air.

"So, what's the plan?" the big Ultra Dude asked when Finn joined them.

"Yeah!" Chuckie piped up, looking up at Finn. "We'll follow you anywhere!"

"Great!" Finn said, rubbing his head as he stood up. He pointed to the backdoor. "Then follow me out back to our rides, and let's get outta here!" He stomped toward the door. Maybe if they went quietly the Murk Raiders would leave in a few hours . . .

"But we're ready to defend our terra!" Finn heard the girl Ultra Dude say.

He turned around to look at her in disbelief. She and the other Ultra Dudes were on their feet, staring at Finn in equal bewilderment. "Well, yeah!" exclaimed Chuckie, gesturing to Finn. "You taught us everything ya know!"

"But I don't know anything!" Finn confessed. There was no point hiding the truth now.

"Don't know anything?" Chuckie repeated disbelievingly. "What about the Finnito? No one's ever done that before!"

"Including me!" Finn told them, pointing a thumb at himself. Oh, didn't they get it yet? "Look I just made it up!" He pointed out toward the street. "That is Scabulous! There's no way we can defeat him!" He placed a hand on his chest. "I should know; I've tried!"

There was a moment of stunned silence among the Ultra Dudes as all of them stared at Finn with the exception of Radarr, who stood next Finn and watched the whole scene unfold with horrified eyes. At first, no one moved. Then slowly the Ultra Dudes turned away from Finn and started heading toward the front door.

Chuckie was the last to turn away. First he looked Finn in the eye and shook his head. Then he, too, turned his back on Finn and headed toward the door. As the others filed out, he paused with his hand on the door and turned back to Finn. "Maybe you don't believe in what you've done here," he said, pointing a thumb at himself, "but the Ultra Dudes do!"

Finn felt his heart leap into his throat. Who would have thought _he_, of all people, could inspire anyone? And then . . . let them down like that. It felt . . . horrible.

It didn't make it any better when Radarr whimpered after Chuckie as the boy stepped outside. There was just something about his spirit—so like Aerrow's—that just broke Radarr's heart.

Radarr growled, turned around to Finn, and folded his arms, glaring at Finn and tapping his foot on the ground.

Finn felt so ashamed that he couldn't even meet Radarr's eyes. But what could he do? He may have told everyone otherwise—maybe even believed differently before—but now, faced with he a real challenge, he knew he couldn't do it. He wasn't Aerrow, or even Piper or Junko. Or even Stork. He was no hero. Not like them.

* * *

Back in the cave on Terra Tropica, Ravess was explaining the importance of the far side of Atmos. "Cyclonis has been looking for a way to the far side of Atmos," she told the Storm Hawks. "That fool explorer Domiwick," she made a gesture to emphasize just how stupid she thought Domiwick was, "was leading the exhibition . . . until he disappeared."

Aerrow exchanged glances with Piper, and he knew she was thinking the same as he. They both knew what happened to Domiwick. _That _was why he had been in the lake on Terra Aquinos. He had been working for Cyclonis at the time . . . though whether for money or his own personal glory was a good question.

They also knew he disappeared because he was trapped on the other side of the tunnels . . . if he even made it out.

"Now she's found it," Ravess continued, drawing their attention back to her.

"The doorway Stork saw?" Piper asked immediately. Aerrow wasn't even sure how she put that together.

"My, you are the smart one," Ravess said. She rolled her eyes as if being the "smart one" was not hard in her company. If she hadn't been a Cyclonian (or ex-Cyclonian, anyway) Aerrow might have been insulted.

"The scrolls say the Far Side is a place of unspeakable power!" Piper gasped aloud. "If that helps her here on Atmos . . ." She seemed unwilling to finish her thought but looked straight at Aerrow.

"We have to stop her!" Aerrow agreed at once, lifting his blades a little higher.

"Fortunately you still can," Ravess told them. "Cyclonis may have the door, but she still doesn't have the key."

And with that, Ravess turned to go. No further explanations, nothing.

"Wait!" Piper yelled after her desperately. "What's that s'posed mean?"

Ravess put a hand over her face in exasperation, and even Aerrow could tell she was quickly losing patience with them. "Don't push your luck, Storm Hawk," she told Piper. "I'm only helping you to hurt the girl. I still don't _like_ any of you!"

Piper narrowed her eyes at Ravess. She was curious as to exactly what Cyclonis had done to Ravess to cause this betrayal. Or maybe it was Cyclonis who had shunned Ravess, and Ravess was only out for revenge? Whatever the case, the mystery didn't seem to be bothering the others, including Aerrow.

This time, no one called Ravess back when she turned to leave.

Not that they were given much of a chance.

"There they are!"

The voice was coming from somewhere behind them. The Storm Hawks whirled around and found themselves face to face with three Talons pointing their staffs at them. At least one of them was one of the guards they had knocked unconscious.

"Probably time to go," Aerrow guessed. He turned and ran, the others following close behind.

But Piper wasn't eager to go. She still wanted to know more from Ravess. Why the disloyalty all of a sudden? How can a door lead to the Far Side? What was this key, and where could they find it?

"Blast 'em!" the Talon in the middle of the other two shouted. He fired a pulse from his staff in the Storm Hawks' direction. It missed, hitting the slope toward the shelf where Ravess had been standing moments before.

Turning to run after the others, Piper decided then that whatever questions she had could wait a bit.

* * *

Back at the mining town, the Murk Raiders had stopped their rides in the street with Scabulous, Eyeball, and the Roughneck in front. Captain Scabulous still had his crystal-powered gun in his hand. "You tried to hold out on my man!" he shouted to the street. "I'm going to teach you some manners!" He brandished is metal hand like a claw.

"Yeah?" another voice called to him. It was the Ultra Dudes, minus Finn and Radarr. They stalked up the street toward the Murk Raiders and then stood in a line before them. Steve continued his brave talk, pointing right at Scabulous. "Well, maybe we'll teach you some, uh . . ." He faltered when he saw Scabulous' scowl. "Some, uh . . ."

Scabulous narrowed his eye coldly. "What did you say?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

The Ultra Dudes cringed at that, including Steve. "It was, uh, uh, uh, you know, something, uh . . . cocky to, uh, show you we're not," he swallowed as Scabulous' snarl grow, ". . . afraid?"

* * *

Up above the terra, Finn and Radarr were making their getaway on Finn's Skimmer. And the entire time Finn drove, Radarr sat in his cockpit with his arms crossed, glaring and growling at Finn.

Finn sighed and looked back over his shoulder at the terra. It wasn't his fault he couldn't protect the town. There was nothing he could do for them.

But . . . could he really just _leave _them?

* * *

Captain Scabulous turned to the rest of his men. "Boys," he said, "show 'em what we do to people who aren't . . . afraid."

Without any further encouragement, the Murk Raiders drew their cutlasses, lit them, and charged forward on their rides. The Ultra Dudes gasped. They continued to hold their ground, but it would be a matter of moments before the Murk Raiders would reach them.

Suddenly Eyeball gasped as his cutlass was shot out of his hand. The Ultra Dudes stared as five more bolts fired past them. One struck a pole holding up the town's sign, and it fell right on top of Scabulous, Eyeball, and the Roughneck, stopping them in their tracks and busting so that their heads and shoulders broke through the sign.

Finn's Skimmer drove up from behind the Ultra Dudes, spun around in front of them, and came to a stop. "Finn!" Chuckie cried in relief.

Radarr leapt off the Skimmer to join the other Ultra Dudes. Once he turned around, he pointed pistol fingers at Finn encouragingly.

Finn smirked and clenched his fists at them. "Let's give 'em a taste of the Ultra Dude attitude!"

Cheers of "Alright!" and "Yippee!" rang among the Ultra Dudes as they turned back to the Murk Raiders in battle stances.

Snarling, Captain Scabulous bulged his muscles until the wooden sign burst off him. The Ultra Dudes gasp in shock. Finn couldn't believe it. Exactly how buff did a guy have to be to pull _that_ off?

"I'll take the leader," Scabulous told his men, pointing his gun out in front of him. "You take care of the riffraff!"

The Murk Raiders cheered and charged forward again.

* * *

Author's Notes: Really, Nerd Corps? You have Scabulous breaking apart the sign just by _bulging his muscles_? That's the sort of lame stuff that makes cartoons clownish.

Anyway, I think that's the last of Aerrow, Piper, Junko, and Stork for this episode until we get to the very end. They just have that brief conversation with Ravess, and then they're gone.


	187. The Ultra Dudes: Freedom Fighters

Chapter 4: Freedom Fighters

Finn squealed in fright and spun his Skimmer around, quickly taking to the air. Scabulous was after _him?_ Oh, he was _so_ dead!

Radarr watched fearfully as Finn took off and stepped out of the way as Scabulous went whizzing past him and also changed to flight mode, chasing Finn. Left standing alone, Radarr turned to glare at whoever was coming his way . . . only to squeal and cringe in fright.

The Roughneck's skyride was bearing down on him, and the Roughneck had his gun trained on him. "I owe you one!" the outlaw yelled fiercely.

Well, there was only one thing to do. Radarr turned and ran, squawking in terror as the Roughneck chased after him, shooting red crystal blasts his way.

Meanwhile, Chuckie, the big Ultra Dude, and the girl Ultra Dude leapt onto their rides, the girl in front. "Fly like Finn taught us!" she called back to the others confidently.

They charged forward down the street. There was no need to fly yet; the rest of the Murk Raiders had stayed on the ground. The girl took the lead for her group, and the one-armed Merb took the lead of the Murk Raiders. The two charged right at each other. Remembering Finn's lessons, the girl cried, "Yeehaw!" and pulled her skyride up into a wheelie.

Once there, however, she realized she had no way of seeing where she was going. She whimpered. Finn hadn't told her how to _see_ where you were driving while doing wheelies!

Quickly she brought her ride back down on the ground . . . only to see that she was on a collision course with a parked wagon. She let out a nervous laugh, but there was no time to swerve. With a cry, she struck the wagon and went sailing in the air, only to land in a heap with her ride.

Well, that didn't go so well.

The one-armed Merb watched her failed stunt with interest and burst out laughing at her crash. He was paying so much attention to her that he wasn't looking where he was going.

BAM! He slammed right into streetlamp pole. "Ow," he gasped.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn and Scabulous were leaving the town behind and were off flying through the desert, dodging vertical rock formations and many cacti. While he chased, Captain Scabulous kept shooting at Finn, and Finn kept dodging. Mostly Scabulous was hitting the cacti.

Then, just when Scabulous was about to get a good shot, Finn swerved out of sight. Scabulous scanned the sky with his eyes, looking back and forth. Where in the . . . ?

"Gotcha!" Finn's voice called from behind Scabulous.

Scabulous cried out in fright. Finn couldn't help but laugh. He had just scared the pants off the most powerful Murk Raider in Atmos!

But the fun wasn't done yet! Finn had pulled out the retractable crossbow from the bow of his Skimmer and aimed right for the captain's skyride. One squeeze of the trigger, and Scabulous' ride was shot right out from under him.

Scabulous went flying through the air, slamming through one, then two, then three cacti. Even Finn had to cringe as the screaming Murk Raider tumbled back into the main street of town.

* * *

By that time, Steve had mounted his ride, but he hadn't followed the others in driving off and fighting. He was trying to be smart—and cautious—by first looking through his little red notebook, hoping it held the key to defeating these Murk Raiders. He bit his tongue as he held it close to his face and struggled to find it. "I know it's here somewhere!"

But before he could find it, he let out a cry of shock as the book was shot out of his hands. "Huh?" Turning to his left, he saw a Murk Raider on foot advancing toward him, his cutlass drawn.

Oh, Steve was dead meat for sure!

But then, just when he was sure the Murk Raider was about to run him through, a flowerpot with a beautiful flower in it dropped onto the Murk Raider's head. With a short exclamation and a dazed look, the Murk Raider fell to the ground, out cold.

What the . . . ? Steve turned to look up above him. There, on the balcony on the second floor of the building he was parked by, was a dark-haired girl with another flowerpot full of white flowers in her hand, ready to throw. A third pot of flowers was on the railing next to her as well. With a girlish giggle, she waved down at Steve.

Steve swallowed, feeling the heat rise in his face. Suddenly, despite the terrible danger they were all in . . . he was very happy to be alive.

Out in the street, the girl Ultra Dude was now back on her ride, but she although she had gotten rid of the one-armed Merb (without even facing him), she was now being chased by Eyeball. Just when she was sure Eyeball would catch her, a window shutter opened right in front of Eyeball. Eyeball's face slammed into it, and with a groan he fell to the ground. The girl looked back and smiled at the old man who had opened the shutter as he leaned out his window and winked at her.

Things weren't going so great for Radarr, however. The Roughneck had abandoned his ride and was now on foot, having finally cornered Radarr on the side of one of the houses. The Roughneck laughed as Radarr cowered and whimpered. The little copilot had run out of options and idea.

But little did either of them realize that the blond girl and a brown-headed lad were standing on the balcony above them. The boy had a lantern, and the girl had another flowerpot. Both were aimed to throw.

Before the Roughneck could strike, a lantern slammed into his head from above. Next he was assaulted with a flowerpot, a box of donuts, and a wooden bucket.

Smirking at the change of luck, Radarr leapt forward, striking out with his foot and hitting the Roughneck right in the chin, knocking him out instantly. The Roughneck fell on his back, stars dancing around his head, and Radarr landed on two feet on his chest.

Every Murk Raider was down!

Reveling in his triumph, Finn flew into town, swooping under the sign and hitting the dirt before turning his ride sideways and screeching to a halt next to where Captain Scabulous lay. With a huff, Finn leapt out of his ride and approached Scabulous, who lay moaning on the ground, not looking at all like the feared captain he was.

As Finn got right in front of his head, he narrowed his eyes and drew his crossbow. He didn't know what state Scabulous was in, and he had to be careful. Once he had his crossbow in his hands, he leaned down, checking Scabulous over. Was he truly beaten? Knocked out, even?

But no.

With a cry, Scabulous suddenly brought his legs up over his head and grabbed Finn's neck between his knees. Finn screamed, helpless as Scabulous pulled him over backward in front of him. Finn landed on his back facing him and felt his breath knocked out. But that wasn't stopping him. No sooner had he hit the ground when he sucked in a breath and jumped to his feet.

But Scabulous had been quicker. He was already standing in front of Finn, his gun pointing at him. "Any last words?" the Murk Raider snarled.

Finn should have been scared. In fact, he should have been terrified. But for some reason, he wasn't. He felt a certain unexplainable calm as he was faced with that gun. The near certainty of death had brought about a clarity and sharpness of mind he hadn't known before . . . like lining up a shot. He knew just what to do. Pointing at Scabulous, he declared his "last words" and clenched his fist. "I challenge you to a draw!"

Captain Scabulous burst with laughter. He seemed so amused that, before a brief moment, Finn entertained the thought of him dropping his gun. No such luck. "Nice try, laddie," Scabulous said once he caught his breath.

But Finn wasn't deterred. "What's the matter? Afraid you can't take me in a fair fight?"

Captain Scabulous' scowl was so menacing that Finn was almost sure he was going to shoot him down that instant, but before either could move, they heard muttering off to the side. Both glanced over to see a group of angry townsfolk stalking toward Scabulous. All were young: two boys and two girls, one of them being the girl who saved Steve. She carried a hammer, one boy carried a frying pan, and the other boy had a shovel and pickax. And they were all glowering at Scabulous, muttering angrily, looking ready to nail him in the head as soon as he pulled the trigger.

Finn was caught . . . but now, so was Scabulous. At the very least, the Murk Raider captain was going to have to fight hard to get out of this.

Finn eyed Scabulous. His choice would be obvious. Anytime now . . .

"If that's what you want," the captain growled at last, putting his gun back in his belt, "fine!" He pointed at Finn. "I'll blast ya face to face!"

Now _that_ was more like it.

The two shooters went to stand on opposite ends of the street. It was just like the duel with the Roughneck. Each had their hands poised over their weapons. Finn's fingers twitched, and so did Scabulous'. Neither would give. But Finn was confident. Draws were something he could win as quickly and as easily as Aerrow could parry a blade.

All around the townsfolk stood tense. The old man who had saved the girl Ultra Dude had joined the younger folk, holding a giant scrubbing brush in his hand as a weapon. All cringed as they watched the silent battle in front of them as each shooter gazed into each other's eyes, trying to guess when the other would call it.

Finally it was Scabulous who let out the cry of, "Draw!"

He had hardly pulled his gun when Finn's bolt shot it out of his hand.

Feeling the glow of victory, Finn replaced his crossbow to the sheath on his back, letting out a quiet cheer of triumph.

But then . . . Scabulous _laughed!_

Idiot.

"What's so funny?" Finn asked with a leer, pointing at him. "_You _lost!"

"You may be a faster drawer, laddie," Captain Scabulous answered, "but I am a whole lot more _evil!_" Before he had even finished speaking, he had pulled out a violet crystal and threw it at Finn.

Finn had no time to react before he was hit right in the face. The crystal exploded on impact, and the force of it sent him flying backward, spraying glowing bits of crystal everywhere. Finn shut his eyes; the crystal stung them badly.

He found himself sitting on his rear on the ground, and quickly he opened his eyes, trying to pinpoint his enemy. The world was in a blur. Finn squinted, trying to clear his vision, but all he could see was a swirl of color. "I can't see!" he cried out in alarm.

He heard the click of a gun being cocked and knew without looking that Scabulous was once again pointing his gun at him. "Now," the Murk Raider said, "where were we?"

But then there was another voice next to Finn. "If you want him, you're gotta go through me!" Chuckie was standing beside him, jabbing a thumb at his own chest. "You knock down one of us, and another will take his place!"

Finn groaned inwardly. The kid was going to get himself killed!

"And another," said another voice. This one belonged to the old man. He stepped up next to Chuckie, apparently having traded in his scrub brush for a much more efficient shovel.

Finn blinked again. Shapes were starting to come into focus. Just a little longer . . .

Scabulous wasn't hesitating. "Then I guess it's gonna be bad luck for all of you!" he growled, pointing the gun toward Chuckie and the old man. The two gasped.

_They are in trouble . . . for my sake._ That was the first thing that struck Finn as soon as his vision cleared.

Now or never.

"Hey!" he yelled at Scabulous. He tossed his crossbow over Chuckie's and the old man's heads and then somersaulted behind them. "Chick—" he said as he rolled to his feet and grabbed his crossbow out of the air. He then pointed it at Scabulous. "—cha!"

He bolt struck Scabulous right in the gut and sent him flying through the air.

"The Finnito!" Chuckie whispered in awe.

Scabulous landed a good hundred feet away, landing on his shoulders and falling over forward on his stomach.

"And it's all over!" Finn said to himself.

Scabulous, on the other hand, seemed to think otherwise. He started to raise himself off the ground, a growl rumbling in his throat. But he had hardly gotten on his hands and knees before Steve called, "Now hold on now!" All of the townsfolk, including the Ultra Dude members, gathered around in front of Scabulous, each holding their version of weapons and each giving Scabulous a most contemptuous glare.

Finn beamed. The townsfolk didn't need a hero anymore. They were taking back their town themselves. Finn had shown them they could.

Dubious, Scabulous got to his feet and put his hands in the air. The shock drained him of every other possible emotion.

And with the terra safe and their crystals in hand, it was time for Finn and Radarr to head back to the _Condor_ and the rest of the gang.

There was just one more thing Finn wanted to clean up first. He got out his recording device and said to it, "Squadron log, final entry: Mission accomplished."

* * *

Back on the _Condor_, Finn and Radarr met the others on the bridge. Radarr chirped in delight when he finally got the chance to pull the Ultra Dudes' star logo off his Storm Hawks emblem.

Finn, meanwhile, went to present the crystals he was sent to retrieve to Aerrow. "There," he said, placing the black crystals with glowing fire-colored patches in Aerrow's hand. He crossed his arms. "Two backup cooking crystals just like ya asked."

Aerrow looked down at the crystals with what Finn realized was an apologetic gaze. "Sorry your mission had to be so easy," he said.

Easy? _Easy?_ "You kidding?" Finn answered. "Being a leader, making life-and-death decisions . . . that's the hardest thing I've ever done!"

Radarr churred and nodded approvingly, glad _somebody _had learned their lesson.

Finn put his hands on his hips. "I am much happier being the Number Two Guy on this team!"

Piper, who had been standing by the frontal window gazing out with her hands on her hips, looked over her shoulder at them. "Uh," she turned around and raised an eyebrow at Finn, "you're _not_ the Number Two Guy."

Oh. Right. Piper's position.

Stork, who was driving, also turned around to look at him. "No," he said shaking his head and gesturing to him, "I wouldn't even say you're Number Three."

Um . . . okay . . .

Junko was also shaking his head. "Um, yeah, I—"

That was quite enough! Finn ran to Junko, went around behind him, and put a hand over his mouth before he could finish knocking Finn's position even further.

"The point is," Finn continued, as if he _hadn't_ just been dished by nearly his entire team, "I'm just glad things are back to normal!"

"But they're not," Piper answered, turning back to the window, her expression seeming lost and worried. "Not when Cyclonis has the doorway. And whatever she's planning, it can't be good."

Finn raised an eyebrow at that. Doorway? Come again? Wait, had he missed something while he was away?

Figures.

* * *

Back on Cyclonia, Master Cyclonis was in the hangar bay staring up at the doorway with a smirk on her face. It wouldn't be long now. All she needed was the key.


	188. A Wallop For All Seasons: The Summons

Author's Notes: You guys have absolutely NO reason to forgive me for taking more than a year to update. The truth is, I just got pulled out of _Storm Hawks_ for awhile . . . and Fanfiction entirely. I have spent most of my online fan time on Youtube during 2012 and 2013. I have no excuse for not finishing this other than to say that I was burned out on _Storm Hawks_. But I've been feeling nostalgic lately, and now I am DETERMINED to finish this. I still can't guarantee frequent updates between episodes, but I can guarantee that there will be no yearlong breaks again. With only 5 episodes left (this one included), it would be quite sad to leave this unfinished.

So here it is, what you've all been waiting on for more than a year now. The continuation of the novelization of _Storm Hawks_.

* * *

_**Part 47**_

_**A Wallop for All Seasons**_

_A summons is called, and a family is reunited. An alliance is created, and a challenge is made. Might battles right, and a resistance forms. A new threat looms._

_A legend continues._

Chapter 1: The Summons

With the discovery of Master Cyclonis' plan, there was only one thing for the Storm Hawks to do: find the key. Only then could they stop Operation Exodus.

The problem was: no one knew where to begin looking.

It was Piper's suggestion to start in the most obvious location: Atmosia's library.

They were alone in the library. Book after book they went through. They could never find any mention of a door to the far side of Atmos or any sort of key to open it.

Finn finally put his hands on his head. "How much longer is this gonna take?" he moaned. "So bored, I can feel my brain shutting down!" He let his hands slide down his face so his eyes drooped.

He was dressed in his armor and standing at a table that had stacks of books upon it. On either side of him, Stork and Piper were each looking through a book.

Stork turned to Finn. "Shutting down, huh?" he said a little too quickly, tapping Finn on the shoulder plate. He turned back to his book thoughtfully. "Could also be brain warts!" he gasped, turning back to Finn with a frightened expression. Then realizing what he said, he leaned away from Finn and said, "Ew."

Finn laughed at the very idea. "Right," he said with a smirk. But then after a moment, he stopped. Most the time Stork was wrong, but _sometimes_ he was right. Finn rolled his eyes to look up at his forehead worriedly.

Aerrow, also dressed in his armor, walked up beside Piper with another stack of books and placed them on the table. Junko walked by also carrying a stack of books. "Anything in that one?" he heard Aerrow ask Piper.

"Ah, another dead-end!" Piper groaned. "All we know about that doorway is what Ravess told us. It leads to the far side of Atmos."

"And Cyclonis still needs the key," Aerrow continued, turning the book on top of his stack to face him.

They did this a lot, Junko noted. Aerrow and Piper would continually repeat everything they already knew to each other as if that would somehow help them find out more. Perhaps they did it to keep themselves, and everyone else, on track, and maybe simply to remind everyone why they were going through this grueling task.

"Keep digging," Aerrow ordered as he flung his book open to search it. "We'll find it before she does."

At that moment, the library door flew open with a BANG! Everyone gasped a looked up at the commotion, and Junko held his book in front of his face to block the intense light that blinded him. Was it an invasion? A Cyclonian spy? A . . .

A Wallop?

"Junko of Wallop!" a deep, gruff voice called. The other Wallop and his green crystal-tipped spear were silhouetted against the sunlight coming through the doorway. He appeared bigger than Junko . . . then again, Junko knew, most Wallops were bigger than himself. After his shout, the Wallop visitor beat the butt of his spear against the ground, and the noise echoed like thunder throughout the library.

The strange Wallop, who Junko could now see was dressed in traditional Wallop greeting clothes, took his spear in both hands and ran at Junko with his spear raised above his head. Junko let out a scream and tossed his book behind him as he cringed. The Wallop was going to attack him! He was going to . . . !

But when the Wallop brought his spear down and stopped, he was still a foot away from Junko. Junko looked up. "Huh?"

With his spear point still extended, the gray-skinned Wallop bowed his head to Junko and said, "This is yours."

Aerrow and Piper both raised eyebrows in confusion. Stork put his hands on his hips as if demanding an explanation.

Junko stared at the item hanging from the Wallop's spear. It was a golden block that was nearly rectangular but widened and then narrowed again to a point at one end. Above the point was a small green crystal, and above the crystal was a strip of characters written from top to bottom.

Junko looked around at the others sadly. He hated this. This couldn't be good news at all. With a heavy sigh, he took the block in both hands and pulled it off the carrier's spear.

The gray Wallop lowered his spear and shrugged at Junko. "Sorry," he said sincerely. He put a hand on his chest. "I'm just the messenger." And with that, he turned and calmly walked out of the library.

Junko stared after him, his heart beating madly with worry. He must have made a mournful expression because he felt Aerrow's hand on his shoulder and heard him say, "Junko, what's going on?"

"I've . . . I've been summoned back to Wallop," Junko explained as he looked down at the block again. He turned to the others to explain. They were all gathered around him with concerned expressions. "You don't get a summons unless it's . . . serious." He sagged at the last word, his mind wandering through all the terrible things that could have happened.

Radarr whimpered in sympathy for him. Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances and then so did Piper and Finn.

Junko's mind was made up. "I have to go."

The very thought depressed him. He had never really liked Wallop. He was always just so . . . different. He had left and ended up as a Cyclonian Youth Brigader so he could belong somewhere, and even then, he never truly felt like he belonged until he was a Storm Hawk. He sat down on the floor by the desk, leaning his back against it, his mind thinking about what terrible misfortune could have called him back—surely it must be something terrible, or why would _he_ be summoned?—and what it would be like for him to go back.

Radarr scurried up in front of him, standing on two legs and sniffing Junko worriedly. But as much as Junko loved fluffy, little animals, even Radarr was little comfort now.

"If it's that important to you, Junko," Aerrow said, gesturing to Junko, "we're going to Terra Wallop with you."

That was just like Aerrow: sticking by his friends. "But what about the mission?" Junko asked him sadly. "Just go look for the doorway key without me."

Aerrow smiled kindly. "Sorry, Junko. Not a chance!" He slammed his fist in his palm. "Storm Hawks stick together!"

In agreement, Radarr showed off some of his fighting moves, landing in front of Junko with his front paws on his hips and letting out a happy screech.

"I'll bring all the scrolls with us and keep looking," Piper added, holding up four different scrolls in her arms. It was a library, after all. They could check stuff out. "As far as we know," Piper continued, "Cyclonis still doesn't know any more than we do."

Junko looked at the summons still held in his hand. He didn't want to go alone and really liked the idea of his friends joining him, but he could see so many things going wrong with that scenario. They just . . . didn't understand. But he knew he couldn't _make_ them understand, and knowing Aerrow, he wasn't going to take no for an answer. So . . . "Well, okay," Junko said at last, standing up and facing all of them. "But remember, guys, Wallops don't trust outsiders. So if you're gonna come with me, we have to keep a low profile." The last part came out as a desperate whisper. He couldn't have them messing this up, no matter what. It could mean a fight.

"No problem," Finn said as he examined his fingernails. He was leaning up against the side of a bookshelf. Even as he spoke, he stuffed his pinky in his ear. "We're not gonna do anything to embarrass you." Even as he said it, he pulled a long wad of earwax out of his ear on his finger.

That was nasty and embarrassing. And even though Junko knew Wallops didn't mind nasty, he knew that if Finn was making that mistake now, he could only imagine the kind of trouble they could all cause on Wallop.

Still, there was no taking back his words. He had said they could come. And Aerrow was going to make sure he stuck to that.

They quickly got into the _Condor_ and had landed on low ground at Wallop below the two fists just as the sun was beginning to set. The main village, near where Junko's clan's meeting was to be held at dusk, was up on the fists within the walled canyons. Aerrow, Piper, and Radarr were the only non-Wallop Storm Hawks who had been here before, and back then they had only been there for a dentist appointment. Junko could hardly remember what had happened then since most of those memories were filled with his terror of going to the dentist. Aerrow and Piper certainly got a lot of angry glares, but they likely hardly notice them; their main concern at the time had been taking care of Junko's toothache, and like a pair of parents, their attention had been entirely consumed by that. Radarr, meanwhile, was an animal, and likely got little attention whatsoever.

Now, the circumstances would be different. The outsider Hawks would be attending clan matters in the main village, not just dentist offices in the outer areas. Could they conduct themselves? If they did anything, surely it would be a subtle accident, but that was still likely to cause problems. As for Finn and Stork . . . they were the most likely to cause trouble. And they had never been here before at all.

All these doubts and worries ran through Junko's mind, along with the sickening worry about the reason he was summoned here at all, while he led his friends down the center street. All around were Wallops, most of them full grown and noticeably larger than Junko. Many had skin that was shaded somewhere between green and brown, others with a more grayish tint. Many of them glared and snarled audibly at the sight of the outsiders walking behind Junko.

Outsiders. Now even Junko was starting to think of them as such.

Junko glanced to the other side of the street, hoping to look away from the angry faces, but he was only met with more. He cringed. "Oh, man," he said aloud. "Everyone is staring at us." He stopped and put his knuckle to his forehead. "This was a bad idea."

"They just need to be won over by a little Finn charm," Finn assured him, pointing his trigger fingers at him.

_Finn charm?_ Junko thought with horror. Even humans didn't usually like _Finn charm!_

But it was too late to stop him. Finn had already eyed two Wallops talking to each other. He tapped one on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, dude! How things goin', my man?"

The gray-skinned Wallop turned around and glared at Finn with noticeable lipstick and—barely—feminine facial features. Then she snarled.

Finn squeaked and put up his hands to protect his face. _It was a woman!_

"Sorry about that, ma'am," he said quickly, his voice fast with fear. He started backing away. "Honest mistake." She kept snarling but finally turned and walked away.

Finn turned back to his friends and saw Junko, Stork, and Radarr cringing in horror and Aerrow and Piper glaring at him, Piper with her hands on his hips. "What?" he said to them. He gestured to the she-Wallop walking away. "She looked like a dude from behind."

She obviously heard that. Junko saw her freeze, clench her fists, and snarl over her shoulder.

But Finn, ever so _stupid_, kept talking! "Come to think of it, they all sort of look like dudes from behind."

Junko was too struck with horror to do anything, but Stork came to their rescue. He ran to Finn and clapped a hand to his mouth.

But he hadn't been quick enough. The words were out, and the lady was coming back, snarling worse than ever. She stopped right beside Finn, looking ready to grab him.

Piper quickly stepped in. "Uh, I'm so sorry," she said quickly, putting up her hands in a calming gesture. "He didn't mean anything by that."

But the woman's eyes widened. She didn't seem to be listening to Piper's words. She was staring at her hands.

When she next snarled, it was her most ferocious snarl yet. She raised her fist, as if preparing to swing at Piper.

Every other Wallop on the street also looked angry. They had stopped what they were doing and were also snarling at Piper, their fists clenched and raised.

Junko was sure he was about to witness a massacre.

Piper (unlike Finn) seemed to be able to realize when she'd made a mistake. Backing up, with her hands still raised, she asked Junko in a very high, frightened voice, "Okay, what did I just do?"

"Piper, lower your hands!" Junko said in a panicky voice. He clenched a fist. "In Wallop, that's how you challenge someone to a fight!"

The lady Wallop was approaching Piper now, still snarling. Piper quickly put her hands down and stuck them behind her back. "Oops," she squeaked to the Wallop.

The Wallop punched her hand into her palm, waiting for Piper's next move. Piper widened her smile, letting out an involuntary squeak.

Like magic, the Wallop's face relaxed, and she backed off.

Everyone sighed. Radarr churred in relief and, as if the tension had drained him of energy, he leaned on the wooden thing next to him.

Junko's eyes widened as soon as he saw what Radarr was leaning on. It was a stand of wood surrounding a circle of stones, larger stones leading toward the center. Some stones rested on top of the tall ones on the rim of the center circle. "Radarr!" Junko cried. "Don't touch that! That—"

He had hardly gotten his words out when Radarr's weight tipped over the wooden panel. The wood piece fell down and struck one of the standing stones, toppling it over, which hit another standing stone and toppled that over, and on toward the center in a domino effect until it hit a center stone, knocking out a support for a ceiling stone. Soon, the entire stone structure had collapsed.

Radarr let out a half-whimper, half-squeak of alarm mixed with embarrassment. That . . . couldn't be good.

"—took a monk ten years to build," Junko finished his sentence, looking over the damage as color drained from his face. It was only a matter of time before . . .

Every villager on the street turned toward them, saw the five outsiders and started heading their way, their hands raised as if to grab them, their faces twisted in angry snarls, the lady Wallop in the lead. The other Storm Hawks huddled together in fright behind Junko. It seemed even Aerrow did not want to face an angry mob of Wallops.

Junko turned to the mob. His embarrassment was, at this point, about equal with his fear for his friends' wellbeing. He laughed tensely, trying to calm the crowd. "Outsiders," he said. "You know how they are." As if this sort of thing came from them all the time.

That wasn't stopping the mob. And Junko knew it. He turned back to his friends. "Run!" he cried.

Radarr screeched in alarm; apparently he seemed to have thought this could be fixed without retreat like the last offense. But he wasted no time in leading the retreat with the other Hawks close behind him, Junko bringing up the rear and the angry mob following.

However, the Storm Hawks were used to running and hiding when meeting enemies randomly on the street. They quickly and successfully ducked behind the barrels of a fruit and vegetable stand. These weren't big enough for Junko, who instead dove into the trash bags.

Once the mob ran by, Stork was the first to stand up from behind a barrel next to a barrel of purple Berry Blitz berries. Beyond that, Finn and Piper stood up from behind a barrel of onions, and Aerrow got up from behind the gloopy fruits. Radarr's constant white hen follower, who had somehow ended up there with them, strutted out from behind the berry barrel, and Junko stuck his head out of the trash bags, a banana peel on his head. He didn't see Radarr, but he had no doubt that the little guy was nearby, since both Aerrow and the hen were here.

"Well," Stork said with a quirky smile, "better than I expected." Which left Junko wondering exactly how bad Stork expected it to be.

Radarr finally popped his head out from within the barrel of berries with a squawk (which explains why the hen was behind it). After looking around and seeing no mob, he let out a sigh-like whimper of relief.

Junko pulled the banana peel off his head and turned back to his friends. "Wallops have their own way of doing things," he reminded them. "You guys need to stick close to me." He put his hand on his chest. He was _desperate _for them to understand. They could _not_ go through another scenario like that.

"I still think that was a dude," Finn insisted. "Should I go back and ask?" But before he could say another word, Stork was once again behind Finn with his hand on his mouth.

Evening was approaching. It was time to attend the clan meeting. Carrying the summons in his hand, Junko led his friends into the forest just outside the village toward a circle of borders. He was aware of Aerrow close behind him, Radarr hanging off his shoulder. The only way inside the circle was guarded by two Wallops dressed in traditional Wallop greeting attire and holding spears tipped with green crystals. When Junko stopped in front of them, they uncrossed their spears and moved out of the path. "Chief Thragg is waiting for you," the guard on his left said. With that, Junko led his friends inside, Stork giggling nervously as he passed by the guards and their spears.

Once they were inside, they saw a group of Wallops huddled around a huge tree stump. Standing on the tree stump was a large, bald, brown male Wallop with a dark gray beard. He was dressed in a green plaid robe that was belted at the waist, making a kilt at the bottom. Underneath the kilt he wore gray leggings that came down to his knees; Junko couldn't help noticing that the leggings matched his beard and gloves. Just as the guards had, this Wallop, whom Junko knew to be Chief Thragg, held a staff tipped with a green crystal. The butt of it rested on the stump next to the chief.

As soon as Junko and his friends began their approach to the chief, all the other Wallops turned their way and started muttering. Junko didn't know whether they were staring at him, the outsiders with him, or both. He heard a few of the words mentioned, like "no idea," but most of it was too soft for even his ears to hear.

Once Junko was before the stump, he held out the summons to the chief and said, "As you command."

Chief Thragg glared down at him with a face that appeared to snarl. Junko started quivering. Was he angry? If so, what for? Was he upset about the outsiders' presence? Did Junko do something to offend him? Or is it simply that Thragg was angry about whatever had caused him to send the summons to Junko? Whatever it was, Chief Thragg was now coming toward Junko, heading down the steps carved into the stump to stand before the younger Wallop. Once he was before him, he took the summons in his hand and held it up for the crowd to see. "Welcome back, Junko," he declared in his deep, gravelly voice.

At his announcement, the other Wallops stood up and hollered in celebration, throwing their fists into the air. With some of their tension relieved, even the other Storm Hawks smiled.

Junko grinned. Welcome back? After the way he had left, in disgrace, despairing of ever being a good Wallop, these were very welcoming words. And apparently Chief Thragg wasn't angry after all; his scowl was just his way of looking tough.

With the welcome out of the way, Chief Thragg dove right into the reason for the summons. "The clan has chosen you, Junko," he said, gesturing to Junko with his spear before raising it in the air, "to take over the family business."

Junko gulped. Take over the family business? That sounded an awful lot like, "Stay here and don't leave again."

Behind him, he heard Aerrow talking. Gesturing to Junko, he turned back to look at the others (Radarr had since jumped off his shoulder) and met Piper's eyes. "What exactly is the family business?" he wondered aloud.

Before Junko could answer, the chief was speaking to him again. Junko squeaked, afraid that Chief Thragg had caught him looking away. "You're familiar," the chief said, "with the Wallop known as . . . Dilly."

"Great Uncle Dilly?" Junko asked to be clear.

"Having reached old age, Dilly has decided to retire," Chief Thragg explained.

So Junko would have to take over Dilly's business. No. No, no, no, no, NO! "Chief Thragg," Junko tried to explain desperately, "I can't run the family business." Chief Thragg raised his chin and glared at Junko, but Junko rushed on before he lost his nerve. "I'm Storm Hawk!" Junko continued proudly, clenching a fist. "We're in the middle of an important mission."

Chief Thragg, apparently, had heard enough. He leaned into Junko and shouted, "The clan has made its decision!" In a calmer voice, he added, "To reject them would bring shame on your family." He leaned toward Junko again, his eyes narrowing as if he were scrutinizing him. He was so close that Junko could smell his horrible breath. "Is that what you want?"

Junko gulped. "Well . . . no," he admitted. There really seemed to be no way out of this.

"So be it!" Chief Thragg shouted, his voice echoing throughout the clearing. He slammed his spear against the ground. Pointing to Junko with the summons, he declared, "Your destiny has been sealed!"

The other Wallops of the clan were on their feet and hollering again with raised fists. It was clear that to them, the matter was settled. The Storm Hawks, however, were looking Junko's way with worried eyes.

Junko winced. Now what could he do?

* * *

Author's Notes: No trivia, guys. Really, I'm very sorry, but I've been away from _Storm Hawks_ for over a year and I really can't bring myself to dive back into my trivias. The clan-like aspect and outfits of the Wallops do reflect the Scottish Highland culture that began in the 16th century, but other than that, I'm not going to go much into detail on trivia. Again, very sorry.

And yes, I know this is also not my best work. Not only am I just coming back to _Storm Hawks_ writing after being away for more than a year, but I'm starting out with _Junko!_ I was never very good at getting in his head.

Anyway, if you're happy that I'm back, I'd love to hear you say so in a review! (And that also gives you the chance to, you know, cuss me out for taking so long to get back to this. Go ahead, you're allowed. I earned it.)


	189. A Wallop For All Seasons: The Challenger

Author's Notes: Wow, so many wonderful responses! Thank you! You guys are what I missed about Fanfiction!

Here is an answer to TheLastPendragon's question, "Are you going to be continuing with any other _Storm Hawks_ stuff or starting anything else?" I honestly don't know at this moment. In the fandom world, I've gotten more interested in Youtube than Fanfiction this past year. (Please visit my channel if you're so inclined. I have the same username as I do on Fanfiction. I have _Storm Hawks_ videos as well as _How to Train Your Dragon_, _Rise of the Guardians_, _Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron_, _The Fox and the Hound_, _Bambi_, some animash, MEP parts for a MEP group I'm in, and horse videos. The newer my videos are, the better. The old ones aren't that great.)

From a writing standpoint, I've been more interested in writing my own novels and short stories rather than doing Fanfiction. Also, I'm going to start college this fall. I'll be moving far from home—two time zones, actually—and I'll be starting a new, time-consuming life. I don't have any idea how much time—or privacy, since I'll be in a dorm—I'll have to write fan fiction.

And as some of you know, I have been working with Minn-Maigi on _Relentless_, a _Storm Hawks _story which has been on hiatus for over a year. (It's under her name because it's her brainchild.) I swear we're trying on that. We really are. Minn has also gotten out of the _Storm Hawks _mood, too, so it's been difficult to continue with both of us in a slump. But last I spoke to her, she had done a little writing for it, so there's hope.

But if I _do_ choose to write more fan fiction—and I may—I _might_ do something Halloween- and/or Christmas-oriented for _Storm Hawks_. I've also thought up some _How to Train Your Dragon_ stuff, which I may or may not do (HTTYD has been my main fandom this past year) and I have thrown a few _Rise of the Guardians _ideas around. So if you want to see more of my work, keep your eyes peeled because I may continue. No promises, though.

Okay, I'll go update my profile now to better match my new agenda. I'll put a link to my Youtube there if you're interested. And now, after one of my longest author's notes ever, let's continue!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Challenger

Later, all the Storm Hawks were at "the family business." This just so happened to be a little shop with a purple roof and a purple sign shaped like panties.

"'Dilly's Frillies'?" Aerrow read, looking around the store.

Radarr was sitting on Aerrow's shoulders. He chirped as he peered over one shoulder and then the other.

"Dude," Finn said, a wicked smile as he stepped forward, "this is an _underwear store?_"

Sure enough, there were all assortments of underwear hanging from the racks around them.

Junko crossed his arms indignantly. "We prefer the term frilly, delicate whatnots," he corrected.

Finn ran to a stand displaying a pair of white panties and spun them. They were so huge, Finn could have worn them as a nightgown. He laughed out loud, and even Stork, who had joined him for some reason, put his hands over his mouth in a vain attempt to hide his giggles.

"Your family business is selling lady's underwear?" Aerrow clarified. When he spoke, it was too fast and had a slight hiccup in front, proof that he was trying to cover his laughter with words. Radarr also seemed to be grinning too much. Then, as if realizing they made a mistake, they quickly backtracked. "I mean," Aerrow said, while Radarr's ears shot up and his face composed a little, "frilly, delicate whatnots?"

Junko turned away from him, irritated. And here he thought Aerrow and Radarr were trying to correct themselves, when they were really _mocking _him. Weren't they supposed to be there for support or something like that?

Piper noticed their mockery, too. "Oh, grow up, guys," she said as she walked toward a rack. "Everybody needs underwear." She started looking through the racks until she saw something that amused her. She pulled a green pair of underwear with lighter green flower print off the rack. It was even bigger than the white pair Finn had found. She held it in front of her as if it were a dress and danced teasingly, giggling.

Junko frowned and sighed. Apparently with underwear that big, even Piper couldn't keep herself under control. Were they all going to act this stupid the whole time?

But Finn did straighten up when Junko started gave the first directions, which were to sweep. Finn groaned in boredom as he swept the floor, sweeping two socks aside.

Radarr decided to stand on the counter and check out the cashier. He chirped in delight when he managed to make the machine ding and open its money box.

Stork decided to test out the underwear. He had a green pair with lighter green flower print (a much smaller size than the one Piper found) and stretched the underwear his entire arm-span until it snapped out of his hands like a rubber band. It then hit Radarr, completely covering his upper half. Squawking in shock, Radarr jumped off the counter and ran around the store, trying to free his arms and get the underwear off his head.

Junko looked up to see what was going on in time to see Radarr run past him screeching. The furry copilot slammed his head into a mannequin and then took off in a new direction.

"Dah!" Junko cried in exasperation. He couldn't believe it. Was Radarr crazy? They had to _sell_ that, not _wear_ it! "Radarr, get your head out of the merchandise!" he cried as he started chasing after him. The chase led him one direction, than the other. Piper and Stork watched them run back and forth, hearing crashes and cat squeals every time they changed direction.

Radarr finally crashed into another mannequin, this time backwards, and landed on his rear with his back to the mannequin. His arms were now stuck out the leg holes, and the flap on the bottom fell down to reveal his irritated face.

Believe it or not, it was Piper who broke out into hysterical laughter at that.

Seeing that the nonsense was over for now, Junko went into the storage area to carry in crates of deliveries. Aerrow went in to help him and deeply regretted it when he picked up his first crate. Those things were heavy.

Getting the right crates out was very easy, Junko noticed. "At least Uncle Dilly kept everything organized," he noted aloud as he carried his crate in. He set it down on the counter. "I can keep the shop running. At least until I can figure some way out of this mess!"

The weight of Aerrow's crate finally got the better of him. It slipped, he gasped, and then both he and the crate fell to the floor with a crash.

No worse for the wear, Aerrow sat back up and asked Junko, "Why don't you just tell your family that you don't wanna do it?"

"I can't!" Junko answered with a shrug. He put his fist to his heart. "It's a matter of honor. I have to stay loyal to my family."

Aerrow stood up. "Even if that means you have to leave us?" he said, laying a hand on his heart. Aerrow, a boy without family, had always felt like the Storm Hawks _were_ a family. Didn't that mean Junko had to be loyal to them, too?

Junko winced. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was leave the Storm Hawks.

At that moment, the door opened, and the door's bell rang. A customer was here.

And it was none other than the woman Finn had angered yesterday, carrying a basket full of Berry Blitz berries.

Finn recognized her at once. He squeal in fright and pointed at her, leaning away.

Junko quickly got between them. He didn't think it would help her temper if she saw Finn, much less Finn pointing at her. Chuckling nervously, he said, "Uh, how can I help you today?"

The woman scowled, leaned forward, and demanded, "Where's Dilly?"

"Well, uh," said Junko, looking around nervously. A regular. Used to Dilly. This will be difficult. "He left the shop to me." Junko put his hands on his chest. "I'm Junko." He bowed and grinned at her. "At your service!"

She grunted angrily, obviously dissatisfied so far. Holding up her fingers, she counted them off as she said, "I need another pack of the four red felt Bumpy Rumpies."

Made even more nervous by her attitude, Junko started backing away, saying, "An excellent choice, ma'am. Uh, let me get that for you."

Then, his worst nightmare. He stopped dead in his tracks when he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was Stork, who leaned toward him and whispered in his ear. "Um, we're outta that size."

Junko laughed nervously. This could get ugly.

He slid back to their customer and raised a finger. Tapping his fingers together he said, "Uh, could we offer you a different brand?" He gestured behind him. He held up a small pair of underwear. "The Iron Petites are very nice."

He didn't get a chance to go further before the woman grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. Radarr was so frightened by the sight that he squealed and closed the bottom flap of the underwear in front of his face.

"Listen," the woman said, her free hand held back as if preparing to strike, "the only brand I wear are Bumpy Rumpies. Dilly always had them for me!" She started shaking him. "And if you don't want trouble, you're gonna find me some NOW!" And with that, she threw him across the room.

Junko let out a pained yell as his head hit the counter, and he landed on his back, his feet in the air. Aerrow, Piper, Finn, and Radarr, who were all behind the cashier, peered around it to look down at him in concern.

Junko sat up, his back cracking painfully and his vision spinning. "We're in trouble," he muttered.

Piper seemed to come to a decision. "The scrolls can wait," she said. She put a hand on her chest. "Aerrow and I will go find Uncle Dilly."

Aerrow seemed in agreement. He turned to the others. "The rest of you guys, keep the customer happy," he ordered.

"No _problemo_," Finn said, pointing his trigger fingers at them. Radarr, however, widened an eye (his equivalent of raising an eyebrow, of which he has none). He didn't seem to think keeping the customer happy was going to be a small endeavor.

"Eh . . ." Junko said, cringing as he looked at his customer's growling face. He agreed with Radarr.

With that, Aerrow and Piper left the shop to search for Junko's great uncle. They hoped he might be a bit more understanding than the rest of the Wallops had been so far.

Much as Aerrow was relieved to get out of there, weaving in and out of the Wallops on the street was no easy task, either. Every time they even got close to anyone, they got angry glares, sometimes even rough shoves. Of course, this started their string of apologies as they passed.

"Pardon us," they said as they weaved through two.

"Sorry," Aerrow said as he passed by one.

"Sorry," Piper echoed to the other one.

"Sorry," Aerrow also said to that one.

"They look upset," Piper noted to Aerrow.

Aerrow knew what she meant. Even as outsiders, they were getting some pretty fierce looks. They weren't really suspicious looks, more like outright disgust, something reserved for lowly enemies.

"Did we do something to upset them?" Piper wondered.

"I don't know," Aerrow answered. "We better get off the street."

They slipped toward a door with their backs to it, and Aerrow pressed his hand against it. It was open. Quickly they slid inside and closed it shut behind them.

As soon as the door shut, a voice called, "What the . . . ?!"

Aerrow and Piper whirled around at the voice, and Piper gasped.

Filling the room were Talons, at least seven of them, including the moustache Talon! The walls were covered in Cyclonian posters, propaganda, and maps and charts.

"Cyclonians?" Piper breathed.

"Storm Hawks?" the moustache Talon gasped back.

Aerrow's heart beat a mile a minute. They were in a room full of Cyclonians, outmanned and outgunned. That was trouble.

Drawing in a breath, Aerrow tried to sound braver than he felt. "What are you doin' on Terra Wallop?!" he demanded.

"What are _you_ doing here?" the moustache Talon shot back, pointing at them.

Aerrow and Piper exchanged glances. "Uh," Piper said, turning back to the Talons and smiling sheepishly, "would you believe selling underwear?"

She peered at Aerrow out of the corner of her eyes, and Aerrow caught the signal. They were running for it. _Now._

Unfortunately, the Talons grabbed their staffs and chased after them.

Once they came to their first corner, Aerrow got an idea. He grabbed Piper's wrist and dragged her over to the left.

The moustache Talon was right on their heels, but when he rounded the corner, too, all he saw was a busy open market full of Wallops and food stands. The other Talons joined him in less than a second and were just as confused, muttering to themselves. The moustache Talon clearly heard one person say, "No idea."

The moustache Talon gave himself one moment to slouch in defeat and whimper like a puppy. After that, he straightened up and growled, taking off into the crowd in the hopes of tracking the Storm Hawks down. Yelling, the other Talons followed him.

* * *

Without their pursuers, Aerrow and Piper easily made their way back to Dilly's Frillies, where Radarr's stalker hen was outside clucking and pecking at morsels on the ground. Once inside, the two quickly explained why they didn't have Dilly to the others by telling them all that happened.

After hearing about the chase scene, Finn huffed. "You think _you_ had it bad?" he said to Piper and Aerrow. "We had to help her fit into a corset." He stuck his tongue out in disgust and said, "Eh!"

The place did look a wreck. There was underwear scattered all over the floor, and the green pair was currently on top of Finn's head.

Piper glared at Finn, as if wondering how that could _possibly_ be worse than running for your life. Aerrow just rolled his eyes.

Finn continued anyway as if they sympathized. "I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks!"

Junko, on the other hand, was thinking seriously about what Aerrow and Piper said. Cyclonians . . . here. "But," he said, "Cyclonians wouldn't dare come to Terra Wallop!"

"They're here now," Aerrow assured him.

"I better take this to the clan," Junko thought aloud. "Chief Thragg will know what to do!"

* * *

Within hours, the Storm Hawks were once again before Chief Thragg at a clan meeting. Junko approached the chief's stand. "Cyclonians," he explained. "They're here, on Wallop!"

"I already know about the Cyclonians!" Chief Thragg yelled back.

Junko's face hardened. What?

Chief Thragg placed a hand on his heart. "I'm the one who invited them." With that, he gestured behind him where three Talons with staffs were approaching, looking ready for a fight. The lead one was the moustache Talon who chased Aerrow and Piper earlier.

The Storm Hawks stared with open mouths before voices behind them made them turn around. Three more Talons were approaching behind them. They were trapped!

"What's going on?" Aerrow demanded on Chief Thragg at once. Already Junko could sense he was readying himself for a fight and desperately trying to get his team out of trouble.

"The Cyclonians and Wallops have signed a mutual protection treaty," Chief Thragg explained. "These men are our new allies."

The Storm Hawks gasped. Junko's face well. No . . . No! Not _Terra Wallop!_

Aerrow alone was unsurprised. He had expected something like this from the moment he saw those Talons on Wallop!

"The Cyclonians are going to win the battle for Atmos," Chief Thragg continued with a clenched fist, "and the Wallops will be on the winning side!"

"Thragg," the moustache Talon yelled at the chief, pointing at the Storm Hawks, "we demand that the Storm Hawks be handed over to us!"

"Junko is a Wallop!" Chief Thragg growled back. "As long as they're with him, they're guests of Wallop and under my protection."

Junko set his teeth. Chief Thragg spoke of him as if he wasn't a Storm Hawk himself!

The moustache Talon would not take no for an answer. "They are wanted enemies of the Cyclonian Empire!" he yelled back.

That, apparently, was all it took to flare Thragg's temper. "They are guests under my protection," he yelled, leaning toward them, "and NO ONE tells Wallops what to do!" He was so mad, his eye was twitching. The moustache Talon looked both terrified and taken aback.

"But you know what the Cyclonians have done!" Aerrow interrupted, speaking directly to the chief. "What they're capable of! How can you sign a treaty with them?!"

Chief Thragg backed off the Talon and straightened, glaring at Aerrow and growling. "I'm not about to explain myself to an outside! You're not a Wallop!"

Aerrow snarled right back. He was not used to being addressed so disrespectfully, at least by someone not Cyclonian.

Junko furrowed his brow. Aerrow shouldn't be spoken to like that! They demanded answers, and they wanted them. "Well, I'm a Wallop!" he pointed out angrily. "Explain it to me!"

Chief Thragg pointed at him, his own controlled fury just as evident. "You've been with outsiders too long, Junko!" he answered. "You've become weak! You have forgotten what it is to respect power!"

Junko's face fell. Him, weak? Yes, he knew that, but that wasn't the point! "But . . . but," he stammered, "they're the bad guys!"

"You know Wallops respect only the strong," Chief Thragg answered back. The drop in his voice indicated a follow up: _No matter what._

Junko growled. Respect the strong, even when they do bad things? Never! "I _won't_ support the Cyclonians!" he yelled, swiping his hand across him. And as long as he was renouncing his home's politics, he might as well go the whole nine yards. "And you know what? I'm not gonna run Dilly's Frillies anymore, either!"

Chief Thragg growled and seemed to size him up, but Junko was too angry to care. His fists were clenched, and his heart was pounding. Let Chief Thragg do what he wanted with him! He would not relent!

All around them, the other Wallops began to murmur angrily. All the other Storm Hawks cringed, sensing the tension and possibly feeling helpless against it. After all, Junko's family's protection was the only reason they were safe at the moment. To have it turned against them could be disastrous.

Chief Thragg looked around angrily upon hearing the murmurs and then turned back to Junko. Junko could see that the chief was no longer furious; he was _livid_. "You reject your birthright! You reject your family! Are you prepared to accept the consequences?"

Junko stared long and hard into his eyes. The path before him was clear. Without a second thought, he raised his hands and showed his palms to Chief Thragg in a traditional challenge gesture.

Thragg snarled. All around the circle, Wallops gasped. Then they stood and started cheering raising their fists in the air. But among the crowd, the Storm Hawks looked on solemnly.

Thragg met Junko's gaze. "Then . . . so be it," he said. He raised his spear high above his head. "The challenge has been issued!" he announced. He pointed his spear point at Junko. "Junko will face me in the Wallop Ritual of Power!"

He slammed the butt of his spear against the ground. The matter was settled.

* * *

As the sun set on Terra Wallop and the night creatures began to clamor and howl, Junko was in Dilly's Frillies, preparing for the battle of his life.

"This is one-on-one combat, Junko," Piper pointed out. She and the others had been trying to convince him to back out for hours now. "He's three times your size!"

Stork nodded at that. "The Wallops say your odds of winning are one hundred million to one," he added.

"I don't have a choice," Junko called back to him. He was in the back room with the purple curtain drawn, putting on his Wallop fighting attire, which was the same outfit as Wallop greeting attire.

"You always have choice," Aerrow answered back. It was just the type of thing Junko would expect him to say. "Let's leave," Aerrow added, gesturing toward the door. "We can get back to the _Condor_ and get outta here."

Of all of them, Junko would have expected Aerrow to understand honor, but he reminded himself now that Aerrow had been forced to fend for himself as an orphan, and surviving that sometimes meant running. To him, your life was more important than your honor. Not so with Wallops. "I'd be branded a coward," Junko explained. "I could never face my people again."

Finally ready, he stepped out to face them all, wearing his blue lederhosen, gingham sash that bottomed into a kilt, and his little blue fez hat, all worn over his uniform. He was ready for battle.

Finn stepped up next to Junko and addressed the others. "What are you guys worried about?" he asked confidently. He gestured to his best friend. "Junko will mop the floor with that dumb Chief Thragg! He's gonna give 'em a little one-two Knuckle Buster sandwich!" He punch at his "one-two." "Huh, am I right?" he said to Junko.

That reminded Junko . . . "Oh, uh, the Knuckle Busters, yeah," he said. He looked down at them, attached to his wrists. "That reminds me," he slipped them off, "can't use 'em. That'd be cheating." And with that, he placed them in Finn's hands, knowing his best friend knew how much those things meant to him and would take care of them (at least, better than he had the last time). The weight they had pulled Finn to the floor with a girly gasp as soon as they dropped in his hands.

Piper and Stork cringed. "Two hundred million to one," Stork corrected, holding up two fingers to Piper.

* * *

Author's Notes: Um . . . yeah, I still don't have a trivia.

I'm _really_ looking forward to the new episodes. Very excited, actually! Which is weird, considering how long it's been since I've been into _Storm Hawks_. But even though this is one of my favorite episodes because of its message, I'm really not enjoying writing this particular episode. Maybe it's because I'm writing for Junko? Eh, I don't know. Review if the mood strikes you. I would be most grateful. And please point out any mistakes you find. I like when people do that; it gives me a chance to correct those mistakes.


	190. A Wallop For All Seasons: Might & Right

Author's Notes: Thank goodness for the "&" character. Otherwise, this chapter title (with the episode title) would be too long for the little chapter title doohickey...dropdown menu...Chamber of Secrets...thing... (Yeah, for someone who enjoys writing, I really can have trouble picking terms sometimes.)

* * *

Chapter 3: Might and Right

Less than an hour after leaving Dilly's Frillies, Junko was approaching the forest where a cluster of four guards were standing with spears in hand. It was dusk now, and already the owls were starting to hoot. Sundown. Time for the ritual.

Junko turned around and faced his friends before he went in. "I am serious, guys," he said, gesturing to them. "Promise me, you won't try to interfere." He knew any one of them would be willing to jump in to save his life, and none of them looked happy about not being able to. They all cringed, and Radarr, who was hanging off Aerrow's back, looked ready to hide behind his boy.

From within the forest came a mighty Wallop roar. One of the guards, the same man who had been Junko's messenger, called to Junko. "Chief Thragg is ready."

Junko lifted his head higher. This was it. No going back. He did his best to march proudly toward the forest between the lines of guards, his hands clenched in fists.

The others sadly watched him go. Finn said solemnly, "We're never gonna see Junko again, are we?" Piper gulped, and Radarr followed Finn's statement with a whimper.

Junko's own fears were not still, and he knew very well the risk he was taking. But he had to try. Despite how afraid he was, he was never surer of anything in his life.

His walk took him deep into the forest until his friends and the guards were out of sight. He kept his eyes peeled for Chief Thragg, but there was no sign of him. Yet soon enough a gruff shout rang through the forest. "What are you up to, Junko?" Junko looked around for the source of the sound, but all he could see were shrubs, ferns, and thick trees with fungus growing on them. Again Chief Thragg's voice came. "You want to beat me? Become the new chief?"

Junko's ears were pricked as far forward as they could go, trying to detect the location of the sound, but there was so much echo within that ancient forest that he could not pinpoint the spot of origin. Even so, he answered back as bravely as he could. "What you're doing is wrong!" He swiped his hand in front of him forcefully as he said it. "I'm here to save our terra!"

At that moment, his sensitive ears detected the snapping of a twig behind him, and he froze. "Huh?" He turned around to find Chief Thragg looming above him in a tree . . . right before he leaped down on top of him with a roar.

The next thing Junko knew, he was pinned to the ground underneath a very angry chief. "Wallop doesn't need saving!" Thragg shouted furiously.

Without any warning, the chief lifted Junko high above his head, spun him around, and then flung him forward. Junko let out a cry as he went flying through the air and smacked his belly and chin right into a tree. Momentarily knocked senseless, he fell to the forest floor.

But Chief Thragg was just getting warmed up. With another roar, he grabbed a log and lifted it high in the air like a club.

Junko got to his feet, staring up at him. A log? Where had . . . ? Junko looked around and noticed for the first time that the clearing Thragg had thrown him into had apparently been the battleground of an earlier ritual. There were many logs lying around from the trees that had been knocked down in the process.

Chief Thragg leapt off the incline above Junko with a mighty roar, the log held over his head. But before he could bring it down on top of Junko, the younger Wallop picked up his own log and held it above him like a shield, blocking the blow.

Chief Thragg paused a moment and glared at Junko, a snarl on his face. His eyes were no longer that of a wise and controlling chief but of a madman, full of rage and hungry for battle. Junko barely had time to prepare himself before the chief roared and charged him again. Junko met his attack, their logs locking like too swords. Knowing he needed to take some offense, Junko unlocked the struggle and swung his log, hitting Thragg's hand and knocking the log out of his hands. The log merely spun in the air, and Thragg caught it easily.

Junko took the opportunity provided by the distraction. Whis his own roar, he charged at the chief, trying to attack, but the older Wallop met his log with his own. Junko tried again, but again the chief met his attack. They held, pressing against each other, roaring in each other's face, neither seeming phased.

But Thragg was most certainly the stronger Wallop. He finally threw off Junko, causing him to leap backward to keep his balance. Thragg leaped at him again, his log held high above his head. Junko held his log lengthwise above his own head to block the blow again and closed his eyes, but this time it wasn't enough. He yelled as something sharp and jarring slide past his hands. When he opened his eyes, his hands were empty, and his log lay at his feet, snapped in half. "Oh!" he said in surprise. It's not a good feeling to find your only weapon destroyed during a fight.

But he didn't have time to linger over the loss. Thragg roared again and held his log over his head before throwing it at Junko. It hit Junko lengthwise in the chest, and with a cry, the young Wallop was sent flying backward into a tree, the log snapping in half on impact.

Thragg's smirk was that of a lunatic. He was experiencing the thrill of battle, and he was ready to finish this.

Junko caught his breath as he rose on his hands and knees, recovering quickly. Okay, so maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Chief Thragg was obviously the better fight; that's how he became chief. But couldn't he get the chief to see how _stupid_ he was being?

Junko rose to his feet as Thragg stalked toward him. "The Cyclonians will betray you," he warned the chief angrily, "just like everyone else!"

That made the chief stop in his tracks. But he didn't look convinced; he looked even angrier. "You think you know more about leading Terra Wallop than ME?!" he shouted, pointing a thumb at his chest.

"No!" Junko answered back, standing tall. "But I do know a thing or two about Cyclonians!"

"The Cyclonians and Wallops have a lot in common, Junko!" Thragg told him, a speech that convinced Junko to take a battle stance, realizing this wasn't over. "They're both strong! While you and your Sky Knight friends are WEAK!" He picked up a boulder next to him and threw it at Junko.

Junko cringed, but there was no time to dodge. With a cry, he drew back his fist and then punched the boulder as it approached, shattering it in mid-air.

But while he was distracted with the boulder, Thragg had leaped at him, and no sooner had the dust from the boulder cleared when the chief's fist met Junko's face.

Pain exploding in him, Junko was sent hurtling backward with a cry, smacking into a tree with such force that he chopped it straight through before tumbling down a hill with another cry.

Chief Thragg stalked forward with a growl, his fists clenched. Junko, thinking fast, ducked out of sight behind a boulder.

Chief Thragg walked on, looking about as a creature's howl rang out from the forest. "Come out and face me!" he called out as he walked right past Junko's boulder. "Go down fighting! You'll bring honor to the clan!" Thragg stopped in his tracks. "In a way," he admitted, "I envy you, Junko!" He looked around, but there was still no sign of his opponent. "There's no shame in losing! Only shame in fear!"

Junko, meanwhile, was sneaking around behind the chief, listening to his words. Fear, was it? _He_ was the one afraid? No. Junko saw it differently. "I'm not afraid, Chief Thragg," he called out.

Thragg's ear twitched as he heard a twig snap behind him, and he spun around. There stood Junko, glaring at him. "But you!" the young Wallop said, pointing at the chief and making him snarl. Junko stalked up to Thragg. "You're afraid of standing up to the Cyclonians!" He stopped in front of Thragg, shouting in his face. "You know they're evil, but you won't fight them because YOU are afraid!"

Thragg snarled his most menacing snarl yet. _He _was _afraid?_ Junko _dared_ to insult him so?! His fist clenched tighter. "I'm afraid of NO ONE!" he roared.

Absolutely _furious_, Chief Thragg began his most ferocious attack yet! He punched at Junko, who dodged, and punched again, only to have Junko block it. Taking advantage of his fury, Junko got down low and kicked Thragg's feet out from under him. Thragg landed flat on his back with a groan.

Junko stood up. If Chief Thragg truly was not afraid, then he needed to prove it. "Then stand up to them!" Junko shouted at the chief, swiping his hand in front of him.

Ignoring his words, Thragg grunted as he kicked at Junko, but Junko just dodged and grabbed his foot. The young Wallop would continue to fight, but that didn't mean he couldn't keep trying to reason. "It's still not too late!" he reminded Thragg. With a cry, he picked up Thragg's foot with a cry, swung him around, and let go, letting him fly through the air.

Thragg glanced off a tree and landed on his belly on the ground with a grunt. As he pushed himself up with his hands, he peered over his shoulder at Junko, snarling. "Cyclonis is too strong!" he answered.

With that, Thragg leaped to his feet, roared, and ran at Junko, swinging his fist at him. With a cry, Junko blocked the punch and then landed one of his own, right under Thragg's chin. Thragg let out a cry of pain as he was sent flying backward.

Junko knew that wouldn't be the end of it, so while the chief growled and got to his feet once more, Junko got in a battle stance, his fists poised and ready.

Then, Thragg charged.

Even if you are a tall, strong, thick-skinned Wallop, seeing an even taller and stronger Wallop barreling your way and snarling audibly is pretty intimidating. Junko knew just by looking at this charging beast that he was not going to be able to put up a fight to that charge. So he did the only sensible thing; he dodged at the last minute, somersaulting out of the way.

Thragg couldn't stop his momentum. He ran headlong into a tree with a force that shook the forest and made a sound like a cannon going off. Thragg was disoriented for a minute, his head a bit jumbled by the collision, but he soon shook it off.

Junko heard loud cracking sounds and looked back over his shoulder and up toward the tree. The tree was shaking and swaying. The collision must have caused its trunk to crack. It would be ready to fall very soon.

That gave Junko an idea. If he couldn't win this fight through strength, he would use the one thing few Wallops ever used: strategy.

He figured this out just in time. Another roar met his ears, and he spun around to see Thragg charging him. Aware that his back was already to a tree, he waited for the chief to come to him, and once more, he moved out of the way at the last minute.

Thragg's fist met the tree, cracking its base. Junko looked up to see the vine-filled tree swaying and hearing the audible cracks. This was going to work. He backed up to another tree.

Thragg roared again and charged once more. Again, Junko dodged. Again, Thragg's fist hit the tree, breaking its trunk.

Thragg spun around to see Junko, in battle stance, backed up to another tree. He charged again. Same result.

Junko now stood in the center of those trees. Thragg turned and stalked toward him, refusing to take the bait and charge this time.

Junko looked up at the tree Thragg walked away from. It cracked some more. Come on . . .

Yes! The tree started to fall toward Thragg's back. Smirking at Thragg, Junko quickly ran out of the way.

Wondering what Junko was running from, the chief looked over his shoulder just in time to see the tree falling on top of him. He cried out, but there was no time to dodge. Thragg grunted in pain as he was pinned to the ground on his belly by the fallen log.

He started to push himself up off the ground, the log lifted into the air on his back, when another tree he had chopped through came falling down on top of him and the other log. He let out another cry, but already pinned under the first log, there was nothing he could do. The second log came down on top of him, and Junko winced as a third joined it. Two more fell and joined the pile, then another.

When the final log fell, Thragg let out a pained, frustrated cry. He was trapped under a huge pile of logs. He tried to lift himself up, but it was no use. One log was not a problem, but this was enough to truly pin him. His furious roar sank into a stifled gasp as he slammed his fist into the ground.

Junko could hardly believe it. His plan worked! He had a feeling Piper would be proud.

Junko walked forward toward Thragg and loomed over him. It was over; he had won. Even the chief could see that now.

Or at least, he thought so. Seeing his shadow lying over him, Thragg looked up at Junko with a smirk on his face. It unnerved Junko. "Why are you smiling?" he asked nervously.

Thragg sighed. "There's no greater honor than being defeated in the Ritual of Strength by a stronger Wallop," he answered with a proud grin. "You'll understand that some day . . . Chief Junko."

His words sent a chill of fear and dread through Junko. "I don't want to be chief!" he answered sternly.

"Only the chief can stop the treaty with the Cyclonians," Thragg reminded Junko. "You want to cancel the treaty?" He wiggled his fingers and then clenched them into fists. "You know what you have to do! Finish the fight!"

Junko looked at his own fists, raising them. Thragg was right. With one blow, he could end this. With one blow, he could lead Terra Wallop in the right direction.

Chief Thragg closed his eyes, preparing himself for his greatest honor: death at the hands of the next chief.

Junko hesitated. He thought of everything he had learned about what was right and wrong, about killing and honor and war. What would the other Storm Hawks think of this? And what did Terra Wallop really need?

At last, Junko made his decision. With a mighty Wallop roar, he raised his fist and struck.

The Storm Hawks heard a Wallop's final yell and heard a blow that shook the entire forest, sending up birds in a panic. They stared at the forest with open mouths, knowing it meant the battle was over but afraid to know the outcome.

Aerrow squinted into the forest when he heard footsteps. A Wallop figure was lumbering their way. "Somebody's coming!" he announced to the others.

At his announcement, the Wallop guards started muttering amongst themselves. Once the victor stepped into view, the Wallops let out a chorus of "Oh!"

Junko, weary and sore, stepped into the sunlight.

"Yeah!" the other Storm Hawks cheered. Piper and Finn threw their fists in the air, Finn yelling, "Alright, Junko!" and Piper screaming, "Wahoo!" They ran at Junko to greet him with Aerrow and Radarr running after them, Aerrow laughing his cocky "I knew it all along!" laugh. Stork followed them at walk, his hand on his chest, letting out a very relieved sigh.

Junko scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly at their approach . . . because their celebration didn't exactly match the chain of events.

"You did it!" Piper cheered happily once they were in front of him.

Finn shoved her out of the way. "Ye-hes!" he agreed. He flexed his arm muscles as he asked, "So how's it feel to be the new chief of Wallop?"

Junko looked down at the ground. Time to admit it. "I'm not the chief."

"But you won!" Aerrow said with a shrug, clearly confused.

Junko scratched his cheek again. "Not exactly," he admitted, meeting Aerrow's eyes.

The Wallop guards raised their eyebrows at him in confusion as more murmuring arose. Then one of the guards heard footsteps and looked toward the forest. Everyone followed his gaze, and all the Wallops gasped aloud.

An absolutely livid Thragg was stalking out of the forest, his fists clenched. He had been humiliated, his family disgraced by this excuse of a Wallop, and his chance of an honorable end denied him.

He headed toward Junko.

Seeing his face, Finn squeaked and retreated from Junko. Junko turned around to face Thragg, knowing that the chief would have a hard sentence to pass.

* * *

A short while later, the clan was gathered around the _Condor_ as five guards, with their spears, guided the Storm Hawks toward the ship.

Junko was banished from Terra Wallop . . . which meant all his guests were banished as well.

All the Storm Hawks winced as they passed by Chief Thragg, who glared at them with pure hatred, his arms crossed. His eyes switched between Junko and Aerrow, wondering which was more of threat and which he hated more. He would never forget them, and if he ever saw them in battle, he would show them how _real_ Wallops finish things!

The Storm Hawks had almost reached the plank that led into the ship when Junko stopped dead in his tracks. It _couldn't_ end this way. If the chief couldn't see things his way, then maybe the clan would.

"I used to be ashamed," Junko announced over his shoulder, turning around, "because all the other Wallops were bigger and stronger than me."

The other Wallops snarled at him and clenched their fists, ready to prove him right. Chief Thragg snarled at his impudence to give a speech, but he didn't stop him.

So Junko continued. "I thought being strong was the most important thing." He clenched his fist. "But strength means nothing unless you have the courage to use it for good." He beat his fist against his chest, emphasizing his point.

At that, the guards lowered their staffs, and all the Wallops dropped their fists and gazes. This was not something they were often told to think about. But perhaps . . .

Seeing the influence Junko was having on the crowd, Thragg snarled in rage. He took a few steps toward Junko. "You dare mention _courage_ after you didn't have the _courage_ to finish the ritual?!" he growled.

This was Junko's last chance to sway him. He stepped up in front of the chief. "Please, Chief Thragg," he begged. "Stop this treaty before it's too late!"

At first, Chief Thragg just stared at him, and Junko hoped he was considering his words.

But it was not so. Chief Thragg shoved Junko away, screaming, "YOU'RE NOT A WALLOP!"

Junko stared at him as he caught his footing, shocked and hurt by his words.

"You're a disgrace!" Chief Thragg added. And with that, he turned and walked away. The other Wallops followed, the messenger from before shaking his head sadly as he did so, as if he did not believe Junko was in the wrong.

This one act gave Junko enough courage to speak up once more. "I _am_ a Wallop!" he called after them with a small smile. Some of the Wallops murmured and glanced back, but no one stopped. "And I'm also a Storm Hawk!"

That comment made Thragg stop and glare over his shoulder. The other Wallops stopped, too.

Junko smirked "The good guys!" he finished.

Though Chief Thragg kept his cold snarl of hatred, the other Wallops stared at him in awe and confusion. He recognized some of them; not only was the messenger looking at him imploringly, but Dag and Urgi, who exchanged glances, were also among the Wallops, and they seemed to be remembering how the Storm Hawks had once saved them.

Junko turned around to look at his friends, taking reassurance from them. Radarr, who was hanging off Aerrow's shoulder, and Stork smiled at him, and Aerrow nodded encouragingly, grinning proudly. Junko turned to the other side of him, where he met Piper's and Finn's warm smiles as well, Finn with his hands on his hips, impressed.

It was clear to Junko that he had said all that had needed to be said. With one last smirk at Thragg's snarling face, he turned around and led his squadron up the plank into the _Condor_.

* * *

As the _Condor _drove away, the moustache Talon on Terra Wallop watched her soar overhead. He turned to the burlier, blond, bearded Talon next to him. "Alert Cyclonia," he ordered him. "The Storm Hawks have left and they won't get far." At this, the two Talons smirked and started toward their tent.

Unbeknownst to them, the messenger Wallop was hiding just around the corner of the building behind them, listening to them. And he wasn't alone. Four other Wallops were hiding in the alley with him. "I think Junko was right," he whispered his companions.

The brown, bearded Wallop closest to him, hiding behind a barrel of Berry Blitz berries, hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm. But what can _we_ do?"

"We'll meet tonight," the messenger announced, and the bearded Wallop nodded in agreement. "Just because Thragg supports Cyclonia," the messenger added, gesturing his head toward the Talons, "doesn't mean _we_ have to."

* * *

In the _Condor_, headed back to the library on Terra Atmosia, Junko was staring out the window, his hand on the glass, unaware of the impact he had made and feeling like he had lost. He sniffled, trying not to cry.

When he turned around, Piper was beside him. "What you did was great, Junko," she assured him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Junko smiled at that, but his face quickly fell. "Didn't do any good," he muttered. "The Cyclonians still have Terra Wallop.

Aerrow walked up behind Piper. "But you did the right thing," he said proudly.

"Yeah, I know," Junko answered. He stared out the window again, watching Terra Wallop get smaller in the distance. "It's just I might never get to see my home again." The place he was born, the place where his family lived, and the place he had once thought he'd return to forever, would no longer accept him back. Now he was an outsider, too.

Finn and Radarr peered from behind the frame of the curve leading to the window, smirking. They knew what would make Junko feel better! "We snagged you a little souvenir before we left," Finn said, Radarr nodding. They stepped out from behind the frame, Finn holding something behind his back, while Junko turned around. "And they're the last ones on Wallop!" Finn added.

From behind his back, Finn brought out and fanned a huge, white, flower-printed pair of underwear. Radarr gestured to it and squawked as if to say, _Ta da!_

Junko took the underwear and laughed when he recognized the brand. "Bumpy Rumpies!" he said. "Delicate and frilly!"

He looked up at the pipe above his head and banged the underwear against it. They hit with a loud CLANG that made Piper cringe. The pipe was dented by the blow.

"And indestructible!" Junko added joyfully.

The Storm Hawks laughed together as they drove into the rising sun. And Junko knew then that it was as Aerrow was always telling them. He wasn't leaving his family behind on Wallop; his family was right here. The good guys!

* * *

Author's Notes: Aw, I like my ending! And Junko really has my favorite _Storm Hawks_ quote ever in this episode. "Strength means nothing unless you have the courage to use it for good!" So true!

And now, on to "Payback"! That's going to be cool! And obviously, because the Storm Hawks split up, I'll do a lot of changing points of view, but the main point of view will be Stork! *Stork fangirls cheer*


End file.
